18
The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy
heat that affects the sublunar world.
71
In
Tetrabiblos and
Almagest,
Ptolemy does not introduce a theory of astrology and is content
to attribute sublunar change to the motions and locations of the
heavenly bodies which diffuse the influence without explaining how
they do so.
72
According to Abu Ma‘shar, the celestial bodies act as causes in two
interrelated ways: they unite form with matter (
imtizaj) and they are
responsible for the union and harmony between the body and the
vital and rational souls (
ittifaq).
73
As a result of this action a connec-
tion between the heaven and earth exists and the elements below move
(
tantaqil,
tataharrak), transform (
tataghayyar,
hadath istihalat), and expe-
rience generation and corruption (
sara fiha al-kawn wa al-fasad).
74
The
diversity of genera and species is the result of the stars’ determination of
elementary combinations and their union with the forms in the process
of generation.
75
Furthermore, Abu Ma‘shar explains that in their func-
tion as efficient causes they transform the state of generated things from
the potential to the actual. Change, transformation, generation and
corruption occur to matter (the four elements and their natures) poten-
tially; genera and species also exist in matter potentially (
bi al-quwwa),
but the stars make them actual (
bi al-fi‘l).
76
So, in his account of generation and corruption, Abu Ma‘shar departs
from Aristotle by adding another component to the generation and cor-
ruption of natural things; namely, the astral agent. As a result of the
existence of three co-principles of generation, Abu Ma‘shar distinguishes
between three types of natural properties (
khawass): material, formal
and astral.
77
Elemental combinations are caused by the stars and their
heat, and so material properties are manifest in the combination of the
four elements and their qualities. The forms united with matter through
astral causation provide the properties that are equally existent in all
members of the species, but it is the astral properties that determine
specific traits of each member.
78
Using the example of the generation of
the ruby, Abu Ma‘shar writes:
The single ruby has a nature, size, shape, colour and purity. Some
rubies are purer and softer than others of the same genus. And a ruby
has a property from an [astral] effect as some planets signify the genus
of precious stones, and others signify the species of ruby, and other
planets signify other things until all its parts are completed by the
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