UNDERSTAND THE METHOD
What are Arabic Parts?
Arabic Parts, also called Lots, are calculated zodiac points. Their formulas connect the Ascendant with relationships between other chart positions.
Go deeper: the full reference
A point made from a relationship
A planet has an astronomical position. A Lot is an arithmetic construction: take the directed zodiacal distance between two positions and project it from the Ascendant. The result is a degree in the zodiac, not a physical body or a newly discovered planet. Different Lots give that construction different traditional topics.
A longer history than the name suggests
Lots were used in Hellenistic astrology before their development and transmission through medieval Arabic-language astrology. The familiar English name “Arabic Parts” reflects that later transmission; it does not mean the technique began in medieval Arabic texts. The Greek term is often transliterated as kleros.
The seven used here
Synastry follows the seven Hermetic Lots recorded by the fourth-century astrologer Paulus Alexandrinus: Fortune, Spirit, Eros, Victory, Necessity, Courage and Nemesis. This is a named selection and formula convention, not a catalog of every Lot used across historical traditions. Other authors, including Vettius Valens, give different methods for some Lots.
An example of the distinction
Two people could have the same Sun sign but different Ascendants and Moon positions, giving different Lots of Fortune. A date-only Sun-sign label cannot stand in for this calculation. Each result depends on the actual input positions and the chosen day or night formula.
A reflective use
The readings in this guide are original symbolic interpretations by Synastry. They can help you frame questions about circumstances, intention, relationships or responsibility; they do not establish personality, causation or future events. Which topic would help you ask a more useful question about your life today?
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
Arabic 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 readWhy 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.
2 min read