THE ALPHABET OF ASTROLOGY
The Science of Astrology consists of four branches, namely, _Mundane
Astrology_, which is the art of foreseeing, by the aspect of the stars,
at certain periods, the events likely to happen to nations, such as
pestilences, wars, inundations and earthquakes; _Atmospherical
Astrology_, which is the art of foreseeing, by the positions of the
heavenly bodies, the quality of the weather at any particular time or
place; _the Casting of Nativities_, or the art of foretelling, from the
position of the stars at the moment of birth, the fate and character of
the native; and _Horary Astrology_, or the art of foreseeing, by the
positions of the heavens at the moment, the result of any business or
circumstance.
As the two former branches are treated in the astrological almanacks
issued every year by Zadkiel, Raphael, Orion, and others, it is
needless to go into them; but as the casting of nativities and the
answering of horary questions require individual treatment, the working
of these two branches of astrology (_after the ancient methods_) shall
be described as clearly as possible.
Before the student can do anything in astrology he must master its
alphabet--that is, he must make himself thoroughly acquainted with the
symbols used to represent the planets, the signs of the zodiac and the
aspects.
The planets recognised by the ancient astrologers are, as we have seen,
seven in number, and are as follows, with their symbols:--Saturn,
[symbol]; Jupiter, [symbol]; Mars, [symbol]; Sol, [symbol]; Venus,
[symbol]; Mercury, [symbol]; Luna, [symbol].
There are also the Dragon's Head, thus symbolised, [symbol]; and the
Dragon's Tail, [symbol]. These are neither planets nor signs of the
zodiac, nor constellations, but are only the nodes or points where the
ecliptic is crossed by the Moon. One of these points looks northward,
where the Moon begins her northern latitude, and the other points
southward, where she commences her south latitude. The head of the
Dragon is considered of a benevolent nature; the tail of the Dragon is
of evil tendency.
There are also the twelve signs of the zodiac, which are as follows,
with their symbols:--
NORTHERN. SOUTHERN.
[symbol] Aries [symbol] Libra
[symbol] Taurus [symbol] Scorpio
[symbol] Gemini [symbol] Sagittarius
[symbol] Cancer [symbol] Capricorn
[symbol] Leo [symbol] Aquarius
[symbol] Virgo [symbol] Pisces
Through these twelve signs the planets continually move, and are ever
in one or other of them.
They are divided into _north_ and _south_. The first six, from Aries
to Virgo, are _northern_; the latter six, from Libra to Pisces, are
_southern_; this is because the Sun and planets when in the first six
are north of the equator, and when in the last six they are south of
that line.
Each point of the zodiac rises and sets once every twenty-four hours,
occasioned by the earth's revolution on its axis once every day;
therefore, when any given point is _rising_, the opposite point must be
_setting_.[3]
[3] Aries is always opposite to Libra; Taurus to Scorpio; and
so on of all the rest, as shown by the table given (p. 11).
As the zodiac consists of 360 degrees from the first point of Aries
until we come to that point again, and as these are divided into twelve
portions or signs, they must consist of 30 degrees each.
The aspects are five in number; they represent certain positions which
the planets bear to each other as they move through the signs of the
zodiac; they are as follows, with their symbols:--
[Symbol] Conjunction], when two planets are in the same place, viz.,
in same degree of the same sign.
[Symbol] Sextile, when they are 60 degrees or two signs apart.
[Symbol] Square, when they are 90 degrees or three signs apart.
[Symbol] Trine, when they are 120 degrees or four signs apart.
[Symbol] Opposition, when they are 180 degrees or six signs
asunder.
The conjunction ([symbol]) is rather a position than an aspect, as
planets can hardly be said to aspect each other when they are in the
same place. When Saturn is in the first degree of Aries, and any planet
in the same degree of that sign, they are said to be in conjunction;
this is good or evil, according to the nature of the planets thus
posited.
The Trine ([symbol]) is the most powerful of all the good aspects.
The Sextile ([symbol]) is favourable.
The Square ([symbol]) is evil.
The Opposition ([symbol]) is also very evil.
There are several other aspects (sometimes called the "modern aspects")
invented by Kepler; but as they only appear to complicate what is at
best a very intricate study, it is best to ignore them and adhere in
this, as in the matter of the planets, to the old methods.