These, of course, are twelve in number. In Astronomy they are disposed
in the order in which the sun successively occupies them, Aries,
Taurus and Gemini being the Signs of Spring; Cancer, Leo and Virgo
those of Summer; Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius those of Autumn; and
Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces the Signs of Winter. In Astrology,
however, they are differently arranged, according to their several
qualities or properties. They are still in groups of three, but each
group forms, not a season of the year, but a Triplicity, thus:
Aries, the first month of Spring, Leo, the second month of Summer, and
Sagittarius, the third month of Autumn, form the first Triplicity;
every sign in which is hot and dry, regulates the Bilis flava, is
masculine, diurnal, and is influential in youth. Its Lord is Sol by day
and Jupiter by night.
[Illustration: =Fig. 1.=]
The second Triplicity consists of Taurus, the second Sign of Spring,
Virgo, the third Sign of Summer, and Capricornus, the first of Winter.
These Signs are cold and dry; their corresponding humour is Bilis atra;
they are feminine, nocturnal, and preside over decrepitude. Their
Lords are Venus by day and Luna by night.
The third Triplicity is composed of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius; the
third of Spring, the first of Autumn, and the second of Winter. These
are hot and moist in complexion, their humour is Sanguis, they are
masculine and diurnal; they preside over our childhood, and their Lords
are Saturn by day and Mercury by night.
The Signs of the fourth Triplicity are Cancer, the first of Summer,
Scorpio, the second of Autumn, and Pisces, the third of Winter. They
are cold and moist; their humour is Pituita; they are feminine and
nocturnal; they regulate the middle period of life; and their Lords are
Venus by day and Mars by night.
It is also important to know that some signs are mobile, such are
Cancer, Libra, Capricornus and Pisces; others are stable, and such are
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius; while a third group is mediocre with
respect to mobility, as Aries, Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius.
A masculine Sign is so called because a child conceived under the
influence of that Sign will be a male; and children conceived under
feminine Signs are female. (Yet it is a fixed rule that all children
are born under Aries, just as by the common law, all children born at
sea are parishioners in Stepney.)
A Sign is diurnal or nocturnal according as its power is greater by day
or by night.
In addition, every Sign has an aspect towards some particular part of
the human body.
Aries is the principal and most important sign of all. In whatever
scheme the Signs are reckoned, Aries comes first: consequently its
aspect is to the head. Taurus relates to the neck and shoulders,
because a bull is in these parts very robust. Gemini relates to the
arms and hands, because the twins are represented as embracing, and
the quality of embracing is in the arms and hands. Cancer pertains to
the chest and the adjacent parts, because a crab is very robust in the
chest and thereabouts. Leo pertains to the heart and the mouth of the
stomach, because the whole virtue of a lion is in his courage. Virgo
relates to the intestines, the base of the stomach and umbilicus,
because the virtue of a virgin resides therein. Libra relates to the
kidneys, because they lie equally balanced, one on each side of the
spine. Scorpio refers to the genitals, because the whole virtue of the
scorpion is in his tail, and these are the caudalia of man. The aspect
of Sagittarius is to the hips, of Capricornus to the knees, of Aquarius
to the legs, and of Pisces to the feet, these being the parts of the
body, as those are the Signs, that come next in order.