Firmicus Maternus

[Todd Carnes]

I have just begun reading Firmicus & I notice he only divides the chart
into 8 houses, instead of the twelve we use today. They correspond with
our first eight houses. This actually makes sense to me, since once
you're dead (8th house) you're dead.

Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?

Todd

[unknown]

Post by Todd Carnes
I have just begun reading Firmicus & I notice he only divides the chart
into 8 houses, instead of the twelve we use today. They correspond with
our first eight houses. This actually makes sense to me, since once
you're dead (8th house) you're dead.
Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?

I think the Anglo-Saxons used to divide the day into 8 hours.

[Kjell Pettersson]

On Jul 20, 7:00 am, Todd Carnes <***@gmail.com> wrote:

---

once you're dead (8th house) you're dead.

Well... I'm not too sure about that! ;-)

---

Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?

I have a memory I read a comment on this made by Robert Hand, but I
cannot locate it so take that with a spoon of salt. However, I did
find manage to find this interesting article on the topic:

http://www.tradicionalnaastrologija.com/2010/11/octatopos.html

It seems to be a more original form of house system, at least if we
consider Hellenistic astrology the more original one. If Vedic
astrology would be more original, I don't know where the issue would
stand. It is my belief that Hellenistic is regarded as more original
in the West, and Vedic in India. Who could've thought!? :-)

/K

[John Roth]

Post by Kjell Pettersson
---

once you're dead (8th house) you're dead.

Well... I'm not too sure about that! ;-)
---

Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?

I have a memory I read a comment on this made by Robert Hand, but I
cannot locate it so take that with a spoon of salt. However, I did
http://www.tradicionalnaastrologija.com/2010/11/octatopos.html
It seems to be a more original form of house system, at least if we
consider Hellenistic astrology the more original one. If Vedic
astrology would be more original, I don't know where the issue would
stand. It is my belief that Hellenistic is regarded as more original
in the West, and Vedic in India. Who could've thought!? :-)
/K

Interesting. Firmicus wrote the Mathesis in 336, which makes it two
centuries after Ptolomy and four or five after Hermes. Hellenistic
always
used the signs as the topical places (the houses), the same as Vedic,
with Ptolomy being somewhat of a revisionist and using what we would
think of as a house system for power calculations.

An 8-fold division seems to correspond more to the 8 phases of the
Moon.

John Roth

[David Ames]

Post by Todd Carnes
I have just begun reading Firmicus & I notice he only divides the chart
into 8 houses, instead of the twelve we use today. They correspond with
our first eight houses. This actually makes sense to me, since once
you're dead (8th house) you're dead.
Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?
Todd

IIRC, Cyril Fagan in his researches mentioned an 8-house system which
counted houses clockwise from the Ascendant.

David Ames

[alhena-c.]

Post by Todd Carnes
I have just begun reading Firmicus & I notice he only divides the chart
into 8 houses, instead of the twelve we use today. They correspond with
our first eight houses. This actually makes sense to me, since once
you're dead (8th house) you're dead.
Anyway, I was wondering... Is this 8 house thing something unique to
Firmicus or was it more widespread. Also, if it was the norm back then, I
wonder if anyone knows when the switch to 12 houses was made and why?
Todd

An interesting matter. I think the Octatopos was prior to the
Dodecatropos.
Also several octatopos have been postulated (different calculation of
"cusps")
Also Guinard has exposed on Octatopos, and proposed his own:
http://cura.free.fr/11domi2e.html