Chapter I（续 2）

Thus spring ‘corresponds’ to sunrise, for it is the dawn of the year, even as sunrise is the dawn of the day. But there are many days during the year.

CHAPIER’ II Tue TweEtve SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC

In the previous chapter we were concerned with the twelve mundane houses, or the twelve equal divisions of the circle of observation, an imaginary circle drawn round the earth from East to West and passing overhead and underfoot through the zenith and the nadir, the observer being in the centre.* We shall now proceed to consider the twelve signs of the zodiac. The word zodiac means a group of animals, and the twelve signs are really so many types of beings, symbolised in various ways among various nations.

We have now to consider the movement of the earth from the standpoint of the sun as centre; that is, we have to regard the annual revolution of the earth 7” zfs orbit round the sun, whereas in our first chapter we merely considered the rotation of the earth on its axis, by which movement the Sun appears to pass round the earth once daily.

Now the earth completes its circuit round the Sun in one year, or twelve months; and hence the space passed through by the earth in one month—that is, one-twelfth of the circle—is analogous to one of the Mundane Houses (in fact there is an exact correspondence between them, as has been said already). These twelve divisions are called the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac; so we can see that practically the Zodiac is really the orbit of the Earth, as explained in Chapter XII of Casting the Horoscope. But as we are obliged to view everything from the Earth, we have to consider how this will appear from our standpoint. This is fully explained in the first chapters of the book just referred to, but it may be briefly put as follows :—

As the earth pursues its yearly course round the sun, an observer

* 'This description of the mode of reckoning the twelve houses requires some qualification, it is true, but it would lead us too far from our present purpose to go into the matter fully here ; it is thoroughly explained in the second book of this series, Casting the Horoscope.

on our globe seems to see the sun changing its place among the stars to the rate of about 1° per day, and thus describing one complete circle in the year. Now itis this circle of the ecliptic, or the sun’s apparent path round the earth, which is what the western astrologer means when he speaks of the zodiac. It is divided into twelve equal parts, the signs of the zodiac, which correspond as just stated to the twelve mundane houses; the first sign to the first house, the second sign to the second house, and soon. ‘The zodiac commences at that point at which the Sun crosses the equator in its northern path, which it does about March 21st each year.*

The Twelve Houses of the Horoscope govern the physical framework, and the fate connected with environment; that which may be overcome by the inherent will of the native. The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac are the covering of the twelve houses and give the colouring and quality to the twelve divisions of the horoscope, being more related to the psychic and inner nature. Their relation to each other may be understood in this way: if we think of the fouses as transparent vessels, each having its own shape and pattern according as it is angular, succedent or cadent, oriental or occidental, above the horizon or below,—then the szgzs will supply the contents of such vessel, giving a special substance, colour and quality to each house.

Everywhere throughout Nature there is analogy, or rather, a reflection of attributes, from that which is above to that which is below—As above So below runs the Hermetic axiom. Thus we find

* The signs of the zodiac must not be confused with the constellations of the zodiac. ‘The constellations are groups of fixed stars, the twelve central groups being called by the same names as the twelve signs, although they do not cover the same areas of the heavens. The Hindus and some other oriental nations work by these constellations, but the western astrologer always calculates im terms of the signs, and when he speaks of ‘the zodiac’ he always means the ecliptic or Sun’s path. In the Tetrabiblos of Claudius Ptolemy, (Ashmand’s translation, published 1822, 1896) we read on page 32 : ‘The beginning of the whole zodiacal circle

. is... the sign Aries which commences at the Vernal Equinox,’ and the translator goes on to say :—‘ This shows the futility of the objection raised against Astrology, that the signs have changed and are changing places. It is clear from this sentence that Ptolemy ascribes to the 30 degrees after the vernal equinox, that influence which he has herein mentioned to belong to Aries ; to the next 30 degrees, the influence herein said to belong to Taurus; and so of the rest of the Zodiac ... Ptolemy himself seems to have foreseen this groundless cig of the aden! and has written, in the 25th chapter of this book, what ought completely to have prevented

the division of the twelve signs into the three primary qualities, er quadruplicities, has its correspondence in the twelve houses, the Cardinal or movable signs corresponding to the angles, the Fixed signs to the succedent houses, while the Mutable or common signs will be similar in nature to the cadent houses. Again the four triplicities correspond to the four angles, while the four quarters of the day, dawn, noon, sunset and midnight, have their similitude in the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The fiery signs are related to spring by Aries, the middle of summer by Leo, and the end of autumn by Sagittarius; the beginning of summer is signified by the watery sign Cancer, the middle of autumn by Scorpio, and the end of winter by Pisces; the commencement of autumn by the airy sign Libra, the middle of winter by Aquarius, and the end of spring by Gemini; the entrance of winter by the earthy sign Capricorn, the middle of spring by Taurus, and the end of summer by Virgo.*

The signs, like the houses, also govern the various parts of the body, as follows: Aries, head and face; Taurus, throat and ears; Gemini, neck, arms, shoulders and lungs; Cancer, breast and stomach ; Leo, heart and back; Virgo, bowels, liver and pancreas; Libra, groin and kidneys; Scorpio, secret parts; Sagittarius, thighs; Capricorn, knees; Aquarius, ankles; Pisces, feet.

The zodiac is also divided into thirty-six decans or decanates, each sign containing three decanates. But these must be considered later, for it will be first necessary to understand the nature of each of the twelve signs before we can comprehend their parts.

Taking the circle of the twelve signs and dividing them into angles or triplicities in a similar manner to that adopted in the last chapter, we shall find a deeper meaning attached to each sign than has hitherto been explained by astrological writers.

The main classes into which we shall divide the twelve signs will comprise the ‘triplicity’ and ‘quality,’ uniting as far as possible the quality belonging to each triplicity. In each of the four triplicities or trigons the three qualities are harmoniously blended, and hitherto no clear explanation has been given as to the nature of either triplicity or quality ; and yet upon acorrect understanding of these factors rests the fundamental basis of Natal Astrology.

* ‘These are for the northern hemisphere.

The four triplicities are Fire, Air, Water and Earth—Spirit, Space, Time and Matter—and in this order we shall study them.

The three qualities are Cardinal or movable, Fixed, and Mutable or common.

These seven tendencies or powers are each governed by a lord, angel or Deva.

The four triplicities govern the four castes. They are also the indicators of the force, active and energetic, represented by the fiery signs; the quality of solidity and stability denoted by the earthy signs; powers of extension and expansion indicated by the airy signs: and finally the plasticity and mobility shown by the watery signs.

The three qualities or quadruplicities, cardinal, fixed and mutable, represent what are known by the Hindus as Rajas (activity), Tamas (stability) and Sattva (rhythm). They may be likened to the three phrenological temperaments, the motive, the vital, and the mental.*