Chapter XXX. THIRTY-SIX EXAMPLE HOROSCOPES（续 5）

In our extended practice, we know of no exception, the rigid, set and inflexible nature of the Fixed signs seems to protect the mind under all exigencies of stress.

It therefore follows, that the mentally unbalanced come principally from those born with Common signs on the angles. The intrinsic nature of these signs is Flexibility; as a reed in the wind they are swayed hither and thither under stress of circumstances; they have no stamina or stability, and take reverses much to heart, while they last. Sorrow seems to overwhelm them and balance is easily lost.

It is a distinctive feature of the Rosicrucian teachings that pupils in the Western world must be given a reason for every dictum, so as to forestall criticism, as much as possible, for it retards development every time it is indulged. The Rosicrucian teachings therefore aim to forestall questions at every point by giving reasons for every dictum, so that the critical mind may be weaned away from this attitude. We are ardently looking for the day and reign of Christ, the Friend of man, we do not know when He will come, no man knows, but Paul said that when He comes we shall be like Him. Adverse criticism and skepticism were not traits of His character and anything that will aid to eradicate these undesirable characteristics hastens the glad day of Universal Friendship.

The reason has been given in Simplified Scientific Astrology, why the Ascendant rules the body as

a whole : it is the place occupied by the Moon at conception. In the Bible angels are often mentioned as heralds of birth and their lunar home is the focus whence the spirits enter our terrestrial sphere on their return to physical life. They fashion the etheric mould for our present instrument, and direct the growth of the foetus. Therefore the Ascendant and the Moon show the organic disabilities which lead to mental disorder. The congenital idiocy resulting from lack of proper adjustment between the vital body and the physical vehicle has been thoroughly described in the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, together with causes producing the same during prenatal life. Astrologically this condition is produced by an affliction of the Ascendant, that is to say, the Moon's place at conception, which throws the angle of the stellar ray out of parallax to the mother 's body, and the physical vehicle is built in such a manner that the head of the vital body is several inches above the skull. Thus the nerve centers are askew, preventing the ego from properly controlling its instrument. This is one of the configurations which produce idiocy and St. Vitus' dance. Uranus and Neptune are especially concerned in producing this latter phenomenon. Saturn is the cause of melancholy and depression. Mars and Uranus produce the muscular and violent forms of insanity. Horoscopes 13 and 14 illustrate these peculiarities. No. 13 also shows the connection between puberty and the mental state. Gemini is rising, with Taurus and Mars intercepted in the

Sixth and Twelfth Houses, from whence come disease and confinement. The Moon is in Taurus, which rules the larynx, she is in conjunction with Neptune, square to Mercury, and Mars is in Scorpio, which rules the generative organs. There we have at once the tendencies to a disease, which is further accentuated by the fact that Neptune in Taurus squares the Sun in Leo, and Leo has rule over the heart, and is the prime factor in circulation upon which the life of the body depends; thus the threatened illness may be set down to trouble with the blood, produced by a nervous affection. Puberty occurs at the time when the Moon is in the opposite quarter from its place at birth. She entered Scorpio, the opposite of Taurus which held her at birth, at the time when the child was nearly twelve years of age. Up to that time the little girl had been bright, but the conjunction with Mars in Scorpio precipitated the period and robbed the growing child of vitality sorely needed at that time. The initial periods were few, but left her depleted of strength to withstand the square to Mercury and the opposition of the Moon to its radical place. (The radical place of a planet is its position at birth.) This affliction of Mercury, the ruler, by the Moon at birth, was thus excited and insanity showed itself in consequence. As the affliction comes from fixed signs, we may judge it will be impossible to overcome, and the best that can be done for the poor soul is to pray for the day of its release, that it may have a better chance in a future embodiment.

No. 14 is the horoscope of a young man. The common sign, Gemini is rising, the ruler, Mercury, is in the Eighth House, the house of death, Uranus and the Moon are in opposition. This configuration, which is similar to that of horoscope No. 12, has the same significance, it presages suicidal tendencies under nervous strain, and this augur is all the more dangerous as it comes from fixed signs. Mars and Neptune in Taurus give a desire for drink and the Sun in a watery sign accentuates the tendency. Under such circumstances the man has several times tried to end his life in a most extraordinary manner. Jupiter in Sagittarius, square to Saturn in Pisces, increases the looseness of his morals and makes him dishonest, He will forge and steal in order to satisfy his passion and craving for drink and questionable society. Leo on the Second Hou?e with Uranus and the Moon in close conjunction, shows that he spends what he gets in dissolute living.

There is one redeeming feature in the horoscope ; Tenus in the Midheaven sextile to his ruler, and trine to the Moon. He has energy and artistic ability which, it is hoped, may in time rouse the better qualities and make him a man. But again we reiterate that with the affliction from fixed signs the obstacle is almost insurmountable.

In conclusion the student's attention is directed to the Third and the Ninth Houses, which will also have an influence on the mind. Planets therein act

according to the intrinsic nature expressed in the key word of each.

When we studied progression, horoscope No. 15 was used as an illustration to show the various crises which eventually led up to the death of the native. But in order to keep the student's mind closely centered upon the mathematical side, we refrained from delineating the nature of the disease which caused her demise, promising to elucidate that point in the proper place.

Virgo is rising and Mercury, the ruler, is trine at birth, but unfortunately he is combust, a term which has been previously explained as meaning that the heat of the Sun burns up the ray of any planet placed too close thereto. The disease was not congenital however, although the Moon was square to the Ascendant. But Virgo people, we have seen, are extremely fond of being sick. When once they have had a little pain, they magnify and nuree it and are loath to let it go. The square of Neptune in Aries to Uranus caused St. Vitus' dance at about the age of five years, when the Moon passed the opposition to Uranus. This was the beginning of her illness. She afterwards regarded herself as an invalid and nursed sickness. At the time of puberty the Moon was in Gemini in opposition to its place at birth. This excited the above mentioned square between the radical Moon and the Ascendant, it also caused the periods to be irregular

and troublesome. The blood must have an outlet and the square of Neptune to Jupiter in Cancer, which rules the stomach, caused haemorrhages when the Moon came into conjunction with the Dragon's Tail in Sagittarius (the opposite sign to Gemini), and the radical square of the Ascendant and the Moon were again excited. Then also the lungs became affected and the crises enumerated in the chapter on Progression ended the life.

As we feel that this cannot be reiterated too often, we repeat our injunction to students never to let a patient know that there is any danger or that there is a crisis ahead. Particularly, please remember particularly, if it is a Virgo, for they have no chance at all if they know what is coming.