Paulus and the Trigons

[Guest guest]

Doing some research on Hellenistic authors, I discovered that even at

the time of Paulus Alexandrinus (c. 378 C.E.), the elements weren't

commonly linked to the signs of the zodiac. Robert Schmidt lists

Paulus as giving us a good introduction and overview of mainstream

Greek astrology. I had forgotten that there is a translation of

Paulus in print from ARHAT, translated by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum.

(Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olympiodorus) This

work draws heavily on Ptolemy in some ways, but also uses other

sources.

 

At that time the trigons were still linked to the four winds. Here's

a paragraph from Paulus:

 

" It is possible to know what winds are about to blow from the

separations and applications of the Moon by triangles. For if the

Moon has a triangular application or separation to some star in the

1st trigon of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, there will be an east wind;

in the 2nd trigon of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, a south wind... "

(etc.)

 

When Paulus talks about the individual signs, he mentions the wind

direction of each sign, but says nothing about the categories of four

elements. So I don't know when the elements as such began to be

commonly used by astrologers, but no doubt it will be in Schmidt's

first book...publication date unknown.

 

Therese