ai.il:.t,;l:i:ril:!i,li

is revealed through practical application. Asin life, soul and its manifestations are notimmediately obvious to the naked eye. Thispassage, credited to Lao Tzu, sums up theimportance of space:

"We make a vessel from a lump of clay;It is the empty space within the vessel thatmakes it useful.

"We make doors and windows for a roomlit is these empty spaces that make the roomliveable.

"Thus, while the tangible has advantages,

it is the intangible that makes it useful."

Soul, Arabic partsand incarnationThe arrangement of the Arabic parts aroundthe birth chart reveals the chart within thechart;the soul within the psyche; the essence

or heart within the practical demands of yourlife. Each Arabic part is calculated using a

unique formula that incorporates planetaryplacements as well as key angles (like theascendant or midheaven).

It is said that itt the relationship betweenthe parts and the planets in the horoscope thatbecomes the selling point of each life. Aftereach part is calculated, it is then allocated a

planetary ruler to follow throughout the life.The philosophical perspective inherent

in much of astrology regarding incarnation,is described in The Myth of Er at the end ofPlato's Republic. This story details the journeyof Er through the afterlife as he encountersnew souls waiting to incarnate. Their choicesaround selecting a "lot" or life show howyou engaged in a co-creative dance to select

your life this time around, with the kinds ofexperiences necessary for your soul growth.

The story is magical, as after selecting theirlots, the new souls have their lives confirmedby the three fates, who select a time whenthe cosmos and planets are aligned just so

for birth to ensure one's horoscope supportsthe themes of the life selected. Once this is

set, the newly chosen souls cross through thePlain of Forgetfirlness and camp by and drinkfrom the River of Unmindfi;lness, explainingwhy once here you have little or no memoryofthis "choosing your life" experience.

As the Arabic parts reflect the soul, thelanguage around interpreting them is sparse.

How does one describe the etheric soul inhuman language? Their placement in thebirth horoscope refects primary themes anddominant archetypes in the story ofyour souljourney. By sign, house and ruling planet, theArabic parts reveal the inside story of what'sreally going on for you this lifetime. Theyindicate areas of life that carry more chargeand potency from a soul perspective for you.

The Arabic parts are particularly effective indynamic or predictive astrology. By observingwhere and when in your life the Arabic parts,md therefore the soul, bump into day-to-day

living (aka the planets), important times ofchange - where your soul asserts itself overyour self or lower mind - can be identified.Technically, this can occur when the Part ofFortune triggers birth planets or chart pointsby progression or when the parts, insertedaround solar return or synastry charts, triggerbirth themes.

Interpreting theArabic partsEach primary Arabic part has a theme orquality. Work out what it is you want to knowmore about and then focus on the appropriatepart. Most important when interpreting each

part is the planet that rules it. That is to say,

whatever Zodiac sign the part falls in, it is

the ruling planet of that sign that signifieswhatever that part represents in your chartand in your life - as if the ruling planet

destiny IASTROLOGY

Elements of the Art o1: Astrology, written in70294D. He states, "In each case there are

three things to be attended to, Place 1, thebeginning, PTace 2, the end and Place 3, thecasting-off point." Al-Biruni was an 11th-century Persian scientist, mathematicianand anthropologist.

The parts represent the essence or ideas

of things, so as you contemplate what each

part means for you (by natal sign and house

placement, or any planetary conjunction),consider its expression in your life as a highestprinciple, ideal or aspirational concept.

The seven primary partsPart of Fortune (POF) (the Moon)Formula = Ascendant + Moon - SunThis part is the one most commonly used inmodern astrology.This formula of al-Biruni is

based on the method ofcalculation adoptedby Ptolemy, which he never altered.

By sign, house and ruling planet, theArabic Parts reveal the inside story

of what's really going on for you thislifetime. They indicate areas of life thatcarry more charge and potency from a

soul perspective for you.

of the part is the guide or representativeof the part in your day-to-day life.

