Givers of Children

Definition

The Givers of Children (Greek paidodotai, "child-givers") are the planetary significators of offspring — Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury — that, when they aspect the ruler of the Lot of Children, point to fine children. Valens reports the assignment from Petosiris. These are the significators that work together with the Lot's ruler, not the Lot itself.

In Tradition

Valens quotes Petosiris on the Childgivers. When Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury are unafflicted, they indicate fine offspring; afflicted, they turn to grief and the loss of children. The count of children is doubled when the stars aspecting the Givers, or the Givers themselves, fall in double-bodied signs. The sex of the children follows the gender of the stars in aspect: feminine stars grant daughters, masculine stars grant sons. The doctrine knits together the type of significator, the doubling effect of double-bodied signs, and the determination of a child's sex by the gender of the aspecting bodies.

In Practice

For the topic of children, take Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury as the Givers, and read them in relation to the ruler of the Lot of Children. When they aspect that ruler and stand unafflicted, expect good prospects for offspring; when afflicted, the picture darkens toward grief or loss. Look to double-bodied signs to multiply the count, whether the Givers themselves or the stars aspecting them sit in such signs. Judge the likely sex of children from the gender of the aspecting stars — feminine for daughters, masculine for sons. Keep this distinct from the Lot of Children: the Lot is the calculated point, while the Givers are the planets that work alongside its ruler.

Historical Origin

The doctrine is given by Vettius Valens, Anthology Book II (in Mark Riley's translation, p. 55), quoting Petosiris, who names Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury as Childgivers and sets out the unafflicted/afflicted, double-bodied-doubling, and gender-of-stars rules.

Etymology

Origin: Greek. Meaning: child-givers.

Further Reading

• Vettius Valens, Anthology
• Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology