Chapter XI. The New Moon of the Year

In every annual revolution made by the Sun, the first new Moon of the year is to be considered as the point of the commencement of his circuit; this is evident not only from its denomination, but from its virtue also*.

pears; and that spot is to be considered as being in familiarity with the same countries as those parts of the zodiac which may be on the same line.—Vide Chap. 4 of this Book, relative to the manner in which fixed stars out of the zodiac hold familiarity with certain regions and countries. ~

* The Neomenia, or new Moon, was observed as a festival with much solemnity in earlier ages and by the most ancient nations. It was celebrated by the Israelites, as well as by Pagans; and it may perhaps be gathered from the 5th and 6th verses of the 20th Chapter of the 1st Book of Samuel, that it was kept once in a year with greater ceremony than at other times: this was done, probably, at the “ New Moon of the Year,” as Ptolemy calls it } or, in other words, at the new Moon nearest to the vernal equinox.

Chap. XI.) PTOLEMY’S TETRABIBLOS. — . 98

The case stands thus:—In the ecliptic, which, asa circle, has in fact’ no actual or definite beginning, the two equinoctial and the two tropical points, marked by the equator and the tropical circles, are reasonably assumed as beginnings. And to obviate any doubt as to which of these four points should prefergbly be considered as the primary beginning, (since in the regular simple motion of a circle no part of it has any apparent precedence,) the appropriate quality naturally belonging to each of these four points has been taken into consideration by the -writers on this subject. And the point of the vernal equinox has been consequently designated by them as the beginning of the year ; “hecause, from that time, the duration of the day begins to exceed that of the night, and because the season then produced partakes highly of moisture, which is always a predominant quality in all incipient generation and growth. After the vernal equinox comes the summer solstice; when the day attains its greatest length, and in Egypt, at the same period, the rise of the Nile takes place and the Dog Star appears. Then follows the autumnal equinox, when all fruits, are gathered in, and the sowing of seeds recommences anew ; lastly, comes the winter solstice, when the day proceeds from its shortest duration towards its increase.

Although the foregoing armngement has been adopted by men of science to denote the commencement of the several seasons of the year, it yet seems to besmore consonant to nature, and more consistent with the facts, that the combined positions of the Sun, and the new, or fall, Moon, which happen when the Sun is nearest to “the points abovementioned, should mark the four beginnings; and more especially if such combined positions should produce eclipses: thus, from the new or full Moon, taking place when the Sun is nearest to the first point of Aries, the spring should be dated; from that when the Sun is nearest to the first point of Cancer, the summer ; from that when he is nearest to the as point of Libra, the autumn; and from that when

he. ig nearest to the first point of Capricorn, the winter. The Sun not only produces the general qualities and copstitutions of the seasons, by means of which very illiterate

persons are enabled, in a certain degree, to form predictions, but he also regulates the proper significations of the signs with regard to the excitation of the winds, as well as other general occurrences, more or less subjected to occasional variation. All these general effects are ysually brought about by the new or full Moon which takes place at the aforesaid points, and by the configurations then existing between the luminaries and the planets: but there are certain particular cansequences which result from the new and full Moon ig every sign*, and from the transits of the planets; ‘ and «* which require monthly investigationt.”’ .

It therefore becomes necessary to explain, in the first instance, the particular natures and attributes exeroised. by each sign in influencing the several constitutions of the weather, as it exists at various times of the year ;—these natures and attributes shall now be immediately detailed, It will be recollected, that the peculiar properties of the planets and the fixed stars, as affecting the wind and the’ atmosphere, as well as the manner in which the entire signs hold familiarity with the winds and the seasons, have been

The particular Natures of the Signs by which the different Constituttons of the Atmosphere arc produced.*

Tue sign of Aries has a general tendency, arising from the presence of the Equinox, to promote thunder and hail.

*. That is to say, at the new and full Moon taking place during the Sun’s progress through each sign.

+ The passage marked thus “ ” is not in the Greek, but is found in two Latin copies. or

} According to Wing, in his “ Introduction to the Ephemaides,” printed in 1642, the signs, as mentioned in this chaptex by Ptolemy, ara to he considered in thaix quality as constellations, and not as

Ohap. X11.) _yototamy’s tetRabteies. 95 ‘Certain of its’ parts, however, opernte im a greater or les degree, accoitting to the nature of ‘the stars which compose ‘the sivtit fot instance, the front parts excite rain and wind ; the middle are temperate ; and those behind are heating ard pestilential, The sorthern perts, aleod, ate heating and peniicious, but the southers cooling and frosty.

The sign of Tautus, in its general character, partakes of both temperaments*, but is trevertheless chiefly warm. Its _ front parts, and especially those neat the Pleiades, produce

‘earthquakes, clouds and winds: the middie parts are moistening and cooling s those behind, and neat the Hyades, are fiery, and cause meteors and lightnings. The northem parts ate temperate ; the southern turbulent and variable.

Gemini, in its general tendency, is temperate; but its -

fending perts produce mischief by moisture} its middle parts are entirely temperate; its latter parts mixed and turbulent. The northern patts promote earthquakes and wid 3 and the gouthern are dry ard heating.

‘Caneer is, in the whole, serene end warm, but its anterior “parts near the Preesepe are oppressively hot and euffocating ; the middle parts are temperate, and the latter parts excite wind. And doth its northern and southern parts ate equally Mery and seorching.

Leo has 8 general tendeticy operative of stifling heat. The anterior parts are opprestively and pestilentially trot ; yet the middle parts are tetnperate and those behind are injurious by meatts of woisture.. The northert parts produce vatiation and heat, and the gouthera moisture.

Virgo, in its general tendency, excites moistute and thunspaces of the heavens. * This opinion, however, seems to me to be erroneous; for Ptolemy has already devoted a chapter in the ist Book to the detail of the influences of the several stars in the respective constellations of the zodiac; and he moreover speaks, in the present

_ chapter, of the operation of Ariés, as owing to the presence of the -

Equinox. ‘This he could not have done, bad he spoken of the signs as Sostollations: instead of spaces. ¢ The temperaménts here alluded to ate, probably, heat ad cold.

der. The front. parts, however, are chiefly warm and noxious ; the middle temperate ; and the latter parts watery. The northern parts promote wind; the southern are temperate.

Libra has a general tendency to produce change and variation. Its front and middle parts are temperate; its hinder

‘parts watery. The northern parts cause variable winds, and .the southern are moistening and pestilential.

Scorpio, in its general character, is fiery and productive

of thunder. The front parts cause snow; the middle are temperate; the latter parts excite earthquakes. Its northern parts are heating ; its southern, moistening.

Sagittarius, generally, 1s effective of wind. The front parts are moistening ; the middle temperate ; and the hinder parts fiery. The northern parts promote wind, and the southern variation and moisture.