MASCULINE AND FEMININE SIGNS
Again, among the twelve signs, six are called masculine and diurnal,
and six feminine and nocturnal. They are arranged in alternate order,
one after the other, as the day is followed by the night, and as the
male is coupled with the female.
The commencement, it has been already said, belongs to Aries; since
the moisture of the spring forms an introduction for the other
seasons. And, as the male sex governs, and the active principle
takes precedence of the passive, the signs of Aries and Libra are
consequently considered to be masculine and diurnal. These signs
describe the equinoctial circle, and from them proceed the principal
variation, and most powerful agitation, of all things. The signs
immediately following them are feminine and nocturnal; and the rest are
consecutively arranged as masculine and feminine, by alternate order.
Masculine or feminine qualities are, however, by some persons,
attributed to the signs by means of a different arrangement, and by
making the sign ascending (which is also called the horoscope) the
first of the masculine signs. They also consider the first tropical
sign to be that in which the Moon is posited, because she undergoes
more frequent and rapid changes and variations than any other heavenly
body; and it is by a similar mode of reasoning that they establish the
horoscope as the first masculine sign, on account of its being more
immediately under the Sun. Again, certain of these persons likewise
allow the alternate arrangement of the signs; while there are, again,
others who do not admit it; but, instead thereof, divide the whole
zodiac into quadrants, and denominate those between the ascendant and
the mid-heaven, and between the western angle and the lower haven,
oriental and masculine; and the other two quadrants, occidental and
feminine.
There have also been other additional appellations bestowed on the
signs, in consequence of their apparent formations and figures: they
have been called quadrupedal, terrestrial, imperial, fruitful, and have
received various other distinguishing epithets of the same sort; but
these distinctions seem too unimportant to be even enumerated here,
since their origin is obvious, and since, should they ever be thought
serviceable towards the inference of future effects, they may be easily
applied without the aid of further instruction.