The Logic of Egyptian Terms: Part II

The Logic of Egyptian Terms: Part II

Cosmological Review

Before moving to an exploration of each of the ranges used across each zodiac sign, let’s review the meaning and resonance of each of the five Term Lords and the numbers in accordance with Egyptian cosmological numerology.

Term Lords: Jupiter – Ptah, Saturn – Sokar, Venus – Nefertem, Mars – Sekhmet, Mercury – Tehuti (Thoth). These are only rough equivalencies.

Numbers: One – origin, spark of creation; Two – polarity/isfet; Three – physical manifestation; Four – limitations of the physical world; Five – the birth of the gods; Six – the echo of creation, false harmony; Seven – threshold, true harmony; Eight – the Ogdoad, latent potential; Nine – the Ennead, the incarnation of the gods in the physical world through divine kingship; Ten – the completion and stability of the divine cycle; Eleven – surplus, excess, danger that threatens resolution; Twelve – cyclical completion; Thirteen – excess of divinity in the physical world, breaking of Ma’at.

Note: Because terms always begin with the same degree that ends the preceding one, each terminal degree is counted twice, so the total of degrees of the terms added together always equates to 35 rather than 30. For example, with Pisces, 12° is both the ending of the first term and the beginning of the second term, 16° the ending of the second and beginning of the third, 19° the ending of the third and beginning of the fourth, and 28° the ending of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth, and 30° is always equivalent to 0° of the next sign. You’ll find these five cusps (albeit at different degrees) on the terms in every sign.

The Terms of Aries (Creation)

The first term of Aries (0 – 6°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah), and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Seven is the number associated with the threshold between life and death, so it makes sense that the first term in the first sign of the zodiac would belong to a god of creation in a 7 degree range in an echo of the threshold between latent and emergent life.

The second term of Aries (6 – 12°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem), and is a total of 7 degrees in range. With Nefertem being the god of perfume and incense, the threshold between human and divine is reflected in the 7 degree term, as incense was a vital component of Egyptian ritual practice.

The third term of Aries (12 – 20°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. With Tehuti acting as the scribe of the gods, the guardian of all divine knowledge, the 9 degree range suggests divine knowledge that passes into the physical world.

The fourth term of Aries (20 – 25°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. There is an echo of creation here but also an instability caused by false harmony, one easily unsettled. This is actually very reminiscent of Sekhmet’s energy, as she is one of the Eyes of Ra, yet she is capable of losing herself so fully in bloodlust that she cannot pull herself back from it without outside assistance.

The fifth term of Aries (25 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. With Sokar being a god of the underworld, there is, like with Mars’s term, an echo of creation. However, with Saturn’s term, there is a false harmony established between the concepts of beginning and end, a structure that seems stable but cannot resolve itself into full physicality.

Thus, the terms of Aries move through the spark of creation itself (Jupiter’s term), the establishment of the boundary between life/death, human/divine (Venus’s term), the physical embodiment of divine knowledge (Mercury’s term), the danger of willpower taken too far (Mars’s term), and the unstable nature of physical existence itself (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, Aries starts the zodiac as Ptah sparks creation, Nefertem becomes the incense that allows rituals to link the divine and human worlds, Tehuti provides knowledge of the divine to the human world, Sekhmet becomes the enforcer of the divine will (but can take it too far), and Sokar holds the physical world in a state that seems stable but is, in actuality, rife with instability.

The Terms of Taurus (The Temple)

The first term of Taurus (0 – 8°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. Here, we have Nefertem acting in his role as the god of perfume, linking the physical world with the divine. With the sign of Taurus opening with a god of ritual incense, the sign of Taurus itself is imbued with both divine and physical, a symbol of the temple itself.

The second term of Taurus (8 – 14°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti stands on the threshold between knowledge and ignorance, a guardian of secret knowledge that requires initiation to be received. This may have been a term associated with priests, those granted access to secret knowledge only after passing a trial of initiation.

The third term of Taurus (14 – 22°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. Here, Ptah actualizes into physical form – this is the god of creation stepping through into the physical world, putting on a cloak of humanity. This may have been a term associated with divine kingship and thus may have been viewed as particularly auspicious for pharaohs with placements within it.

The fourth term of Taurus (22 – 27°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 4 degrees in range. Here, Sokar defines the limits of the physical world. The fact that the world is bounded, that physical life cannot persist past certain restrictions, surfaces in this term. The physical walls of the temple are also represented in this term, and it may have been considered an auspicious one for those bound for priesthood.

The fifth term of Taurus (27 – 30°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 4 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet defines the limits of divine will in the physical world. As the rough equivalent to Mars, where Mars governs willpower and direct action, this last term of Taurus is both permission to move as willfully as possible with the understanding that there were limits that could not be overcome due to the natural restrictions placed on physical life.

So, in Taurus, the link between the divine and human worlds becomes firmly established in the temple (Venus’s term), the sacred knowledge concerning that link guarded through ritual initiation (Mercury’s term), the choice of the gods to incarnate in physical form (Jupiter’s term), the physical restriction of life applied even to the gods (Saturn’s term), and the raw potential of willpower directed within limitations (Mars’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, Taurus is the sign of the temple, the priesthood, and ritual life. Nefertem forms the sacred link between the divine and human world through the incense used as offerings in sacred rituals. Tehuti stands guard over the priesthood and ensures that only those who act in accordance with Ma’at gain access to sacred knowledge. Ptah walks through the path connecting the divine and physical worlds and acquires physical form in the shape of divine kingship (though, in most traditions, this would be Ra rather than Ptah). Sokar ensures that the physical world is subject to limitations and that the gods who choose to incarnate do so with the knowledge that they, too, are restricted to the physical laws of existence while in physical form. Sekhmet, as one of the Eyes of Ra, takes up the responsibility of exerting the will of the divine in the physical world, though her actions are limited in accordance with the restrictions placed on physical life.

The Terms of Gemini (Heka/Knowledge)

The first term of Gemini (0 – 6°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti once again stands at the threshold of knowledge, but now it is the sacred knowledge of heka that he guards. An initiation into the sacred knowledge of words of power is held within this term, one that may have occurred through trials conveyed via riddles.

The second term of Gemini (6 – 12°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Ptah stands at a threshold and guards knowledge of craftsmanship. Ptah, alongside being a creator god, is also a god of the forge and of crafting. With 7 being a sign of initiation, this term may have been indicative of trials given by master craftsmen to apprentices that were expected to show mastery before being granted deeper knowledge of their crafts.

The third term of Gemini (12 – 17°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Here, Nefertem’s role as god of incense and perfume meets the chaotic instability of the marketplace and the unsavory role of merchants. There is a necessity to buy perfume and ritual incense, but there is also the potential for corruption. Here, Ma’at vied with isfet as people attempted to balance spiritual purity through the purchase of ritual incense with the desire to turn profits. As one of the only gods impossible to sully with corruption – due to his nature as a lotus, which radiates purity even in the deepest filth – Nefertem may have been the only god that could handle the indelicacy (and false harmony) of balancing spiritual purity with isfet.

The fourth term of Gemini (17 – 24°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet demonstrates the latent potential of action, a spring ready to be pulled. There is always a chance for conversation to spark into action, into war, but it is latent here. This term seems more like Sekhmet curled up in her lion form, surveilling the crowd for any sign of threat that she may need to handle. She is alert and ready for action if the need arises, but it is unlikely to occur due to how the number 8 has latency embedded within it.

The fifth term of Gemini (24 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Sokar also stands as a guardian of knowledge, a threshold of initiation. But this threshold is one of the underworld, of the tomb. It is the threshold of ancestral initiation, of ancient knowledge through familial lineage. As such, it only makes sense that this is the final term of Gemini, the term right before the start of Cancer, the sign that, in the natural zodiac, sits on the IC – the lowest point on the chart, its nadir, the most innermost and foundationally ancestral part of the chart.

