AstroWeather: Exploring Malefics and Benefics

Malefics and Benefics are a categorization of planets in Ancient Astrology, dividing up the planets into two sectors as a way to distinguish the qualitative experience of each of the planets in a given chart. Typically, when we think of benevolence and malevolence, we think ‘good’ or ‘bad’, however I think it’s important that we reframe our understanding of what this qualitative distinction is actually assessing and why the thought process of moral good and bad can hinder our understanding of not just what it means to be malefic or benefic, but Astrology as a whole.

Let’s start out by identifying what the function of the malefic and benefic planets are. These terms talk about circumstances surrounding the individual’s life. These can be supportive for the individual, or circumstances that are destructive for the individual, nonetheless it is a distinction in the quality of circumstance. When we examine our benefic planets, Venus and Jupiter, we see that these planets have qualities that are more moderate in nature, bestow benevolence through union, promoting growth, cohesiveness, and other qualities necessary to sustain life. However, when we take a look at our malefics, Mars and Saturn, we quickly see that these planets possess qualities that are much more extreme in nature, which can make it harder to sustain life. A lot of what I’m describing, in regards to these qualities of the planets, deal with the temperature and nature of these planets in relationship to weather, environment, and ecosystems.

Let’s take a look at the nature of each of the planets, in terms of the temperatures and qualities of each of them according to a few ancient sources:

Venus
- “Venus […] warms moderately […] but chiefly humidifies, like the moon, because of the amount of her own light and because she appropriates the exhalations from the moist atmosphere surrounding the earth.”- Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy (Book I, Ch. IV)
- “As regards the air, it causes temperate and wet and nurturing conditions, fine and clear air and abundance of water and fair sailing and good fortune and the full rising of rivers. And of the useful animals and fruits of the earth, it especially introduces abundance and good yields and profits” - Apotelesmatics, Hephaistos of Thebes (Book I, Ch. 20)

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Mars
- “The nature of Mars is chiefly to dry and to burn, in conformity with his fiery color and by reason of his nearness to the sun, for the sun's sphere lies just below him.” - Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy (Book I, Ch. IV)
- “When the star of Ares alone assumes the rulership, it is, in general, a cause of destruction by dryness […] As for the condition of the air, it introduces scorching weather and hot winds, pestilence, the unleashing of thunderbolts and hurricanes and droughts.” - Apotelesmatics, Hephaistos of Thebes (Book I, Ch. 20)
- “Mars makes […] things caused by conflagrations and excessive heat.” - Astrological Compendium, Rhetorius the Egyptian (Appendix II, Ch. 2)

Jupiter
- “Jupiter has a temperate active force because his movement takes place between the cooling influence of Saturn and the burning power of Mars. He both heats and humidifies […] produces fertilizing winds” - Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy (Book I, Ch. IV)
- “And when the star of Zeus alone assumes the rulership, in general, it is productive of increase […] It makes the condition of the air be temperate and healthful and windy and moist and nurturing of the things upon the earth. It makes for the fair sailing of fleets and the proportionate rising of rivers and an abundance of fruits and whatever is similar to these things.” - Apotelesmatics, Hephaistos of Thebes (Book I, Ch. 20)
- “Jupiter's nature is windy and fertile and hot” - Astrological Compendium, Rhetorius the Egyptian (Appendix II, Ch. 2)

Saturn
- “It is Saturn's quality chiefly to cool and [moist] rarely, to dry, probably because he is furthest removed both from the sun's heat and the moist exhalations about the earth.”- Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy (Book I, Ch. IV)
- “Kronos assumes the rulership alone, then, it will, in general, be a cause of destruction by cold. […] As concerns the condition of the air, it is frightfully cold, freezing and foggy and pestilential, and a number of snowstorms and not beneficial ones.” - Apotelesmatics, Hephaistos of Thebes (Book I, Ch. 20)
- “The nature of Saturn is cold and dry and a shadowy image” Astrological Compendium, Rhetorius the Egyptian (Appendix II, Ch. 1)

On Malefics and Benefics
- “Since the foregoing is the case because two of the four humors are fertile and active, the hot and the moist (for all things are brought together and increased by them), and two are destructive and passive, the dry and the cold, through which all things, again, are separated and destroyed, the ancients accepted two of the planets, Jupiter and Venus, together with the moon, as beneficent because of their tempered nature and because they abound in the hot and the moist, and Saturn and Mars as producing effects of the opposite nature, one because of his excessive cold and the other for his excessive dryness; the sun and Mercury, however, they thought to have both powers, because they, have a common nature, and to join their influences with those of the other planets, with whichever of them they are associated.”- Tetrabiblos, Claudius Ptolemy (I.V):

