Zodiacal Releasing
Vettius Valens's Anthology Book IV, which credits it to an earlier authority 'Abraham'
Zodiacal Releasing releases time-lord periods from the Lots of Fortune and Spirit in 'Valens years' of 360 days. Valens is the only ancient source that sets it out in full, and he pointedly does not claim it as his own — he attributes it to a figure he names Abraham. The technique survives essentially because his manuscript did; it was largely unread by working astrologers until the modern Hellenistic revival put it back in circulation.
What it measures
Nested periods, each level exactly one-twelfth of the level above (level 1 in 360-day years, level 2 in 30-day months, level 3 in 2.5-day units, level 4 in 5-hour units), released sign by sign from Fortune or Spirit, with 'loosing of the bond' jumps that restart the count.
Where practitioners disagree
- Release from Fortune or from Spirit?
Fortune (body, circumstance) or Spirit (action, career) — the two give different period sequences
Valens uses both for different questions; the peaks are read from the angular relationship to Fortune.
This engine: Both are available, with the releasing lot stated.
Still open
Valens attributes the technique to 'Abraham' and may have taken it from an earlier text written under that name; its pre-Valens history is unknown.
Sources
- Vettius Valens, Anthology, Book IV (Riley translation)