What are Fortune and Spirit in astrology? The Lot (a.k.a. “Part”) of Fortune, or Fortuna, is a calculated point in the chart that can offer information about material chance. It relates specifically to the physical circumstances beyond one’s control and the capacity to seize opportunities presented by chance. Its counterpart, the Lot of Spirit, or the Daimon, relates to one’s calling or “divine genius.”
What might a daredevil’s fortune look like, as someone continually testing material fate? The natal chart of famed daredevil Evel Knievel features an angular Fortuna ruled, unsurprisingly, by a domicile Mars in the 8th house…but more on that in a bit.
On the Lots
There are lots of Lots—like, hundreds. Lot of Marriage, Lot of Victory, Lot of Beans, etc. This includes the seven Hermetic Lots, for each of the seven traditional planets. The Lots of Fortune & Spirit are two of the Hermetic Lots, of the Moon & Sun, respectively.
From a technical standpoint, Lots are points calculated based on proportions. Generally, a Lot is found by projecting the distance between two planets from a third point. Fortune & Spirit are found by projecting the distance between the luminaries from the ascendant. In this way, Lots personalize the relationships between the planets, bringing their mutual aspect into direct relevance to the self.
Interpretively, Lots reveal how the element of chance or Fate plays out for a given topic. Think of casting or drawing lots. They show where things may be prone to happen outside of one’s effort or control. While Fortuna reveals the element of chance as it relates to material security & the body (Moon), the Daimon shows the element of chance as it relates to the consciousness (Sun).
The Lots of Fortune & Spirit
Fortune
O Fortuna! If anyone knows a single Lot, it’s this one. To the ancients. Fortune was one of the most important and vital points in the chart. This is due to its combination of the luminaries: the Sun as the source of life, and the Moon as symbolic of body & substance. Fortune was regarded so crucially that it was commonly used as a sort of secondary ascendant. For example, the 11th house from Fortuna was the “Place of Accomplishment.” Why? The 11th house is traditionally the house of Good Fortune. As Fortuna’s house of Good Fortune, this is where one will most likely find, you guessed it, good fortune.
Fortuna’s placement is like where the needle lands on the Wheel of Fortune. It gives information about how/whether/when one will reap favorable or unfavorable outcomes of external circumstances they did not choose. Again, Fortune is the Hermetic Lot of the Moon. Because the Moon relates to the body and material aspects of life, the types of chance associated with Fortuna often relate to health & wealth.
To find Fortuna, you take the distance from the sect light to the light contrary to sect, and project that distance from the ascendant in zodiacal direction. So, for a day chart, take the distance from the Sun to the Moon and then cast that forward from the ascendant. Reverse it for a night chart. (Sorry, not sorry, Ptolemy!) The thing to remember is that Fortuna is the Lot of the Moon (night), so the calculation goes toward the less luminous luminary.
Spirit
The Lot of Spirit is lesser-known, despite Fortune & Spirit being two sides of one coin. While Fortune is the Lot of the Moon and reveals favorable or unfavorable fortune in the material realm, Spirit is the Lot of the Sun and shows the fortune that touches our minds, or what the Stoics called “good and evil genius.” Put another way, Fortuna represents unconscious fortune while Spirit represents more consciously wielded fortune. In classical texts, this Lot was referred to as the Daimon, the Stoic idea of sparks of divinity present in all intelligent beings. Thus, it’s more associated with the soul and is often regarded in the context of one’s vocation, calling, or life purpose.
To find the Daimon, you reverse the calculation. Take the distance from the contrary light to the sect light, and project that distance forward from the ascendant.
Fortune & Spirit: Two Sides of One Coin
Clearly, Fortune & Spirit are very similar, as they’re calculated using the same points. This relationship is illustrated by the fact that Fortuna & the Daimon mirror each other across the horizon, always equidistant from the ascendant. Those into Uranian astrology may notice that the ascendant is necessarily the midpoint of Fortune & Spirit. Thus, the ascendant, our persona or interface with the world, can be seen as a manifestation of the combined energies of material & intellectual Fate. The lunar phase is also always reflected in the relationship between these Lots and the ascendant. At a New Moon (luminaries conjunct), these Lots are conjunct the ascendant, but when the luminaries oppose each other at the Full Moon, these Lots oppose the ascendant. Similarly, if the Sun & Moon were trine, Fortune & Spirit would each trine the ascendant.
Evel Knievel’s Fortune & Spirit
Below is the chart of famed daredevil, Evel Knievel. Fortune lies up in the 10th in Scorpio, co-present with the ascending node. Spirit sits conjunct Saturn in the Aries 3rd house. Ah, these Lots share a ruler—Mars, in the 8th, no less, and separating from Neptune. Are we surprised? Here is the steward of Knievel’s material & intellectual Fate. Mars—malefic contrary to sect, in the Virgo 8th in his own terms, with an averse ruler. This alone sounds fitting for Knievel, who had a meticulous drive to challenge the limits of his mortality.
Knievel’s Fortune
Fortune is the Lot of the Moon and is thus associated with the body & material security. Fortuna’s angularity in the 10th suggests that its effects may be more prominent, and publicly visible. The co-presence of the ascending node emphasizes this visibility, as does a square from angular Jupiter. This contact from the benefic of sect also bodes well for the potential for favorable fortune. Ruler Mars has a clear line of sight, sextile Fortuna, showing Knievel’s capacity to seize opportunities regarding his public role & reputation. Material fortune manifested in the context of Knievel’s reputation, guided by challenging the limits of mortality, and fueled by an expansive persona. Fortuna’s two configurations being with the sect benefic and the malefic contrary to sect suggests a dramatically mixed bag when it comes to chance material circumstances. This all makes sense for Knievel, insatiable in his appetite to increase his fame by continually testing his physical limits, motivated by a competitive tendency to challenge his own mortality.
Knievel’s Spirit
Spirit, Lot of the Sun, relates to intellectual resources, divine genius, & the soul, shedding light on one’s calling. In a cadent house, the Daimon’s effects are likely less prominent. Notably, the Daimon sits conjunct Knievel’s ascendant-lord, Saturn. As the ascendant-lord signifies the native, this illustrates Knievel in touch with his “divine genius.” (And let’s not ignore that motorcycles most fittingly belong to the 3rd house!) However, the aversion of Mars indicates that the Daimon doesn’t receive clear guidance; Saturn also exerts a limiting influence here. The Moon closely applies to trine the Daimon from the 7th, illustrating how threats to Knievel’s body were instrumental to his calling.
Lots can reveal a wealth of additional information. While placement is certainly relevant, much of the information lies in the ruling planets. Planetary condition always matters! While this chart interpretation focused only on Fortune & Spirit, I’d always start with a standard chart delineation before adding the nuance of Lots.