Chapter V. Marriage

Tue consideration of circumstances relating to marriage, or the cohabitation of husband and wife, as sanctioned by law, "succeeds to the foregoing details, and must be pursued in the following method.

With regard to men, jt is to be observed in what manner the Moon may be disposed ; for, in the first place, if she be found in the oriental quadrants, she will cause men either to marry early in life, or, after having over-passed their prime, to marry young women ; ° but, should she be situated in either ‘¢ of the occidental quadrants, men will then marry either ‘© Jate in life, or to women advanced in aget:” and if she be found under the Sun’s beams, and configurated with | Saturn, she then entirely denies marriage. Secondly, should she be in a sign of single form, and in application to only one of the planets, she will cause men to marry only once; but, if she be in a bicorporeal or multiform sign, or

* Keacsos twv xpeparey.— These words have been rendered literally, but they seem to contain some figurative meaning, rather than a literal one. Perhaps the preferable sense of them is, “by a mixture of views,” or “from various pursuits being blended together.” |

+ The words marked with inverted commas, are not in the Greek ; they are found, however, in two Latin translations ; that of Basle, 1541, and that of Perugiv, 1646.

_ Chap. V-) PTOLEMY’S TETRABIBLOS. — 183

in application to several planets, she will cause them to be married several times; and, provided also that the planets, | which thus, either by adjacency or by testimony*, receive her application, be benefic, men will then obtain good wives ; but if, on the contrary, the said planets be,malefic, bad. For example, if Saturn receive the Moon’s application, the wives whom he will provide will be troublesome and morose ; but, if Jupiter receive it, they will bé decorous and ceconomical; if Mars, bold and refractory ; if Venus, cheerful, handsome, and agreeable ; and, if Mercury, sensible, prudent, and clever. Moreover, should Venus be found connected with Jupiter, Saturnt, or Mercury, she will render wives provident, and attached to their husbands and children ; but, if she be found connected ‘with Mars, they will be ctaseible; unsteady, and indiscreet.—Thus far in reference to the marriage of men. ‘

_ But, in the case of women, the Sun must be observed, instead of the Moon : and, should he be posited in the oriental quadrants, women will be married either in their own youth, or to men younger than themselves; but, if he be in the occidental quadrants, they will either be married late in life, or to men who have passed their prime, and are advanced - in years. And should the Sun be in a sign of single form, or configurated with only one oriental planet, he will cause them to enter into matrimony only once; but, if in a bicorporeal or multiform sign, or configurated with several oriental planets, he will then cause them to be often married. And Saturn, being configurated with the Sun, will provide husbands stedfast, advantageous, and industrious ; Jupiter, such as are honourable and noble-minded; Mars, severe - husbands, yoid of affection and intractable; Venus, amiable °.

* In other copies, “ witether by conjunction or aspect.” + “ Saturn.” Not found in the Elzevir edition, but in others.

. and handsome husbands; and Mercury, such as are provident and expert in business. But, if Venus be found connected with Saturn, she will indicate dull and timid husbands ; ‘¢ if with Jupiter, the husbands will be good, just, and uae st dest * ;”’ if with Mars, hasty, lustful, and adulterous; and if with Mercufy, they will be extravagantly desirous of young personst. -

In regard to the Sun, those quadrants which precede the ascending and descending points of the zodiac, and, in re- - spect of the Moon, those which are measured from her | conjunction.and opposition ¢ to her intermediate quarters, are called oriental quadrants: the occidental quadrants are, of course, those lying opposite to the oriental.

‘Whenever both nativities, viz. that of ‘the husband and that of the wife, may exhibit the luminaries configurated together in concord, that is to say, either in trine or in sextile to each other, the cohabitation will most usually be lasting ; especially if the said concord exist by means of interchange § ; but its duration will be also much more securely established, provided the Moon in the husband’s nativity should correspond or agree with the Sun.in the wife’s nativity 4. If, however, the relative positions of the kaminaries be in signs inconjunct, or m opposition, or in quartile, the cohabitation will be speedily dissolved upon slight causes, and the total separation of the parties will ensue.

* The words thus marked * ” are not found ia the Elzevir edition, bat appear ia the Latin one of Baste, 1541. - $ Sag watac ew Bopunnewe.

{ That is to say, from the new and the full Moon. |

§ By mutual reception ; according to Whalley, and alse according to the Latin copy of Perugio, 1646. - ar

\| Meaning, probably, if the Moon in a Seon nativity should be in the same position as the Sun in the wife's nativity, or fartnoniously configurated with that position. ‘ |

And should the configuration of the luminaries, when made in concord, be aspected by the benefics, the cohabitation will continue in respectability, comfort, and advantage; but, on the other hand, it will abound in strife, contention, and misfortune, if the malefics be in aspect to the, said configuration.

In like mammer, even though the luminaries may not be favourably configurated in concord, should the benefics still offer testimony to them, the cohabitation will then not be entirely broken off, nor totally destroyed for ever, but will be again renewed, and re-established as before. But if, on the contrary, the malefics bear testimony to such discordant disposition of the lummaries, a dissolution of the cohabitation will take place, accompanied by scorn and injury. Sheuld Mercury alone be conjoined with the matefics, it will be effected by means of some public inculpation ; and if Venus also be found with them, it will be on the ground of scene or sorcery, or some similar offence.

There are, however, other vaweties in the married state, ‘ which areto be contemplated by means of Venus, Mars and Satum. And showld these planets act in familiarity with the laminaries, the cohabitation will be appropriate and domestic, and authorised by law; because Venus holds a certain af- : fimity both to Mars atid Saturn: her affinity to Mars, for instance, consists in each having exaltation in a sign belonging to the other’s triplicity *, and it operates in the cases of youthful and vigorous persons: while her afinity to Saturn arises from their respective houses being in signs, again also,

belonging to each other’s triplicity¢, and relates to persons of more advanced age.

* The exaltation of Venus being in Pisees, and that of Mars in Capricorn. Vide Cheptérs 21 and 22, Book 1.

+ Libra being Venas’s house, and in-Saturn’s triplicity ; and Capricorn being Saturn’s house, and in Venus’s triplicity. oe Chapters 20 and 21, Book 1.

Hence, if Venus be in concurrence with Mars, she will produce entire love and affection in the cohabiting parties; and. ‘if Mercury also coincide with the said planets, such affection will become publicly notorious. Should Venus be found: in a sign mutuajly common and familiar, such as Capricorn, or Pisces*, she will effect marriages between brothers and. sisters and kindred by blood : and, provided she be also in the presence of the Moon, when the native may be male, she. will cause him to connect himself with two sisters, or other near relatives; but, if the native be a female, a similar con-- tract on her part, with two brothers or near relatives, will be. indicated, when Venus may be also with Jupitert. 3

Again, if Venus be with Saturn, the cohabitation will be established entirely in happiness and constancy; and if Mercury be present with them, it will be profitable; but, should Mars be present, it will be unsettled, calamitous, and: afflicted by jealousy. And if Mars be configurated on equal terms with Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, he will effect mar-- lage between persons of equal age ;. but, on the other hand, should he be more oriental, marriage will take place with a: younger man or woman; and, if more occidental, with an older person. Should Venus and Saturn be. found in signs common to each other, that is to say, in Capricorn and Librat, marriage will be contracted between persons kindred by blood: and, when the said position may happen in the as-: cendant, or in the mid-heaven, provided the Moon also should’ present herself there, men will become connected with their mothers, or maternal aunts, or. with their mothers in law; and women with their own sons, or the sons of their brothers, or with their daughters’ husbands. But if, instead of the Moon, the Sun should be in concurrence with the said position, and especially should it also happen that the planets in