Published 18 Aug 2012 • Updated 18 Aug 2012
It is clear to me from my research, that the Astrologies of India and Greece were once part of the same large structure.
Both systems have whole sign houses,although Ptolemy might have utilized a variant whole sign house system because he appeared to have added a zone of five degrees whereby a planet had an effect going backwards from the first house.This is not,in my opinion,an effect about the house itself,which maintains its whole sign capability,but rather just shows that a planet in transit will be felt five degrees before entering the first house.
In India and Greece,whole sign houses were utilized and aspects were also whole sign based,although in Greece smaller aspects for transits were sometimes employed.
Both systems used the rulership of houses by planets,but they also have in common the idea of a planet standing for something:the planet becoming a symbol or syndoche for the thing itself.
In Ptolemy,the father is symbolized by the Sun,if the person is born during the day,and by Saturn,if born at night.The Mother is symbolized by the Moon,if born at night and Venus,if born during the day.
In Vedic Astrology,the Astrology of India,the symbol,syndoche for the father is the Sun and for the Mother,the Moon.The syndoche itself or symbolic representation is known in Vedic parlance as a :”karaka”.The planet is a stand in,a representative for the thing itself.
The Sun is also used as a karaka for the :”soul”,”energy of the person” .The Moon is used for a karaka of the :”mind of the person”,their “body” and “emotional strength”.
In both systems, effects are measured from how the planets reside before and after the Sun and Moon,whether the planet is on an angle of the chart,whether feminine planets are in feminine signs and in feminine placement,follow the Sun or Moon-or are below the horizon-a feminine place to be.If feminine planets are in feminine signs or masculine planets are in masculine signs,their “sect standing” is judge positive.In Vedic Astrology,this sets up a big yoga and in Greek Astrology,this is very positive but also taken in are the standing of the :”sect leaders”:the standing of :Mars,the Moon and Venus,if the person is born at night and if they were born during the day:the Sun Saturn and Jupiter.
In both systems,ascendents can start from :the Sun,Moon,Venus,and the ruler of the first house,but both have variants of how ascendents can be formed,which are quite similar when it comes down to it.
These starting planets which begin a counting position are used to judge yogas in a Vedic chart and large aspects in a Greek one.The Greeks may discuss ideas like spearbearers and the “hurling of rays”which at first blush might make matters appear different,but as I said,when all is said and done much more ideas are held in common.
I will be beginning on a book which will deal with this topic,but my specialty as an astrologer is thinking in this kind of large system tautology.