Hellenistic
The astrology of the Greek-speaking Mediterranean from roughly the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE, as recorded by authors such as Vettius Valens, Dorotheus and Ptolemy.
1 Oct 2026
Leo and Virgo are adjacent, so Virgo is the second sign from Leo. Hellenistic astrologers place that in aversion: the signs do not see each other by any aspect. Leo is a masculine, fixed fire sign and Virgo a feminine, mutable earth sign. The Sun rules Leo and Mercury rules Virgo, so no ruler is shared. Neither planet has dignity in the other's sign, while Mercury both rules Virgo and is exalted there. Mercury is never more than about 28° from the Sun, which keeps the two lords near each other in the sky even though their signs are unconnected. This page applies the idea to two people's signs; the doctrine itself is stated for one chart.
Sources
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Book I
- Paulus Alexandrinus, Introductory Matters
What was checked
An AI research review checked this text against sources on 1 Oct 2026. No person has reviewed it.
Reviewer's notes
Aspects/aversion by sign (Ptolemy I.13, I.16), dignities, genders and modalities confirmed; the block already says it applies a one-chart doctrine to two people's signs as an extension, which is this page's choice and not an ancient claim. Fixed a contradictory 'though' clause.
Sources consulted
- Ptolemy I.5-7, 11-13, 16-19: benefic/malefic, sect, solid/bicorporeal and masculine/feminine signs, aspects, disjunct signs, houses, exaltations and depressions penelope.uchicago.edu (opens in a new tab)
- Valens Anthology I (Riley): domiciles ('house of Mars/Sun'), sign genders, bicorporeal signs, planets' sect skyscript.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
- greatest elongation: Mercury 18-28 deg, Venus 45-47 deg en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
- Paulus' Introductory Matters covers the lunar phases, sect and aspects, and chart-rulership en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)