Ibo Mu'lidh 00 the Astrological Rays'

The doctrine of the astrological aspec/s, or distances between two celestial objecls 5uch as planets is sometimes defined in terms of these objects emanating rays in ccrtain direclions of astrological significance 2 • Tr aue of tbese rays reaches an objccl al a particular angular distance, the two objects could be in conjunction (00), sextile (60°), quartile (90°), trine (120°) or opposition (I800 ). lltis would be a simple lheory if ane measured these angular distances aloog the eclíptic, bul the procedure was seldom perfonned Ihis way. Since more intrieate solutions gave more prestige lo lhe astrologer who could master them, other methods were preferred, and lhe problem oC casting these rays led lo Ihe developmenl of several procedures that yielded a range of results and also involved a varying degree of mathematical ability. For the sake of both complexity and agreement with other astrological systems, Iike the division of houses or the ta.!>y¡/· (progressiolls), the distances were most usually measured on the equator or along another great circle of the celestial sphere. Thus, Ihe compulatioD of