UNDERSTAND THE METHOD
Why birth time and birthplace matter
Every Lot here uses the Ascendant, which depends strongly on the birth instant and location. An uncertain time should remain visible in your interpretation.
Go deeper: the full reference
The Ascendant anchors every formula
The Ascendant is the zodiac degree rising on the eastern horizon. It moves through the zodiac over the course of a day, at a rate that varies with place and zodiac region. There is no single degrees-per-minute correction that works for every chart. A date and an approximate city alone cannot establish these Lots accurately.
Use the actual local time and place
Enter the recorded birth date, local clock time and birthplace. The time zone and any historical daylight-saving rule determine the corresponding instant. Nearby place names can also be ambiguous, so confirm the location you selected. Differences between calculators can begin with time conversion rather than the Lot formula.
A useful sensitivity check
If the time is recorded as approximate, compare a plausible earlier and later time while keeping the same location and method. Notice whether a Lot changes sign, whether the Ascendant changes, or whether the Sun crosses the horizon. This explores how the result depends on the input; it does not recover an unknown birth time.
Keep uncertainty in the reading
A result printed to the minute of arc is a display choice, not proof that the birth data supports that precision. If a sign or house changes within your plausible time range, hold both possibilities lightly. Avoid selecting the time that merely produces a more appealing description.
A question before interpretation
What is the source of your birth time, how precise is it, and which parts of the result remain stable across that uncertainty? A documented limitation is more useful than an unsupported exact answer.
Follow the Lots in your own chart
Use your recorded birth time and birthplace to calculate the seven Hermetic Lots. Compare the stated sect and formulas with this lesson, then read each placement as a symbolic question in its chart context.
Method and context
These references support the historical context and the Paulus formula convention. Interpretations and reflection questions are original Synastry work.
The Astrology Podcast: The Lot of Fortune and Spirit in Astrology ↗ · Historical discussion of Lots, the Paulus scheme and differences between authors such as Paulus and Valens.
Arabic parts: The Hermetic lots ↗ · A secondary reference table for the seven day and night formulas attributed to Paulus Alexandrinus.
Al-Biruni: The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology ↗ · R. Ramsay Wright translation, §475–476: Fortune and the Sun’s Lot (Spirit). The latter is given more fully as the Lot of the unseen and religion; names and formulas vary across authors.
Arabic names of the zodiac signs ↗ · Arabic-language reference for the familiar twelve zodiac signs. These labels do not define a separate zodiac or change the calculation.
Arabic zodiac vocabulary and transliteration ↗ · Arabic zodiac terms. We consistently write the article al-; its pronunciation can assimilate to the following consonant.
Unicode: Lot of Fortune ↗ · U+1F774 LOT OF FORTUNE (pars fortunae), cross-referenced with U+2297 ⊗. Synastry uses the familiar crossed-circle vector form.
Connect the ideas
What are Arabic Parts?
Arabic Parts, also called Lots, are calculated zodiac points. Their formulas connect the Ascendant with relationships between other chart positions.
2 min readArabic names and symbols
Learn the Arabic names of the twelve zodiac signs, the historical names of Fortune and Spirit, and how to distinguish a Lot symbol from an associated planet.
2 min readRead a Lot formula and follow the degrees
Convert each position to a longitude from 0° to 360°, apply the stated formula and wrap the answer around the zodiac.
2 min readDay, night and the meaning of sect
Sect distinguishes a chart with the Sun above the horizon from one with the Sun below it. The seven formulas here reverse between those two conditions.
2 min read