Lot of Action

Definition

Rhetorius counts the Lot of Action (Greek klēros praxeōs) among the lots that read vocation. To find it, measure the arc from Mercury to Mars by day, from Mars to Mercury by night, then cast that arc from the Ascendant. The sign it lands in, and the house holding that sign's ruler, point to the work and activity that fill a life.

In Tradition

Rhetorius works it as a partner to the Lot of Fortune in occupational analysis. He reads two things off it — its sign, and the house of its sign-ruler — and weighs them against the trade-bestowing planets (Mars, Venus, Mercury) and the Moon's applications and separations.

In Practice

For a day birth, measure Mercury to Mars; for a night birth, Mars to Mercury. Count that arc forward from your Ascendant, and the degree you reach is the lot. Read its sign first, then the house of that sign's ruler; together they describe the pursuits you turn to. Rhetorius checks it against the trade-giving planets and the Moon's contacts. Take it as one thread in the vocational picture, not a verdict on its own.

Historical Origin

The formula and reading are Rhetorius the Egyptian's, from his Astrological Compendium (Chapter 83-end) in James Herschel Holden's 2009 translation — one entry in the Hellenistic catalogue of topical lots, each assigned to a life-topic.

Etymology

Origin: Greek. Meaning: lot of action, activity, or practice.

Further Reading

• Rhetorius the Egyptian, Astrological Compendium
• Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology