Modern astrology emphasizes the zodiac, (ie people identify with their sign) but in medieval astrology from the Islamic world, the planets far outweigh the zodiac, with each influencing various aspects of life.
A thread on the planets in Islamic astrology:
Saturn (Al Zuhal) is male and black. Disagreeable and acidic, it rules exile, poverty, failure, enslavement, and lamentation. It is miserly and suspicious. The domain of builders, farmers, grave-diggers, fathers, grandfathers, demons, and magicians.
The image of Saturn is a seated old man with a wolf with a pick ax
The angel of Saturn is Azra’il
Jupiter (Al Mushtari) is male and sweet. Its domain is friendliness, peace, religion, charity, wealth, and levity. It is devout and eager for education, honorable, and trusting. It rules bankers, administrators, priests, dreamers, children and grandchildren, kings, & courtiers.
The image of Jupiter is an armored man with a rosary in his hands.
The angel of Jupiter is Sarfa’il.
Mars (Al Marrikh) is male and red. It rules ruin of business, false testimony, and quarrelsome companions. It is fast, licentious in an evil way, bold, but violent. Rules blacksmiths, grave-robbers, highwaymen, soldiers, slavers, seller of hounds, and brothers.
The image of Mars is a man with two lions, or a man holding a decapitated head.
The angel of Mars is Thatgas
Sun (al Shams) male and shining yellow. The sun’s domain is lordships, it’s position can reveal the success of a government or signs of rebellion. It is chaste, intelligent, quick-tempered, but cools after. Grants good reputation, receiving honors, & rules fathers & magistrates
The image of the Sun is a man seated on a wheeled shield drawn by oxen.
The angel of the Sun is Ruqiya’il
Venus (Al Zuhara) is female. It is voluptuous and sweet, colored white and green. It rules leisure, jest, dancing, pleasure, chess, excesses, is fond sexual delight and “sodomy,” friendly, and tender. Also perfumers, bazaars, musicians, wives, adulterers, & courtesans,
The image of Venus is a seated woman holding up a mirror.
The angel of Venus is Inya’il
Mercury (al Utarid) is male and rules over manners, logic, memory, lies, excess spending (especially on women), calumny, and business. It is changeable and is the domain of merchants, barbers, philosophers’ younger brothers, and tax-collectors.
Mercury’s image is a seated young man holding a serpent and a tablet.
The angel of Mercury is Mika’il
Moon (Al Qamar) is female and brilliant blue. It rules over anxiety re: health, fickleness, and good spirits. It's adaptable, timid, & good-hearted. Rules prisoners, water-diviners, mothers & aunts
The image of the Moon is a man in a chariot with a spear.
The angel of the Moon is Jibra’il or Mansa
There is also the invisible“planet” or star that is included in most Islamic astrological treaties, al-tinnin ("the dragon"), or Jawzahr, which is generally found in various drawings and artwork.
An astrologer would read the planet as the actors, the zodiac as adding a shade of interpretation, and the house as the sphere it is all taking place in.
So, Jupiter in Leo in the 9th house would indicate a feral, but regal professor or lord.
The images of the planets were reflections of the spirits each planet. Some texts claim each planet have seven spirits. Sometimes viewed as angels, or djinn/jinn, or as separate entities.
The images are found in manuscripts and on talismans
I'll expand on these in the future
It should be noted that astrology was contested and while many philosophers like Al Kindi saw its study as the means by which to understand God’s action, many others denounced it. I use “Islamic” here as a descriptor of an intellectual tradition, not orthodox religion.
In the coming weeks, I’ll expand further on the different aspects of Islamic astrology, from the different studies, the use of prognostication, and some less known bits.
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Belief in the evil eye is found in many global cultures but particularly in the Middle East, Africa, India, and the Mediterranean. It is based on the idea that the malicious or envious gaze of some can disrupt your health and luck
A quick thread
The evil eye is described by some medieval authors as a type of ray
directed either intentionally or unintentionally it can impact health and fortune
jealousy, envy, or a heart which desires strongly can unintentionally direct such rays
hate and malice can send rays directly and intentionally
In Dune the Freman follow Zensunni a future religion derived from Islam and Buddhism with Reverend Mothers like Lady Jessica. Since Zensunni derives from Islam were women religious leaders in Islam historically?
Yes!
A 🧵
The early development of Islam relies heavily in part on the instruction, attestations, and transmissions of Aisha so much so that some historians argue the development of the body of traditions called the sunnah is indebted to her.
She passes on the saying of Muhammad, teaches the Qu’ran, and instructs in religion
In ancient Persian astrology each planet governs & influences one part of your life in successive order so that throughout your life, you will go through different planetary ages. Known as firdaria, they were used to predict events by dividing your life into chapters.
A thread
The firdaria were likely drawn from a fusion of Hellenistic timelords with the planetary ages found in Indic astrology, the yuga and dasha.
In Persian cosmology, the two came together to explain the different historical ages and then eventually the different individual life ages.
Many medieval medical practitioners and writers from the Islamic world relied heavily on astrological theories in their work. They even attributed each zodiac and planet to a part of the body like the image below.
A thread-
The idea of associating the zodiac to different parts of the body can be traced back to Babylonian astrology from where it passes into the Hellenistic and Indic world then is finally adopted by Islamicate writers and thinkers in the 8th and 9th century.
According to this theory:
Aries governs the head
Taurus governs the throat
Gemini governs the shoulders and arms
Cancer governs the chest
Leo governs the heart and abdomen
Virgo governs the intestines
According to @neiltyson there was an Islamic golden age of science from 800-1100 then along came al Ghazali & religiosity takes over & science declines. While I’m sure he’s well-intentioned, his claim is completely false
A thread on the history of science in the Islamic world
First, no golden age is ever as golden as people claim it is just as no dark is age is really as dark as they claim it is. These designations are misleading and often completely fabricated.
That the golden age of science was brought to an end by Ghazali simply doesn’t stand up.
Ghazali lived in the 11th century.
To claim that all scientific inquiry in the Islamic world came to end after him would completely miss that Nasir ad-Din al Tusi lived 200 hundred years *after* al Ghazali in the 13th century.