一般而言，第一个说法较常为人使用，古代名家认为天秤座至天蝎座有两个凶恒星，当月亮来到这段区域时，有如被两个凶星困住般惶惶不安。不过西元前一世纪的都勒斯（Dorotheus of Sidon）在占星诗集第五册提出：若月亮来到学者所谓的“燃烧途径”时（在日夜平均线的中间，即天秤和天蝎座），月亮会受到伤害。但文中并无提到是否与恒星有关。至于第二种说法则由西元八世纪的波斯学者比鲁尼（Al Biruni）所提出。
不过当代占星师Anthony Louis还提出一个观点。西元前四世纪的亚里斯多德把我们常说的银河（Milky Way）视为“低温但稳定燃烧的干燥区域（a low and steady burning of dry exhalation），并位于月亮的下方”。根据现在的天文资料，银河的位置在天蝎座与射手座星群附近，若将岁差考虑进来，会不会就是希腊化时代占星师眼中所见的燃烧途径？
The seventh, that she is cadent from the stakes, or in the burnt path (which is the end of Libra and the beginning of Scorpio)—and this is the worst that there is of the impediments of the Moon, and especially if it were the inception of a marriage or something concerning the matters of women, or buying, or selling, or foreign travel.
But the Ascendant and the other significators should not be impeded by the infortunes in any manner, but one must labor so that the Ascendant its lord would be made fit; and we will make them be made fortunate as much as we can, if we are choosing in hours in which the Moon was impeded. And if the lord of the Ascendant were made fortunate, it will not impede, even if the Ascendant were in the burnt path (or whatever the ascending sign was).