Gemini then, starts with the threshold of critical language knowledge (Mercury’s term), continues through the testing threshold of craftsmanship mastery (Jupiter’s term), then through the duplicitous nature of spiritual needs and market constraints (Venus’s term), the potential need for action in everyday movement (Mars’s term), and ends on the threshold of ancestral knowledge (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, Tehuti guards the knowledge of heka so that it may be gained only by those who prove themselves worthy of it. Ptah guards the threshold of knowledge for craftsmen, so only those who prove themselves worthy of it may claim mastery of their crafts. Nefertem ensures that Ma’at and isfet stay within a stable – if disharmonious – balance as people move through the market to purchase their spiritual incense even as they attempt to turn profits. Sekhmet surveys the everyday hum of the marketplace, ready to spring into action (though she doesn’t expect to have to do so) at the sign of trouble. Sokar guards the final threshold of knowledge, the deepest kind of knowledge that resides within ancestral lineages.

The Terms of Cancer (Ancestry/Home)

The first term of Cancer (0 – 7°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet surveys the household, keeps guard of the hearth. In some traditions, she is viewed as a goddess of the hearth, and it is quite probable that she was honored as a household god. In this latent 8 energy, she would have been ready to defend the family if it proved necessary, though that defense would likely have been limited to external threats. It is highly unlikely that she would have encouraged or intervened in interfamilial affairs.

The second term of Cancer (7 – 13°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Nefertem guards the sacred knowledge of the home. This is where the secrets of the family were kept, and only family members would have been granted access to said knowledge. Nefertem’s historical role is still largely unknown (aside from incense/perfume/beauty), but this term suggests that one of his roles may have been as guardian of family secrets. Considering how elusive his own nature has proven to be, it is highly probable that Nefertem played a role in ensuring family secrets remained as such.

The third term of Cancer (13 – 18°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Here, there is an instability to the type of knowledge Tehuti holds, suggesting a (false) harmony between intellectual and emotional knowledge. Tehuti may have seen ancestral knowledge as being both vitally important to his duties as the gods’ scribe and also somewhat arbitrary when the histories of families became destabilized through emotionally made decisions. This is a term that suggests families often had to make decisions by weighing logic against emotion, Ma’at against isfet.

The fourth term of Cancer (18 – 26°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Ptah guards a threshold, most likely the threshold of ancestral knowledge. Where Nefertem guarded the secrets of the home, Ptah here guards the secrets of the entire lineage. As 7 is an initiatory number, this term suggests a trial of some sort that family members may have had to undergo to learn the deeper secrets of their ancestry. This would have been especially critical in royal households, but such ancestral knowledge would have been vital for everyone. That Ptah guards this knowledge makes sense, since he is the one through which all creation – and thus all lineages – were traced (Ra in other traditions).

The fifth term of Cancer (26 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Here, Sokar represents the tomb and the womb simultaneously, as ancestral knowledge is held within the grave but is given new birth through the next generation. With 5 as a number of birth, especially associated with the birth of the gods, it is only right that Sokar, as a god of the underworld, should guard the passage between death and life and serve as the final term in the sign of Cancer.

So, in Cancer, we have the latent potential for external harm and protection from it (Mars’s term) followed by the guarding of family secrets (Venus’s term), the disharmony of attempting to make familial decisions from a place of either logic or emotion (Mercury’s term), the initiatory nature of ancestral knowledge (Jupiter’s term), and the passage into death and back into life (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, Sekhmet guards the family from harm while Nefertem keeps the family’s secrets safe from outside scrutiny. Tehuti keeps a ledger of the family’s deeds, noting which ones are in harmony with Ma’at (logic) and which ones are made in opposition to Ma’at (and thus, via isfet). Ptah guards the threshold of initiation into full ancestral knowledge, and Sokar ensures that the familial line continues forward into new generations by ensuring safe passage between death and life.

The Terms of Leo (Life/Medicine)

The first term of Leo (0 – 6°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Ptah stands on the threshold between life and death, the initiator of the spark of creation itself. This is the Sun bursting forth into physical existence, the threshold between what came before existence and existence itself.