As the Arabic parts come through fromolder branches ofastrology, it is the traditionalplanetary rulers that matter here. They are:

Leo............... .................... SunCancer......... ...............MoonGemini,Virgo ......... MercuryTaurus, Libra........... ... VenusAries, Scorpio .................................. MarsSagittarius, Pisces .......................... JupiterCapricorn, Aquarius....................... Saturn

Calculating partsThough the parts reflect the seven visibleplanets, each partt formula is based on an arc

- the distance between two specific points,which is then carried over to a third point andprojected from there. It is the arc itself thathas meaning.

These seven main parts are referred to as

the Seven Pillars ofWisdom.They are notedby both al-Biruni and Paul of Alexandria,with only slight variations between the two(al-Biruni doesnt include the placementsof Mercury and Venus : the inferiorplanets - in his formulas, whereas Paul ofAlexandria does).

The formulas listed below are fromal-Biruni's 77e Book of Instruction in the

It takes the phase of the moon at birth (the

distance from the Sun around the Zodiac tothe Moon) and projects that arc of space outfrom the ascendant, the start or beginningpoint of the horoscope. This part highlightsthe importance of the birth moon phase. Ifyou know your birth or natal moon phase

it can be fairly easy to approximate. NewMoon birth phases have the POF close to theascendant. Frrst-quarter Moon birth phases

have the POF near the IC. FulI Moon birthphases have the POF near the Descendant.Third-quarter Moon birth phases have the

POF near the MC.This part is about fortune, but not in the

liberal, modern materialistic sense. Fortunerefers to positive energy: good things and joy.

This one point in the chart reflects energy (by

sign and house) that helps you tap into yourdeepest happiness. Astrologer John Frawleydescribes this as the 'pearl ofgreat price" and

the part of fortune as "where you think thesprings of livingwater fow".It is your fortunein the purest sense of the word, and drawingthis energy into your life ensures you are

forrunate and always have "wealtti'. It is also

quite probable that following your joy in lifewill lead to financial fortune, too. Essentially,it is an energy that helps bring you into innerbalance and harmony. q

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ASTROLOG\ | destiny

Part of Spirit (the Sun)Formula = Ascendant + Sun - MoonThis is a supremely spiritual part that is out ofreach for most ofus. It can be hard to describe

linguistically and often shows up in the charts

of prominent leaders - those who are trulyinspired by goodness. It is said to be a part ofabundance, as being the part of the Sun it'sabout giving (the Sun as the light- and heat-giving star or entity).

The house in your horoscope this part falls

into is an area oflife where you experience thegoodness oflife or abundance in the universe.This part takes the other arc between the Sun

and Moon (this time starting at the Moonand moving round the Zodiac to the Sun)

and projects it offthe ascendant.The concept

ofgiving on all levels is reflected here.

Part oflove (Venus)

. Formula = Ascendant + Part of Spirit - PartofFortuneThis part takes the distance between the PartofSpirit and the Part ofFortune and projectsit off the ascendant. It describes love at a

lower, human level.Love ultimately means wanting, which

refects the distance betr,veen what you love

and you. This part describes that desire toembrace that which is missing. It is a personalpoint that describes your personal approach

to human, realJife love (as opposed todevotionai love reserved for deities or faith).Part of Despair (Mercury)Formula = Ascendant + Part of Fortune - Partof SpiritThis part again uses the distance between thePart of Spirit and Part of Fortune, but in theopposite direction to the Part to Love. Thispart is sometimes referred to as the Part ofNecessity and describes the unavoidablechallenges oflife.

Mercury is a mental planet and often thedespair is about over thinking, too muchworrying or over-analysing. It is about thelogic or rationality ofreality and shows howyou approach choices. Mercury representsnegotiation. By sign and house, this partshows how you handle the realisation thatyou must endiessly make choices and showshowyou deal with them.Part of Captivity (Saturn)Formula = Ascendant + Part of Fortune

- SaturnThis is both the part ofcaptivity and the escape

from captivity. It is also described as the partof those who rise in station or standing inlife; ie, those who become less "imprisoned"by their circumstances.

