Terms
were another method of dividing the zodiacal signs.
Like the faces and the
decans,
the system of terms started at
the first point of Aries and ended
at the last point of Pisces. Unlike
these other two methods, however, term divisions were
unequal, varying from 5° to 12° of a sign. Further,
terms were associated only with planets that
governed them, not the luminaries. By
the time Ptolemy wrote
his Tetrabiblos in the second century
A.D., there were already multiple methods of dividing
the zodiac. He
presented in detail the Egyptian terms and mentioned
the Chaldean terms. Ultimately, he preferred a scheme
that he claimed he had recently found in an ancient
manuscript. When al-Bīrūnī wrote
his The Book of Instruction in the Elements of
the Art of Astrology, he spoke disparingly of
various methods devised by the Chaldeans, Hindu
astrologers and a certain Asṭarātūs before presenting
both the Egyptian and Ptolemaic terms. Most Islamic
astrolabes makers preferred the Egyptian terms,
probably agreeing with al-Bīrūnī that they are more
correct.
Egyptian Terms
Zodiacal Sign |
Degrees |
Planetary Lord |
|
Zodiacal Sign |
Degrees |
Planetary Lord |
Aries |
6 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
Libra |
6 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
12 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
14 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
20 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
21 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
25 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
28 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Taurus |
8 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
Scorpio |
7 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
14 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
14 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
22 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
19 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
27 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
24 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
Gemini |
6 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
Sagittarius |
7 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
12 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
17 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
17 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
21 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
24 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
26 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Cancer |
7 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
Capricorn |
7 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
13 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
14 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
19 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
22 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
26 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
26 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Leo |
6 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
Aquarius |
7 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
11 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
13 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
18 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
20 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
24 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
24 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
Virgo |
7 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
Pisces |
12 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
17 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
16 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
21 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
19 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
28 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
28 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
Ptolemaic Terms
Zodiacal Sign |
Degrees |
Planetary Lord |
|
Zodiacal Sign |
Degrees |
Planetary Lord |
Aries |
6 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
Libra |
6 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
14 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
11 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
21 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
19 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
26 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
24 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Taurus |
8 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
Scorpio |
6 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
15 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
12 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
22 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
21 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
24 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
24 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
Gemini |
7 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
Sagittarius |
8 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
13 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
14 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
20 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
19 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
26 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
25 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Cancer |
6 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
Capricorn |
6 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
13 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
12 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
20 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
19 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
27 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
25 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
Leo |
6 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
Aquarius |
6 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
13 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
12 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
19 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
20 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
25 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
|
25 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
30 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
Virgo |
7 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
Pisces |
8 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
13 |
الزهره
Venus |
|
|
14 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
18 |
المشترى
Jupiter |
|
|
20 |
العطارد
Mercury |
|
24 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
|
26 |
المراخ
Mars |
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|
|
30 |
الوحل
Saturn |
|