The second term of Leo (6 – 11°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Nefertem here holds a disharmonious balance between light and dark, Ma’at and isfet. It is in the physical world alone that isfet takes root, so Nefertem acts as the source that prevents the corruption of Ma’at through his spiritual purity.

The third term of Leo (11 – 18°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Sokar here holds the latent potential of the source of life, muted by the radiance of the sun’s rays that mark the dawning of creation. The potential for death is held in a semi-permanent state of stasis, an indication that life itself is bounded by death.

The fourth term of Leo (18 – 24°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti guards a threshold of knowledge, most likely the sacred knowledge of healing, as Leo is a sign that radiates life. Tehuti guarding the art of medicine, the practice of ancient healers, through an initiatory term in Leo, resonates with life’s vibrancy.

The fifth term of Leo (24 – 30°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet is also a guardian of life, an initiator who stands on the threshold. In one of her roles, Sekhmet acts as a herald of both disease and its cure. In the final term of Leo, it makes sense that Sekhmet would act as the guardian that acts to preserve life by warding off external threats against it.

So, in Leo, we have the spark of creation (Jupiter’s term) followed by duality (Venus’s term), the acknowledgment that life requires the potential for death (Saturn’s term), the knowledge of medicine (Mercury’s term), and the active forces of health and illness (Mars’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Ptah sparking creation into being, Nefertem holding the balance between Ma’at and isfet, Tehuti guarding the initiatory trials for those who would access the knowledge of healing, Sokar reinforcing the boundaries of physical existence through the reminder that life is only possible when the potential for death exists, and Sekhmet acting as a harbinger for illness while simultaneously warding off disease.

The Terms of Virgo (Records/Birth)

The first term of Virgo (0 – 7°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti holds all knowledge in a latent state, a scribe ready to record what transpires. This is, perhaps, one of the most mercurial terms, as all knowledge is accessible here but not freely available. Tehuti waits patiently for the next event, the next piece of knowledge, to unfold, ready to transcribe it as it occurs.

The second term of Virgo (7 – 17°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 11 degrees in range. Nefertem here is over expressed, as 11 is a number that disrupts cycles both by excess and lack (1 over 10, 1 before 12). There is danger in this term, where spiritual purity threatens to become pollution before it can resolve itself. This may have been a term associated with an obsession with cleanliness, illnesses caused by too much focus on keeping everything pure – where everything is too clean and yet never clean enough. Today, this term would most likely express through neurosis around cleanliness, especially that found in conditions like OCD and other compulsive disorders.

The third term of Virgo (17 – 21°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Here, Ptah stands as a symbol for birth not only of the gods but also of mankind. In the sign of Virgo, following the term of Venus where an obsession with cleanliness is overwrought, it makes sense that physical birth itself should follow such an obsession. To bring forth life is a sacred duty, and, with Tehuti standing vigilantly at the threshold of Virgo, every life would have been recorded in his scribes.

The fourth term of Virgo (21 – 28°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet represents the active force of life that is yet untouched. This term most likely represents the presence of willpower itself etched into every life. Following birth, the first thing that infants do is cry, and, when they cry, they activate the latent willpower present here.

The fifth term of Virgo (28 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 3 degrees in range. Here, Sokar serves as the cornerstone of physical life, as it is only through the threefold division of Ptah that creation becomes manifest. As the guardian of the tomb, Sokar serves here as the tomb itself, a manifestation of life paradoxically defined by death. Life itself cannot exist without death’s presence, so Sokar, in his role as the guardian of the tomb, ensures life’s manifestation.

So, in Virgo, we start with the latent knowledge of all life (Mercury’s term), an overt state of purity taken too far and yet not far enough (Venus’s term), the process of birth itself (Jupiter’s term), the vital force of life that sparks an infant’s first cry (Mars’s term), and the foundation of death upon which life itself is built (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Tehuti acting as the scribe of the gods, ready to record everything that happens. That is then followed by Nefertem’s purity in a dangerous state of imbalance where Ma’at and isfet war against each other for dominance. Ptah uses that dangerous imbalance between Ma’at and isfet to bring physical life into existence, Sekhmet instills within newborns the latent will to live (that they activate themselves through their first cry), and Sokar ensures that life is possible by predicating it on the existence of death.

