Chapter IV. READING THE HOROSCOPE（续 1）

The fourth and last trinity of houses is composed of the fourth, eighth and twelfth. In them are

hidden the mysteries of the antenatal life of the spirit, with the post mortem experiences immediately following the terminus vitae. On the material plane the fourth house signifies our condition in the latter part of life, the twelfth shows the sorrow which impresses us with the worthlessness of material things and the eighth indicates the nature of our exit from the world's stage.

An illustration may further help the student to understand how the heavens influence our life through the twelve houses. Suppose we are out driving and our road follows the seacoast, but a mile or so inland. A breeze is blowing from the ocean and as it passes over the country separating us from the sea, it brings upon invisible wings messages from that land, which evoke pleasure or aversion according to their nature. In one place, an aroma of new mown hay fills us with delight; perhaps we arc nauseated by the noxious smell of jasmine on the next stretch of our journey; and later become really ill from the stench of stagnant marsh-water. But then we enter a forest, and soon its grateful pine balm restores the normal health and spirits.

In our journey from the cradle to the grave we carry the twelve houses with us in the auric atmosphere surrounding us, as the air envelops the flying earth. Each house mirrors part of the life; each holds some of our life lessons; each represents how we have worked or shirked before in a given department of life's task. At the appropriate time of life

we reap from each house what we have sown in past lives. That is, unless we forestall the harvest in time. Is our eleventh house afflicted, do friends betray and forsake us, do they leave us heartsick, or nauseate us like the scent of jasmine and stagnant marsh- water? Then let us examine the horoscope, for it reveals what is hidden in our auric atmosphere. The friends saw us, and we them, through the eleventh angle, and something ill-smelling must be there. It may be, we long to be befriended, more than to befriend others. Let us cease to be like the sickly, debilitating jasmine, and seek to emulate the sturdy strength of the invigorating pine tree; then we shall find friends flocking around, admiring our strength. Not all have such sturdy natures, but we can attract equally by kindliness, as soothing to sorrowing hearts as perfume of new mown hay to the sense, and thus we may rid the house of friends of affliction.

After the foregoing explanations, the houses may now be said to influence the affairs of life as follows :

First House rules the physical body and its constitution and appearance ; it determines conditions in the childhood home while the person is under control of the parents.

Second House rules the money, financial fortunes; it shows what the person acquires by individual effort and to a certain extent what use he will make of it.

Third House rules brothers and sisters, neighbors, the instinctual mind, writings, short journeys and conveyances of travel.

Fourth House — That one of the parents who exercises the least influence in the person's life, conditions in the latter part of life, houses, lands, mines; everything pertaining to the earth.

Fifth House — Love, courtship and licentiousness, the legitimate and illegitimate attraction and intercourse between the sexes prior to wedlock, children, educational institutions, books and newspapers, sports and amusements, stocks and speculations.

Sixth House — Health, service to be rendered by the person and also the condition and faithfulness of those who serve him.

Seventh House — The marriage partner, the public in general, competitors, partners, opponents in litigation, rivals.

Eigthth House — Death, legacies, the marriage partner's finances, occult abilities or faculties latent but nearly ready for manifestation.

Ninth House — Religion, spiritual experiences and aspirations, dreams and visions, long travels, law.

Tenth House — The parent who exercises most influence in the person's life, the honor and social

standing of the person, the government, judge or employer.

Eleventh House — Friends, companions and wellwishers, hopes, wishes and aspirations, generally of a material nature, also stepchildren.

Twelfth House — Confinement in hospitals or prison, secret enemies and plots; sorrow and self undoing.

On either side of the Sun's path there are a number of fixed stars which are so grouped that they may be conceived as forming twelve constellations, and as they have certain characteristic influences ancient sages named them for the animals which express similar traits. These constellations are called the natural Zodiac and for all practical purposes it may be said that they occupy permanent positions relative to the other fixed stars of the firmament. This circle is divided into twelve sections starting at the first degree of Aries, which is occupied by -the Sun at the vernal equinox.

On account of the precession of the equinox the Sun does not cross the equator at the same point each year, but it has been found that the first 30 degrees from the point where the Sun does cross the equator at the equinox have a similar effect to that ascribed to the constellation Aries; the next thirty degrees radiate a Taurian influence and so with the

other ten sections of thirty degrees each. Therefore the twelve sections measured from the vernal equinox are used exclusively in Astrology and called signs of the Zodiac, to differentiate them from the constellation. (For a thorough elucidation of the subject see "Simplified Scientific Astrology," under the caption "Intellectual Zodiac.")

These twelve signs of the Zodiac are variously divided according to their effect on humanity into Cardinal, Fixed and Common signs, also into Fiery, Earthy, Airy and Watery signs. What that influence is we shall endeavor to elucidate in the following sections.

The Cardinal Signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. These signs are called Cardinal because when the Sun is in them he is in one of the four corners of the heavens; at a turning-point, where he is forced to take another direction. In Aries he is as far East as he can go, Cancer is the tropical point of the North where he gives the most perpendicular ray at the Summer Solstice, and consequently the greatest heat. Libra is the extreme Western point of his path, where he turns awav from the Northern Hemisphere, and in midwinter, at Christmas, he is in Capricorn at the farthest point South, where his horizontal ray leaves the people of the North in winter's icy grip. The effect of the

angles, the first, fourth, seventh and tenth houses, is similar to the effect of the cardinal signs because these houses are at the East, North, West and South points of the horoscope. The nature and effect of cardinal signs and angles may be summed up in the words "Action" and "Initiative" (though each acts differently from the other), therefore planets placed in cardinal signs and angles give zest to life according to the nature of the particular planet, sign and angle.

Zodiac means circle of animals and the symbols of three of the cardinal signs are animalistic: Aries, the Ram ; Cancer, the Crab ; and Capricorn, the Goat. The fourth represents the ideal towards which this class must strive : Libra, the Scales. None need poise so much as those under the impulsive influence of the cardinal ray; therefore the Balance was set in heaven to direct their aspirations.

The Fixed Signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Three symbols of the fixed signs are also bestial, violent and virulent; Taurus, the Bull; Leo, the Lion; and Scorpio, the Scorpion. The human figure of Aquarius, the Waterbearer, shows us the ideal towards which this class must strive. Instead of fighting, preying upon, or poisoning others in the struggle for existence they must learn to become humane, to be friends instead of foes to all.

The influence of the fixed signs rouses the desire nature, giving stamina and persistence in action.