Chapter IV. READING THE HOROSCOPE

WHEN the student of Astrology has learned to cast the horoscope correctly by the study of our "Simplified Scientific Astrology," or another reliable textbook, the next and most important part is to read its message. Astrology means "Star Logic" and we must seriously advise the student not to depend too much on authorities but to try to understand the basic nature of each planet, the influence of signs, houses and aspect/3; then by a process of reasoning to combine these and thus develop his own intuition which will serve him far better than the ability to quote like a poll parrot what some one else has said.

We would also advise the younger astrologer not to bother too much with the personal descriptions indicated in the horoscope. It is foolish to spend hours perhaps to find out what the one for whom a horoscope is cast can see in a moment by looking in a glass. We give descriptions of the different types, but do so for the purpose of aiding the student to determine at sight the probable sign and

planet rising when a client comes who does not know his birth hour. There are people for instance, who have the face of a sheep just as perfect as possible. If such a one is in doubt about the birth hour we would at once look to Aries and experimentally try how that would fit with the other characteristics of that person, if we did so we should probably find our guess correct in every case. Thus also the other signs and planets in signs exhibit distinguishing characteristics of valuable aid to the student in the direction mentioned.

The student should also endeavor to cultivate perfect confidence in the science of Astrology. There is nothing empirical about character reading and diagnosis.. In those respects it is plain as A B C. Predictions may fail because the Astrologer is unable to determine the strength of will of the person for whom he predicts, but the latent tendencies are always accurately foreshown. The writers have found that where they do not personally know the people whose characters they read, their delineations are much deeper and more accurate because then personal bias and impressions are absent and the mystic scroll of the heavens more easily read.

There are three factors which bring to us the mystic message of the stars ; the houses, the signs and the planets.

The houses are divisions of the earth; each house represents a department of life; the signs are divisions of the heavens which by their placement

relative to the houses indicate our basic temperament and attitude towards life, and the planets are the messengers of God which by their motion through the houses and signs bring to us the opportunities for soulgrowth which we need for our individual development. It is therefore necessary for one who wishes to learn to read a horoscope to become thoroughly acquainted with these three factors both separately and in their various combinations. The following descriptions may help to convey this knowledge :

As said in the introductory remarks, "the houses are divisions of the earth," and therefore they are also called "Mundane Houses," to differentiate between them and the "Celestial Houses" composed of the twelve signs of the Zodiac ; but generally they are designated as "houses" only.

It is the angle of the stellar ray which determines its effect in our lives, those which are in the East affect our physical constitution, planets in the South near the zenith are factors for good or ill' where our social position is concerned. If a planet is setting in the West at the time of our birth its angle strikes us in such a manner as to draw us to a certain type of marriage partner, and the planets under the earth, in the North, have an effect upon our condition in the latter part of life. Let us suppose for illustration of the point that someone is born

at sunrise on a day when the Sun and Jupiter are in conjunction. Then they strike him from the eastern angle and give him a splendid vitality. Another born on the same day at noon when Jupiter and the Sun are in the zenith position may have a very poor and weak body if other planets in the East are adverse, but if the ray of the Sun and Jupiter falls on his birth figure from the South he will certainly attract attention in his social sphere and be the recipient of public favor and honor. Another born on the same day, when the Sun and Jupiter are setting in the West may be an outcast if planets in the East and South decree, but the benefic ray of the Sun and Jupiter from the Western angle will make him beloved of his mate and successful in partnerships. These facts have been ascertained by observation and tabulation. Therefore the twelve sections of the circle of observation as seen from the birthplace are truly said to rule or govern various departments of life and thus people born on the same day may have the most diverse experiences.

The houses may be variously grouped according to the influence they exercise in our lives; there are ''angular," ' ' succeedent " and "cadent" houses, also personal, spiritual, material, social and mystical houses.

Of the angles, the first house governs our personal self, and its opposite the seventh house, rules the one who is nearest and dearest to us, namely, the marriage partner. The fourth house determines

conditions in our home and its opposite angle, the tenth house, shows our social standing in the community where we live. Thus the angles show collectively the sphere of our activities in life.

Of the succeedent houses the second shows our financial status with regard to that which we acquire by our own efforts and the opposite succeedent house, the eighth, shows whatever we may receive from others as legacies, etc. The other succeedent houses, the fifth and eleventh, show how our income may be spent, for the fifth house indicates the children of our body who have a legitimate claim to a share of our income, and the eleventh house shows the children of our brain, our hopes, wishes and aspirations which also draw upon our resources.

Of the two pairs of cadent houses the sixth is the house of voluntary service which we perform as our share of the world's work for an equivalent share in the world's wealth, and the twelfth house shows how we may be compelled to labor without remuneration under prison restraint if we do not work willingly. The sixth house shows also the state of our health and the twelfth tells if hospital treatment is necessary.

The other pair of cadent houses, the third and ninth, show whether our life and work will confine us to one place or require travel and changes of residence. In this respect the third house shows short journeys and the ninth house long travels.

The personal houses comprise the first, fifth and

ninth. The first house rules the constitution and peculiarities of the physical body. Planets and signs in that house put their stamp on it to make or mar according to the part of its self-generated destiny. Our fifth house shows the quality of the love-nature of the soul and the line of its expression if it follows the line of least resistance ; and the ninth house shows as much of the spirit as we can apprehend in our present limited state

The material trinity of houses consists of the second, sixth and tenth and shows the worldly possessions of man, his means of obtaining them and the enjoyment they bring him. Wealth, or its reverse, is shown by the second house, health, without which there can be no joy in any worldly possession, is shown by the sixth house ; and the public prestige which is the chief source of gratification to the average human being, is shown by the tenth house.

The social houses are the third, seventh and eleventh houses and in them are shown the nature of our relations with various classes of souls we meet in life. Brothers and sisters to whom we are bound by the tie of blood are shown by the third house, the companion of our heart with whom our blood blends in another way, is shown by the seventh house, and the friends, more precious than pearls to whoever has earned friendship, are designated by the eleventh house.