Nebulous Stars

Definition

The nebulous stars (Greek nepheloeidē systēmata, "cloud-like clusters") are the hazy patches and star-clusters of the zodiac that Hephaistio, transmitting Ptolemy, marks as significators of eye-injury. The danger arises when the Moon applies to one of them while joined to a malefic. The canonical Hellenistic list runs: Praesepe — the Manger in Cancer — the Pleiades, the arrow-point of Sagittarius, the sting of Scorpio, the parts around the Lock (Coma Berenices), and the pitcher of Aquarius.

In Tradition

Hephaistio's text reports the Moon reaching one of these hazy zodiacal clusters, and names the same six in sequence. In the Hellenistic interpretive scheme their cloud-like, congested look was read as answering to impairment of human vision. But the signification fires only once the contact is activated — the Moon arriving at one of them in conjunction with a malefic, inside the broader doctrine of bodily injuries and ailments. The list is fixed and specific; it is these clusters, not the bright stars generally, that carry the eyesight signification.

In Practice

Reading the topic of eyesight within Ptolemy's injury doctrine, watch for the Moon applying to one of the named clusters while a malefic is present. The list is fixed: Praesepe in Cancer, the Pleiades, the arrow-point of Sagittarius, the sting of Scorpio, the region of the Lock, or the pitcher of Aquarius. It is the combination that matters: a malefic joined to the luminary as it reaches the hazy patch. Keep this to the specific clusters the source lists rather than extending it to fixed stars at large, and hold it sober and historical, as one strand of the ancient bodily-injuries technique.

Historical Origin

The list is given by Hephaistio of Thebes, Apotelesmatics Book II (in Robert Schmidt's Project Hindsight translation, pp. 59-60), transmitting Ptolemy's doctrine from Tetrabiblos Book III. There the Moon's application to the cloud-like clusters is tied to injury of the eyes. The six named are the Manger of Cancer, the Pleiades, the arrow of Sagittarius, the sting of Scorpio, the parts around the Lock, and the pitcher of Aquarius.

Etymology

Origin: Greek. Meaning: cloud-like clusters; nebulous stars.

Further Reading

• Hephaistio of Thebes, Apotelesmatics
• Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos