Book 3

1. Introduction

The examination concerning universal events having been treated by us in what precedes, as being prior and able in most cases to overrule what is accomplished, in keeping with the particular nature, for each single man—the predictive part of which we call genethlialogical—it is fitting to hold that the power of both kinds is one and the same, both in respect of what is productive and in respect of what is theoretical. For the cause both of universal and of individual events is the movement of the wandering stars, the sun, and the moon; while the predictive part is the scientific observation, through the surrounding heavens, of the turning of the underlying natures in accordance with the similar-figured passages of the heavenly bodies—except that the universal circumstance is greater and self-complete, while the particular is not so in the same way. The beginnings, however, are no longer to be reckoned the same for both, from which, supposing the disposition of the heavenly bodies, we try to foreknow the things signified through the configurations then existing. Rather, of the universal events there are many beginnings, since we do not have one for the whole; and these too are not always taken from the underlying subjects themselves, but also from the surrounding heavens that bring on the causes, for we examine nearly all of them from the more complete eclipses and the conspicuous passages of the stars. But of the events for each single man there is both one and many: one, the beginning of his very compounding—for this too we have; and many, the significations of the surrounding heavens that befall in succession with respect to the first beginning—the one here, however, being reasonably prior, since it itself accomplishes the others. This being so, from the first beginning are observed the universal characteristics of the compounding, and through the others the things that will befall from time to time in greater or lesser degree, according to the so-called divisions of the times that follow.

The temporal beginning of human births being, by nature, that of the very sowing of the seed, but, in power and by what accompanies, that of the bringing-forth at birth: for those who know the time of the sowing, whether by chance or also by observation, it is more fitting to follow that beginning with a view to the characteristics both of the body and of the soul, examining the productive power of the configuration of the stars at it. For once at the beginning the seed has become of a certain quality from the influence of the surrounding heavens, even though this become different through the successive times of the body's formation, it, naturally adding to itself its own proper material alone, in the course of growth is still more assimilated to the characteristic of the first quality. But for those who do not know it—which is what generally happens—it is necessary to attend to the beginning at the bringing-forth, and to give heed to this, as being itself also greatest and falling short of the first in this alone, that through the first the things even before the bringing-forth can be foreknown. For if one would call the one the beginning, and the other, as it were, the inception, its magnitude becomes in time second, but in power equal and even more complete; and one might almost justly name the former the genesis of human seed, the latter that of the man. For the infant then takes on many things that were not present to it before, when it was in the womb, and these the very things proper to human nature alone, and the bodily configuration; and even though the surrounding circumstance at the bringing-forth seem to contribute nothing toward its being of such a kind, yet this very thing—that it came to light at the configuration proper to the surrounding heavens—contributes, since nature, after the completion, makes the impulse of its exit toward a condition of like form to that which formed it in particular at the beginning. So that one may reasonably hold that the configuration of the stars at the bringing-forth is significant of such things, not, however, as wholly productive, but as having, of necessity and by nature, that which is most like, in power, to the productive.

Since our present purpose is to fill up this part too by way of method, according to the reckoning set forth at the beginning of this treatise concerning the possibility of such prognostication, we shall pass over the ancient manner of predictions, which is according to the conjoint blending of all or most of the stars, as being manifold and almost boundless if one should wish to treat it accurately in detail, and as able to be examined rather in the particular applications of those who inquire naturally than in mere traditions, both because it is hard to use and hard to set out in full. The practices themselves, through which each of the kinds is discerned according to the method of application, and the productive powers of the stars toward each thing—taken in their characteristic and more comprehensive form—we shall set out as consequentially as may be and at the same time concisely, according to natural conjecture: laying down beforehand the places of the surrounding heavens to which each of the human events is referred, like a mark at which one must aim; fitting the productive powers, in their more comprehensive form, of the bodies kindred to the places by prevalence, as it were like the shootings of arrows; and leaving the event, gathered together from the blending of several natures concerning the underlying kind, to the reckoning of him who examines, as to a skilled archer. And first we shall make our account concerning the universal characteristics observed through the beginning at the bringing-forth, in the order that is fitting; all things, as we said, that have a nature able to be taken through this beginning—those who wish to busy themselves further with the characteristics belonging to the compounding alone, and with the characteristics that fall under examination at the time of the sowing, contributing through the same theory.

2. On the horoscopic degree

Since concerning the first and most authoritative thing—that is, the degree of the hour at the bringing-forth—there is often a difficulty, only the inspection through astrolabe horoscopic instruments at the very birth being generally able to suggest the precise part of the hour to those who observe scientifically, while almost all the other horoscopic instruments, to which most of the more careful give their attention, are able in many ways to depart from the truth: the solar ones from the distortions of their positions and gnomons that occur, and the water-clocks from the stoppages and irregularities in the flow of the water, brought about by various causes and by chance—it would be necessary to set forth beforehand by what manner one may find the degree of the zodiac that ought to be rising according to the natural and consistent method, when the degree found by the practice of the risings, according to the approximate hour given, has been laid down beforehand. One must then take the conjunction last preceding the bringing-forth, whether it be a new moon or a full moon, and, having examined the degree accurately—in the case of a new moon, that of both lights, in the case of a full moon, that of the one of them above the earth—at the time of the bringing-forth see which of the stars have a ruling relation to it, the manner of rulership being observed generally in these five: triangle, house, exaltation, term, and phase or configuration; that is, whenever the place sought has one or more of these, or also all, toward the one that is to rule. If, then, we find one star fittingly disposed toward all these, or the most of them, whatever degree this star precisely occupies in the sign through which it is passing, at the time of the bringing-forth we shall judge that the degree equal in number to it is rising in the nearest sign found by the practice of the risings. But if there be two or more jointly ruling, that one whose degree-passage at the bringing-forth has its number nearer to the rising degree according to the risings—of his amount of degrees we shall make use. And if two or more be near in number, we shall follow the one having more relation both to the angles and to the sect. If, however, the distance of the ruling degrees be greater toward the more comprehensive horoscope than toward the similar midheaven, having made use of the same number toward the culminating degree, through this we shall set out also the remaining angles.

3. The division of genethlialogy

These things having been set out beforehand, if one should, for the sake of order itself, divide the whole of genethlialogical theory, he would find that, of the apprehensions that are according to nature and possible, one is of events before the birth only, as the account concerning parents; another of events both before the birth and after the birth, as the account concerning brothers and sisters; another of events at the very birth, no longer so single and simple; and last of events after the birth, this too observed as more manifold. Of the things sought at the very birth are the account concerning males and females, the account concerning twins or multiple births, the account concerning monstrous births, and the account concerning those not reared. Of the things after the birth: the account concerning the length of life, since it is not joined to that concerning those not reared; then the account concerning the form of the body and the account concerning bodily sufferings or injuries; next the account concerning the quality of the soul and the account concerning sufferings of the soul; then the account concerning the fortune of possessions and the account concerning the fortune of dignity; and after these the account concerning the quality of action; then the account concerning the partnership of marriage, the account concerning the begetting of children, and the account concerning unions and friends; next the account concerning travel abroad; and last the account concerning the quality of death, which in power is kindred to that concerning the length of life, but in order is reasonably set after all these. Concerning each of these we shall make our exposition in summary, setting out the very practices of the examination together with the bare productive powers, as we said; sending away the things that are foolishly babbled over by the many, having no plausible relation to the causes from the first nature; but examining the things that admit of apprehension, not through lots and numbers without cause assigned, but through the very theory of the configurations toward the proper places—generally, however, and over all simply, that we may not repeat ourselves with each kind.

First one must consider the place of the zodiac made proper to the kind of birth sought under each heading—as, for example, the midheaven for that concerning actions, or the solar place for that concerning the father; then observe the stars that have a relation to the underlying place, according to the five modes of rulership we set out above. And if there be one lord according to all of them, to him is to be given the rulership of that prediction; but if two or three, to those that have the more votes. After this, for the quality of the event, one must consider the natures both of the ruling stars themselves and of the signs in which they and the kindred places are; and for the magnitude of the event, one must consider also their power—whether they happen to be effectively disposed both cosmically and at the birth, or the contrary. For they are most active when, cosmically, they are in their own or familiar places, and again when they happen to be eastern and additive in their numbers; and at the birth, when they pass over the angles or the post-ascensions, and especially the first ones—I mean those at the risings and the culminations. They are most feeble when, cosmically, they are in alien or unfamiliar places, and are western or retrograde in their courses; and at the birth, when they decline from the angles. And for the general time of the event, one must consider whether they are eastern or western with respect to the sun and to the horoscope—since the leading quadrants of each of these, and their diameters, are eastern, while the remaining and following ones are western—and whether they happen to be upon the angles or the post-ascensions; for being eastern or at an angle they become more active at the beginning, but being western or upon the post-ascensions, slower.

4. On parents

The leading type of the examination under each heading, which it is fitting to hold throughout, has this character. We shall now begin, according to the order set out, from the first, the account concerning parents. The sun, then, and the star of Saturn are made kindred by nature to the person of the father, the moon and the star of Venus to that of the mother; and however these may happen to be disposed, both toward one another and toward the others, such things must also be supposed concerning the parents. The things concerning their fortune and possessions are to be examined from the bodyguarding of the lights, since, when they are surrounded by stars able to do good and of the same sect—either in the same signs or also in the following—they signify that the affairs concerning the parents are conspicuous and brilliant, and most of all when eastern stars bodyguard the sun and western ones the moon, these themselves also being well disposed in the manner we have stated. And if both Saturn and Venus happen to be eastern and in their own persons, or also at the angles, manifest good fortune must be supposed, in keeping with what is proper to each of the parents. The contrary, if the lights are running their course empty and unguarded by bodyguards, is indicative of the lowliness and obscurity of the parents, and most of all when Venus or also Saturn appears ill-disposed. And if they be bodyguarded, but not by stars of the same sect—as when Mars rises after the sun, and Saturn after the moon—or not by well-placed benefic stars of the same sect, moderate fortune and unevenness about their life must be supposed. And if the Lot of Fortune that will be signified in the nativity agree with the stars that bodyguarded the sun or the moon for good, they will receive the property of the parents intact; but if it be discordant or contrary, no benefic having taken up the bodyguarding, or the malefics having done so, the property of the parents will be useless to them and harmful.

Concerning their length or shortness of life one must consider from the other configurations. For in the case of the father, if Jupiter or Venus be configured in any way with the sun and Saturn, or if Saturn himself have a harmonious configuration with the sun, whether conjunct or sextile or trine, they being in power, length of life of the father is to be conjectured; but if they be without power, not so, yet not shortness of life either. But if this be not so, and Mars overcome the sun or Saturn, or also rise after them, or if again Saturn himself be not harmonious toward the sun but either square or in diameter, then, when declining from the angles, they make the fathers merely sickly; but at the angles, or rising after the angles, they make them short-lived or injured—short-lived when they are in the first two angles, the rising and the culminating, and in their post-ascensions; injured or diseased when they are in the remaining two angles, the setting and the subterranean, or in their post-ascensions. For the star of Mars, beholding the sun in the manner we have stated, suddenly destroys the father, or produces injuries about the eyes; and beholding Saturn, brings him round to deaths or chills-and-fevers or injuries through cuttings and burnings. And the star of Saturn, himself also ill-configured toward the sun, contrives diseased deaths for the fathers, and sufferings through the trouble of the humors.

In the case of the mother, if Jupiter be configured with the moon and Venus in any way, or if Venus herself be harmoniously disposed toward the moon, being sextile or trine or conjunct, they being in power, they show the mother to be long-lived. But if Mars behold the moon, or Venus, having risen after them, or squared, or diametered them, or Saturn behold the moon alone likewise—they being subtractive or declining—again they bring round only mischances or weaknesses; but being additive or at the angles, they make the mothers short-lived or injured—short-lived likewise when they are at the eastern angles or post-ascensions, injured when at the western. For Mars, beholding the moon in this manner, she being eastern, makes the deaths of the mothers sudden and produces injuries about the eyes; but she being waning, deaths from miscarriages or such things, and the injuries through cuttings and burnings. And beholding Venus, he brings about feverish deaths and sufferings through hidden causes and dimmings and sudden onsets. And Saturn, beholding the moon, produces deaths and sufferings—she being eastern, through chills-and-fevers; but waning, through ulcerous corrosions of the womb and eatings-away.

One must take up in addition, for the particular kinds of injuries or sufferings or deaths, also the characteristics of the signs in which the stars producing the cause are, concerning which we shall work out more opportunely in the parts about the birth itself. And one must observe further, by day especially the sun and Venus, by night Saturn and the moon. It would remain, for the workings-out under each heading, to be fitting and consistent that, having set up the paternal or maternal place of the sect like a horoscope, we should examine the rest as at the nativity of the parents themselves, according to the approaches—to be shown next—of the more comprehensive kinds, both practical and incidental. Of the conjoint-blending manner, however, it is fitting to be mindful both here and in all cases, conjecturing—if the stars that have taken the lordships of the places sought happen to be not uniform but different or productive of opposite things—which of them, from the advantages of power that accrue to each, are found to have more votes toward the prevalence of what shall be accomplished; so that either we make the examination consistent with their natures, or, the votes being of equal weight, when those that prevail are together, we reckon out skilfully what is gathered from the blending of the different natures; but when they stand apart, we distribute to each, part by part, in their own times, the events proper to them—to the eastern ones rather earlier, to the western later. For from the beginning it is necessary that a star which is to accomplish anything concerning the sought place be made kindred to it; and this not having happened, it is impossible at all for one who has not shared in the beginning to dispose anything great; but for the time of the outcome in the event, the cause is no longer that of the first lordship, but the distance of the one that has somehow taken the lordship, with respect to the sun and the corners of the cosmos.

5. On brothers and sisters

The place concerning parents, then, would become nearly evident to us from these things. As for that concerning brothers and sisters, if here too one should examine the general only, and not, beyond the possible, inquire accurately and in particular into the number, it would be taken more naturally as concerning those of the same mother only, and from the culminating sign of the maternal place—that is, the one containing by day Venus, by night the moon—since this sign and the one rising after it become the place concerning children of the mother, which ought to be the same as the place of the one born concerning brothers and sisters. If, then, benefics be configured with the place, we shall declare an abundance of brothers and sisters, making our conjecture both toward the multitude of the stars themselves, and whether they happen to be in single-formed signs or in bicorporeal ones. But if the malefics overcome them, or also oppose them in diameter, they are indicative of fewness of brothers and sisters, and most of all if they take the sun together with them; and if the opposition occur also at the angles, and especially of the horoscope, in the case of Saturn they become first-born or first-reared, but in the case of Mars they have few brothers and sisters through the death of the rest. Moreover, of the stars that give brothers and sisters, if they happen to be well disposed cosmically, those given are to be reckoned well-figured and glorious; but if the contrary, lowly and inconspicuous; and if the malefics overcome the givers, or rise after them, also short-lived. Those cosmically masculinized will give males, the feminized females; and again the more eastern will give the elder, the more western the younger. Besides these, if the givers of brothers and sisters happen to be harmoniously configured with the lord of the sign concerning brothers and sisters, they will make the brothers and sisters given affectionate; and if with the Lot of Fortune, also living in common; but if they happen to be in unconnected places, or in the opposite station, hostile, envious, and generally treacherous. It would remain, if one should busy himself with the particulars about each of them, that here too in turn they may be conjectured, the giving star being laid down according to the method of the horoscope, and the rest observed together as at a nativity.

6. On males and females

The account concerning brothers and sisters having now been set before our eyes in the fitting and natural manner, it would be next to begin with the things at the very birth, and first to run over the reckoning concerning males and females. This is observed not in a single way nor from any one thing, but from both lights and the horoscope and the stars having a relation to them—especially according to the disposition at the sowing, but more comprehensively also according to that at the bringing-forth. The whole must be observed: whether the aforesaid three places and the stars that rule them are either all, or the most of them, masculinized toward the production of a male, or feminized toward the production of a female; and thus one must declare. One must, however, distinguish the masculinized and the feminized in the manner we laid down in the tabular setting-forth at the beginning of the treatise: from the nature of the signs in which they are, from that of the stars themselves, and further from their relation to the cosmos—since being eastern they are masculinized, but western feminized; and besides these, from their relation to the sun—for again, being eastern they are masculinized, but feminized western. Through all of which it is fitting to conjecture the prevalence of the sex for the most part.

7. On twin births

And concerning those born two or even more at a time, one must observe likewise the same two places—that is, the two lights and the horoscope. This event is wont to follow upon the blendings whenever the two or also the three places contain bicorporeal signs, and especially when the stars that rule them suffer the same thing, or some are in bicorporeal signs, and some lie two together or even more. And when both the ruling places are in bicorporeal signs and several stars are at the same time configured together, then more than two also befall to be conceived—the multitude being conjectured from the star making the characteristic of number, and the sex from the stars configured together with the sun and the moon and the horoscope toward the production of a male or a female, according to the modes stated in what precedes. And when such a disposition does not include the angle of the horoscope together with the lights, but that of the midheaven, such mothers generally conceive twins or also more. Particularly, three males they bring fully to birth when Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are configured in bicorporeal signs together with the aforesaid places—as under the nativity of the Anaktores; and three females under that of the Graces, Venus, the moon, with Mercury feminized; two males and one female under that of the Dioscuri, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus; two females and one male under that of Demeter and Kore, Venus, the moon, Mars. In which cases it is wont generally to befall that the births are not brought to completion, and that they are brought forth with certain bodily marks, and further that certain extraordinary and unexpected things befall the places, through the appearance, as it were, of such events.

8. On monstrous births

Not foreign to the present examination is also the account concerning monstrous births. For first, in such cases, the lights are for the most part found declining or unconnected with the horoscope, and the angles occupied by the malefics. When, then, such a disposition falls under the eye—since it occurs often also about lowly and ill-starred nativities, even though they be not monstrous—it is fitting at once to examine the preceding conjunction, whether new-moon or full-moon, and the star that ruled it and the lights of the bringing-forth. For if the places of the lights of the bringing-forth, and that of the moon and that of the horoscope, all or the most of them, happen to be unconnected with the place of the preceding conjunction, the one born must be supposed enigmatic. If, then, these being so, the lights are also found in four-footed or beast-like signs, and the two malefics are at the angles, the one born will not even be of human kind: but with no benefic bearing witness to the lights, and the malefics doing so, it will be wholly savage and of those that have a wild and harmful nature; but with Jupiter or Venus bearing witness, of those that are deified, such as dogs or cats or the like; and with Mercury, of those serviceable for human use, such as birds or swine or oxen or goats and the like. But if the lights be taken in human-shaped signs, the rest being likewise, the things born will be by men or among men, but monstrous and enigmatic in their special quality—here too observed together from the form of the signs in which the malefics that occupy the lights or the angles happen to be. If, then, here too not one of the benefic stars bears witness to any of the aforesaid places, they become wholly irrational and truly enigmatic; but if Jupiter or Venus bear witness, the special character of the monstrous birth will be honored and well-figured—such as is wont to occur about hermaphrodites, or those called of Harpocrates, and the like. And if Mercury also bear witness, together with these, it makes them given to utterance and provided for through such things; but Mercury alone makes them toothless and deaf, yet otherwise gifted and cunning.

9. On those not reared

There remaining, among the things at the very birth, the account concerning those not reared, it is fitting to determine that in one way this manner is held by the account concerning the length of life, since the kind sought is not foreign to either; but in another way it is separated, in that it differs somewhat in the very power of the examination. For the account concerning the length of life is observed in the case of those who altogether have perceptible times—that is, not less than one solar period; for such a time is properly apprehended as a year, but in power that less than this also—months and days and hours. But that concerning those not reared is in the case of those who do not even reach the time set before us, but in the lesser numbers are destroyed through the excess of the harm. Hence the former has the more manifold examination, the latter the more comprehensive. For simply, if either of the lights be at an angle and one of the malefics be conjunct or in opposition—and these by degree and at equal balance—no benefic being configured, and the lord of the lights being held in the places of the malefics, the one born will not be reared, but will have the end of life at once. And if this happen not at equal balance, but the shafts of the malefics come close behind the places of the lights, and there be two malefics, and they harm either one of the lights or also both, whether by post-ascension or by diameter, or in turn the one harming the one and the other the other, or the one harming by diameter and the other by post-ascension—thus also they become timeless, the multitude of the harms doing away with the humanity toward continuance of life that comes from the interval of the post-ascension. The star of Mars especially harms the sun by post-ascension, and Saturn the moon; while by diameter or supremacy, conversely, Saturn harms the sun, and Mars the moon—and most of all if they have control locally, having ruled either the lights or the horoscope. But if there be two oppositions, the lights being at angles and the malefics at equal balance, then the infants are born dead or half-dead. These things being so, if the lights happen to have a separation from one of the benefics, or be otherwise configured with them—these, however, casting their rays into the leading parts of the lights—the one born will live on up to the number between the emission and the nearer rays of the malefics, the months or days or also hours equal to the degrees, with respect to the magnitude of the harm and the power of those producing the cause. But if the rays of the malefics be borne into the leading parts of the lights, and those of the benefics into the following parts, the one born, though exposed, will be taken up and will live. And again, if the benefics configured be overcome by the malefics, to harm and subjection; but if they overcome, to the substitution of other parents. And if one of the benefics make a rising or an application to the moon, and one of the malefics be under a setting, it will be taken up by the parents themselves. In the same manner also in the case of multiple births: if one of the stars configured two or more together be under a setting, something half-dead or a lump of flesh, and imperfect, will be born; but if it be overcome by malefics, what has been brought into being by the cause concerning it will be unreared or timeless.

10. On the length of life

Of the events after the birth the account concerning the length of life leads, since, according to the ancient saying, it is ridiculous to fit the particulars of what is accomplished to one who, from the very ground of the years he is to live, will not at all reach the times of their accomplishment. This account is observed not simply nor unconditionally, but taken in a manifold way from the prevalence of the most authoritative places. The manner that especially agrees with us, and is otherwise according to nature, is of this kind. The whole hangs upon the determination of the prorogative places, and upon the prevailing factors of the prorogation themselves, and further upon the destructive places or stars. Each of these is distinguished thus.

One must reckon as prorogative places, first, those in which absolutely must be that which is to take the lordship of the prorogation: the sign about the horoscope, from the five degrees rising before the horizon itself up to the remaining and rising twenty-five degrees; and the parts to the right of these thirty degrees, sextile to the place of the Good Spirit, square to the midheaven above the earth, trine to the place called God, and diametral to the setting—those being preferred among them, for the power of prevalence, first the ones standing at the midheaven above the earth, then those at the rising, then those at the post-ascension of the midheaven, then those at the setting, then those at the place leading the midheaven. For all that is below the earth must reasonably be rejected from so great a lordship, except only those coming to light at the very rising; and of the part above the earth, it is fitting to take up neither the sign unconnected with the rising one, nor the one that rose before, which is also called that of the Evil Spirit, since it harms the influence onto the earth of the stars in it, together with its declining; and it muddies and as it were obliterates the exhalation from the moist parts of the earth, thick and misty, by reason of which the stars too appear unnatural both in their colors and in their magnitudes.

After these, again, one must take up as prorogators the four most authoritative places: sun, moon, horoscope, Lot of Fortune, and those that rule them. The Lot of Fortune is to be reckoned by the number, always both by night and by day, from the sun to the moon, and carrying the equal amount from the horoscope toward the following parts of the signs, so that whatever relation and configuration the sun has toward the horoscope, this the moon also may have toward the Lot of Fortune, and that it may be, as it were, a lunar horoscope. One must prefer, among these, by day first the sun, if it be in the prorogative places; if not, the moon; if not, the one having more relations of rulership toward both the sun and the preceding conjunction and toward the horoscope—that is, when, the modes of rulership being five, it has three toward one or also more of the said places; if not, last, the horoscope. By night, first the moon, then the sun, then the one having more relations of rulership toward both the moon and the preceding full moon and the Lot of Fortune; if not, last, the preceding syzygy being a new moon, the horoscope, but being a full moon, the Lot of Fortune. And if both lights, or also the lord of the proper sect, be in the prorogative places, one must take up the one in the more authoritative place of the lights; and then only must one prefer the lord of both, when it both occupies a more authoritative place and has a relation of rulership toward both the sects.

The prorogator having been distinguished, one must take up also two modes of prorogation: the one only toward the following parts of the signs, under the so-called casting of rays, when the prorogator is in the eastern places—that is, those from the midheaven to the horoscope; and the one not only toward the following but also toward the leading parts, according to the so-called horary, when the prorogator is in the places declining from the midheaven.

These being so, the destructive degrees become, according to the prorogation toward the leading parts of the signs, that of the western horizon alone, because it obliterates the lord of life; while the degrees of the stars that thus meet or bear witness only subtract and add years to those gathered up to the setting of the prorogator, and do not destroy, because they do not bear upon the prorogative place, but it bears upon theirs—the benefics add, the malefics subtract, Mercury again being added to whichever of them he is configured with. The number of the addition or subtraction is observed through the degree-position of each; for however many horary times there are for each degree—those of the day when it is day, those of the night when it is night—so great a multitude of years will be the complete one, which is to be reckoned when they are at their rising; then, in proportion to the withdrawal, it is to be subtracted, until toward the setting it comes down to nothing.

According to the prorogation toward the following parts of the signs, the places of the malefics, Saturn and Mars, are destructive—whether they meet bodily, or bear a ray, from wherever, square or diametral; and sometimes also through hearing or beholding sextiles at equal power; and also the star itself square to the prorogative place from the following parts; and sometimes also, in the long-lived signs, the harmed sextile, but in the short-lived ones, the trine; and the moon being the prorogator, also the place of the sun. For the meetings according to such a prorogation have power both to destroy and to save, since these bear upon the place of the prorogator. One must not, however, reckon that these places altogether destroy in every case, but only when they have been harmed. For they are impeded, whether they fall into the term of a benefic, or one of the benefics bear a ray—square or trine or diametral—either toward the destructive degree itself or toward the following parts of it: in the case of Jupiter not over twelve degrees, in the case of Venus not over eight; or, when both the prorogator and the one that meets it are bodies, the latitude of both not being the same. When, then, there are two or more on either side, both the helping and the destroying, one must consider the prevalence of either kind, both by the multitude of those gathered with them and by their power: by the multitude, when one set is perceptibly more than the other; by power, when, of the helping or destroying stars, some are in their own places and some not, and most of all when some are eastern and some western. For generally one must take up none of those under the rays, neither toward destruction nor toward help, except only, the moon being the prorogator, the place of the sun itself destroys, being broken down by the malefic that is with it, and freed by none of the benefics.

The number of years, however, which the intervals between the prorogative place and the destroyer produce, ought not to be taken simply nor at random, according to the traditions of the many, always from the rising-times of each degree, except only when either the eastern horizon itself has taken the prorogation, or one of those making a rising upon it. For there being, in every manner, one thing set before him who examines this part naturally—to consider after how many equinoctial times the place of the following body or figure comes upon that of the leading one at the very nativity, since the equinoctial times traverse uniformly both the horizon and the meridian, with respect to which two the similarities of the local distances are taken, and each of the times reasonably has power for one solar year—when the prorogative and leading place is upon the eastern horizon itself, it is fitting to take the rising-times of the degrees up to the meeting; for after so many equinoctial times the destroyer comes upon the place of the prorogator, that is, upon the eastern horizon. And when it is upon the meridian itself, the risings at the right sphere, in however many each section traverses the meridian. And when it is upon the western horizon itself, in however many each of the degrees of the distance descends—that is, in however many those that are diametral to them rise. But when the leading place is no longer in these three boundaries, but in the intervals between, then the times of the aforesaid risings or settings or culminations will no longer bear the following places upon the same as the leading ones, but different. For similar and the same is the place that has a similar position, and toward the same parts, at once with respect to both the horizon and the meridian. And this nearly befalls those lying on one of the semicircles drawn through the intersections of the meridian and the horizon, each of which, at the same position, makes nearly the equal seasonal hour. And just as, when one is carried about the said intersections, it comes upon the same position both for the horizon and for the meridian, but makes the times of the zodiac's passage unequal on either side, in the same manner also, according to the positions of the other distances, it accomplishes the passages in times unequal to those. Let there be for us one approach of this kind, through which, whether the leading place have an eastern or meridian or western, or any other position, the proportion of the times bearing upon it will be taken for the following place.

For having first determined the culminating degree of the zodiac, and further the leading and the coming-up degree, we shall first consider the position of the leading degree—how many seasonal hours it is distant from the meridian—having reckoned the degrees between it and the culminating one, fittingly either above the earth or below the earth, by the risings at the right sphere, and divided by the multitude of the horary times of the leading degree itself: if it be above the earth, by those of the day; if below the earth, by those of the night. And since the sections of the zodiac that are distant the same seasonal hours from the meridian come to be on one and the same of the aforesaid semicircles, it will be necessary to take after how many equinoctial times the following section too will be distant the equal seasonal hours from the same meridian as the leading one. These having been distinguished, we shall examine how many equinoctial times the following degree too was distant, according to the original position, from the midheaven at the same place, through the risings at the right sphere again, and how many when it made the equal seasonal hours to the leading one; and having multiplied these too by the multitude of the horary times of the following degree—if the comparison of the seasonal hours be again toward the midheaven above the earth, those of the day; if toward that below the earth, those of the night—and having taken the result from the excess of both distances, we shall have the multitude of the years sought.

That what is said may become more evident, let the leading place be supposed, for example's sake, the beginning of the Ram, the following the beginning of the Twins, and the clime one where the greatest day is fourteen hours, and the horary magnitude of the beginning of the Twins nearly seventeen equinoctial times. And first let the beginning of the Ram rise, so that the beginning of the Goat-horned culminates, and let the beginning of the Twins be distant from the midheaven above the earth one hundred and forty-eight equinoctial times. Since, then, the beginning of the Ram is distant from the meridian-culmination six seasonal hours, multiplying these by the seventeen times, which are of the horary magnitude of the beginning of the Twins—since the distance of one hundred and forty-eight times is toward the midheaven above the earth—we shall have also of this distance one hundred and two times. After the times of the excess, then, forty-six, the following place will pass over onto that of the leading. And these are nearly the times also of the rising of the Ram and the Bull, since the prorogative place is supposed to be at the horoscope.

Now let the beginning of the Ram likewise culminate, so that, according to the first position, the beginning of the Twins is distant from the midheaven above the earth fifty-eight equinoctial times. Since, then, according to the second position the beginning of the Twins ought to culminate, we shall have the excess of their distances as the fifty-eight times themselves, in however many again, because the prorogative place culminates, the Ram and the Bull traverse the meridian.

Now let the beginning of the Ram set in the same manner, so that the beginning of the Crab culminates, and the beginning of the Twins be distant from the midheaven above the earth toward the leading parts thirty-two equinoctial times. Since, then, again the beginning of the Ram is distant from the meridian toward the setting six seasonal hours, if we make these seventeen times over, we shall have one hundred and two times, which the beginning of the Twins too will be distant from the meridian when it sets. But it was distant also, according to the first position, toward the same parts thirty-two times; in the seventy times of the excess, then, it was carried toward the setting, in which both the Ram and the Bull descend and the diametral signs, that of the Claws and that of the Scorpion, rise.

Now let the beginning of the Ram be supposed to be at none of the angles, but distant, for example's sake, toward the leading parts of the meridian three seasonal hours, so that the eighteenth degree of the Bull culminates, and, according to the first position, the beginning of the Twins be distant from the midheaven above the earth toward the following parts thirteen equinoctial times. If, then, again we multiply the seventeen times by the three hours, the beginning of the Twins will be distant also according to the second position from the meridian toward the leading parts fifty-one times, and all together it will make sixty-four times. But it made, by the same procedure, when the prorogative place rose, forty-six times; when it culminated, fifty-eight times; when it set, seventy times. The number of times at the intermediate position between the culmination and the setting, then, differed from each of the others. For it came to sixty-four times, and it differed in proportion to the excess of the three hours, since this, in the case of the other quadrants at the angles, was twelve times, but in the case of the distance of three hours, six times. And since in all cases nearly the same proportion is preserved, it will be possible, in this way too, to use the method more simply. For again, the leading degree rising, we shall use the risings up to the following one; culminating, those at the right sphere; setting, the settings. And when it is between these—as, for example's sake, in the case of the distance of the Ram set out—we shall first take the times falling to each of the two angles that contain it; and we shall find, since the beginning of the Ram was supposed, after the midheaven above the earth, to be between the culminating angle and the setting, the times falling up to the beginning of the Twins to be, of the co-culminations fifty-eight, of the co-settings seventy. Then, having learned, as set out, how many seasonal hours the leading section is distant from either of the angles—whatever part these are of the six seasonal hours of the quadrant, so great a part of the excess of both gatherings we shall add to, or subtract from, the angle compared. For example, since of the foregoing seventy and fifty-eight the excess is twelve times, and the leading place was supposed to be distant from either of the angles the equal seasonal hours, three, which are the half of the six hours, having taken the half also of the twelve, and either added it to the fifty-eight or subtracted it from the seventy, we shall find the result sixty-four times. But if either of the angles were distant two seasonal hours, which are the third part of the six hours, the third part again of the twelve times of the excess, that is, four, we should have added to the fifty-eight times if the distance of two hours were supposed from the midheaven, but, if from the setting, we should have subtracted from the seventy.

The manner, then, of the amount of the temporal distances ought thus to be taken by us consistently. It will remain to distinguish, at each of the aforesaid meetings or settings, according to the order from the more short-lived, the destructive and the climacteric and the otherwise transitory ones, both through the meeting's being harmed or helped according to the manner aforesaid by us, and through the temporal entrances signified by each of the things from the meeting. For the places being harmed at the same time, and the passage of the stars at the entrance of the years harming the most authoritative places, deaths must be supposed outright; but if one of these two be kindly, great and perilous climacterics; and if both be kindly, only sluggishnesses or transitory hurts and depressions—the special quality in these too being taken from the kinship of the meeting places with the affairs of the nativity. And nothing sometimes hinders, when those that ought to take the destructive lordship are in doubt, reckoning out the meetings of each of them, either following especially those that agree most with the events that have already come out and toward the future, or, with respect to all of them as having equal power, to be observant, examining their greater or lesser degree in the same manner.

11. On the form and blending of the body

The practice of the account concerning the length of life having been treated, we speak, taking the beginning of the particulars according to the proper order, concerning the form and the bodily make-up; since the things of the body too are by nature outlined before those of the soul, the body, by reason of being more material, having the appearances of its own particular blendings nearly born together with it, while the soul afterward and little by little displays the aptitudes from the first cause, and the external things befall still later in the time that follows. One must observe, then, in general the eastern horizon and the wandering stars upon it or those taking its rulership, in the manner we have stated; and in particular also the moon likewise. For through the formative nature of both these places and of those that rule them, and the blending under each kind, and further the figure-drawing of the fixed stars that rise together with them, the things concerning the make-up of the bodies are observed—the stars that have the rulership being first in power, while the characteristic of the places themselves also helps.

The particulars, and as one would simply give them out so, have this character. First, in the case of the stars, Saturn, being eastern, makes in form those of honey-colored complexion, in good condition, dark-haired, curly-headed, hairy-chested, with eyes of moderate size, of proportionate size; and in blending, those having the more in the moist and cold. Being western, in form, black and lean and small, straight-haired, somewhat bald, somewhat thin, dark-eyed; and in blending, those having the more in the dry and cold.

Jupiter, ruling the foregoing places, being eastern, makes in form those white toward good color, with moderate hair, large eyes, of good size and dignified; and in blending, those having the more in the hot and moist. Being western, in color white indeed, but not toward good color likewise; with straight hair, or also bald at the front and half-bald, and of moderate size; and in blending, those having the more in the moist.

Mars, likewise being eastern, makes in form those red-and-white, of good size, in good condition, gray-eyed, hairy, and of moderate hair; and in blending, those having the more in the hot and dry. Being western, in form, red simply, and of moderate size, small-eyed, somewhat thin, yellow-haired, and straight; and in blending, those having the more in the dry.

Venus produces things nearly like those of Jupiter, but toward the more shapely and graceful and womanly and feminine and well-humored and delicate; and especially makes the eyes, along with their comeliness, somewhat bright.

Mercury, being eastern, makes in form those of honey-colored complexion and of proportionate size, well-shaped, small-eyed, and of moderate hair; and in blending, those having the more in the hot. Being western, in form white indeed, but not toward good color likewise, straight-haired, dark-greenish, lean and slender, with eyes squinting and goat-like and somewhat reddish; and in blending, those having the more in the dry.

There work together with each of these, when configured: the sun, toward the more magnificent and the better in condition; the moon—and most of all when they occupy her separation—in general toward the more proportionate and slender and in blending more moist, but in particular analogously to the special quality of the illuminations, according to the blending set forth at the beginning of the treatise. And again, in general, being eastern and making their phases, they make the bodies large; making their first station, strong and vigorous; leading, ill-proportioned; making their second station, weaker; setting, wholly inglorious, but bearers of distresses and imprisonments.

And the places themselves working together especially with the configurations toward the make-up and the blendings, as we said—in general, again, the quadrant from the spring equinox to the summer solstice makes those of good color, of good size, in good condition, fair-eyed, having the more in the moist and hot; that from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox makes those of middling color, of proportionate size, in good condition, large-eyed, hairy, curly-haired, having the more in the hot and dry; that from the autumn equinox to the winter solstice makes those of honey-colored complexion, slender, lean, prone to suffering, of moderate hair, fair-eyed, having the more in the dry and cold; that from the winter solstice to the spring equinox makes those of dark color, of proportionate size, straight-haired, somewhat thin, somewhat well-shaped, having the more in the moist and cold.

In particular, the human-shaped signs, both those in the zodiac and those outside it, make the bodies well-shaped and proportionate in figure. The differently-shaped signs change the proportions of the body toward what is proper to their own form, and in a certain way assimilate the corresponding parts to their own—either toward the larger and smaller, or toward the stronger and weaker, or toward the more well-shaped and ill-shaped: toward the larger, as for example's sake the Lion and the Virgin and the Archer; toward the smaller, as the Fishes and the Crab and the Goat-horned. And again, as of the Ram and the Bull and the Lion the upper and foremost parts are toward the better condition, the lower and hinder toward the weaker; the contrary, as of the Archer and the Scorpion and the Twins, the foremost parts toward the leaner, the hinder toward the better condition. Likewise, as the Virgin and the Claws and the Archer are toward the proportionate and well-shaped, but the Scorpion and the Fishes and the Bull toward the ill-shaped and ill-proportioned; and so likewise with the others. All which, when one has observed together and blended together, it is fitting to conjecture the special quality gathered from the blending concerning both the forms and the blendings of the bodies.

12. On bodily injuries and sufferings

Following upon these is the account concerning bodily injuries and sufferings, to which we shall join, in order, the examination that arises concerning this kind, having this character. Here too, for the general determination, one must look toward the two angles of the horizon, that is, the rising and the setting, and especially toward the setting itself and toward the one before the setting, which is unconnected with the eastern angle; and observe the harm-producing stars, how they are configured toward these. For if they stand toward the post-ascending degrees of the said places, whether bodily or by square or also by diameter, either one of them or also both, bodily injuries and sufferings must be supposed concerning those born—most of all if also one of the lights, or also both, happen to be at an angle in the manner we have stated, whether together or by diameter. For then, not only if one of the malefics rise after, but even if he rise before the lights, being himself at an angle, he is sufficient to dispose something of the things set out—whatever injury or suffering the places of the horizon and those of the signs indicate, and the natures of the stars, both of those harming and of those harmed, and further of those configured with them. For the parts of each sign that contain the wronged part of the horizon will show the part of the body about which the cause will be, and whether the indicated part is able to admit an injury or a suffering or also both; and the natures of the stars produce the kinds and causes of the events—since, of the most authoritative parts of man, Saturn is lord of the right ears and the spleen and the bladder and the phlegm and the bones; Jupiter of the sense of touch and the lungs and the arteries and the seed; Mars of the left ears and the kidneys and the veins and the genitals; the sun of the sight and the brain and the heart and the sinews and all the right parts; Venus of the sense of smell and the liver and the flesh; Mercury of speech and thought and the tongue and the bile and the seat; the moon of the sense of taste and swallowing and the stomach and the belly and the womb and all the left parts.

It is among the general points that injuries for the most part befall when the malefics that produce the cause are eastern, but sufferings, on the contrary, when they are western—since each of these too is distinguished by this: that the injury disposes once for all and does not have an extending pain, while the suffering bears upon the sufferers either continuously or by attacks.

For the particular application, there have already come to be observed certain figures distinctively productive of injuries and sufferings, through the events that generally follow upon the similar-figured positions. For maimings of sight are accomplished, in respect of one of the eyes, whenever the moon, by herself, being upon the aforesaid angles, happens to be conjoined or at the full; and whenever she be in some other figure toward the sun, of those that have relation, but apply to one of the cloud-like clusters in the zodiac—as to the nebula of the Crab, and the Pleiades of the Bull, and the point of the Archer's arrow, and the sting of the Scorpion, and the parts about the Lock of Hair of the Lion, or the urn of the Water-pourer—and whenever Mars or also Saturn, being themselves eastern, bear upon her when she is at an angle and waning, or again bear before her when, being themselves at an angle, they precede the sun. But if they be configured with both the lights together, either in the same sign or also by diameter, as we said—being eastern with respect to the sun, but western with respect to the moon—they will produce the cause about both the eyes. For Mars produces the maimings from a blow or a stroke or iron or a burning; and configured with Mercury, in wrestling-schools and gymnasia or in the assaults of malefactors. And Saturn through cataracts or chillings or whitenings of the eye and the like. Again, if Venus be upon one of the aforesaid angles, especially upon the setting, being conjunct with Saturn or also configured or having exchanged places with him, but overcome by Mars or diametered, the men become barren, and the women are brought round to miscarriages or premature births or also cuttings-up of the embryo—most of all in the Crab and the Virgin and the Goat-horned. And if the moon from a rising apply to Mars, and if she also be configured in the same with Mercury together with Saturn, Mars again being supreme or diametering, they become eunuchs or hermaphrodites or without ducts and imperforate. These things being so, whenever the sun also is configured, the lights and Venus being masculinized, and the moon being waning and the malefics bearing in the post-ascending degrees, the men become castrated or injured in the genitals—most of all in the Ram and the Lion and the Scorpion and the Goat-horned and the Water-pourer—and the women childless and barren. And sometimes such persons do not even remain unharmed in their sight, but are impeded in the tongue and become stammerers or speak with difficulty—those who have Saturn and Mercury conjunct with the sun upon the aforesaid angles—most of all if Mercury too be western and both be configured with the moon; and to these Mars, occurring with them, is wont generally to release the impediment of the tongue from the moment the moon makes her meeting with him. Again, if either the lights bear upon the malefics when they are at an angle—together or by diameter—or the malefics upon the lights, and especially the moon being at the nodes or at the bendings or in the signs that are liable—such as the Ram, the Bull, the Crab, the Scorpion, the Goat-horned—there come to be maimings of the body, hunchings or crookings or lamings or paralyses: if the malefics be with the lights from the very birth; but if they be in the midheavens, overcoming the lights or diametering one another, from great dangers, such as falls from precipices or collapses or robberies or four-footed beasts—Mars prevailing, the dangers through fire or wounds or bile or robberies; Saturn, those through collapses or shipwrecks or convulsions. And for the most part injuries come about also when the moon is about the tropical and equinoctial points—most of all about the spring, those through white-spot diseases; about the summer, those through lichens; about the autumn, those through leprosies; about the winter, those through warts and the like. And sufferings are wont to befall when the malefics are configured at the aforesaid stations, but on the contrary—that is, western with respect to the sun, but eastern with respect to the moon. For in general Saturn makes those of cold belly and full of phlegm and rheumatic, lean and weak and jaundiced and dysenteric and given to coughing and raisings and colic and elephantiasis; and the women, further, given to disorders of the womb. And Mars makes those who spit blood, melancholic, diseased in the lungs, scabby; and further those who are continually troubled through cuttings or burnings of the secret parts, by reason of fistulas or hemorrhoids or condylomata, or also of fiery ulcerations or eatings-away; and the women, further, he is wont to bring round to miscarriages or cuttings-up of the embryo or eatings-away. And particularly, according to the aforesaid natures of the configured stars toward the parts of the body, they produce the characteristics of the sufferings.

There works together with them especially, toward the intensifications of the bad, the star of Mercury: with Saturn made kindred toward the cold, and making the rheums and the troubles of the humors more in continual movement, and especially those about the chest and the throat and the stomach; with Mars adding strength toward the more drying, as in ulcerous loss of the eyelashes and scabs and abscesses and erysipelas and wild lichens, and black bile or madness or the sacred disease or the like.

And according to the changes of the signs that contain the aforesaid configurations at the two angles, there come to be certain qualities of sufferings. For particularly the Crab and the Goat-horned and the Fishes, and in general the land and fish signs, produce the sufferings through eatings-away, and of lichens or scales or scrofula or fistulas or elephantiasis and the like. And the Archer and the Twins, those through fallings or epilepsies. And the stars occurring in the last degrees of the signs produce the sufferings and injuries especially about the extremities, through maimings or rheums, from which elephantiasis and, for the most part, gout of the hands and feet befall. These things being so, if none of the benefics be configured with the malefics that produce the causes, or with the lights that are at an angle, the injuries and the sufferings will become incurable and grievous; likewise also if they be configured, but be overcome by the malefics that are in power. But if they themselves, being in authoritative figures, overcome the malefics that produce the cause, then the injuries become well-figured and not reproachful, and the sufferings moderate and easy to relieve, and sometimes also easy to be rid of—the benefics being eastern. For Jupiter is wont, through human aids by riches or dignities, both to hide the injuries and to relieve the sufferings; and together with Mercury, also through drugs or the help of good physicians. And Venus, through the pretext of gods and oracles, in a certain way makes the injuries shapely and graceful, and the sufferings easy to relieve by the healings from the gods—Saturn, however, being present, with public exposures and confessions and the like; but Mercury being present, with help and a certain gain accruing to those who have them through the very injuries or sufferings.

13. On the quality of the soul

Concerning bodily events, then, the type of the examination would be of such a kind. Of the qualities of the soul, those concerning the rational and intellectual part are apprehended through the circumstance observed from time to time according to the star of Mercury; those concerning the perceptive and irrational part, from the more bodily of the lights—that is, the moon—and from the stars configured with respect to her separations or also her applications. The kind that pertains to the impulses of the soul being most manifold, reasonably we make such an examination too not simply nor at random, but through several and varied observations. For both the differences of the signs that contain Mercury and the moon, or the stars that have taken the prevalence over them, can contribute much toward the characteristics of the soul; and the configurations of the stars that have relation to the kind set before us, toward the sun and the angles; and further the special character, according to the very nature of each of the stars, toward the movements of the soul.

Of the signs, then, in general the tropical ones make the souls more popular, desirous of crowd-affairs and political matters, and further lovers of glory and devoted to the gods, gifted and easily moved, inquiring and inventive, given to good conjecture and astrology and divination. The bicorporeal ones make them varied, changeable, hard to apprehend, light, easily shifted, double, amorous, versatile, lovers of the Muses, easygoing, resourceful, given to repentance. The fixed ones make them just, not to be flattered, persevering, firm, intelligent, patient, lovers of toil, hard, self-controlled, mindful of wrongs, exacting, contentious, lovers of honor, factious, grasping, harsh, immovable.

Of the configurations, the eastern and horoscopic ones, and especially those in their own persons, work out souls that are free and simple and self-willed and strong and gifted and sharp and unconcealed. The eastern stations and the culminations work out souls that are reflective, persevering, mindful, firm, intelligent, great-minded, accomplishing what they wish, unturning, robust, harsh, not to be deceived, critical, practical, given to punishing, scientific. The leadings and the settings work out souls that are easily shifted, unstable, weak, unable to bear toil, passionate, lowly, cowardly, doubtful, bold-and-cowardly, dull, foolish, hard to move. The western stations and the culminations below the earth, and further—in the case of Mercury and Venus—by day the western settings, by night the eastern, work out souls that are gifted and sensible, but not very mindful nor toilsome and laborious, yet searchers-out of hidden things and inquirers into the unseen—such as the magical, the mysterious, the meteorological, the mechanical with instruments, the engineering, the wonder-working, the astrological, the philosophical, the bird-watching, the dream-interpreting, and the like.

Besides these, being in their own or also familiar places and sects, those that have the lordship of the soul, in the manner we determined at the beginning, make the characteristics manifest and unimpeded and forthright and successful, and most of all when the same stars prevail over both the two places together—that is, when they are configured in any way with Mercury, and occupy the separation or also the application of the moon. But not being thus disposed, but being in unfamiliar places, they make the things proper to their own nature toward the working of the soul inconspicuous and dim and unfinished and without progress; while the things of those that prevail or overcome become strong and harmful to the subjects—as when, by the kinship with malefics, those that are unjust and wicked, when the malefics prevail, have their impulse toward doing one another ill easy-going and unimpeded and free of danger and reputable; but when these are overcome by the opposite sect, they become prone, unsuccessful, and easily punished. And again, those who, through the kinship of the benefics toward the said boundaries, are good and just—when the benefics are not overcome, both themselves rejoice and are well spoken of for their good deeds toward others, and, being wronged by none, continue to have their justice profitable; but when the benefics are overcome by the opposite ones, conversely, through their very gentleness and humanity and pity, they become both contemptible and blameworthy and easily wronged by the most.

The general manner, then, of the ethical examination would be of such a kind. The particular special qualities, accomplished from the very nature of the stars according to such lordship, we shall go through next, in summary, as far as the blending observed in its comprehensive form.

The star of Saturn alone, taking the lordship of the soul and gaining authority over both Mercury and the moon, if it be gloriously disposed both toward the cosmos and toward the angles, makes those who love the body, are strong-willed, deep-thinking, austere, of single judgment, toilsome, commanding, given to punishing, fond of accumulation, lovers of money, violent, hoarders, envious. But being disposed contrarily and ingloriously, it makes those who are filthy, mean, mean-spirited, indifferent, evil-judging, malignant, cowardly, withdrawn, slanderous, lovers of solitude, lovers of lamentation, shameless, superstitious, lovers of toil, without affection, treacherous toward their own, joyless, haters of the body.

Made kindred to Jupiter in the manner set out, in glorious dispositions again it makes those who are good, honoring their elders, settled, of good judgment, helpful, critical, lovers of possessions, magnanimous, generous, of good purpose, lovers of their own, gentle, intelligent, enduring, philosophical; but in the contrary, those who are without taste, frenzied, easily scared, superstitious, frequenters of temples, confessors, suspicious, haters of children, friendless, secretive, undiscerning, faithless, foolishly malicious, rancorous, hypocritical, ineffectual, without ambition, given to repentance, austere, hard to deal with, hard to approach, cautious, yet likewise simple and forbearing.

Made kindred to Mars, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are indifferent, laborious, outspoken, troublesome, bold-and-cowardly, austere in action, unmerciful, contemptuous, rough, warlike, reckless, lovers of tumult, crafty, ambushers, hard to placate, biting, mob-stirring, tyrannical, grasping, haters of fellow-citizens, lovers of strife, rancorous, deeply wicked, doers, unbearable, haughty, vulgar, boastful, harmful, unjust, not to be despised, haters of mankind, unturning, immovable, busy—yet versatile and practical and unconquerable and altogether successful. But in the contrary, those who are robbers, brigands, counterfeiters, suffering ill, gaining base profit, godless, without affection, insolent, treacherous, thieves, perjurers, blood-stained, eaters of unlawful food, malefactors, murderers, poisoners, temple-robbers, impious, tomb-breakers, and altogether wholly evil.

Made kindred to Venus, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are haters of women, lovers of antiquity, lovers of solitude, unpleasant in meetings, without ambition, haters of beauty, envious, austere toward unions, unsociable, of single judgment, given to prophesying, religious, desirous of mysteries and rites, performers of sacred rites, inspired, devoted to the gods, dignified and modest, reverent, philosophical, faithful in their unions, self-controlled, reflective, cautious, indignant, and jealous toward the suspicions of women. But in the contrary, those who are lustful, licentious, doers of shame, indifferent and unclean in their unions, impure, treacherous toward female persons and especially their nearest, unsound, full of blame, lewd, haters of beauty, fault-finding, slanderous, drunkards, servile, secretly corrupting, unlawful in their meetings, both disposing and disposed, desirous not only of natural but also of unnatural unions—of elders, and dishonored and unlawful and beast-like minglings—impious, contemners of the gods, mockers of mysteries and sacred things, utterly faithless, slanderous, poisoners, doers of every kind.

Made kindred to Mercury, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are inquisitive, fond of inquiry, searchers of laws, lovers of medicine, mystical, partakers of hidden and unspeakable things, wonder-workers, false-reasoners, living from day to day, quick, administrators of affairs and shrewd, somewhat bitter and exact, sober, kindly, practical, successful. But in the contrary, those who are trifling, rancorous, pitiless in their souls, toilsome, haters of their own, lovers of torment, joyless, night-roamers, ambushers, traitors, without sympathy, thieves, magical, poisoners, forgers, unscrupulous, unsuccessful, and easily upset.

The star of Jupiter alone, taking the lordship of the soul, in glorious dispositions makes those who are magnanimous, generous, god-fearing, honoring, given to enjoyment, humane, magnificent, free, just, great-minded, dignified, minding their own affairs, merciful, lovers of discourse, beneficent, affectionate, fit for command. But happening to be in the contrary disposition, it produces in the souls the like appearances, only toward the more lowly and inconspicuous and undiscerning—as, instead of magnanimity, prodigality; instead of god-fearing, superstition; instead of modesty, cowardice; instead of dignity, conceit; instead of humanity, foolish simplicity; instead of love of beauty, love of pleasure; instead of great-mindedness, dullness; instead of liberality, indifference; and whatever is like these.

Made kindred to Mars, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are rough, fighting, generalship-loving, administrative, restless, unsubdued, hot, reckless, practical, outspoken, given to refutation, effective, contentious, fit for rule, prone to ambush, fair, manly, victorious, and magnanimous and ambitious and spirited and critical and successful. But in the contrary, those who are insolent, indifferent, savage, implacable, factious, contentious, monotonous, slanderous, conceited, grasping, robbers, quick to change, light, given to repentance, unstable, headlong, faithless, undiscerning, ungracious, given to ecstasy, practical-but-complaining of their lot, prodigal, trifling, and altogether uneven and over-excited.

Made kindred to Venus, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are clean, given to enjoyment, lovers of beauty, lovers of children, lovers of spectacle, lovers of the Muses, singers, fond of nurturing, simple, beneficent, merciful, guileless, lovers of the gods, given to discipline, contentious, prudent, affectionate, charming in their dignity, of brilliant soul, fair-minded, generous, lovers of letters, critical, proportionate and well-figured toward the pleasures of love, lovers of their own, pious, lovers of justice, ambitious, lovers of glory, and altogether honorable and good. But in the contrary, those who are luxurious, sweet-living, effeminate-souled, given to dancing, womanish in spirit, prodigal, ill-disposed toward women, amorous, lustful, prone, abusive, adulterers, lovers of finery, somewhat soft, easygoing, prodigal, blameworthy, passionate, beautifiers of themselves, womanly-minded, possessed about sacred things, panders, mysterious—yet faithful and free of wickedness and graceful and easy to approach and pleasant in life and more liberal toward misfortunes.

Made kindred to Mercury, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are much-lettered, lovers of discourse, geometers, mathematicians, poets, public speakers, gifted, prudent, of good thought, good counsellors, political, beneficent, fit to administer, of good character, lovers of giving, lovers of crowds, quick to attain, successful, fit for command, pious, lovers of the gods, good men of business, affectionate, lovers of their own, well-educated, philosophical, dignified. But in the contrary, those who are simple-foolish, trifling, given to error, contemptible, enthusiastic, devoted to the gods, idle-talkers, somewhat bitter, pretenders to wisdom, senseless, boastful, schemers, given to magic, somewhat over-excited—yet much-learned and mindful and didactic and clean in their desires.

The star of Mars alone, taking the lordship of the soul, in a glorious disposition makes those who are noble, fit for rule, spirited, lovers of arms, versatile, mighty, reckless, hazardous, unsubdued, indifferent, monotonous, sharp, self-willed, contemptuous, tyrannical, doers, irascible, fit for command. But in the contrary, those who are savage, insolent, lovers of bloodshed, lovers of tumult, spendthrift, bawlers, strikers, headlong, drunkards, robbers, malefactors, unmerciful, disturbed, frenzied, haters of their own, godless.

Made kindred to Venus, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are graceful, pleasant in life, lovers of comradeship, sweet-living, cheerful, playful, simple, well-shaped, lovers of dancing, amorous, lovers of art, mimic, given to enjoyment, contrivers, manly, and prone toward the errors of love—yet successful and well-protected and sensible and hard to convict and discerning; and further desirous of the young, both males and females, prodigal and quick-tempered and jealous. But in the contrary, those who are wanton-eyed, lustful, prone, indifferent, mockers, adulterous, insolent, liars, deceivers, secretly corrupting their own and others', sharp and at the same time sated toward their desires, corrupters of women and maidens, reckless, hot, disordered, ambushers, perjurers, easily upset and crazed; and sometimes also prodigal, lovers of finery and bold, both disposing and acting licentiously.