- “The malefic planets signify detriment and evil on account of the excessiveness or overflowing of the power of cold and heat conquering and impeding in them.”- The 50 Judgements, Sahl ibn Bishr (Judgement 2)

- “For Saturn and Mars, as I told you above, are naturally malefics. Saturn for instance, on account of the excessive cold, Mars on account of the excessive heat–holding sway and ruling in them […] for Jupiter and Venus are naturally benefics, and are temperate, and because of this they are said to be apart from all malice” (146 Judgements, Guido Bonatti (Judgement 11 & 12)

As we can see, this idea of the planets having inherent temperature qualities, otherwise known as humors, is not a new idea to Astrology. These are just a few prominent texts I am pulling from, but it is found in almost every text. One theme that is consistent throughout these texts is that malefics are more extreme in their temperament, whereas the benefics are much more moderated. We then have a spectrum of planetary expression that ranges from extremity to moderation, which helps to classify what it really means for a planet to be malefic or benefic.

Malefic planets are on the extreme end of temperatures, with Mars we find ourselves dealing with extreme heat. In some of Ptolemy’s work, he assigns certain parts of the world, based on climate, to different planets, such as the arctic being ruled by Saturn, due to its extremity in coldness, and the desert near the Equator ruled by Mars, representing extreme heat. We get these levels of extremity which can push us to our limits, and being pushed in these ways is not always very comfortable, however, it doesn’t mean life cannot grow. Mars and Saturn, because they deal with such extremities, often deal with forces that are so destructive, they are capable of creating conditions that end life, or harm it. Now, this isn’t to say that nothing can survive in these malefic climates, but that in these desolate climates, it takes a certain kind of adaptation to be able to survive, and that adaptation is not smooth, pleasant, or constructive all the time. We can think about animals and plants that may live in the desert, such as snakes, scorpions, camels, cacti, etc. These animals can thrive in this environment because their infrastructure is made to withstand the extremity of this environment. Or if we take a look at animals or plants in super ‘Saturnian’ environments such as the arctic, like arctic foxes, polar bears, seals, walruses, etc. They all have developed and adapted to their environment and thrive in it, however, the point of malevolence is that these are extremes and not everyone is able to thrive and survive in this environment.

One thing about the benefics that is fairly straightforward is that these are moderations for each of the temperaments. Jupiter is hot and wet and is able to promote growth and life, since most things need heat and wetness to grow. I mean think about some of the foundational building blocks of life, the two main things that animals and life need to grow are heat and water. We’re in the Goldilocks position in the orbit around the Sun, while also receiving a good amount of light. Jupiterian environments would be more along the lines of rainforest, swamps, hotter and more humid environments leaning more towards the heat. These conditions are not extreme enough for life to die out, but are moderate enough for life to sustain itself and to continue to grow. With Venus, we get a slightly colder quality, but still moderate enough of conditions for human life to be sustained and to grow. That’s the thing about benefics, is that their qualities are not abrasive and extreme in nature, they are a lot smoother, a lot more fluid, and thus a lot more pleasantly experienced because they do not take us to physically uncomfortable places.

So how do we interpret these planets then? Of course, we have to take Sect into consideration. If we have a day chart, the heat of the day will exacerbate the heat of Mars, making Mars a more extreme planet in the chart, being highly flammable, combustible, and explosive. Whereas, in a night chart, we take Saturn as the most extreme planet, as the cold of night exacerbates the coldness of Saturn, being highly restrictive, implosive, freezing, immobilizing, and sufforcating. If we look at Mars transits, we’re going to find periods of extreme volatility if this is a day chart, where areas and parts of our lives may literally or metaphorically be more flammable, and for Saturn transits these periods of our lives may feel more inaccessible, frozen, and immobile. Now, these transits are moreso uncomfortable than it is good or bad, because what is good or bad really? Who’s to say what is good or bad? This is subjective from the planet’s perspective, because what good or bad, when talking about malevolence and benevolence, for Mars may not be good or bad for Jupiter, for example. Even then, good and bad really refer to adaptability to the environment to support the individuals, not a judgment or moral goodness or badness.

Thinking of Astrology as weather, rather than a qualitative distinction of goodness or badness, helps us to better distinguish what certain astrological transits and placements feel like by understanding we’re dealing with extremity versus moderation. Are we going to have light rain? Or are we going to have thunderstorms and hurricanes that absolutely flood the cities and towns? These experiences may be more or less pleasant to a certain degree, depending on the individual, however just like all-weather, these transits will eventually pass like the hurriance’s skies clear to reveal the constant blue sky.