The Terms of Libra (Justice/Ma’at)

The first term of Libra (0 – 6°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Sokar guards the threshold between life and death, the knowledge of what separates Ma’at and isfet. He is the judge that determines what actions adhere to Ma’at and what actions oppose it. As such, he acts as a guardian of the scales, meting out justice in accord with Ma’at.

The second term of Libra (6 – 14°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti acts as the force of divine law, bringing the knowledge of Ma’at and isfet into the physical realm. He ensures that justice, as determined by the gods, is delivered. This is where Tehuti actively uses his knowledge to ensure that life adheres to Ma’at.

The third term of Libra (14 – 21°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Ptah here is in a latent state, able to bring forth judgment when required but not looking to do so. Ptah himself sparks existence, so Ma’at is a force that he at once embodies and belongs to. Here, he is in a latent state, as he has little work to do in a world already made physical. He leaves it to others to enforce his will, as his work has already been completed.

The fourth term of Libra (21 – 28°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Nefertem here is also in a state of latency, observing the world around him to see how it balances between Ma’at and isfet. He is always ready to step forward into action if the scales tip too far towards isfet, but unless/until that happens, he is content simply to observe.

The fifth term of Libra (28 – 30°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 3 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet is a force to be reckoned with, the divine will made manifest in physical form. She is the enforcer of the law, an arrow pointed with precision at those who have tipped the scales too far towards isfet. This is a Sekhmet fully in control of her senses, fully aware of the responsibilities she has as one of the Eyes of Ra.

So, in Libra, we have the ultimate judge of what serves life and what doesn’t (Saturn’s term) followed by divine law made manifest (Mercury’s term), the latent underlying will of creation (Jupiter’s term), the scales of balance (Venus’s term), and the enforcer of law (Mars’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Sokar determining what does and doesn’t serve Ma’at (order/life), Tehuti ensuring the manifestation of divine law as a physical force, Ptah’s will undergirding physical existence, Nefertem assessing the scales for a world tipping too far towards isfet, and Sekhmet enforcing divine judgment when it is deemed necessary.

The Terms of Scorpio (Rebirth)

The first term of Scorpio (0 – 7°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet represents the latency of the vital force, the potential for new life, new willpower, to be born into the world. This term may be viewed as the primordial waters, the underworld from which new souls are forged into vessels for new life.

The second term of Scorpio (7 – 11°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Here, Nefertem acts as the generative spark of new life, the moment of conception itself. The process of sex, the act of procreation, is denoted by this term, as it is only through physical interaction that new life may be conceived.

The third term of Scorpio (11 – 19°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti acts as the one who determines what shape each new life should take as it becomes physically manifest. He is the one who draws from the records of the gods and pulls forth the form that each new life will take as it becomes physically actualized.

The fourth term of Scorpio (19 – 24°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Here, Ptah sparks within new life the possibility for both Ma’at and isfet. In this way, he provides all of life with the right to choose the direction it takes; he grants the choice between fate and free will, life and death. But all of these are false choices, a false harmony, as life itself is an illusion that he has crafted. He generates paradox that cannot resolve itself, creating an intense friction that then serves as the foundation for all of the tensions of physical existence.

The fifth term of Scorpio (24 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Sokar stands on the threshold between life and death, guarding the initiatory rites into the knowledge concerning rebirth and reincarnation. He acts here as psychopomp, guiding those at the end of their lives into the process of becoming alive in new forms.

So, in Scorpio, the latent potential for active life lays dormant (Mars’s term) until it is sparked by the creation of a new form (Venus’s term), then the shape that life will take is determined (Mercury’s term). From there, the tension that allows life to occur is brought forth (Jupiter’s term) and the knowledge of reincarnation securely guarded (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, Sekhmet guards the latent potential for active life until Nefertem sparks the conception of new life through sexual reproduction. Tehuti uses his knowledge to determine how that life will express itself in the physical world, while Ptah grants each new life the ability to decide between Ma’at and isfet. Sokar stands guard over the entire process of reincarnation, ensuring that the knowledge remains locked behind initiatory rites.

The Terms of Sagittarius (Pursuit of Truth)

The first term of Sagittarius (0 – 12°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 13 degrees in range. Ptah here is overly expressed; there is too much divinity and yet a lack of it. There is grief of divinity not quite complete (the myth of Osiris’s dismemberment into 14 parts with only 13 recovered), and a quality of sadness permeates this term. This is the sacred missing a vital piece of itself, the mark of a seeker who may never be able to find the missing piece.

The second term of Sagittarius (12 – 17°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Nefertem here is stuck in a state between Ma’at and isfet that cannot resolve; there is too much tension in the pursuit of the truth to allow either Ma’at or isfet to fully take hold. The desire for truth vies with the desire to obtain it at all costs, forcing a disharmonious balance between righteous action (Ma’at) and action pursued for the sake of righteousness alone (isfet).

The third term of Sagittarius (17 – 21°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Tehuti here provides the knowledge of the gods and their origin, making the truth of the divine fully available to those who are willing to listen. Tehuti provides knowledge but does not determine the way it is used, as it is the birth of knowledge alone that resides within this term.

The fourth term of Sagittarius (21 – 26°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Sokar here attempts to provide a path towards the truth but it is a path that is tight with tension, as there are always choices to make between seeking truth in accordance with Ma’at or seeking truth in accordance with personal desire (isfet). This is a precarious (and false) balance, as those seeking truth are forced into situations where they must continuously decide whether their commitment to the truth outweighs their commitment to acting in accordance with divine order (Ma’at). There is a risk of overzealotry here, which Sokar presents as (falsely) balanced with the righteous pursuit of truth.

The fifth term of Sagittarius (26 – 30°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Sekhmet is very active here, willing to act on knowledge and seek new information out at every turn, to follow every new lead. This is Sekhmet acting on the birth of knowledge, pursuing the truth at any cost. There may be a tendency towards a dangerous level of righteousness here, convictions that cannot be shaken, new information that always seems to prove the truth, even when that truth consists of distorted facts twisted to serve false narratives.

So, in Sagittarius, we have incompletion driving the pursuit of truth (Jupiter’s term), the tense disharmony between pursuing truth and pursuing righteousness (Venus’s term), the continual birth of new knowledge (Mercury’s term), the pull between truth and self-delusion (Saturn’s term), and the dogged commitment to truth pitted against the desire to invent new truths to serve false narratives (Mars’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have the incomplete recovery of Osiris’s body (incomplete divinity), Nefertem attempting to balance the beauty of real truth with self-righteous truth, Tehuti’s continual revelations of new leads, Sokar presenting paths where some lead to truth and others lead to delusion, and Sekhmet provides the will to seek the truth while simultaneously threatening to undermine it if/when the desire for a solution ever outweighs the desire to find the truth as it stands.

The Terms of Capricorn

The first term of Capricorn (0 – 7°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Tehuti here represents the latent knowledge present in the world itself, all knowledge about the way the world functions and how it operates through public/political means. This is knowledge freely accessible to all but available only when certain conditions occur, conditions depicted in other placements of the chart.

The second term of Capricorn (7 – 14°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Ptah here represents the latent knowledge that all craftsmen hold, that all artisans and practical workers have within them. This isn’t guarded knowledge but knowledge practically applied only when it is necessary. A cook is always a cook but the knowledge of cooking itself lays dormant except in the process of cooking. This is a very physical type of knowledge, knowledge embedded in muscle memory more than intellectual recall, a knowledge that is called upon only when required that otherwise remains dormant.

The third term of Capricorn (14 – 22°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 9 degrees in range. Nefertem here acts as the spark that brings knowledge and action into harmony in a physical act of creation. Nefertem here is the spark of creative genius, the germination of an idea that holds within it the potential to become a physical reality. Nefertem here is the mark of the inventor, the person who takes an idea and sees a way to actualize that idea.

The fourth term of Capricorn (22 – 26°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Here, Sokar allows the birth of an idea in physical form. The process of generation is complete here, where the idea that began in Mercury’s term takes on a physical form, born into the world in an actualized form. Sokar here represents the emergence of prototypes, the laying of the first brick of an architectural blueprint.

The fifth term of Capricorn (26 – 30°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet ensures the completion of what began in Saturn’s term by providing the willpower needed to fully develop the idea/prototype without losing focus. Sekhmet here ignites the willpower to see projects through completion, ensuring that new ideas are continually actualized in the physical world.

So, in Capricorn, we have the latent knowledge of how the world works (Mercury’s term) combined with the latent knowledge of how to build the world (Jupiter’s term), the desire to contribute something new to the world (Venus’s term), the physical process of bringing new contributions into the world (Saturn’s term), and the willpower to ensure that the process is completed (Mars’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Tehuti providing free access to his knowledge concerning how the world works while Ptah provides access to his knowledge about how the world is built (two different, if overlapping, concepts). Nefertem provides the desire to create something new within the world, Sokar provides the concrete details necessary for its actualization, and Sekhmet ensures its completion through granting a strong force of will.

The Terms of Aquarius (Difficulty of Change)

The first term of Aquarius (0 – 7°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Tehuti here provides access to knowledge to how the world works, a latent knowledge that is freely accessible but activated only upon certain conditions. That Tehuti provides the same type of knowledge in both Capricorn and Aquarius makes sense when you remember that Saturn is the traditional ruler of both signs, and both signs deal with systems.

The second term of Aquarius (7 – 13°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 7 degrees in range. Here, Nefertem stands on the threshold between the system and the overturning of it. There is an initiatory knowledge here, one that reflects that old adage, “to break the rules, you must first know the rules.” That is the precipice of this term, the knowledge of the old system balanced against the desire to redesign the system. There’s another truism that circulates among historians, that revolutionaries who seek to overthrow systems often end up using the same structures as the systems they attempted to overthrow. People who intimately know the inner workings of one system struggle to fully create a system that doesn’t echo the old system.

The third term of Aquarius (13 – 20°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 8 degrees in range. Ptah here holds the latency of generation, the ability to spark the creation of something entirely new if the right conditions are met. There is an opportunity here for true change to arise, but that potentiality lays dormant until/unless it is activated.

The fourth term of Aquarius (20 – 25°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Sekhmet here holds the tension between the old and the new, providing a path back to the old while also offering the will needed to walk down a new path. Here, Sekhmet holds a (false) equilibrium between sliding back into old habits and moving forward into true change. This is a tension that cannot resolve itself, making it a difficult placement to have.

The fifth term of Aquarius (25 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 6 degrees in range. Here, Sokar holds the tension between the old and the new in a similar way to Sekhmet, although Sokar offers the temptation of the old structure pitted against the difficulties of constructing a new one. Sokar reminds people that change is extremely difficult, that creating lasting change takes a long time, and exerts pressure to prevent new change from occurring even while offering the chance to restructure everything. With these two terms ending the sign of Aquarius, it becomes clear that revolution is rare because it takes an extraordinary amount of willpower, effort, and commitment to see it through the obstacles both Sekhmet and Sokar present.

So, in Aquarius, we have the knowledge of how the world works (Mercury’s term) followed by the impulse to break through the old system and create a new one (Venus’s term). Then, we have the latent potential for new structures (Jupiter’s term) being blocked by the difficulty of committing energy to change (Mars’s term) and the long-term effort that is required for true change to be enacted (Saturn’s term).

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Tehuti providing free access to knowledge about the world while Nefertem gazes upon it and wishes for a better life. Ptah provides the latent potential for a new world to emerge, but Sekhmet reminds people that change is frustratingly difficult to stay committed to while Sokar reminds people that change is a long-term process that requires sustained effort. Change, then, is the most difficult part of life.

