Hübner, W., 2014, "The Culture of Astrology from Ancient to Renaissance" in A Companion to Astrology in The Renaissance, ed. B. Dooley, 29-31.
Political astrology was dominated by the special lore of conjunctionalism, which was first established by the Arabian astrologers Al-Kindi, Māšaʿallāh (Mashallah) and Abū Maʿšar. About every twenty years a “great conjunction” takes place between the two slowest planets (as known in that time), aturn und Jupiter, and people observed in particular the quality of the zodiacal sign where the conjunction occurred. Astrologers believed that the order of conjunctions determined the succession of political rulership as well as of world religions. Christianity for instance was favored by the conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury because the Son of God was identified with the pagan Ἑρμῆς λόγιος. With regard to the zodiac this was supported by his daily “house,” Virgo, identified with Maria. Thus the great importance attributed in literature and painting to the first decan of Virgo (first third of a sign, in this case Virgo 1°–10°), which Abū Maʿšar describes as a figure of maiden nursing a child whom some call Jesus.
Conjunctionalism was forbidden in Paris and Oxford in 1277 and was still being combated in the 14th century by the German rector of the Sorbonne, Heinrich von Langenstein, in his writing Contra astrologos coniunctionistas de eventibus futurorum (1371). But this did not hinder its enormous persistence. To give some examples: On the 16th of September 1186 almost all planets came together in Libra, and this was interpreted as an ill omen for the conquest of Jerusalem by the Egyptian sultan Saladin in 1187. The great conjunction in Scorpio on the 25th of November of the “annus mirabilis” 1484 was thought to be related both to the outbreak of the Syphilis in Europe and to Martin Luther’s nativity as well, whereas the conjunction of all three exterior planets in Cancer in the transit from the year 1503 to 1504 was related to the death of pope Alexander VI. Six planets joined in Pisces in February 1524. Now, Pisces concludes the zodiac and the triplicity of water, which is formed only by beings very different from human shape (Crab – Scorpion – Fish), so it has a special affinity to the element of water. No less than 56 authors in 133 conserved writings predicted, a great flood for that year—but the flood did not come. In May 1583 however, Saturn and Jupiter joined once again in Pisces, so once more astrologers announced an accident caused by water for the year 1588, and in this case the prediction was fulfilled actually by the destruction of the Spanish Armada.
Hübner, W., 2014, "The Culture of Astrology from Ancient to Renaissance" in A Companion to Astrology in The Renaissance, ed. B. Dooley, 17-58. Leiden/ Boston: Brill
