Seven Planetary Parts in Al-Biruni’s Table

The seven equations

Each expression means “add the first named point to the Ascendant and subtract the second,” then bring the answer into the 0–360° circle. The table follows the seven planetary entries in Al-Biruni’s Book of Instruction, verse 476, as formatted and annotated by Deborah Houlding after R. Ramsay Wright’s translation. Historical labels are retained for source identification. They are not descriptions of a person or evidence that an event will occur.

How the dependent points work

Calculate Fortune and Spirit first from the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. Then insert their calculated longitudes into the later formulas. For example, “Asc + Spirit − Fortune” does not mean the Sun and Moon in a direct formula; it uses the already determined lot positions. The seven-entry table also needs Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. These planetary positions come from the same chart instant and tropical coordinate system.

Labels can mislead comparisons

The “Friendship and love” and “Despair” equations form a complementary pair in this table. That does not license replacing them with every “Eros” or “Necessity” equation from later summaries of Hellenistic lots. Likewise, this table’s Victory entry uses Jupiter and Spirit specifically. If another result differs, compare the named source and all three terms before checking the ephemeris. The calculator prints the selected equation and inputs for each result.