Sometimes described as the part of sin, itshows how not using Saturn (discipline, focus

and commitment) can lead you into trouble.This is the avoidable difficulties of 1ife, wherewith personal control and dedication you can

overcome things that might be challenging. Itreflects how when you break laws you end up

under the influence of more laws. If you rise

70 lwellbeing.com.au

up the scale - through success or financially

- you have access to more resources thanyou did beforehand and are able to deal withchallenging situations more easily.

Part ofVictory $upiter)Formula = Ascendant + Jupiter - Part ofSpiritThis part reflects the essential meaning ofJupiter, valour and grace, and shows where

mercy falls into your life. It is about receivingthe goodness or abundance oflife.

If you accept that it's through grace thatthings grow or evolve out ofyour efforts, thenthis placement reflects that heavenly sense

Parts that fall in Water signs (cancer,

Scorpio, Pisces) crave human connection.Relationships and emotional interaction are

paramount. Focus on connecting with otherpeople around the themes of your parts inthis element.

Zodiacal longitudeHow to add and subtract planetary or chartplacements around the Zodiac The Zodiacis a 360-degree circle. Each sign represents a

30-degree segment of the circle. To easiiy add

or subtract chart placements, the first step

involves converting the planetary placement

of being watched over. By sign and house, itshows some of the areas or ways in which yourefforts will grow most quickly or abundandy.Your personal quest around faith is shown bythis part.Part of Courage (Mars)Formula = Ascendant + Part of Fortune

- MarsThis part refers to right action and by sign

and house signifies the particular areas in lifeor interests that challenge you to hold the

concept of always doing what is right, above

and beyond the call ofduty.This part demands a transcendence ofego.

Have you got the courage to do the rightthing, not just from a 1egal view but from a

humanistic or moral perspective, regardless

of circumstance? Your personal path of rightaction is summarised by this part.

The parts by elementThe elemental outlines here give you some tips

on how to ellergise each ofthese parts in yourchart. Parts that fall in Fire signs (Aries, Leo,Sagittarius) encourage action and movement.

Be bold and daring about these themes. You

are cailed to act as an initiator. Take charge

and lead the way forward.Parts that fall in Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo,

Capricorn) seek stability and security. A 1evel

of material comfort that ensures basic needs

are met helps you develop. Slow and steady is

the best approach. Develop a good relationshipwith your physical body and needs.

Parts that fall in Air signs (Gemini, Libra,Aquarius) need stiinulation. Knowledge and

learning feature as ideas and concepts are

what help you embrace the parts in these

signs. Communities that support your ideas

or beliefs are essential.

(ie, 10 Taurus) into Zodircal longitude.This creates a common system. Most chartplacements have a degree/minute reference

but, for simplicity, degrees only are used inthe table above.

Once you have all three placements

required for the part, simply add or subtract

the numbers as they are. If your answer is less

than 0, add 360. Ifyour answer is greater than360, subtract 360 so you end up with a figurebetween 0 and 359.Then take this result and

apply it back to the table to give you theZodiac placement of the part in question.

Worked examplePart of VictoryAscendant + Jupiter - Part of SpiritAscendant 10 Taurus + Jupiter 27 Cancer

- Part ofSpirit 13 Sagittarius10 Taurus becomes 40 (add 10 to the start ofTaurus which is 30)27 Carcer becomes 177 (add 27 to the startof Cancer which is 90)13 Sagittarius becomes 253 (add 13 to thestart of Sagittarius which is 240)

Then insert the figures into your formulaas foliows:40+777-253=-96With a negative result, add 360. This bringsyouto 264.Take 264 to the table. This fal1s between 240

and 269 which is in the sign of Sagittarius.

Subtract 240 (the start of Sagittarius) fromthe result of 264.1his leaves 24.This part falls24 degrees into the sign ofSagittarius. @

A professional astrologer and writer, Kelly Surtees offers

private readings to clients around the globe, Kelly lectures

internationally and holds the professional pructitioners

Diploma in Astrologyfromthe Federatian of Australian

Astrologers (Fld). W: www.kellysurtees.cam