Made kindred to Mercury, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are generalship-loving, clever, doers, easily moved, not to be despised, versatile, inventive, sophists, toilsome, cunning, glib, aggressive, crafty, unstable, methodical, ill-contriving, sharp-minded, deceivers, hypocrites, ambushers, ill-mannered, busy, lovers of wickedness—yet otherwise successful, and toward their like easy to combine with and easy to deal with; and altogether harmful to enemies, beneficent to friends. But in the contrary, those who are spendthrift, grasping, savage, reckless, daring, given to repentance, given to action, over-excited, liars, thieves, godless, perjurers, aggressors, factious, incendiaries, theater-disturbers, insolent, brigands, house-breakers, blood-stained, forgers, unscrupulous, sorcerers, magicians, poisoners, murderers.

The star of Venus alone, taking the lordship of the soul, in a glorious disposition makes those who are gentle, good, luxurious, eloquent, clean, cheerful, lovers of dancing, of good ambition, haters of wickedness, lovers of art, most given to contemplation, well-figured, in good condition, of good dreams, affectionate, beneficent, merciful, fastidious, easy to deal with, successful, and altogether graceful. But in the contrary, those who are easygoing, amorous, effeminate, womanish, timid, indifferent, prone, blameworthy, inconspicuous, reproachful.

Made kindred to Mercury, in glorious dispositions it makes those who are lovers of art, philosophical, scientific, gifted, poetic, lovers of the Muses, lovers of beauty, of good character, given to enjoyment, delicate in their diet, cheerful, lovers of friends, pious, intelligent, resourceful, thoughtful, quick to attain, successful, quick to learn, self-taught, emulators of the best, imitators of the noble, well-spoken and graceful in discourse, lovely, well-fitted in their manners, earnest, lovers of contest, upright, critical, great-minded; and toward the pleasures of love, cautious in respect of women, but more excited and jealous toward boys. But in the contrary, those who are aggressors, resourceful, ill-spoken, fickle, evil-judging, deceivers, troublers, liars, slanderers, perjurers, deeply wicked, treacherous, unreliable, hard to deal with, counterfeiters, corrupters of women and boys; and further, beautifiers of themselves, somewhat soft, blameworthy, ill-famed, much-talked-of, doers of everything—and sometimes feigning such things for the sake of corruption, sometimes also in truth, both disposing and doing shame and insulted with various sufferings.

The star of Mercury alone, taking the lordship of the soul, in a glorious disposition makes those born intelligent, shrewd, thoughtful, much-learned, inventive, experienced, given to reckoning, students of nature, contemplative, gifted, emulous, beneficent, reflective, of good aim, mathematical, mysterious, successful. But in the contrary, knaves, headlong, forgetful, impulsive, light, changeable, given to repentance, foolishly malicious, senseless, sinners, liars, indifferent, unstable, faithless, grasping, unjust, and altogether faulty in their thinking and prone to errors.

These things being so, there contributes, however, also the very condition of the moon, since, being at the bendings of the southern and the northern limit, she works together with the characteristics of the soul toward the more versatile and resourceful and changeable; at the nodes, toward the sharper and more practical and easily moved; further, at her risings and the increases of her light, toward the more gifted and forthright and firm and outspoken; but at the diminutions of her light or her concealments, toward the more sluggish and dull and given to repentance and cautious and inconspicuous. And the sun too somehow contributes, made kindred to the ruler of the soul's blending: according to the glorious side again of the disposition, toward the more just and effective and honoring and dignified and god-fearing; but according to the contrary and unfamiliar side, toward the more lowly and toilsome and obscure and savage and of single judgment and austere and hard to live with, and altogether toward the harder to set right.

14. On sufferings of the soul

Since upon the characteristics of the soul there follows somehow also the account concerning its extraordinary sufferings, in general again it is fitting to take note and to observe both the star of Mercury and the moon—how they are disposed toward one another and the angles and the stars proper to harm—since, if they themselves, being unconnected with one another, or with the eastern horizon, be overcome or surrounded or diametered by those unfamiliarly and harmfully configured, they are productive of various sufferings befalling the characteristics of the soul; the distinction of which is in turn observed from the special quality, already grasped, of the stars made kindred to the places.

Most of the more moderate sufferings have been distinguished, in a manner, already in what was said before about the characteristics of the soul, their intensification being able to be observed together from the excess of those that harm—since one might reasonably already call sufferings also the extremes of the manners, whether falling short or exceeding the mean. But those that have an extraordinary disproportion and are, as it were, diseased and beside the whole nature, both about the very thinking part of the soul and about the passible part, have, in outline, received such observation as this.

For epileptics for the most part come to be those who, the moon and Mercury, as we said, being unconnected either with one another or with the eastern horizon, have Saturn by day, and Mars by night, at an angle and overlooking the figure set out; and madmen, when, in the same cases conversely, Saturn by night and Mars by day has gained control of the figure, and most of all in the Crab or the Virgin or the Fishes; and the demon-stricken and those with water on the brain, when, the malefics being so disposed, they hold the moon when she is at her phase—Saturn while she is conjoined, Mars while she is at the full—most of all in the Archer and the Fishes. The malefics alone, then, taking the prevalence of the figure in the aforesaid manner, make the aforesaid diseases of the thinking part of the soul incurable, yet inconspicuous and not made a public example. But the benefics, Jupiter and Venus, being made kindred—they themselves being in the western parts, and the benefics being at an angle in the eastern—they make the sufferings curable and easily made a public example: in the case of Jupiter, through medical treatments and either a regimen of diet or drugging; in the case of Venus, through oracles and the help from the gods. But they themselves being at an angle in the eastern parts, and the benefics setting, they make the diseases at once incurable and much-talked-of and most conspicuous: in the case of the epilepsies, bringing the sufferers round to continual attacks and notoriety and dangers of death; in the case of the madnesses and ecstasies, to disorders and estrangements from their own and nakednesses and blasphemies and the like; in the case of the demon-strikings or the troubles of the humors, to inspired frenzies and confessions and torments and the like public exposures. And particularly, of the places that contain the figure, those of the sun and of Mars work together most toward the madnesses; those of Jupiter and Mercury toward the epilepsies; those of Venus toward the divine possessions and confessions; those of Saturn and the moon toward the troubles of the humors and toward the demon-strikings.

The diseased variation, then, about the productive part of the soul, according to its whole nature, is accomplished nearly in such kinds and through such configurations. That about the passible part, observed again in its very extraordinary form, appears most about the very kind of the male and female—the excesses and deficiencies of what is according to nature—and is determined by examination in a manner similar to that set before us, the sun, however, with the moon, being taken up instead of Mercury, and the kinship of Mars with Venus toward them. For these so falling under the eye, if the lights alone be in masculine signs, the men exceed in what is according to nature, but the women in what is contrary to nature, toward the simply manly and more active in soul. But if Mars also or also Venus, either one or also both, be masculinized, the men become prone toward unions according to nature, and adulterous and insatiable and at every season ready toward the shameful and unlawful pleasures of love; while the women become lustful toward unions contrary to nature, and wanton-eyed, and those called tribades; and they dispose females, performing the works of men. And if Venus alone be masculinized, secretly and not openly; but if Mars also, outright, so as sometimes even to display the women they dispose as lawful wives, as it were. The contrary: the lights, according to the aforesaid configuration, being in feminine signs alone, the women exceed in what is according to nature, but the men in what is contrary to nature, toward the brittle and effeminate of soul. And if Venus also be feminized, the women become prone and adulterous and lustful toward being disposed according to nature at every season and by anyone whatsoever, so as simply to abstain from no pleasures of love, whether it be shameful or unlawful; and the men become soft and unsound toward unions contrary to nature and the works of women, disposed passively, yet secretly and unobserved. But if Mars also be feminized, outright and with boldness they act shamelessly, accomplishing the things set out under each kind, putting on the harlot-like and common and much-blamed and altogether shameful figure, even to the point of being marked by abuse and the insolence of their use. There contribute also: the eastern and matutine configurations of Mars and Venus toward the more manly and notorious, the western and evening ones toward the more feminine and quieter. Likewise also Saturn, occurring together, is by nature wont to work toward the more licentious and unclean or also more reproachful in each of the things set out; Jupiter toward the more well-figured and cautious and modest; Mercury toward the more notorious and the more easily moved and versatile and conspicuous of the sufferings.