Lot of Foreign Lands

Definition

When a chart raises the question of journeys and life abroad, the Lot of Foreign Lands — also called the Lot of Travel (Greek klēros xenitēs) — is where Valens looked. You find it by measuring the arc from Saturn to Mars and casting it from the Ascendant, and he treats it as the marker of travel-prone, changeable lives.

In Tradition

Valens, who also names it the Lot of Travel, credits the expansion of its doctrine to "Abraham," noting that the configurations Abraham set out reveal the occasions and timing of travel. He calls such charts "changeable nativities," and treats Mercury and Venus as bringing swift returns rather than distant journeys.

In Practice

Measure from Saturn to Mars, count that arc forward from your Ascendant, and read its sign and house. Then test it against the signs of a wandering life Valens observed. Mars beholds the setting luminaries; the lot sits just before the Midheaven; the ruler of Fortune occupies the lot or its place, or opposes it. The strength and number of these conditions show how far the chart leans abroad; Mercury or Venus in the picture point to quick returns rather than long absence.

Historical Origin

The formula and reading come from Vettius Valens, Anthology (Book II), in Mark Riley's translation, which credits "Abraham" with expanding the doctrine. It belongs to the wider Hellenistic catalogue of topical lots, each tied to a life-topic.

Etymology

Origin: Greek. Meaning: lot of foreign sojourn or travel.

Further Reading

• Vettius Valens, Anthology
• Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology