Simplified Scientific Astrology

by

Max Heindel

[1865-1919]

   Horary Astrology [continued]:

   The Lord of the Ascendant, planets in the First House, if any, and the Moon represent the inquirer. Determine next by what House the thing asked about is ruled, then consider whether the Lord of that House is favorably aspected with the Lord of the Ascendant, the planets in the First House, and the Moon. If so, the matter will come to a favorable conclusion, but if these significators are aspected by square or opposition, the matter will come to naught.

   But if someone else comes to you with a proposition, and you set up a figure to aid you in forming an idea of what to do, be sure to remember that he is the prime mover in the matter, and that therefore the Moon, Ascendant and First House are his significators, while you are represented by the seventh house and its lord. It does not matter that you ask the question, the proposition that you ask about is his; and lack of this knowledge has been a stumbling block to many who have given a wrong judgment on that account.

   The things signified by the Houses are briefly as follows:

First House: Matters of an intimate personal nature.
Second House: Financial gain.
Third House: Matters concerning brothers and sisters, short journeys.
Fourth House: Houses and lands, patrimony and removals.
Fifth House: Children, messengers and newspapers.
Sixth House: Servants and disease.
Seventh House: Marriage, partnership, law-suits.
Eighth House: Legacies.
Ninth House: Travel, mental state and capacity.
Tenth House: Social standing.
Eleventh House: Friends, hopes and wishes.
Twelfth House: Enemies and trouble.

   The planets which aspect your significators favorably show whence you may find help to obtain your wish, and the planets which afflict your stars indicate what hinders, and by blending these augurs you may know what to expect and how to proceed. Study these rules carefully and pay strict attention to them, then you will know how to answer all questions that may be asked.

   Horary Astrology may also be used to select a favorable time for commencing an important undertaking, for the starting point of an enterprise is its birth, and the influences then governing will be powerful determinators of success or failure. It is said that the Royal Astronomer who laid the corner-stone for the Observatory at Greenwich used this method, and that has certainly been a very useful and successful institution.

   To thus select a time for an undertaking is called "making an election."

  Horizon:

   The birthplace is, in Astrology, always considered the highest point on earth, and the principal circle seem from there is the horizon. This is either sensible or rational.

   The sensible horizon is the circle which bounds our view, where heaven and earth seem to meet.

   The rational horizon is below the sensible horizon, in the plane of the earth's center.

  Houses:

   The houses are divisions of the heavens relative to the birthplace, and the signs are divisions of the heavens relative to the vernal equinox. The Zodiac appears to move at the rate of one degree in every four minutes, but the Houses are considered stationary relative to the birthplace.

   The birthplace is always considered the highest place on earth. And from that point four imaginary lines are drawn to the four cardinal points, North, East, South and West. Imagine a line drawn from your birthplace to the point directly overhead where the Sun is at noon. That would be directly South, and this line is regarded as the cusp of the Tenth House, which for that reason is called the midheaven. If this line is extended through the center of the earth, to the opposite side of the earth and thence into space, that lower part would point North, and form the cusp of the Fourth House called the Nadir, which is opposite the Tenth.

   These two points are invested by the same degrees of the Zodiac, at any given time regardless of whether the birthplace is near the pole or the equator. In the latter case, we may also imagine a line drawn at right angles across the Meridian, (as the line in the horoscope from the Midheaven to the Nadir is called), from East to West, and that would then form the cusps of the First and Seventh Houses. By dividing each of the four sections into three we would have twelve compartments of equal size, namely thirty degrees each.

   But all birthplaces are not on the equator, and owing to the spherical shape of the earth and the inclination of the earth's axis, the sizes of the houses vary more and more as we approach the poles, so that some houses may have only twelve or fifteen degrees, while others have more than sixty. See page 49 for a more detailed analysis.

   The reason for this division of the earth into houses may be comprehended when we consider that the Sun's rays affect us differently in the morning, at noon and at night, also in summer and winter; and if we study the cause, we shall readily see that it is the angle at which the ray strikes us or the earth which produces the difference in effect. Similarly with the stellar rays, Astrologers have observed that a child born at or near noon, when the Sun's rays strike the birthplace from the Tenth House, has a better chance of advancement in life, other things being equal, than one born after Sundown, for the latter generally remains a servant. Therefore they say that the Tenth House determines social position and honor, but the Sixth House, which is just below the Western horizon rules service and employment. By similar observations and tabulations it has been found that the other planetary rays affect the various departments of life when their ray is projected through the other houses, and therefore each house is said to 'rule' certain things. The student will find a diagram of the houses and the affairs ruled by each on pages 30 and 31.

   The divisions of houses are sometimes called 'mundane' houses; and the signs of the Zodiac are also loosely spoken of as the 'houses' or 'homes,' of the plants which rule them, for instance, Virgo is the 'house' of Mercury, Capricorn is the 'home' of Saturn.

  Hyleg:

   A term used by ancient Arabian Astrologers to designate the points in the horoscope which are the principal foci of vitality and healthy, namely the Sun, Moon and Ascendant.

   It needs but little argument to show that the great and glorious reservoir of life which we call the Sun is an important factor in the matter of health, and that the lesser Light, the Moon, has dominion in this respect, for she collects and reflects the solar ray. And it is a matter of common knowledge that she is in some way connected with gestation, and parturition, therefore, the Moon is the particular significator of health in a woman's horoscope while the Sun has the strongest influence in a man's figure. Both are important however, for if, in a man's figure, Saturn is square to the Moon he will feel it, but if this configuration happens in a woman's horoscope, she will feel it more; and conversely, Saturn square to the Sun in a woman's horoscope will affect her health, but not in the same degree as it will that of a man when occurring in his figure.

   The reason why the Ascendant is designated as a factor in health and vitality is not so apparent upon the surface, but when we realize that the ascendant at birth is the Moon's place at conception, the reason is obvious, for the Moon is the planet of fecundation, the focus and reflector of the solar Life-forces, and if, at the time of conception, when the human seed-atom was planted, she was in a weak sign like Virgo, there is a fundamental lack of energy and vitality at the very start of life, and a consequent lassitude which affects through all the years of its existence, the body then beginning to germinate.

   Thus, to sum up, the Sun, Moon and Ascendant are all important significators of health and vitality for both sexes, but the position and aspects of the Moon are more important to a woman than those of the Sun and Ascendant, and the position and aspects of the Sun are more vital to the health of a man than the two other factors.

   In modern times the word 'Hyleg,' and the designation of the vital parts of the horoscope as 'hylegiacal' places are not generally used. The writer always speaks of them as 'significance of health,' then everybody understands what is meant, and it seems senseless to befog the subject with mysterious terms when good, plain English conveys our meaning so much better. It should also be understood that to judge any subject, be it health, wealth, joy or sorrow or any other thing that may befall, the special significators give only a limited amount of information. To obtain a really comprehensive knowledge each subject must be judged from the horoscope as a whole.

  Infortunes or Malefics:

   Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, for explanation see 'Good' and 'Bad.'

  Inferior Planets:

   Astronomers so designate Venus and Mercury, because they always remain very close to the Sun, and are never seen in parts of the heavens opposite the Sun. the idea in the minds of the astronomers seems to be that these planets are in leading strings so to speak. The esoteric reason for their proximity to the Sun will be found on page 10, which see.

  Intellectual Zodiac:

   On either side of the ecliptic or Sun's path are a number of fixed stars which form twelve groups or constellations, that are called 'signs of the Zodiac,' not because they resemble the animals they are supposed to represent, but because their influence has developed, or is still engaged in bringing out in us the main characteristics embodied in the animal symbol. The bombastic arrogance, the energy and courage which come from Aries could not be better symbolized than by the ram, neither could the quiet, but prodigious strength and the stubborn persistence which come from the divine Hierarchs who work with us from the constellation Taurus be more aptly described than by the symbolic 'Bull.' The characteristics of he other signs must be interpreted in similar terms, for the Zodiac is the womb of the solar system; and sometime when we and the myriads of other beings who are now evolving in our solar system have learned all the lessons of this phase of existence, we also shall form a zodiac and perform a similar service for others as the twelve Great Creative Hierarchies are now doing for us.

   These twelve constellations are called the 'natural' Zodiac; they remain always in the same relative positions, at least their movement is so slight that centuries elapse without appreciable change in their position. Hence we may use a table of houses our whole life, but we must buy an ephemeris of the planets' places every year.

   Every year on the 21st of March the Sun leaves the Southern Hemisphere, crosses the celestial equator, and enters the Northern degrees of latitude where he remains during the summer. But owing to a vibratory motion of the poles of the earth, called 'nutation' by astronomers, the Sun crosses the celestial equator a little earlier (precedes) than it did the year before, and as day and night are of equal length at the point where the Sun crosses the celestial equator or equinoctial, this precedent crossing is called 'the precession of the Equinox.'

   If there were no precession of the equinox the Sun would always enter the constellation Aries at the vernal equinox, but on account of this backward motion of one degree in about seventy-two years, the vernal equinox occurs in the first degree of Pisces about 2156 years later. After a similar period of time it recedes to the first degree of Aquarius, and so on through the circle of the twelve signs in about 25,868 years. At the time when the Sun was in Taurus, the sign of the 'Bull,' at the vernal equinox, the ancient Egyptians worshiped the sacred 'Bull Apis' and their priests wore the Uraeus or Serpent Symbol belonging to Scorpio, the serpent sign opposite Taurus, to indicate their possession of the esoteric wisdom. When the Sun went into Aries by precession it became idolatry for 'the chosen people' to worship the 'Bull,' or golden calf; they left 'Egypt' and pinned their faith to the 'lamb' or 'ram' which was then 'slain'. But according to the esoteric symbol of Libra, the scales of justice, which is opposite Aries, he shall come again as judge. In A.D. 498 the Sun was in the first degree of Aries at the equinox, and in the 1418 years which have since elapsed it has receded nineteen degrees, forty-two minutes, so that in 1916 the Sun crosses the equator in ten degrees, eighteen minutes of Pisces, and in the year 2654 it will be on the cusp of Aquarius. During the 2000 years which have elapsed since the equinox came within orb of Pisces, the fishes, the religious rites have required that the people anoint themselves with the Piscean water at the door of the church, the Service was performed by a priest whose headgear was made to resemble the head of a fish, and they were commanded to abstain from the eating of meat at certain times, and bade eat fish instead. They were also taught to worship an immaculate virgin because Virgo is the sign opposite Pisces; and this worship will continue, though in a decreasing degree until the new ideal embodied in the sign Aquarius and its opposite sign Leo has superseded orthodox Christianity as that has taken the place of the earlier religions.

   Since the middle of last century the Aquarian influence, focused by the equinox, has made itself felt because the Sun's orb is so large that it touches the cusp of Aquarius, and as a consequence we have had an unprecedented awakening of thought and a galaxy of inventions previously undreamed of as remotest possibilities. But as the years go on, the equinoctial Sun will illuminate our minds in such a manner as to justify our grandchildren in speaking of this as "the dark age"; and when, in the year 2654, the Sun's actual entrance into Aquarius ushers in a new age, they will be justified in thinking of the Piscean age as we do of the time B.C.

   We see then, that there is a natural zodiac composed of the stationary star clusters, Aries, Taurus, etc., and a shifting Zodiac, which starts at the equinoctial point, no matter where in the constellations that occurs; and the first thirty degrees from that point are called Aries, the next thirty degrees are called Taurus, and so on. This is the intellectual zodiac.

   This may seem an arbitrary manner of division but it is a matter of observation that though the equinox actually occurs in Pisces ten degrees at the present time, the Spring activities ascribed to the Sun in Aries commence at once after the equinox. There is, however, a blending of Aries and Pisces which accounts for certain evolutionary changes. In this connection the student is referred to pages 26 and 27.

  Intercepted:

   See article on 'Houses' before reading this. In the article on 'Houses,' it is stated that owing to the spherical shape of the earth and the inclination of the earth's axis, some of the mundane houses in the higher Northern latitudes are only twelve or fifteen degrees, while others are forty, fifty, or sixty degrees long. But the signs of the Zodiac are only thirty degrees, and it therefore follows that in cases where a mundane house is very long, one or even two whole signs may be included within its cusps. In the horoscope of Erman C. born January 25th, 1912 at 3 A.M. in Ogden, IA, we find 24 degrees of Sagittarius on the second cusp, and Aquarius 11 on the third. Thus the second house is forty-seven degrees long, including the whole sign Capricorn with the planets Mercury and Uranus, and an astrologer would describe the situation by saying that Capricorn is 'intercepted' in the second house. When he speaks of the planets in this intercepted sign he says that Mercury and Uranus are intercepted in Capricorn in the second house.

   When a sign is intercepted in a house, the opposite sign is also intercepted in the opposite house; consequently we find Cancer intercepted in the eighth house with Neptune in it.

   Regarding the influence of interception, we find that when a planet is in an intercepted sign its influence is held in abeyance or latency until by progression it moves out of the intercepted sign. This tendency may be somewhat modified by a strong aspect, or a number of minor or weak ones, but an intercepted planet never has the same power over the life as one that is free.

  Latitude:

   In Astronomy, the distance a planet is North or South of the ecliptic, or Sun's path.

   In Geography, the distance a city or place is North or South of the Equator.

  Lights: The Sun and Moon.

  Logarithms:

   Were originally invented by Lord Napier to make arithmetical calculations easy. They were later adapted to the decimal system, and are used by astronomers who calculate directions by arc. But for calculation of the planets' places by Longitude and in relation to the day of twenty-four hours, it is necessary to calculate a special set, which will be found in the back of our ephemeris. By use of them multiplication is performed by addition, and division by subtraction.

  Long Ascension: Signs of, See 'Ascension.'

  Longitude:

   In Geography, Longitude is measured from the Meridian of Greenwich, East or West on the Equator.

   In Astronomy, the Longitude of the planets is measured on the ecliptic or Sun's path starting with the first point of Aries at the vernal equinox. When the distance is reckoned on the equinoctial, or celestial equator it is called Right Ascension.

  Lord:

   A planet is said to be 'Lord' of the signs it rules; e. g. Mars is Lord of Aries and Scorpio; Venus is 'Lady' of Taurus and Libra. See 'Dignity' and 'Exaltation.'

  Luminaries: The Sun and Moon.

  Lunar: Pertaining to 'Luna,' the Moon.

  Lunation:

   A Lunation is a conjunction of the Sun and Moon, a 'New Moon.' In our ephemeris all New Moons, Full Moons, and eclipses are plainly marked at the head of the pages.

   When a lunation falls within three degrees of an aspect to any of the planets or other vital points in the radical horoscope it has a marked effect upon affairs during the current month, and will easily take the place of an aspect of the progressed Moon which is needed to fructify the planetary indications then in force. Even apart from primary directions, if a New Moon falls in close conjunction with a malefic, it will produce trouble in minor matters, and conversely, a lunation which falls on the place of Jupiter or Venus will make things pleasant.

   When a New Moon is a solar eclipse it produces first, the usual effect of a lunation during its current month, if in aspect with any of the radical planets, and secondly, similar effects during the months of the following year when aspects of the same nature are formed with the place of the eclipse. That is to say, if the eclipse fell in the twelfth house in Leo, square to Mars in Scorpio, in the third house, then it would produce enmity with brothers and sisters during the month of August when the eclipse was formed. In November when the lunation occurs in Scorpio more fuel will be added to the fire by the square with the eclipse. In February when the Sun is in opposition to the eclipse there will be more trouble from the same source, and also in May when the last square occurs. Conversely, if the initial aspect of the eclipse is good, more benefit will be experienced during the months when sextiles and trines are formed.

   The cycle of lunations is nineteen years; for example, in July 1900 the lunation occurred on the 26th of July in three degrees of Leo, and in 1919 another lunation will occur on the 26th of July in three degrees of Leo. Thus the student may calculate the lunations of future years with sufficient accuracy for all practical purposes.

   Eclipses may also be calculated for future years in a similarly easy rough and ready manner if the student has the ephemerides for past years.

   During her monthly course the Moon zigzags across the ecliptic, and at the conjunctions, or New Moons, is generally a number of degrees away from the ecliptic. Under such conditions we have just an ordinary New Moon. In order to have a total solar eclipse the Moon must be directly in the Sun's path as seen from the earth, and the declination of the Sun and Moon must be practically the same; also the moon must have practically no latitude.

   There are never less than two eclipses in a year, and they are solar, nor are there ever more than seven, but these extreme numbers happen very seldom. The usual number of eclipses is four; two solar and two lunar eclipses, and they usually come in pairs and six months apart. The Full Moon preceding or following a solar eclipse is usually a lunar eclipse. Also if on pair of eclipses occurs in February, look for the other pair in August.

   Bearing the above in mind, eclipses in any year may be found with fair success by the following simple rule:

   (1.) From the year for which eclipses are wanted, subtract 18. The resulting year we will call the 'eclipse year.'

   (2.) Search the 'Eclipse Year' for New and Full Moons which are eclipses. Note their dates only.

   (3.) In the year previous to the 'Eclipse Year,' note the dates and zodiacal places of the lunations which occur about eleven days after the dates obtained in the 'Eclipse Year.' These are dates and places of eclipses in the year wanted.

   In order to test the simple rules of thumb here given, let us imagine this is the year 1910, and that we want to find the first solar eclipse occurring in 1915. We take an ephemeris for 1897 which is eighteen years earlier than 1915, and look for the first solar eclipse.

   We find a solar eclipse on the 1st of February 1897.

   To ascertain the date and degree of the Zodiac in which this eclipse will fall in 1915, we look for information in the ephemeris for 1896, which is one year earlier than the 'Eclipse Year' 1897.

   There we find that the first New Moon which occurred after February 1st, fell in the afternoon of the 13th of February, in twenty-four degrees, nineteen minutes of Aquarius, and we therefore judge that there will be a solar eclipse on the 13th of February 1915 in twenty-four degrees, nineteen minutes of Aquarius.

   After completing our calculations we cease to make believe about living in 1910, and take up the ephemeris for 1915 to see if our rules have given the right result; and we find that a solar eclipse did occur on the morning of the 14th of February 1915, in Aquarius, twenty-four degrees, forty-two minutes, proving the rule to have given an essentially correct result. See 'Transits.'

  Malefics:

   Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. See 'Good and Bad.'

  Masculine Signs:

   Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius are called Masculine. These include the fiery triplicity, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, and the airy triplicity, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. The feminine signs include the earthy and watery triplicities.

   Earth and water are negative and inert, but are acted upon by the positive elements. The winds stir the waters of the ocean and volcanic fires shake the earth. Therefore the fiery and airy signs are called masculine. The 'Feminine Signs.'

  Meridian:

   An imaginary circle drawn between the North and South poles over the face of the earth. As this line runs directly North and South, all places located thereon have noon at the same time. See 'Houses.'

  Midheaven, or Zenith:

   The point in the sky, directly overhead. When it is noon, the Sun is in the Midheaven. It is usually written M. C. See 'Houses.'

  Movable Signs:

   Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. See 'Cardinal Signs.'

  Mundane Houses, and Mundane Aspects:

   See 'Houses.'

  Mutual Reception: See 'Reception.'

  Nadir, or Immum Coeli, usually written I. C.:

   The point in the heavens directly beneath the birthplace opposite the other side of the earth. It is the point opposite to the Midheaven. The Sun is there at Midnight. See 'Midheaven' and 'Houses.'

  Nativity:

   The same as 'Horoscope,' and 'Radix;' a map of the heavens cast for the moment of birth. See 'Figure.'

  Natural Zodiac: See 'Intellectual Zodiac.'

  Nebulae:

   Cloudy star clusters, worlds in the making. Three of them are known to have an inimical effect on the eyesight. See 'Fixed Stars.'

  Nodes: See 'Dragon's Head.'

  Northern Signs:

   Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. So called because the Sun is in these signs when he is above the equator in the Spring and Summer.

  Nutation:

   A vibratory motion of the axis of the earth which is responsible for the precession of the equinox. See 'Intellectual Zodiac.'

  Oblique Ascension: See 'Ascension.'

  Occidental:

   Western. When the Sun or planets have passed the Zenith, Midheaven or noon mark, they begin to set towards the Western horizon, therefore the planets in the ninth, eighth and seventh houses of the horoscope are said to be 'occidental' or Western, and planets in the twelfth, eleventh and tenth houses which are ascending from the Eastern horizon to the Midheaven, as the Sun does in the forenoon, are said to be 'oriental' or Eastern.

   But when the Sun sets in the place where we live, it rises on another part of the world represented by the sixth, fifth, fourth, third, second and first houses of our horoscope, and during that time it is also oriental, and occidental to their Midheaven, which corresponds to OUR Nadir. When it rises from their Eastern horizon, which is our descendant, through the sixth, fifth and fourth houses, it is called oriental, and when it gradually sets towards their Western Horizon, which is our Ascendant, it is called occidental.

   Therefore, planets in the twelfth, eleventh, tenth, sixth, fifth, and fourth houses are called oriental, and the planets in the other six houses are called occidental or Western.

  Opposition:

   When two planets are in the same degree of opposite signs, they are said to be in 'Opposition.' See 'Aspect' and 'Orb.'

  Orb:

   Planets form aspects which influence human affairs when they are in the same degree of the Zodiac, or a certain number of degrees apart. But it has been found that the influence is felt even when planets are not exactly the required number of degrees apart. Thus a planet has a subtle sphere which makes it effective before an exact aspect is formed, and after it has been dissolved, and this is called its orb.

  Orbit: The path or a planet around the Sun.

  Orbital Revolution:

   The revolution of a planet in its orbit around the Sun. The time occupied by the orbital revolutions of all the planets is given on page 7.

  Oriental:

   Eastern, see 'Occidental' for explanation.

  Parallel:

   The aspect formed between two planets when they are in the same degree of declination, either North or South of the celestial equator. See page 75.

  Part of Fortune:

   A point in the horoscope which opposes or favors the financial fortunes according to the aspects it receives from the planets. The philosophy and the method of calculating it are given on page 60 etc. To prove whether the 'Part of Fortune' is rightly calculated, observe whether the distance from the Sun to the Moon equals the distance from the Ascendant to the 'Part of Fortune.'

  Physical Appearance:

   The physical type is determined by four principal factors. These are the Ascendant or Rising Sign, which represents the body, the Lord of the Ascendant, Rising Planets, namely planets in the first house, particularly when they are in the sign on its cusp, and the Sign containing the Sun. Note however, that the Sun must have some strength in the matters of position and aspects in order to bring into evidence the physical characteristics of its sign. The above elements are arranged in the usual order of their importance. Their blending determines whether a person be tall or short, dark or fair, and all his other physical peculiarities. See "Message of the Stars" for a more detailed explanation of this matter.

  Planets:.

   The heavenly bodies of God's Ambassadors which circle about the Sun.

   As man is made in the image of God, who is threefold in manifestation, so astrologically, the higher self in man is represented by a circle with the central point denoting the highest spiritual aspect, the Divine Spirit whose faculty is Will. Therefore, the Sun stands in the horoscope as the highest expression of the individual self. It denotes the positive outgoing influence in man, his character in the highest sense of the word.

   The symbol of the planet Venus is a circle above the cross. It denotes wisdom which is not mere intellectuality, but Intuition and Imagination. Hence, the nature of Venus is essentially love, and it is the cementing influence in the life whereby we are attracted to others for mutual benefit; although Venus in and of herself is not concerned with mutual benefit, it being her nature to attract others, and that good comes by her is only an incident.

   The planet Jupiter is symbolized by the half-circle above the cross. It denotes the human spirit, whose faculty is abstract thought. Therefore the planet Jupiter stands for the higher mind, the mind that is unconcerned with material things, and expresses itself in abstract thought, as religion, philosophy and the higher sciences.

   Mars is the opposite of Venus. It is symbolized by the cross above the circle, so that while it is Venus's nature to unselfishly love, and to give to others, it is the nature of Mars to desire for selfish ends. It therefore denotes all the outgoing energy of the lower nature, the desire body, the passional an emotional aspect of man, which causes him to work outwards in the world, to overcome obstacles and to gather experience.

   Saturn is the opposite of Jupiter, the cross of matter above the half-circle denoting the brain mind. It is that which gives persistence to the impulses of Mars, and symbolizes the relatively permanent part of the lower nature, that which has been weighed and found to be of use. It is, therefore, symbolical of the seed-atoms of Man's lower vehicles, wherein are stored the experience of all past lives. Hence, Saturn denotes the mechanical ability, the chastity and justice; the perseverance and material attainments which have been made into virtues through his purging influence. He stands as the reaper of the things that have been sown in the body, and as such he appears often in the life to chastise us for the wrong we have done; not vandalistically, but in order that we may learn the lessons of how to act rightly.

   The Moon is the reflection of the Sun. That together with the Ascendant, denotes the formation of the physical body, and the Ascendant the significator of the dense body. Hence, these two stand for that which is man's tool in action; the most perfect part of his nature, but at the same time, the most evanescent. The Moon is, therefore, the very antithesis of the Sun. The latter is a fixed star while the Moon is the most migratory of the heavenly bodies.

   The three last named planets are the significators of the lower nature in man, the personality, as opposed to the individuality symbolized by the three first named planets; and these two triangles are connected by the planet signifying the lower concrete mind, namely Mercury. The symbol of that planet has in it all three constituents of planetary symbolism, the circle, the half-circle and the cross, showing it to have no nature of its own, but to be a vehicle for the expression of the other planets. When Mercury is well posited with reference to Venus, we have the artistic, poetical, musical and literary type of mind. For it is from Venus that the vibrations come which express themselves in all art.

   When Mercury is well placed in relation to Jupiter, we have the philosophical and scientific mind, the ruler and the law-giver, both in church and state who works for the good of all.

   When Mercury is well posited with regard to Mars, we have the man of action; the man who aims at the material development of the world's resources in a small or large way, as a shopkeeper, storekeeper and all other ways wherein others are exploited for personal benefit, for Mars is, as already said, the antithesis of Venus, and the embodiment of selfish desire.

   Mercury in aspect to the Moon has no significance, as the Moon itself is a reflector; except where it is an evil aspect coming from a cardinal sign or elevation. There it may produce flighty thinking.

   In the foregoing, only the essential natures of the planets have been given. Where they are well aspected by another planet these natural characteristics are enhanced so far as the benefic planets are concerned, but when evilly aspected, the nature of Venus, which is wisdom, love and rhythm, will become folly, licentiousness, and sloth; the philosophy, law-abiding tendencies mercy and lofty aspirations of Jupiter will turn into lawlessness, disregard of others, and low pursuits; the lofty spirituality of the Sun will express itself as just animal spirits and physical health. In regard to the planets of the lower nature, good aspects to Mars turn the desires towards constructive objects and well regulated activities while the evil aspects are responsible for the destructive expression of the desire nature. Saturn, when well aspected, gives the mechanical and executive ability that is capable of directing the desire nature. It shows the brainy, persevering man who is able to cope with and conquer material obstacles; the organizer and promoter; the scientific investigator, who follows along material lines. As it is the antithesis of Jupiter, it will be readily seen that as Jupiter, well aspected, denotes the high-minded philosopher, the worthy law-giver, the sincere and ardent priest, in fact, all who have high and lofty aspirations, so Saturn, when evilly aspected, denotes the narrow-minded, creed-bound sectarian, the materialist, the anarchist and the enemy of society, whether of the church or state. As Jupiter gives the lofty, expansive and benevolent mind, so Saturn, evilly aspected, gives the sarcastic, concrete and narrow tendencies.

   Uranus: Besides the seven planets already mentioned, two others are in our system, Uranus and Neptune. Uranus may be said to be the octave of Venus, having her nature in a much more subtle degree; its attractions are so spiritual that they cannot be felt by the ordinary man in the proper manner, and he therefore, more readily responds to the evil side of Uranus. It is the planet which rules the ether, and when in aspect to Mercury, or in the Ascendant, or with the Moon, it produces a touch with the force we know as electricity. Its operations are always very sudden, and as mankind responds to its evil side, as already stated, these effects show themselves particularly in the form of disaster.

   Neptune is the octave of Mercury. As mercury is the light-bearer for the physical Sun, so is Neptune the light-bearer of the spiritual Sun, called Vulcan among occultists, which is seen back of the visible Sun. Naturally, therefore, still fewer among humanity are capable at all of being affected by it, save that it produces a chaotic state of mind when placed in evil aspect. When placed in angles, and particularly in elevations near the Midheaven, it produces Occultists and Mystics of the highest stamp; but when placed in cadent houses, it may bring mediumship, cunning, emotionalism. It is the highest string in the lyre of the soul of God, and is therefore the least used, and the one to get most easily out of tune. Astrologers are the most affected by it, and those musicians who use stringed instruments.

  Planetary Hours:

   That the planets have dominion over the days of the week which represent the seven creative days, (Periods) is taught by the Rosicrucians.

   Saturday is Saturn's day and corresponds to the Saturn Period.

   Sunday is the Sun's day and corresponds to the Sun Period.

   Monday is the Moon's day and corresponds to the Moon Period.

   Tuesday is the day of the Norse war-god, Tyr, and corresponds to the Mars-half of the Earth Period.

   Wednesday is the day of the Norse Mercury, Wotan, and corresponds to the Mercury-half to the Earth Period.

   Thursday is the day of Thor, the Norse Jupiter, and corresponds to the Jupiter Period.

   Friday is the day of the Norse Venus, Freya, and corresponds to the Venus Period.

   In addition to the rulership over the days of the week, the planets have dominion in turn over the hours of the day, and the underlying system, order and connection between the rulership of the days and hours become apparent when it is noted that:

   The planet for which any day is named rules the first hour after sunrise on that day.

   Starting with the hour of sunrise on Sunday which is ruled by the Sun, the next hour is allotted to Venus, the third to Mercury. Next come the hours of the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. Then come other hours ruled by the Sun, by Venus and all the other planets in the order given: Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. This succession is followed in unbroken sequence to the next Sunday morning when Mars rules the last hour of the week in his proper order and the Sun opens the new week with his beneficent ray.

   Under this arrangement of succession started at sunrise on Sunday, the Moon rules the first hour of Monday, which is the twenty-fifth from the hour of the Sun which ruled Sunday morning.

   Mars rules the first hour on Tuesday which is the twenty-fifth hour from the hour of the Moon which ruled Monday morning.

   And so on, through the other days of the week. This shows how the method of naming the days for the Planetary Spirits which have dominion over them, dovetails with the system of planetary hours, and both are rooted in a foundation of esoteric knowledge.

   When we speak of planetary 'hours,' it must be understood that these hours are not sixty minutes in length, but vary in a wide measure, with the time of the year, and the place of your residence. Near the equator the divergence is least; and it increases the further North we go because a planetary hour is one twelfth part of the time between Sunset on a particular day and Sunrise the next morning, or it is one twelfth part of a particular day beginning at Sunrise and ending at Sunset.

   At the equinoxes when the day and night are of equal length, the planetary hours are also sixty minutes each, but at midsummer and in latitude sixty where the Sun rises at 3 A.M. and sets at 8 P.M. giving a day of seventeen and a night of only seven hours, the planetary hours of the day are ninety-two minutes long against twenty-seven minutes for the night hours. This is reversed in December, for then the Sun does not rise till 9:15 A.M. in latitude sixty North and it sets at 2:45 P.M. with the result that the planetary hours of the day are twenty-seven minutes long, and the night hours ninety-two minutes.

   For the convenience of students we give in the back of this book six tables, and each usable for two months in the year by all who live in latitude 25 to 55 North or South, this being practically the whole civilized world. They are perpetual and may be used a lifetime.

   To find which planet rules a certain hour, look at your timepiece and consult the table for the current month. Run your index-finger down the column for the latitude in which you live. Stop when you come to the first time which is later than the time indicated by your watch. Move up one step. The figure found there indicates that the planetary ruler commenced to rule at that time and will continue in power till the time at which you first stopped.

   The Hour-rulers are found at the intersection of the line containing the time at which they commenced to rule and the column of the proper day of the week.

   To illustrate, if we want to find which planet rules in latitude 40 on Thursday at 2 P.M. during December, we run our index finger down the middle column of latitudes in the table for December, and stop at 2:18 P.M., which is the first figure that is later than we desire. We then move up a step to 1:32 P.M., and thence to the left stopping at the column of Thursday. There we find Mars, and know that that planet rules from 1:32 to 2:18 P.M. on Thursdays, during December and January, in latitudes 35 to 45.

   Regarding the use of the planetary hours, anyone who has studied the nature and influence of the various planets on the affairs of life may readily form an opinion. Experiment and observation will soon make anyone proficient in the choice of the best times for doing the thing desired with the best chance of success. There are many who drag the stars in the gutter by perverted use of their influence for selfish ends, and endeavor to obtain an undue advantage thereby, but students of our literature will not expect to find advice on how to proceed with such a purpose. We have not studied the matter from that angle and would not teach others how, if we knew. But on certain occasions the planetary hours may be justly and beneficently used, and we shall try to indicate how they may be of service.

   Suppose we want to help a friend to obtain employment, and know a place where he would fit in. We remember that the Sun is a significator of those in authority and therefore the hours of the Sun are good in which to transact business with and ask favors of such people; and you will have the best chance of success if you apply at those times.

   But it also is important to remember that the planet which rules the first hour of a given day has prime rulership during that entire day, and that the other planets are only subsidiary rulers with the day ruler. They are weakened or strengthened in proportion to the agreement or disagreement of their natures with the nature of the day-ruler. Thus if you select a Sun-hour on Saturday, which is tinged with the obstructive Saturnine influence, your chances of success are not nearly as good as if you select a Sun-hour on a Thursday, which is tinged throughout with the benevolent ray of its day-ruler, Jupiter.

   Or, if you have occasion as a matter of duty, to reason with someone who has a very short temper who, you know, is apt to resent it and say or do something that you will both wish to avoid, use the cold wet blanket of the Saturn-hour on Saturn's day if possible, to put down and quench the martial spirit. The danger of a rupture will then be minimized to a wonderful extent, and you will probably both wonder with pleasant retrospection how well it went off.

   Or, if it becomes necessary to stir someone who has fallen into habits of idleness wherefrom others are made to suffer, if it seems almost necessary to build a fire under him to make him move, compound the fire and energy of Mars as a day-ruler with his influence as an hour-ruler, by talking to him on Tuesday. He will heed then if it is at all possible to get him started.

   By using the planetary hours on the lines here laid down, for the purpose of unselfish service, you may confer a great many blessings on others and lay up much treasure for yourself in heaven where neither moth nor rust will corrupt; and it is well worth remembering that however much material advantage you may gain by using such knowledge, that material gain, power, position, money and all other things that pertain to this world are left behind when death calls, and that our good deeds alone stand by us in that hour. Therefore do not scoff, but if you want to use these stellar influences, use them so that they will bring you everlasting instead of only temporary gain.

  Pleiades: See 'Fixed Stars.'

  Precession:

   A backward movement of the vernal equinox, which is a very important factor in human affairs. See 'Intellectual Zodiac.'

  Progression: See 'Directions and Transits.'

  Primary Directions: See 'Directions and Transits.'

  Radical:

   Pertaining to the horoscope at birth. See 'Transits.'

  Radix: The horoscope at birth. See 'Transits.'

  Reception:

   Planets are in 'mutual reception' when each occupies the house ruled by the other; as Venus in Aries and Mars in Taurus. The effect depends on the agreement between the natures of the planets. When Mars is in the Mercurial signs Gemini or Virgo and Mercury in the Martial signs Aries or Scorpio, the dynamic energy of Mars is infused into the mental organization of that person who on that account becomes more alert mentally. Whether this alertness manifests erratically or along orderly lines depends upon the aspects of course; all the 'mutual reception' does is to give the energy. If Saturn is in the Mercurial signs Gemini or Virgo, and Mercury in the Saturnine signs Capricorn or Aquarius, the restraining hand of Saturn is laid upon the flighty Mercury with the result that the mind gains in depth and power of concentration, but whether this mental capacity will be used for good or ill, depends on the aspects the same as in the case of Mars. When Venus and Jupiter are in 'mutual reception' and well aspected, it smoothes the path of life most wonderfully. Everywhere the person who has this configuration will find people ready to help, and many friends, but conversely, when Saturn and Mars are in 'mutual reception' and afflicted, he who is so unfortunate will meet rebuff and enmity on every hand.

   It should never be forgotten, however, that our horoscope shows what we have made of ourselves in past lives, and he who has the configuration that attracts friends must have been kind and obliging, while he who draws out the mean side of human nature and makes enemies is himself selfish and unfriendly. But if he will strive to turn from his ways and make some sacrifice for others, he will also in time overcome the undesirable aspects, for the Star Angels are not maliciously bent upon scourging anyone. They only scourge to subdue and correct our faults and make us better. Sometime we shall all be loving and lovable, and then there will be for us no malefic influence.

  Retrogradation:

   See chapter on Retrogradation and its effects p. 72.

  Right Ascension: See 'Ascension.'

  Ruler:

   The Ruler of a horoscope is that planet which has greatest dominion and influence over the life, and to which the native most readily responds.

   Other things being equal, the Lord of the Ascendant is the Ruler. But if another planet is stronger in the matters of Elevation, Dignity or Exaltation, Position in an Angle, and Aspects, then that planet must be regarded as the Ruler. But for this to hold, the aspects must be close and strong, regardless of whether they are good or bad. Good aspects will make a good Ruler, bad aspects a bad one, and without affecting the fact of rulership in either case. When two planets are about equal in strength and position, they must be classed as co-rulers.

   In the case of a House, the Lord of the sign on the cusp is its Ruler. Where there is an intercepted sign, its Lord has also partial rulership over the house, although it is inferior in this respect to the planet which rules the sign on the cusp. This rulership of an intercepted sign is latent and is not brought out until by progression of the angles the intercepted sign arrives at the cusp of the house. Planets in a house, if aspected, will ordinarily have a greater influence upon its affairs than the rulers of the signs before mentioned. In this case, such planets may be termed co-rulers of the house.

  Secondary Directions:

   See 'Directions and Transits.'

  Separating:

   When a planet which has been in aspect with another moves onward and thus dissolves the aspect, it is said to be separating from that aspect. See 'Apply.'

  Sextile:

   When two planets are sixty degrees apart they are said to be in sextile, so called because sixty degrees are one sixth part of the circle which has 360 degrees. It is considered a 'good' aspect. See 'Good' and 'Bad,' also 'Aspect.'

  Short Ascension: See 'Ascension.'

  Sidereal Day:

   Is the time which elapses between two successive passages of a fixed star over the meridian of a given place. See chapter on 'Time' p. 18.

  Sidereal Year:

   Is the period of time which elapses between a conjunction of the Sun with any fixed star and its return again to the same conjunction.

  Significator:

   The Planets, Ascendant, Midheaven, Part of Fortune and the Dragon's Head and Tail are called 'Significators,' because their places and aspects in the horoscope have a certain significant bearing upon the affairs of life.

  Signs:

   The signs of the Zodiac are divisions of the heavens beginning at the vernal equinox. The first thirty degrees are called Aries, the next Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

   These signs are, as said, measured from the vernal equinox, a fluctuating point, and are not to be confused with the twelve constellations of fixed stars which bear the same names, nor with the twelve houses of the horoscope which are divisions of the earth. See 'Intellectual Zodiac' and 'Houses.'

  Solar Day:

   Is the time which elapses between two successive passages of the Sun over the meridian of a given place. See chapter on 'Time' p. 18.

  Solstice:

   This word is compounded of the two words, 'sol,' the Sun, and 'sistere,' to make to stand; thus understood, it describes nicely what happens at the solstice, for a solstice is a point at which the Sun is in its highest point of declination and furthest from the celestial equator. There it stands or remains for three days in the twenty-third degree of declination before it begins to descend towards its node.

   There are two solstices. One in midsummer, the 21st of June, which is the longest day in the year, another on the 21st of December, which is the shortest. They are called respectively, the summer and the winter solstice.

  Southern Signs:

   Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are called Southern Signs because when the Sun is in them, he is South of the celestial equator, and as a result we in the Northern hemisphere have winter.

  Square:

   When two planets are ninety degrees apart they are said to be in square or quartile, because ninety degrees are one-fourth, or quarter of the circle. This aspect is said to be 'bad,' the planetary rays striking each other at a right angle, and therefore being at 'cross' purposes as it were. See 'Aspects,' and 'Good and Bad.'

  Stationary:

   At times planets move obliquely with reference to the earth's orbit, in such a manner as to appear stationary, though, as a matter of fact they are always moving. See chapter on 'Retrogradation' p. 72.

  Succedent Houses:

   The second, fifth, eighth and eleventh houses are called succedent, because the 'succeed' or follow the 'Angles.'

  Superior Planets:

   Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, are so called by Astronomers because they move in orbits which take them to parts of the heavens far from the Sun. The term is used in contradistinction to that of 'inferior planets' as applied to Venus and Mercury which always remain near the Sun. See page 10.

  Symbols:

   The symbols of the planets are given on page 24, and it will be noticed that they consist of a circle, a half circle and a cross variously grouped. The circle is the symbol of the spirit, the half-circle is the emblem of the soul, and the cross represents matter. Thus the elements of the human constitution, spirit, soul and body are enfolded in the component parts of the planetary symbols to show to the Mystic their mission with respect to humanity. These elementary parts are variously grouped to indicate the nature of the planet for which they stand, and its office in the Great School of Life where God has placed us under the Planetary Spirits who are endeavoring to educate us in the Divine Wisdom.

   The Sun, as its symbol indicates is the center of all spiritual faculties, the fountain of all life.

   The Moon's symbol is a half-circle, showing that we have completed the arc of involution where bodies were built, and that now the essence of experience extracted from these vehicles must be transmuted into spiritual qualities by the alchemy of soul-growth, so that we may rise on the arc of evolution.

   Mars' symbol is a cross above the circle, showing the unregenerate man, where the cross of personality is above the circle of spirit. But by trampling the higher nature under foot the martial character engenders war and strife, during which he necessarily suffers even when he is victorious. Thus, by rebuffs the nature is gradually softened.

  Venus: When the martial nature has suffered sufficiently, the spirit circle gradually ascends above the cross of the personality and thus becomes the symbol of Venus, the planet of love.

   Saturn and Jupiter have symbols which are similarly indicative of the manner in which soul-growth is fostered. In the symbol of Saturn the cross of personality is exalted above the signature of the soul, the half-circle. Soul-growth is attained by Service, but the symbol of Saturn shows plainly that the person under his rule is more ready to be served than to serve, and is selfish and obstructive of the common good. Naturally others resent this trait of character, and therefore Saturn brings sorrow, trouble, worry and disappointment in order to teach us that we can never really serve ourselves by selfishness, but only by sacrifice.

  Jupiter: When it has gradually dawned upon us through much sorrow, that selfishness is as a shell around the soul which shuts us off from others, we begin slowly to cultivate the quality of benevolence, and gradually the half-circle of the soul rises above the cross of matter and becomes the symbol of Jupiter, the philanthropist and friend of man. It then signifies one who loves all and one who is equally the favorite of gods and men.

   Mercury: Though the least in the Kingdom of God, the Solar System, it is nevertheless of the greatest importance, on account of its influence upon body, soul and spirit, which is shown by the fact that its symbol contains all the component parts of the planetary symbolism, namely, the circle, half-circle and cross. This is because in the mind all are linked together in one whole physico-spiritual organism called man. Without Mercury this could not be.

   Mercury is neutral however, and it depends upon the indwelling Ego represented by the centrally placed circle whether it will use its divine attributes of choice and free-will to aspire heavenward for soul-growth as symbolized by the signature of the soul, the half-circle, placed above the circle of spirit, or whether it will stoop towards the cross of personality below the circle and wallow in the mire of worldliness. No creature has such divine possibilities as man, none many aspire higher, and conversely, none may fall lower. This struggle between the higher and the lower natures for mastery, symbolized by the half-circle and the cross which are placed above and below the circle in the symbol of Mercury, was well voiced by Goethe in the lines of his immortal "Faust" where the hero says:

"Thou by one sole impulse art posses'd,
Unconscious of the other still remain.
Two souls alas are housed within my breast,
And struggle there for undivided reign.
One to the earth with passionate desire,
And closely clinging organs still adheres,
Above the mists the other doth aspire,
With sacred ardor unto purer spheres."

  Table of Houses:

   A table calculated to show what signs and degrees of the Zodiac are on each of the cusps of the twelve mundane houses at any time during any day or night in the year.

   A table of houses is always the same for a certain degree of latitude, and it may be used for a lifetime as it deals with the fixed stars which show no appreciable motion in a hundred years.

  Transits:

   At the moment a child is born the positions of the planets show the tendencies of the life. Those positions constitute the 'Radix,' and anything that has reference to that 'Root' of all events is called 'radical.' Thus, 'the radical Jupiter' refers to the position of Jupiter at a certain person's birth.

   During the next twenty, thirty or sixty days after birth the planets move on and make certain aspects to the positions held by them at birth. Each of these days corresponds to a year of life, and the aspects formed by the 'progression' on the twentieth day after birth will operate to bring about events in the twentieth year. The aspects formed on the thirty-fifth day after birth will determine the influences in the thirty-fifth year and so on. These are called 'progressed' positions and aspects. Thus, if someone says "My progressed Sun will be trine to my radical Jupiter when I am forty," he means that forty days after his birth the Sun had progressed to a trine aspect with the position of Jupiter at his birth, and that therefore this will operate in his fortieth year to bring about events of a fortunate nature, because the aspect and the planets are what is called good.

   As the span of life is usually not more than seventy years, the planetary positions after seventy days from birth do not have as marked an effect as described in the foregoing paragraph, but they have nevertheless an appreciable influence on the lives of mankind, according to their natures. But because of the rapid transit made, the effects are ephemeral, even in the case of the slower planets. These movements of the planets are called 'transits.'

   They are found in the ephemeris for the current year. That is to say, if you want to know what planets transit the different houses of your horoscope in 1916, you can find them only in the ephemeris for that year. The 'radical' and 'progressed' planets are all in the ephemeris for the year you were born, but the 'transits' for 1920, for instance, can only be found in the ephemeris for 1920.

   Lunations, or New Moons, and eclipses are among the most important transits. Their effect is described under 'lunations,' which see. Next in importance are the transits of the superior planets through the houses. The tenth house signifies social honor. When Jupiter transits it every twelfth year, there will be opportunities for social advancement; when Saturn comes there once in thirty years, look out for setbacks and exert your will to overcome them; and you may judge in like manner about the other planets and houses.

  Trine:

   When two planets are 120 degrees apart, they are said to be in trine, because 120 degrees is one third part of a circle. This is considered the most harmonious of all aspects.

  Triplicities:

   The signs of the Zodiac are variously grouped to show certain of their qualities. One method segregates them into four groups of three signs each, each group having affinity for one of the elements: Thus Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fiery. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are earthy. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are airy, and Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are watery. These four groups constitute the four Triplicities.

   The fiery triplicity has its apex in the Eastern angle, Aries, where the creative fire commences to produce a body for the spirit to function in in the material world. The second angle of this trinity is in the fifth house, which denotes the manner in which the creative force will be used on the physical plane for procreation. It is, therefore, the house of children, occupied by the fiery sign Leo. The line of force running from the Eastern angle in the other direction shows the use to which the creative force is put in the mind. It is, therefore, occupied by the fiery sign Sagittarius and placed in the ninth house, which denotes the higher mind.

   The earthy triangle has its rise, its apex, in the cardinal sign Capricorn, which corresponds to the tenth house, denoting the external environment, the professional and social standing of the person; and as this triplicity is earthy, it deals entirely with the material affairs of the native. Therefore, one line of force goes from it to the sixth house, which is under Virgo, a business sign; hence this house denotes the service which it is expected that the person should perform in the world. Since this service is as much dependent upon bodily health as mental capacity, this house is also the house of sickness. The other line of force, proceeding from Capricorn to the third sign of the earthy triplicity, denotes the emoluments which will be received for the service rendered according to the sixth house, and in the capacity denoted by the tenth house. Therefore the second house ruled by the sign Taurus is the house of finance; and as one's freedom of action depends to a degree upon the state of his finances, this house is also called the House of Liberty.

   The apex of the airy triplicity is in the Western angle occupied by the cardinal sign Libra, which is ruled by the planet of love, Venus. This triplicity is therefore concerned with the different unions possible in human life. The seventh house where it rises properly denotes the most intimate of all those unions, marriage. From that union, other relationships result, and therefore one line of force goes from the seventh house to the third house, occupied by Gemini, the twins. This house therefore denotes brothers and sisters. The other line of force connects the seventh house with the eleventh, signifying the unions of friendship.

   The watery triplicity takes its rise in the northern angle occupied by the cardinal sign Cancer, which is the house of mystery, denoting the latter part of life, the point where the spirit is getting ready to withdraw itself from material existence to take up the activity of the spiritual worlds. It is therefore connected with the eighth house, the house of death, which is occupied by the sign Scorpio. It is significant in the highest degree that this is the negative house of Mars, and that it rules the creative organs. It points out in the most thorough manner, the evanescence of all that is created in the physical world. The other line of force proceeding from the fourth house goes to the sign Pisces, occupying the twelfth house. Pisces, which is composed of two half-circles and a band, shows well the dual nature of man that has run its course in the physical world, but has another evolution to be taken up in unseen realms. This house, therefore, denotes the confinement in which the spirit realizes that it is at the end of life, the sorrow it feels and the self-undoing to which it is sometimes prompted.

  Tropic:

   'Tropikos' is a Greek word which has a meaning relative to turning, and the tropics of Astronomy are the turning points of the Sun. At the summer solstice the Sun reaches its highest degree of Northern Declination in the sign Cancer; this then is its tropic, for from that point it begins to turn downwards to its Western node, and goes into Southern Declination. It reaches the lowest point of that arc in December at the winter Solstice in the sign Capricorn. This is the other tropic, for there again it turns and commences its next ascent towards the Northern heavens.

  Void of Course:

   When the planets are so placed that the Moon makes no aspect before leaving the sign she is in at birth, she is said to be 'void of course.' As the Moon is the planet of fecundation which nourishes and nurses the latent potentialities into actualities, the above is an unfortunate condition, for with it, if the Moon is in the beginning of a sign at birth, it leaves the life vapid and void of incentive.

  Watery Signs:

   Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are called 'watery' signs. Water is the Universal Solvent, and the Universal Coagulant in the alchemical laboratory of nature. On page 28 it is shown how the Sun of Life, the Ego, passes through the waters of parturition in three definite stages symbolized by the watery signs.

   When the Sun is at the highest point of its declination in the psychic watery sign Cancer, designated by the ancient Egyptian priests the sphere of the souls awaiting rebirth, it is at the Throne of the Father, the Fountain of Life. There it draws from that inexhaustible well a new supply of the elixir vitae for the coming year, and forthwith commences its descent to bring the treasure to the waiting world.

   But to do this it must first pass through the fire of its own sign Leo, and blend fire and water. Upon the successful performance of this alchemical feat depends all manifested life.

   In October the Sun enters the second of the watery signs, Scorpio, where the energetic Lucifer Spirits of Mars are endeavoring to amalgamate the two antagonistic elements, but not with complete success, for the fire of passion and the waters of emotion seethe, boil and foam in ware and strife. Thus the pure essence of life received from our Father in Heaven becomes tainted with passion when dragged through the pool of Scorpio, and to offset this taint it is bathed in the fire of aspiration when the Sun reaches the fiery sign Sagittarius at Christmas.

   In March the Sun's passage through the last of the watery signs, Pisces, raises the sap in the trees, swells the seeds and buds by the expansive ray of the benefic Jupiter till they are ready to burst, and when the Sun of Life enters in exaltation of power the fiery sign Aries, it utters the creative flat and all nature bursts forth in glorious splendor. The Flame of Divine Life germinated and gestated in the watery womb of nature is then manifest in the world.

  Zenith:

   The highest point in the heavens above the birthplace, where the Sun is at noon, also called the Midheaven. This is the same for all latitudes at a given sidereal time. Thus, if two children were born at the same sidereal time, one in Alaska, the other in Mexico, both would have the same degree of the Zodiac on the midheaven, but their Ascendants and other cusps would be materially different, causing the planets to be placed in different houses, and making the lives dissimilar in every other respect. See 'Midheaven' and 'Houses.'

  Zodiac:

   A narrow belt in the heavens extending about eight degrees on either side of the ecliptic or Sun's path. See 'Intellectual Zodiac.'

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

• Click here to continue...
• Table of Contents
• Index
• Click here to return to The Rosicrucian Fellowship Home Page.
• Rosicrucian Fellowship Astrology Study Courses information
• Order the printed version of this book.