Chapter II. The Earth and the Zodiac

The Earth revolves around the Sun, making one complete circuit around that centre m a period of 365J days, which we term one year. In this revolution round the Sun, the solar orb is seen from the earth through one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. The astronomical and astrological year commences about the 21st of March in each year, at this time the Sun is said to enter the sign Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, and then passes through the whole twelve signs contained in the 360 degrees of the circle ; this journey of the earth around the Sun which causes that luminary to appear in these signs each month takes a period of a little over 365 days. This marks off one distinct division so far as the zodiac is concerned, and gives us the primary considerations of the signs through which the Sun's ray passes, and by this we judge the internal or individual characteristics of the person born in that particular month ; this gives us twelve kinds of people, twelve types that stand out very clearly and definite, the definiteness being the more marked as the Sun's rays pass through the middle degrees of each sign, a sign consisting of exactly 30 degrees.

The earth also revolves once upon her own axis every 24 hours, and this causes each portion of the earth to pass through the whole twelve signs of the zodiac once in each day of 24 hours, a fresh sign rising upon the ascendant at the place of birth every two hours, and one separate degree of the zodiac every four minutes ; by this we have an entirely different individual born every four minutes in time. It should be remembered that time and space are described in terms of minutes and degrees respectively. Every four minutes of time equals i degree in space, thus every 15 degrees in space are equal to one hour in time, and 30 degrees, or one whole sign of the zodiac, equals two hours in time, and from this it will be seen that a given point on the earth will be two hours in passing through one sign of the zodiac, but the Sun takes one month to pass through the sign. It can now be seen that the earth is one day of 24 hours passing through the zodiac containing twelve signs, and the Sun takes one year to pass through the circle. These two separate apparent motions of the earth and Sun must be clearly thought out, and the

astronomical fact of the two revolutions of the earth remembered ; once round the Sun, and once upon her own axis, the former taking a year of twelve months, and the latter a day of 24 hours ; ** a day is as a year in the sight of the Lord."

There is still another motion through the zodiac which we must consider, making three motions- in all — that is, the motion of the Moon around the earth, once every lunar month of 28 days. The Moon takes 2^ days to pass through each sign, making the complete circuit in a mooneth or lunar month, a consideration that we will take up later on.

It must be now clearly understood that there are three very important considerations with regard to the signs of the zodiac. First, the position of the Sun each month, caused by the annual revolution of the earth round the Sun, passing through the signs each month, given in detail at the end of this chapter. Secondly, the Moon's place in the zodiac each month ; and finally, the earth's daily revolution upon her own axis.

The zodiac is one of the most important factors to become thoroughly acquainted with, this being the track, or belt, through which all the planets pass ; it is commonly known as the ecliptic, cutting, as it were, the equator at the spot that is called the first point of Aries. The signs of the zodiac should never be confused with the twelve constellations of the same name ; at certain periods of the world's evolution the signs and the constellations correspond, but this will be thoroughly explained in its proper place. The diagram, the signs of the zodiac, and the paragraph that follows them should now be well studied.

The twelve zodiacal signs and their symbols are : —

T Aries v ^ Taurus) Northern n Gemini' Signs ® Cancer Spring and Si Leo Summer

tiX Scorpio * I Southern t Sagittarius |^ Signs y^ Capricorn / Autumn and ccc Aquarius Winter

N.B.— The Signs are not bodies, but spaces of thirty degrees each, and divide the Ecliptic, or apparent track of the planets round the earth, into twelve equal parts ; and the measurement of both this Circle and the Equator begins when they cross each other as the Sun ascends northward ; consequently we measure the distance from that point (called the Vernal Equinox, or first point of Aries) on the Ecliptic, and call it Longitude. If a Star be a little North or South of the Ecliptic, or Sun's apparent track, we call the distance from the Ecliptic Latitude. The Longitude of the Stars is measured by signs and degrees, but on the Equator by degrees only, which is called right Ascension ; and their distance from the Equator is called Declination.

The measurement of this zone or belt extending 22 J degrees on each side of the Ecliptic called the zodiac is by seconds, minutes, degrees and signs as follows : —

The Sun appears to enter the various signs of the zodiac on the dates given in the following table, which should be committed to memory.

April 19 J May 20, June 21 July 22 » Aug. 23 Sept. 23' Oct. 23) Nov. 22 ' Dec. 21 '