CONCERNING THE TWELVE HOUSES OF HEAVEN AND THEIR POWERS
The ancient astrologers divided the heavens into twelve houses.
_The First House._--This is called the _Ascendant_, and the planet
rising therein--whether well or ill-dignified--will materially affect
the mind, bodily appearance and fate of the native through his whole
existence. This house is masculine, and governs the head and face of
man and, if the planet Mars be in this house at the time of birth,
there will always be some blemish or mole in the face of the native; if
a few out of the degrees have ascended the scar or blemish is, without
fail, on the upper part of the head; if the middle part of the sign
ascends the mark is in the middle of the face; if the latter part of
the sign is ascending the mark is near the chin. This house represents
the head, the tongue and the memory, and it governs in colours white.
_The Second House._--This house has signification of the native's
wealth and worldly goods. The house is feminine, ruling the neck, and
the colour is green.
_The Third House._--This governs brothers and sisters, short journeys,
neighbours, letters and writings. It is masculine and governs the
hands, arms and shoulders; its colours are red and yellow mixed.
_The Fourth House._--This rules the father, inheritances or property of
the native, and shows his condition at the close of life. It is
feminine, and rules the stomach, breast and lungs; its colour is red.
_The Fifth House._--This signifies the children of the native, also his
success in speculation and hazardous games, the pleasures he enjoys and
the wealth of the father. It rules the heart, back and liver, is
masculine, and represents in colour black and white mixed.
_The Sixth House._--This concerns the native's servants, sheep, goats
and small cattle. It also signifies the father's kindred. This house is
feminine. It rules the belly and intestines and its colour is black.
_The Seventh House_ gives judgment of marriage and describes the man or
woman in all love questions. It is masculine, it rules the haunches,
and its colour is black.
_The Eighth House_ argues of death, of legacies and wills, also of the
kind of death a man shall die; it is a feminine house. It rules the
lower parts of the trunk of the body; its colours are green and black.
_The Ninth House_ gives judgment on voyages and long journeys, and also
on events happening to the wife's kindred. It rules the hips and
thighs. It is a masculine house; its colours are green and white.
_The Tenth House_ is called the _Mid-heaven_, and is feminine. This
concerns the native's mother, and also his calling. It rules the knees
and hams, and its colours are red and white.
_The Eleventh House_ represents friends and friendship. It is masculine
and rules the legs.
_The Twelfth House._--This house is often called the _Evil Dæmon_, for
it is the house of sorrow, self-undoing, enemies and imprisonment. It
governs great cattle. It is feminine, and rules the feet and toes, and
in colour it governs green.
The strongest houses are the first (the _Ascendant_) and the tenth (the
_Mid-heaven_). The first, fourth, seventh, and tenth are called Angular
Houses, and represent the four cardinal points of the compass; thus the
first is east, the seventh west, the fourth is north, and the tenth
south. The second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh houses are called
Succedent Houses; the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth houses are
termed Cadent Houses (see plate 1). Any planet posited in a Cadent
House is regarded as weak in its effects on the native. It is necessary
to have thoroughly mastered the influences of the twelve houses, as
well as those of the seven planets, and of the signs of the zodiac,
before attempting to cast a nativity or to work a horary question.