The Terms of Pisces (Psyche/Subconscious)

The first term of Pisces (0 – 12°) belongs to Venus (~Nefertem) and is a total of 13 degrees in range. Here, Nefertem is the grieving son, the one afflicted by the loss of a parent’s wholeness. This can be seen best through the temporary loss of Sekhmet’s sanity that Nefertem had to deal with when Sekhmet lost herself in her bloodlust. There is a loss of innocence here, a loss of innocence/purity that isn’t fully lost in Nefertem, since he never loses his state of purity. This could suggest a momentary break in the psyche, a momentary lapse of judgment, one that may not have even fully registered due to how quickly the situation with Sekhmet seemed to resolve. But seeing a parent lose themselves the way Sekhmet lost herself in rage leaves a mark on a child, one that is never fully healed. This is a scar that, while healed, leaves a permanent mark.

The second term of Pisces (12 – 16°) belongs to Jupiter (~Ptah) and is a total of 5 degrees in range. Ptah here represents the birth of the subconscious, the psyche itself, the world of dreams. Where can the scars of lost innocence be resolved except in the subconscious? The dream world, the astral plane, had to be forged to serve as a container for the psyche. Ptah here combines both his role as a creator and crafting god, forging a container for the mental wounds that would otherwise have no place to reside until healing becomes possible.

The third term of Pisces (16 – 19°) belongs to Mercury (~Tehuti) and is a total of 4 degrees in range. Here, Tehuti provides the scaffolding of the brain, of how knowledge itself is received, the physical structure of the mind so that it is contained within physical space. He places the containers around the psyche, creates the barriers separating sanity from its obverse, and sets the mind as the cornerstone of how physical life is perceived.

The fourth term of Pisces (19 – 28°) belongs to Mars (~Sekhmet) and is a total of 10 degrees in range. Here, Sekhmet is the active force in both the physical world and the subconscious mind, creating a dual cycle that sustains itself in the completion associated with the number 10. As the mind is born, life is also brought forth, tying both together in a cycle of life that cannot easily be separated. The willpower of physical life, marked by an infant’s first cry, is matched in intensity by the willpower of the first thought brought forth in life. The macrocosm and microcosm reflect each other at every level.

The fifth term of Pisces (28 – 30°) belongs to Saturn (~Sokar) and is a total of 3 degrees in range. Here, Sokar ensures that the mind itself anchors itself to physical existence. Without that anchor, sanity is lost. So, Sokar ensures that the mind and body not only perceive physical reality but also experience physical existence as if it were real. As such, the three parts – mind, spirit, substance – are made manifest, and the cycle of physical incarnation fully actualized.

So, in Pisces, we have the subconscious mind (Venus’s term), the birth of the psyche (Jupiter’s term), the physical scaffolding of knowledge (Mercury’s term), the duality of mind and body (Mars’s term), and the perception of reality as fully actualized (Saturn’s term). That last part is important, as modern science has already shown that what we perceive doesn’t actually exist in any way other than our own perception. But we cannot overcome what we perceive simply by convincing ourselves that what we see doesn’t actually exist due to the way our brains are structured.

Or, framed through Egyptian cosmology, we have Nefertem grieving the loss of a piece of his innocence, Ptah creating a container for the wounds of the psyche, Tehuti providing the scaffolding for how knowledge is received and transmitted through the psyche via the brain, Sekhmet providing active willpower in both mind and body, and Sokar ensuring that the mind and body are both always convinced of the physical truth of existence.

Conclusion: The Logic of The Egyptian Terms

The Egyptian Terms, as demonstrated above (and via part I) adhere to cosmological logic rather than mathematical principles. Each zodiac sign can itself be viewed as a ritual procession that leads into the next. The sign of Aries is the process of creation, Taurus the establishment of the temple, Gemini the existence of heka (words of power), Cancer the hearth and ancestral legacy, Leo life and medicine, Virgo records and birth, Libra justice/Ma’at, Scorpio the process of rebirth, Sagittarius the pursuit of truth, Capricorn the pursuit of meaning, Aquarius the desire/resistance for/of change, and Pisces the subconscious itself. Each term in each sign leads logically into the next, a procession around the zodiac wheel that directly echoes the ritual process the ancient Egyptians used to track the movement of the sun through the sky each day.

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