Skyscript newsletter 1

Newsletter

The Sun is in Leo www.skyscript.co.uk/leo.html

#1: Leo Ingress 2022 – CONTENTS – • • • • • • •

Intro: my relationship with Skyscript Skyscript updates and announcements Patron news About Al-Qabisi, a.k.a Alcabitius Al-Qabisi’s ‘Nature of the Sun’ & translation notes Meghan Markle: Shadows beneath the Sparkle Jerome’s Cardan’s: Aphorisms for Elections

WELCOME TO ISSUE I and Thank You !!

What a thrill to be sending out the first issue of the Skyscript Newsletter! I want to thank each and every one of you that has supported this new venture. Not only will your patronage help to create a working budget for Skyscript, your enthusiasm, and my sense of feeling your astrological interest, is a huge psychological boost that is empowering me to realise the new development plan I’ve created to secure the online future of the site.

INTRODUCTORY DIGRESSION: MY RELATIONSHIP WITH SKYSCRIPT

Getting reacquainted with my old friend In future issues of this newsletter, I’ll talk more about my involvement with Skyscript and how it has mirrored my own astrological journey. As part of the story, I’ll need to explain the ‘perfect storm’ of personal challenges that started hitting me hard about seven years ago and left me so desperate to withdraw into my own space that for several years I detached from all access to the internet and email.

Throughout that period, Skyscript was rattling around in the deepest recesses of my soul – always in my mind but always being told to get back in the shadows.

[I am going to have to digress further and introduce you to Bertha and Betty, the two old ladies that live in my brain. They take care of its organisation and used to be high-powered, eager, and efficient. Over the years, they’ve slacked and turned into a pair of old ninnies who sit around knitting between dozing off. When I ask them to find something I know is in my brain somewhere, they shuffle along slowly in their slippers, complaining about the long dark corridors they have to walk through, full of cobwebs because they haven’t been accessed or dusted in years. I tend to give up on them when I ask them to find something nowadays because they are so slow and useless; I find other ways to get by without needing the requested information. But one thing I’ll say about Bertha and Betty is that they are persistent.

It may be three days after I decided I no longer need some piece of information when they excitedly break through my thoughts because they’ve discovered it. They do their best. Even when I no longer need their help, they insist I have it anyway.]

Despite wanting to hand Skyscript over to some younger person willing to take it over, that plan never unfolded as it should, for one reason or another. There were offers from people wanting to buy the site, or parts of it, such as the forum, but those people clearly had no interest in astrology, their motivation patently being to buy up pages to host click-bait ads. That is something I passionately detest, so hell would freeze over first. Although I felt uneasy about being unable to attend to Skyscript during those years, I know that sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something stupid.

Skyscript kicked itself out of the shadows earlier this year after Bertha and Betty suddenly, and surprising, came through on a request I made to them some years ago. For years I’ve been upset that people wanted to get copies of my annotated edition of Christian Astrology I & II. The digital files were lost, and I had no hard copies – just the single copy I used myself, far too dog-eared, scribbled on and coffee stained to be used for reproduction. Then one morning, the ladies interrupted my thoughts with the recovered memory of how, at the time I produced it, I printed each page as it was completed, and preserved each sheet within its own plastic folder. They did not know where the folder was though, so at that point I asked to speak to ‘the manager’.

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The manager does not have a name, but is very important and well connected, with the means to contact the brains of everyone and everything else – even historical brains – so getting the manager on my side usually gets good results. (I don’t ask for much because I don’t like to bother the manager with trifles. And I've noticed that the manager can be a curiously slow responder, seemingly aligned to a different level of time reality than the one I’m working on).

The manager responded benevolently because everything fell into place in the most peculiar of ways.

The missing pages were discovered, and I found myself surrounded by ultra-considerate and helpful professionals – strangers who went far out of their way to turn the pages into a digital book, just in time for my 60th birthday. I had decided that making the text available for free download would be a perfect way to mark my birthday because I wanted to throw some budget at the job without worrying about returns. As it happened, I got so much unexpected support that the costs were far less than expected. The project also came with many unanticipated advantages that eventually made producing the book a profitable venture anyway.

Lilly’s Christian Astrology (I & II) is now available for online viewing or free download from https://www.skyscript.co.uk/CA/ It can also be purchased as a paperback or Kindle edition from the Amazon link on that page.

The page has many other assets and resources to explore, including the video of my presentation on Lilly’s purchase of Master B’s houses, and good quality historical and modern reproductions of all the charts in the book ,which I am happy to be used by other astrologers referencing his work.

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Once I had the book to share, I needed someplace online to host it. Argh … Skyscript … OK, let’s take a look … What a mess… How did you get so old-fashioned and dusty? You are going to need some attention, aren't you?

And that, dear Patrons, is where you have stepped in.

There is much work to be done. Lots of learning curves to be climbed by me as I try to keep pace with fast-moving web developments whilst Bertha and Betty get increasingly tardy. I have lots of exciting plans and good ideas to share, but I am determined to move thoughtfully and deliberately, to establish something that endures over time, and doesn’t drain any one individual’s creative energies. If, in the meantime, the site has some weeds in it, I am happy to think of some people searching through weeds and falling across unexpected treasures.

My sense is that the last few years have been strange and difficult for all of us. Negativity has pervaded our interactions through social media and online communities in many nefarious ways. The time seems right for me to re-invest efforts in Skyscript now, to make it a safe haven where all astrologers can find helpful information, valuable resources, and like-minded friends and colleagues. No hidden agendas, no commercial manipulations, just a site built and frequented by enthusiasts of a body of learning that is not constrained to the fashion of the moment but appreciative of everyone that is or has played a part in its transmission.

I imagine most of you reading this will recognise how the web has shown its potential to be destructive, demoralising, and hurtful, as well as unifying, enjoyable and inspiring. Through my own experience of feeling dispirited by overexposure, I now feel equipped to build on the positives and circumvent the pitfalls. I want to expand Skyscript’s connectivity to other forms of social media to facilitate, centralise and promote healthy astrological discussion. But I understand that quality of content can be best served by ignoring mass market demands, so I intend to make the site valuable, not popular.

One significant development that needs to be made concerns the forum, and I have plans for muchimproved forum facilities that I expect to materialise next year. I will share updates with you as we go along; for now, here is a summary of developments that have happened since I decided to get the duster out and brought Skyscript from the back to the front of my mind, just a couple of months ago:

SITE PROGRESS & DEVELOPMENTS

There are currently only three newly developed content pages, but these show only the tip of an iceberg of development work and template creation behind the scenes. As part of the set-up, I have been working on design elements and received a great contribution from Morgan Le Gall, who originated the new logo that incorporates the glyph of Mercury – perfectly capturing the essence of Skyscript as being about texts and transmission of information about astrology and sky lore.

A contemporary menu structure that is responsive to all browser sizes and mobile phone technology has been created. The organisation of its options is not in good shape yet but it has been set up so site-wide changes can easily be made once further reorganisation has occurred.

The template for the footer involved taking time out, planning, and creating many associated resources (contact page; terms and conditions; various links for legal details; links to social media accounts that needed to be set up, reactivated or redeveloped).

The decision to source funding required developing a strategy, budget and marketing plan. Additional pages have been added to support this, detailing ways people can advertise on Skyscript or sponsor elements of its content by various means.

New content was developed for launching a Patreon account (hello readers!) after considering the best way to build community engagement through that means. This newsletter was planned in outline with a design theme – it will no doubt morph its format over time.

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NEWLY ADDED OR RECENTLY REDEVELOPED CONTENT PAGES:

Christian Astrology, books I & II downloads page https://www.skyscript.co.uk/CA/ – see details on p.3 Albertus Magnus & Prognostication by The Stars (Sue Toohey) https://www.skyscript.co.uk/magnus.html Thanks to the Sophia Centre for sponsoring this page!

My work on the CA page was a bit of an aimless adventure, as I played around with different techniques to see what could be done. My next task was to consider how an improved design could be applied to existing page content. I chose Sue Toohey’s article about Magnus, partly because the article contains important historical and philosophical points that every astrologer should consider and partly because Sue Toohey was a passionate, studious astrologer, a close friend and dedicated contributor to the Skyscript forum before her untimely death in 2007. She is very much a part of the ‘spirit of Skyscript’, and I really did feel empowered by the sense of her approval as I worked on that page.

I remember the time that article was written, and both of us were exploring the stance of Albertus against widespread allegations being made at that time that astrology was prohibited on religious grounds and that Albertus was one of its critics who disapproved of its use. Nothing could be further from the truth. People making these arguments remind me of modern sceptical astronomers who want to ridicule the zodiac without realising what a tremendous scientific accomplishment its development was and how that achievement ennobles the history of their own subject.

I will explore some of the points covered in this article in the first Skyscripter Zoom hook-up (see p.7 for more details).

Sign symbolism: Leo the Lion (Deborah Houlding) https://www.skyscript.co.uk/leo.html One reason I originally created Skyscript was to publish a series of articles exploring the symbolism of the zodiac signs. I started with a plan to post one a month, but it took several years to complete the full set – those articles took a lot more blood, sweat and tears than anticipated! (Anyone who has agreed to do a sun-sign feature will probably relate – you start enthusiastically, with lots to say about the first few signs, but then there is another, and another, and another – and each time you want to avoid repeating some detail you have already used). I am not a quick writer because so many points I make lead my mind down new areas of exploration, and I am constantly exploring caverns of historical or symbolic information, just to bring back a word or two, but the side exploration is always so captivating :) Many trained astrologers may assume that those sun-sign features are too elementary to be worthy of attention, but if you haven’t read them before (or for quite some time), please be sure to check out the revamped page for Leo because I promise you that there will be some interesting food for

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thought. The content is also embedded on the page as a flip-book and available as a PDF file, which you can download directly from: https://www.skyscript.co.uk/pdf/signs/Leo_Houlding.pdf In addition, the article is available as an audio file, so if you want to listen in while driving, washing the dishes, or drifting off to sleep, you can. The most fabulous River Plumb provided the audio – his Leo Moon providing the perfect tone of melodious magnificence.

Thank you, River; you did a fantastic job!

I have a plan to redevelop every sign page over the next year – one a month. Hopefully, this plan will be timelier than the last time I thought that. Don’t get reading the other sign pages yet; I want to polish them up a little first!

FIXES & ADDITIONS:

I realised that the code on the home page that is supposed to auto-update the current sign feature wasn’t working as it should. I fixed that. I also noticed that the top bar menu across the site is not working very well – I plan to do a temporary quick fix for that soon.

Free issue of the Traditional Astrologer Magazine, issue 16 (the Mars issue) https://www.skyscript.co.uk/TA.html I noticed that an old page included a flip-book example of content from issue 16 of the Traditional Astrologer magazine (which I produced in the 1990s), but the code was no longer working, so I embedded a new flip-book of the entire magazine which can also be downloaded from that page. I plan to develop that page and add the complete set of magazines to it over time.

Incidentally, I am using the digital publishing platform Issuu (www.issuu.com) to host the PDF files and flipbooks being added to the site. To access these files in full-screen mode you will need to register an account on Issuu. I recommend you do this, as it is a free service, and there will eventually be some content placed there for the exclusive benefit of patreons, which you will not be able to access without an account.

Issue 16 of the Traditional Astrologer Magazine holds an anthology of articles themed around Mars.

Heads up: I will be producing a serialised set of journals featuring anthologies of the best articles on Skyscript.

These will be made available to Body-level Patreons – more details will follow in due course.

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PATRON NEWS Again, thank you for your patronage, interest and support. When I opened the Patreon account, I was prompted to set goals for membership. My first goal was to reach 30 patrons, to which I attached the following pledge: I will add a poll for patrons to tell me if they would like a private discussion area setting up in the Skyscript forum (only visible to patrons), where patrons can post news or discuss astro-points with each other, that only other patrons can see. I will start creating that space as soon as at least 20 patrons say that they might find that useful.

I have reached that goal, with 34 patrons in total, so I will add that poll and circulate news about it within the next two weeks. The next goal (shown on the right) will be achieved if I attract 60 subscribers. If you like what is being offered as part of the patron deal, please share the news and recommend it to other astrologers, as I firmly believe that word of mouth is the most valuable form of marketing.

I like the idea of facilitating discussion on how astrologers make the best of social media without getting enmeshed in the web. Our topic is historically defined as ‘occult’ esoteric knowledge, requiring philosophical probing and spiritual contemplation. On the web, astrology receives a very garish level of exposure, and astrologers should be alert to how societal trends can get affected by the persuasive spell of influencers rather than experts.

On that subject, let me bring your attention to an excellent online article by Dru (one of our patrons) – a long-read astro exploration of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, wherein “The power of suggestion was harnessed with a firm grip as thousandsssssss of dollars were spent on smear campaigns”. It is great to see such good quality, thoughtprovoking astro-content encouraging folks to get back into critical thinking!

SKYSCRIPTER HOOK-UP DISCUSSION

Zoom meeting: Fate & Freewill FOR BODY & SOUL MEMBERS

If everything is predictable … what’s the point? If not, where do we draw the line?

Let’s face it, whether we see it that way or not, people assume astrologers do astrology to predict the future. And there is no way to practice without considering how much we can safely assume, assess or predict. We will consider the points raised in Sue Toohey’s Albertus Magnus article (see p.5) and contrast his views against those of Ptolemy (who took a soft line) and Firmicus (who took a hard one).

We will look at more ancient and modern views too, and share ideas and learn from each other.

The zoom link will be circulated to patrons by email, between 27th-29th July 2022.

Time and date: 6 pm UTC start – Wednesday, 3rd August 2022 You can check the specific time for your locality by clicking on this link Meetings should last about an hour – given this is our first meeting, I expect 90 mins is more realistic

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE The featured content in this issue starts with a translation of the nature of the Sun according to Al-Qabisi. My follow-up notes explain why this presents a good opportunity to reflect on some points, even though the basic structure of that content will hardly be startling to many.

M= É=

I decided to front this with a brief bio of Al-Qabisi, to get to know the author and the work this is extracted from a little better. Although you probably don’t realise this, AlQabisi’s text has influenced your understanding of astrology in countless ways. His work really was the “best seller” of medieval astrology! Almost every detail he wrote became incorporated into the works of later astrologers such as Bonatti and Lilly. The passage is not as comprehensive as Lilly’s lists of planetary significators, however, and another thing I noticed is that Al-Qabisi only lists the positive planetary expressions – he doesn’t show how their exaggeration or affliction leads to odious personality flaws (I guess we have to figure that out for ourselves).

I will include Al-Qabisi’s nature of Mercury in the Virgo issue, and for that, a bio of John of Seville, one of the most important transmitters of Arabic texts to the west – think Ben Dykes on speed. I am keen to spread more light on astrologers past and present who have done important and influential work without getting the attention they deserve. And this includes the artists and illustrators too. Note that diagram of the Sun in his chariot on p.12: that set of illustrations was used over and over in medieval texts and is still being mass produced today, most of us oblivious to when and where they originated and by whom.

An interesting detail of the Al-Qabisi extract is his reference to what was widely referred to in his era as the Part of the Sun. To the Latin authors who translated his work, it was Pars Futurorum (the Part of the Future, or the Part of Things to Come), or the Part of Divination. Most of us know it as the Part of Spirit (or Part of Daimon).

Arabic authors called it the Part of Absent Persons, presumably because you used it in a divinatory way to find out where absent persons were.

It is a good reminder that the Part of Spirit was considered a projected ascendant of the Sun in the same way that the Part of Fortune was considered a projected ascendant of the Moon, and that those two parts embody the concepts of spiritual matters linked to solar qualities, and more mundane, bodily and materialistic matters linked to lunar qualities. I playfully recommend you baffle your colleagues with your superior knowledge of Al-Qabisi by asking them whether they turn Fortuna by night or prefer to have it as Futurorum by day.

Astrologers who know me realise I lean away from avid use of Parts myself, keeping my reference to them quite limited and context-specific (I consider the POF in matters relating to money or looking for treasure, for example, without feeling a need to consider or show it in every chart). Out of respect for our featured author, the charts I am showing in this issue will incorporate both Fortune and Future, and they will also be cast in the house division method he is known for. Don’t assume I have suddenly changed my own system (I haven’t), but Skyscript is not about sticking to my personal preferences, and I like the idea of illustrating different systems of importance.

The historical piece is followed by a more contemporary item on Meghan Markle. This was meant to be a paragraph or two – I had to stop myself before I wrote a book :) I decided to include a full range of royal charts to accompany it – they are always good value charts whatever your views on the monarchy. One of the reasons I find them so valuable is that most royal births have very reliably reported times of birth. I wish all politicians were the same.

I hope you enjoy the content – have a great Leo month!

Deb

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9 ABOUT

AL-QABISI

a.k.a.

ALCABITIUS Alcabitius (or Alchabitius) is the Latinised name of Muslim astrologer al-Qabisi (named after his birthplace, the village Qabisa in Iraq).1 His birth date is unknown, but he flourished in the mid-10th century in Aleppo, Syria, and reportedly died in 967.2 Details of his death are not documented, however, so this date may simply have marked his retirement, 967 being the last year in which he dedicated a work to Aleppo’s ruler, Sayf al-Dawla. The dedicated works began in 945 AD3, so he is known to have been active at a high level of prominence for at least 22 years.

Most astrologers are familiar with the name of Alcabitius due to the house system attributed to him.

He did not invent that system of house calculation but explained it in sufficient detail that references to it in the late Middle Ages generally credit him as their source. In his own time, it was considered ancient and widely attributed to Ptolemy because its calculation was facilitated by the tables of ascensional differences in Ptolemy’s Almagest (II.7) and by astrolabes dependent on information in Ptolemy’s Planisphaerium. (The oldest clear explanation of how to calculate ‘Alcabitius’ house cusps is found in a chart attributed to Rhetorius, dated 428 AD4, although as J.D. North reports “the key to the calculation had been available to the Babylonians”.5) Alcabitius was expert in the works of Ptolemy and wrote commentaries on them and his own summary of the Almagest supplemented with Arabic tables. He also compiled test materials for would-be astrologers, which required a ‘complete astrologer’ to understand the astronomical principles in the Almagest so well that they could manually calculate planetary placements, movements and aspects without recourse to any books or tables. The tests also required them to realise the principles that underpin the knowledge and not only know the astrological techniques by heart but also understand the relation of one astrological technique to another. He bemoaned that his prince, al-Dawla, was “surrounded by people who call themselves ‘astrologers’, among whom some are competent, others incompetent, and others, out of deceit, only pretend to be astrologers”.6 The fact that a house system he did not invent is ascribed to Alcabitius testifies to his respectful stature as a well-informed astrologer and to the influence of his work as a source for astrological study from the early medieval era onwards. His most influential text, from which the following translation is made, is an introduction to natal astrology entitled al-mudkhal ilā ṣināʿat aḥkām al-nujūm, ‘The Introduction to the Art of Astrology’, comprising of five parts: • • • • •

1

2

3

4

5 6

The essential and accidental conditions of the zodiac The natures of the seven planets Explanations of how planets are modified accidentally and by aspects with each other Explanations of technical terms The planetary Parts (Lots)

Full name: Abu al-Saqr Abd al-Aziz ibn Uthman ibn Ali al-Qabisi. In Dante's Christian Astrology, Richard Kay assumes his village of birth to be Qabisa near Mosul, where Al-Qabisi studied astronomy (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), pp.265-266.

Reported by Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qabisi), based on notes attached to the Latin reproduction of his work on the Library of Congress website (https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/wdl.9554); accessed 20/07/22.

Yamamoto, Keiji, ‘Qabīṣī: Abū al-Ṣaqr ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿAlī al-Qabīṣī’ In Hockey, Thomas, Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers (Springer, 2007) p.941.

Reproduced and discussed in Neugebauer and Van-Hoesen’s Greek Horoscopes (American Phil. Soc., 1951), pp.138-140; (see screenshot below, from Google Books (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kEgnLpm06zQC&lpg=PA187&pg=PA139).

Horoscopes and History (Warburg Institute, 1986), pp.1-7.

Burnett, Yamamoto, Yano, Al-Qabisi (Alcabitius): The Introduction to Astrology (Warburg Institute, 2004) p.5.

Al-Qabisi’s Introduction was widely used as a university textbook for many generations, in both the Arabic-speaking nations and the Latin West. For that reason, it has been well preserved, surviving in at least 25 Arabic manuscripts and over 200 Latin manuscripts. Its popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries led to twelve printed editions being released between 1473 and 1571.5

Medieval depiction of Al-Qabisi’s patron, Sayf al-Dawla, holding court

The first Latin translation was produced around 1130 by John of Seville (Hispalensis) under the title Opus Isagogicum or Liber Introductorius. Due to its influence and academic importance, a market soon developed for commentaries, the most important being that of the German-born Parisian lecturer, John of Saxony, who flourished in the late 12th to the mid-13th century, and whose commentary is included in 32 of the Latin manuscripts.

The 1512 edition used in my translation (which includes Saxony’s commentary) was published in Venice by Melchiorre Sessa. It is available to view or download, along with other important medieval Latin astrology texts, on the Library of Congress website: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/wdl.9554.

Illustrating why Alcabitius’ work was so innovative and influential, Richard Kay says of his discussion on the planets:

“

For each planet he first gives a traditional list of properties that is shorter than Albumasar’s, but the presentation is more readily intelligible because he makes clear the rationale by which he groups certain qualities together. To this traditional material he regularly appends a long list of the ways in which one planet’s nature can be affected by the others, and finally he reports extra traditional views, e.g., of Messehalla and Dorotheus. Alcabitius’s list of properties became the basic repertory for Latin astrologers, if only because it was the one they learned first at the university. Bonatti incorporates much of it verbatim.

And from Bonatti, it passed into the details of planetary significations listed in Lilly’s Christian Astrology … and through Lilly, it continued to transmit. And through the likes of you and I, it will continue to transmit – although Alcabitius would surely be spinning in his grave if he knew how few astrologers nowadays would pass his ‘complete astrologer’ test!

^ Screenshot of the literary chart dated to 428 in Greek Horoscopes, showing the explanation of how to find “by degree the Kentra of the 12 Loci” which is the method known as ‘Alcabitius’.

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THE NATURE OF THE SUN Al-Qabisi

Representation of the Sun God Helios from Gaius Julius Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon Venice Italy 1482

THE SUN is benefic by aspect but malefic by conjunction in one sign.1 It is masculine, diurnal, and heating and drying in its effects. It is the significator of the father in a diurnal nativity,2 and signifies the greatest authority, vital spirit, light, splendour, intelligence, beauty, and purity and faith. Of ages, it rules the end of youth, but it also participates in the distribution of the years for all the planets.

It rules government and leadership, archery, jousting, hunting, and all kinds of cleansing of the body, inside and out. Of illnesses, it signifies those that are hot and dry, and which are apparent on the body.3 Of resources, it signifies abundant gold and all kinds of wealth. Of personal qualities: exalted spirits, wisdom, honesty, and what relates to that, such as liberality, glory and high-mindedness. Of philosophical sects it signifies good culture and its like. And it signifies a commanding voice and a powerful dispatch.

i= If

connected with Saturn it signifies the management of estates, and similar leadership positions.

h= If Jupiter, it signifies church and religious leaders, and also judgement among men, judging the works of the oppressed or injustices, &c. c= If Mars, it signifies army commanders and military strategists. `= If Venus, it signifies rulership by women and powerful allegiances. _= If Mercury, it signifies royal councillors, and literary work and legacies, and major works.

R If the Moon, it signifies the work of legates4 and the detection of plans and similar businesses.

And some have said that the Sun signifies the face of men, and in particular the right eye of men and the left eye of women. And they say that it has [signification of] the heart and the middle5 and the thighs.6 And of infirmities, those that consume the flesh in the mouth7 and weakness of the eyes, and especially cataracts in the eye.8 It has rulership of the head.

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And the Indians say that when it is with the ascendant it will be a burn and whoever it signifies will have this in the face.

And of colours it has whatever is seen as exotic [and luminous]9 and of savours, the sharp. And the size of its orb is 15 degrees. And of the days it has Sunday, and of the nights, Thursday night. The years of its firdaria are 10, and its greater years are 120, the greatest are 1460,10 the mean, 39½ or according to some 69½; the least years are 19. Its rulership of the regions of the zodiac circle is in the east.

And Masha’allah said of human appearance its colour is between tawny and dark11 masked with redness, of short stature, and some say a firm, attractive body, and of superior taste.

And Dorotheus said the signification of the Sun and Moon is characteristic of the planets that are with them and of that [planet] which has most dignity in their place. If, therefore, you wish to know signification of the Sun, know that it is tawny, having elements of ruddiness in the hair, and some amber12 in the eyes.

And of the Parts, it has Pars Futurorum or the Part of Divination [Part of Spirit]13 and it is the significator of character and wise, elevated soul, and perfect faith and knowledge and praise.

M Al-Qabisi: characteristics of the SUN

And of the districts of the world it has Samarkand13 and Khorasan and their regions and the territories of the Romans.

Definitions: Principles: Qualities: Mannerisms: Appearance: People/professions: With Saturn: Jupiter: Mars: Venus: Mercury: Moon: Age: Activities: Minerals/resources: Illnesses: Anatomy: Colours: Savour: Orb: Days: Years: Direction: Associated Part Territories

Masculine | diurnal | hot and dry | benefic & malefic (by aspect or conjunction respectively).

Vitality, light, splendour, intelligence, handsomeness, purity, health, faith, confidence.

High-spirited and high-minded, wise, honest, lover of freedom and culture, craving of attention.

Commanding voice with powerful oration skills.

Tawny, tanned, ruddy or dark complexion, short stature, firm attractive body, refined taste.

The father in a day chart. Leaders and authority figures.

Managers of farms and estates, property developers.

Judges, magistrates and religious leaders.

Army commanders and military strategists.

Authoritative or influential woman, beneficial partners and allies.

Political councillors or regal advisors, writers of important literary works or compilers of genealogical records.

Delegates, messengers, detectives and people pursuing enquiries or passing messages and information for high-ranking people or authorities.

Full maturity (end of youth).

Government, leadership, sport, hunting, spas, cleansing rituals.

Gold and all forms of wealth generally.

Those arising from an abundance of heat and dryness, and those that break out in clear and easily recognisable symptoms. Afflictions to the head and mouth, cataracts and weaknesses in the eyes.

The head and face generally; the right eye of men, left eye of women. The heart and trunk of the body, the thighs.

Bright, exotic or luminous colours.

Sharp.

15°.

Sunday / Thursday night.

Firdaria: 10 |lesser years 19 | mean years 39½ or 69½ | greater years 120 | greatest years 1460.

East.

Pars Futurorum or Part of Divination [a.k.a Part of Spirit/Daimon/ the Sun].

Samarkand, Khorasan, Italy and territories governed by Rome.

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Translation notes & thoughts on historical translations generally Although the best translation of a 10th-century Arabic text would draw directly from Arabic manuscripts, we should not underestimate the value of medieval Latin editions, where the intermediary translator was very close to the material historically and culturally. Of course, there is always the danger of losses in every layer of translation because, ultimately, any translation is an act of artful interpretation. Still, astrologers such as John of Seville ticked all the boxes: expert knowledge of both languages and cultures, the appropriate historical terminology, and an extensive and profound knowledge of his subject.

Translators must walk a fine line between knowing the material well enough to anticipate the original author’s intent whilst not presuming anything nor projecting modern cultural expectations onto it.

Because this is so difficult to achieve, we should assume imperfection in all translations, drawing security from the points that concur across multiple sources and remaining attentive to details that may be translated correctly (literally) yet strike a dissonant chord.

For example, the Warburg 2004 English translation of Al-Qabisi’s text by Burnett, Yamamoto and Yano is justly regarded as an excellent critical edition. Based on a study of three manuscripts, with five other manuscripts considered in the critical apparatus, the editorial stance was to edit as close as possible to the Arabic version. This is an invaluable reference for those lucky enough to purchase a copy before it went out of print and started selling second-hand for hundreds of pounds. Yet I wanted to translate certain sections myself because some of their details don’t connect seamlessly with points made by Al-Qabisi’s sources or the later historical astrologers that drew from his text.

In the Warburg translation the Sun is said to signify “cleanness and religion”, and this association of the Sun with ‘religion’ caught my eye. The Latin edition I consulted says munditiam atque fidem, which does allow their choice of words: munditia derives from the Latin mundus + the extension itia, which (like the English extension ‘ity’ or ‘ness’) is used when a noun describes the state of being something: rare becomes a rarity; clean becomes cleanliness, etc.

Mundus means ‘clean’, ‘pure’, or ‘orderly’, deriving itself from the Proto-Indo-European root muh or mewh (‘to wash/wet’) – and because it can suggest something elegant or refined, it can also describe something neat, decorated or adorned. This is an interesting word for astrologers to muse upon since it relates to anything of a worldly nature and so defines a whole branch of astrology. It is generally assumed that its ‘worldly’ meaning derives from connotations of ornamentation, mundus being initially the whole cosmos rather than just the Earth, and the cosmos being ‘adorned’ with stars. (I don’t lean towards this view myself and believe the sense of purity and orderliness is being overlooked.) But my point is that a translator can select from a very wide range of options when translating from one language to another, and whilst many words may make correct translations, only those that fit within the proper context make for good translations.

The Latin word fides translates as ‘faith’ so this can mean religion, but in the context of describing solar qualities, it is better to choose from its alternate meanings of trust, fidelity, and the kind of conviction that draws as much from self-belief as organised, regulated faith. Think of the word ‘confidence’ (com ‘with’ + fidere ‘faith/trust’) to understand what is being communicated as part of the solar theme – solar qualities are not expressed by falling in line with the doctrines of an organisation, but by becoming the organisation itself! It is a small detail, yet hugely consequential in its symbolic ramifications – I love the notion of empowerment rendered by the Sun’s association with fides ‘faith’, yet suggestions that it signifies ‘religion’ chime that dissonant chord in my nerves. The Sun is courageous (heart-filled) because it draws from heart (Latin: cor): faith is absolutely important – but religion? Only maybe.7 Like all translators, I had some dilemma’s in making my own word choices, but the process of considering the options provided pause for thought on a number of astrological points as detailed in some of the endnote annotations below.

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Read my thoughts on solar symbolism and how it has played into the characteristics of Leo at www.skyscript.co.uk/leo.html.

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1. The phrase in uno signo “in one sign” is not in the Arabic manuscripts but inserted into the Latin manuscript, in one of which it is underlined (does this give evidence of early controversy over whether combustion is only effective if both planets are in the same sign?)

2. In his section on the nature of Saturn, Al-Qabisi gave Saturn signification of the father by night.

According to Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, III.4 “… the sun and Saturn are by nature associated with the person of the father and the Moon and Venus with that of the mother”, but Ptolemy does not explicitly state that the Sun signifies the father in a day chart and Saturn signifies the father at night in the way that authors such as Al-Qabisi and Lilly do.

3. In medical matters the Sun is usually associated with illnesses that are manifest, visible in their effects, and easily recognised for what they are; as opposed to more “occult” illnesses, which are difficult to identify and treat because their causes and origins are obscure.

4. A legate is a messenger, ambassador, or envoy – someone sent on behalf of someone else to dispatch a message or collect information (the verb legare means ‘to send with a commission or charge’). The word ‘delegate’ derives directly from this term, the Latin prefix de meaning ‘away from oneself’ to underline how someone else has been discharged to represent interests at a distance. Hence the noun ‘delegate’ describes a representative (as in a conference) and the verb ‘to delegate’ means to place your requirements and responsibilities in the hands of someone else.

5. The Latin word I have translated as “the middle” is medulla, which is usually translated nowadays as “marrow”. The word derives from medius, ‘middle’ and came to mean the middle, or inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones, over time. I have left the translation loose as I am not sure that bone marrow was intended by Alcabitius, rather than the middle part, or trunk of the body.

6. Rulership of the Sun over the thighs is one detail that is not transmitted in the work of William Lilly, probably because the thighs are more notably associated with Jupiter and Sagittarius. The association may derive from an ancient spiritual association with kingship, since passages from Homer show that the thigh of a sacrificial beast was considered the most sacred part of the offering, and biblical passages reveal that the right thigh in particular was reserved for the exclusive privilege of the head priest or king.

7. In ore et detrimentum oris: the word ore usually means mouth, being the root of the word ‘oral’; however, as the ablative form of os it might mean the face in general, or even the eyes.

8. The Latin descensionem aque in oculum translates as “falling down of water in the eye” which is expressed succinctly by the word ‘cataract’ – the Latin cataracta or Greek katarhaktes means ‘waterfall’ or to be struck by a downpour of water (from cata/ kata ‘down’).

9. I am not confident about this point of the translation and spent too long scratching my head over what was intended by the Latin phrase quicqquid videtur peregrino colore ‘whatever is seen to be of foreign colour’. There is not enough context to translate this reliably without considering that some colloquial expression we no longer understand is holding its true meaning. The word peregrino could mean strange, exotic or foreign, but it could also be a reference to pilgrims and so imply something considered to be wondrous, awe-inspiring or sacred. My bracketed insert acknowledges that some Latin editions include the words dat claritatem here, giving a more specific indication that the Sun adds to any colour a sense of clarity, brightness, or luminosity. The Warburg edition reads: “Of colours it has what is transparent” – but I wonder if the original text really does intend transparency rather than clarity (as in bright, clear colours, which seems more fitting to the solar theme.) If anyone has a better understanding of what is meant by peregrino colore here, please let me know.

10. The use of planetary years has little practical application in judgement but conveyed important astronomical information for astrologers needing to calculate planetary cycles manually since most are based on the measurement of synodic cycles and the recurring patterns made by them.

The Sun’s greatest year is variously reported as 1460 or 1461, depending on whether the astronomer is roughly measuring the year as 365 days, or more precisely as 365¼ days. It represents the number of days in four years because this is the first solar return period which moves the Sun to a new degree of the zodiac (since each year is that quarter of a day extra).

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11. The text says inter croceum et nigrum – nigrum means dark complexioned, so either tanned or black-skinned, croceum refers to the yellow-orange-brown colour of the stamens of the wild crocus (the meadow saffron). This was well understood historically because of saffron’s importance as a dye. Lilly, drawing from Alcabitius, tells us that the Sun signifies “a yellow, saffron complexion … and usually an high ruddy complexion” (CA, p.70). I prefer the word ‘tawny’ which depicts this colour perfectly and is usually defined by reference to the mane of a lion (e.g., tawny: “light yellow-brown color, like that of a lion” – www.dictionary.cambridge.org/ tawny).

12. Again, the word crocei is used, which could be translated as tawny, gold or amber.

The way I understand these details of physical characteristics is not that we should expect them in every solar-type person, but that we should be alert to them as solar signatures – features that portray the solar theme.

13. The text reads Et ex partibus partem habens futurum vel partem divinationis. This is the Part of Spirit, Al-Qabisi’s terminology reminding us of the essential association the Part of Spirit has with the Sun, and that the Sun has with divination and the revelation of truth (most ancient sun gods were prophetic gods that could reveal the mysteries of the future). The calculation is defined in Al-Qabisi’s 5th section, where some Latin editions add a glossary of this being ‘the Part of the Sun’: “Pars Futurorum is taken by day from the Moon to the Sun, by night the opposite, and is cast out from the ascendant”. There is no detailed information on how the part is used, but we can understand the principles from Bonatti’s paraphrase of Abu Ma’shār’s work, as presented by Robert Zoller: “After the Part of Fortune, which exceeds the other parts in strength and fortune, the Part of Things to Come or Pars Futurorum, which is called the Pars Solis, ought to be spoken of.

This, immediately after the Part of Fortune exceeds and is more worthy than all the other parts, although some astrologers seem to care little about it … The Pars Futurorum signifies the soul and the body after the Pars Fortunae and the quality [esse] of these, and faith, prophecy, religion and the culture of God and secrets, cogitation, intentions, hidden things and everything which is absent, and courtesy and liberality, praise, good reputation, heat and cold… and so these two parts [Fortune and Spirit] work above all others both for good and for evil. And their significations are similar to the significations of the luminaries.”

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A PDF file containing Robert Zoller’s full translation of Bonatti’s passage on the parts is available online at: https://astrologiadadepressao.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/arabic-parts.pdf

14. Samarkand, also known as Samarqand, is a city in south-eastern Uzbekistan; it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia.

Quick thought: Terminology of Terms (Even Lilly got this wrong, as did my younger self) Correct: Not correct:

At 17á a planet is in the term of Mercury & the face of the Moon ✓ At 17á a planet is in the terms of Mercury & the faces of the Moon ✗

See how it works?

“The Sun is the candle or light of Heaven, and that Spirit which clarifies and beautifies those signs he is in, destroying nature's enemies."

– William Lilly, Christian Astrology (1647), p.285

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M= i=

É= Ö=

MEGHAN MARKLE: SHADOWS BENEATH THE SPARKLE There’s powerful drama in Meghan Markle’s horoscope, and potent configurations expressed through contradictory themes. With a regal 1st house Sun in Leo, in easy sextile to Jupiter – strong by angularity on the IC – Meghan might consider a ‘behind the scenes’ role, but never a back-seat one. The expansive nature of that Sun-Jupiter dynamic mixes charm, attractiveness, radiance, and confidence with an aura of cordiality, and gives instinctive alignment with appreciation of one’s own self-worth. the biggest part of being a girl boss in the office, at home or “I think anywhere you go is just knowing your value ”– Meghan Markle

A prominent champion of women’s rights, falling into ‘girl-boss’ mode is easy for Markle, although some who experienced her ‘bossiness’ complain about a domineering attitude and lack of sensitivity.

Long-standing (disputed) allegations of bullying staff and precociously demanding privileges are breaking news again this month, with the release of Tom Bower’s darkly titled biography, Revenge.

Whether true or exaggerated by the ill-will of those that have been close to her, Meghan’s horoscope does show that an affable air masks strong will and tenacious determination, and that leanings towards self-preservation are underpinned by (possibly justified) fears and insecurities. With her MCruler, Mars, fallen in Cancer in the debilitating 12th house, both the suffering and employment of adverse propaganda and negative manipulation seem embossed into matters of public persona. And with Mars conjunct Uranus on the cusp of the 11th house in her 2022 solar return, more shocks and experiences of betrayal from friends are set to emerge in the year ahead. There are plenty of joyous themes in the solar return too, but let’s first consider why her natal chart is not portraying Meghan as the light, breezy, Libran-Moon character the popular media astrologers would have us believe.

Despite her bright vivacity, comfort with celebrity, and easy, open manner of expression before the camera, the ‘under the Earth’ emphasis of Megan’s nativity shows a much deeper and introspective person than appears on the surface. All her personal planets are within 90° of each other in the (mostly sunken) eastern hemisphere: she is essentially inward-focused and looking to work ‘on herself’ and through her own interests, although there is no doubt that marriage to Harry is tremendously important, with her 1st-ruler Moon conjunct the 7th-ruler and dominated by it (the 7thruler could hardly get more ‘princely’ than being the most superior planet, exalted, conjunct Jupiter).

“Overall I came across the

impression of a woman who was very intelligent, very determined, very ambitious, but also ruthless”– Tom Bower 1

“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore and that is a very clear and real and frightening constant thought ”– Meghan Markle

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And yes, she is very Libran, but oh so very Saturnian Libran – Saturn, in its own exaltation and term, is the hour ruler and the most dignified and powerful planet in her chart, disposing her Moon and angular Jupiter as it dominates them by conjunction, in sextile to her Sun and partile sextile with Mercury, which it disposes by term and face. Of all the angles, only the 7th cusp is governed by a strong, dignified planet, showing the phenomenal influence Harry has in her life – Saturn is a perfect significator for him, since it rules his Capricorn ascendant and dominates his nativity by its placement on his MC (at 12° Scorpio, which in close sextile to Meghan’s MC-ruler, Mars). But enough about Harry – he isn’t the reason for her strong and powerful Saturn, he is just one of the manifestations of it.

Before looking at other Saturnian manifestations, consider the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction that the Moon brings focus to, which had perfected a few days before Meghan’s birth, at 5°16 Libra. British astrologers made a fuss about that conjunction at the time, because it rose on the ascendant of the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana six days earlier. At the wedding event, the Moon was conjoined to Mars, which was on the MC at 8° Cancer, squaring the ascendant and Saturn-Jupiter conjunction with a very unpleasant aspect. Still, the media astrologers of the day waxed lyrical about the wonderful omen the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction presented for the future of the monarchy – and the thrill of this being in sextile to an impending total solar eclipse in the royal sign of Leo! (The eclipse fell at 7°51 Leo on 31st July 1981 – two days after the royal wedding but exactly upon its ascendant, and four days before Meghan’s birth). At such a happy time, no astrologer seemed to want to mention the possibility that a solar eclipse in a royal sign presaged a shadow event for the monarchy.

It's worth keeping that solar eclipse in mind when considering how Meghan places herself within the British royal family. She was born at a time when, superficially, everything ‘in the air’ was lovely, pretty, jubilant and flower-filled, but the happy merriment was false, external, masking inner discontent and emotional anguish that weighed heavy beneath the surface.

We could now go in many directions exploring parallels and continuations of dharma, karma and drama between Meghan and Diana, or Meghan and Wallis Simpson, the earlier American divorcee for whom Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936. Wallis Simpson’s Moon, at 21° Libra, had an exact Mars opposition and exactly aligns with Meghan’s Pluto at 21 Libra. Wallis’s Jupiter, at 8° Leo, falls exactly on the degree of the solar eclipse that was bracketed by the royal wedding that took place a couple of days earlier, and the birth of the woman who would have her own royal wedding 36 years later.

Thirty six years later: three Jupiter cycles passed before Meghan married her prince, who came in the form of an exalted Saturn. The wedding of Harry and Meghan took place as the north node returned to 8° Leo, reactivating that 1981 eclipse, which bore the imprint of Wallis’s Jupiter. Diana was Jupiter ruled natally, born under the preceding Saturn-Jupiter conjunction of 1961; aged 36 herself when she died so unexpectedly. Jupiter returns bring big prospects for expansion, but those who have Jupiter dominated by Saturn natally never experience such events without its ominous shadow.

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Could some grand Orphic melodrama be playing out via various lives that are woven together in the fabric of the cosmos? Astrologically we would have to conclude so – I have not even begun to detail the many ways in which the experiences of Diana and Meghan united, even though they never met.

Meghan, in fact, has British royal DNA in her own genes, as her page on Astro.com reports her father’s line of descent from King Edward III, the 14th-century king who led England into the Hundred Years’ War with France. (Descendants of his 12 children contested the throne for generations, climaxing in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century.) Is this relevant? Who knows.

My purpose was really to draw your eye to the dominating influence of Saturn in Meghan’s nativity: a particularly loaded planet because it is not only the attention-grabbing 7th-ruler but also the ruler of the 8th house, of “feare and anguish of minde” (CA, p.54). Then look again at the miserable state of her debilitated 10th-ruler: a naturally malefic planet in the worst state possible, seemingly moving on from the square of Saturn-Jupiter, but about to be presented with all the issues those planets embody through the applying square of the Moon, from Libra, another sign of Mars’s debility.

Now we get some sense of the hopelessness, fear, perception of prosecution, and out-of-her-depth feeling that can surround Meghan at times; and how these appear to come from sinister directions, and hidden, background forces. There are many indications of conflict surrounding her, but these are not battles that she is able to confront and deal with directly. When Mars-in-Cancer-12th type people need to fight, they do it subtly, indirectly, perhaps ineffectively, perhaps dirtily. Mars is an active planet for Meghan (Moon’s applying square) but not an effective one. Meghan uses her Mars behind the scenes, but not to her strength, and whilever she locks into that Mars she remains trapped in the cycle of feeling victimised yet being accused by those who mistake her defensiveness for aggression.

According to Alcabitius, Saturn in a night-time chart offers signification of the father. Meghan’s painful relationship with her father is well documented, and this nativity clearly speaks of broken-hearted, trauma-filled 4th house themes. Besides the presence of Pluto within it, 4th-ruler Venus is debilitated in its sign of fall, acting as a very ineffective dispositor of Saturn. Its placement on the 3rd house cusp shows the strange letter-writing relationship between them is part of long-standing remoteness and not some novel experience that occurred after marrying Harry. Her parents divorced when she was six years old, during the period in which Uranus conjoined her natal Neptune, and no doubt those feelings of abandonment, disturbance and confusion continue to surface and haunt her at times when she feels besieged and alienated from support.

With Mars and Saturn so badly connected in her nativity, Meghan ought to learn how to prepare for times when they get activated by bad transits. It was in January 2019, as transiting Saturn opposed her natal Mars, and transiting Mars opposed her natal Saturn, that pregnant Meghan came very close to acting on a decision to commit suicide. At the same time, the Sun joined Pluto as it transited her descendant, so there was a perfect line-up of catastrophic transit connections in her chart. Thoughts of Diana, and not wanting Harry to suffer the sudden death of a pregnant wife in the way that he

suffered the sudden death of his mother, provided a bridge between impulse and realisation, and she reached out to Harry to help her through the period on 19th January, as Mars came to the 11th degree of Aries on her midheaven, allowing her to break through and expose the hidden torment.

Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey was recorded on 7th March 2021. At that time Pluto was still within 2° of her descendant and Saturn was in the 10th degree of Aquarius, directly opposing her natal Sun. With her Sun on the midpoint of her afflicted MC-IC rulers, evaluating these traumas are part of Meghan’s route to discovering herself. Venus on the 3rd cusp, disposed by combust Mercury, shows she gets some relief by sharing her heartaches with the media, but Venus being in fall and aspecting Mars in fall leaves susceptibility to media attacks, even when part of the media swings in her favour.

Despite all the evidence of charm, beauty, celebrity and popularity, Meghan’s chart is difficult, with its many points of vulnerability and strain. But that Saturn, challenging as it is, provides an extraordinary feature of her chart – a detail that could lead to incredible endurance and strength, providing she realises that her chart shows a need to withdraw from public gaze on a regular basis, and providing she can learn from its lessons and master its trials.

It seems she is wising up nicely: “As you get older, you become more comfortable in your skin and comfortable in saying no to things... I’ve also learned that saying no is just as valuable as saying yes.

It’s something that, I think, comes with age and really having a sense of your self-worth. And then you make choices based on that.”– Meghan Markle

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2022 RETURN Despite some unpleasant shocks concerning friends (Mars conj. Uranus on 11th cusp), Meghan has the potential for a very exciting, very prolific, and very important year in 2022. Both benefics come to the angles of her nativity, and being the planets associated with children, this may mean another pregnancy – possibly an unplanned or unexpected one. All matters related to women, design or beautification, or speaking up for freedoms, or even involvement with spiritual matters, appear to be well starred. Another very notable feature of her return is the ingress of Mercury into its own sign of rulership and exaltation, Virgo, where it aligns with the royal star Regulus. There are many forces propelling her into the limelight this year but writing projects seem to present the new opportunities she will value the most. ***

Italian astrologer; one of the most influential mathematicians of the Renaissance

Jerome Cardan 1501-1576 JEROME CARDAN: 16 CHOICE APHORISMS ON

ELECTIONS (Using Henry Coley’s translation from Anima Astrologiae)

1. An Election signifies nothing or very little unless it correspond with the Nativity, and time wherein you Elect.1 2. If you would have anything kept secret let the Moon be under the Sun beams when you do it.2 3. Make no new clothes, nor first put them on when the Moon is in Scorpio, especially if she be full of light and beheld of Mars, for they will be apt to be torn and quickly worn out.

4. When in an Election you cannot fit the Moon to two Planets that you have occasion for, at once, join her to some fixed star that is of the nature of them both.

5. When you would suddenly finish a thing, place the Moon and significator in Moveable Signs, but if you would have your work last long, let them be in fixed ones, and for this reason it becomes so difficult for a man to attain to do both.

6. The best election a man can make is the place of his habitation: for if the Ascendant of the City he dwells in be the place of his Ascendant, he will have his health well, if the Mid-heaven, he will come to preferment, if it be the place of the Sun in the Nativity, he will undoubtedly obtain honour and dignities, if of Jupiter he will grow rich; if of the Moon he will be very happy in most respects there.

7. Every man’s geniture in some things agrees with, and in some differs from another’s, we should therefore deal with people (as to important matters) only in things wherein their Nativities sympathize with ours, but in other things to forbear; and indeed we ought generally to avoid the society of a person the Lord of whose Ascendant is an infortune and joined with the Dragon’s Tail or any malevolent Fixed Star, for unless there be a great agreement between our Nativities they will do us some mischief, though perhaps against their will.

8. When the significators of journeys are in watery signs and the Infortunes (or the Fortunes themselves unfriendly posited) be elevated above them, the querent will be much troubled in his journeys with bad weather and tempests, and note that the causes or business of journeys is to be discovered from the dispositors of the significators.

9. You may sometimes use the Infortunes as Physicians do poisons, for they produce strong effects; but use them like those, sparingly and with caution.

10. News or reports raised and spread abroad whilst the Moon is in the beginning of Scorpio or Capricorn are generally false, but if she be with Jupiter in a masculine sign they are like to prove true.

11. Begin not to build whilst the Moon is in Scorpio or Pisces or when a southern sign ascends, nor let the Moon or Lord of the fourth apply to a Retrograde Planet, for it threatens that such edifices shall soon fall or be ruined.3 12. At Play and in War it is said that it is considerable for a man to have his face look towards a friendly Part of Heaven, and that if both parties do so, the contest will be tedious, if neither of them, then both in battle will be much prejudiced, and in gaming there will be little won on either side, but if one of them only look that way, he will soon conquer his antagonist.

13. In every Election let the Moon and Lord of the Ascendant be free from impediment of affliction.

14. But if when the Moon suffers some impediment from another Planet, thou art forced on that day to make an election, let a sign ascend that is either the house or exaltation of that Planet so impediting.

15. It is best to undertake journeys when the significators are in moveable signs, for they signify celerity and return with dispatch of business, but fixed signs in such cases are very bad; so also it is if the Lord of the Ascendant or Moon happen to be in the sixth, eight, or twelfth houses.

16. It is an undeniable thing (in general) to deliver a petition or request to a great person when the Moon applies to Jupiter, and he is joined with the Dragon’s Head in the Mid-heaven.

1 “In all authors that ever I yet met with I find there can be no time elected (in this our astrological way of electing) advantageous to anyone whose nativity or time of birth is not exactly known, for according unto it must you frame your election, together with respect to the revolutions of the year: and Zael, Bonatus, Messahalla and Dariot say that if the nativity of a man cannot be obtained, respect must be had to the time of the question” – Wm. Ramsey, Astrologia Restorata (London, 1654).

2 Ramsey, in his Table of Elections, under Moon conjoined to Sun, writes: “Begin nothing but that thou wouldst have hidden and secret” – Astrologia Restorata.

3 Or the habitation will not, owing to circumstances, be enjoyed long by the person who elects such an unpropitious time for his work.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. . . A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together” (Ecclesiastes, c.3, vs. 1 and 5). “Fools build houses for wise men to live in” (Old Proverb).

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