Lot of Debt

Definition

Take the arc from Mercury to Saturn, swing it out from the Ascendant, and you have the Lot of Debt (Greek klēros chreōn). When it sits badly, Valens reads it as a marker of charts that fall into debt.

In Tradition

Valens lists this among his special-purpose lots and uses it to read the fate of property. A poorly placed lot makes a chart prone to debt — so does one whose ruler squares or opposes it while the malefics look on, oppose, or overcome it. He files it with the Lots of Theft and Deceit as a triad for diagnosing imperilled or ill-gotten property.

In Practice

Measure from Mercury to Saturn, count that arc forward from your Ascendant, and mark where you land. Read the lot's placement and its ruler's condition. Then test whether that ruler squares or opposes the lot, and whether the malefics behold, oppose, or overcome it — the conditions Valens ties to indebtedness. He also notes which planets and lots gather here and at the Lots of Fortune, Daimon (Spirit), and Accomplishment, judging how property fares overall.

Historical Origin

The formula and reading come from Vettius Valens, Anthology (Book II), in Mark Riley's translation — part of the wider Hellenistic catalogue of topical lots, each tied to a life-topic.

Etymology

Origin: Greek. Meaning: lot of debts.

Further Reading

• Vettius Valens, Anthology
• Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology