Chapter XX. Houses of the Planets

Toss stars which are denominated planstary orbs have particular femiliarity with certain places in ‘the zodiac, ‘by

of theni*, and, if the nativities published by him are to be credited, be'has fully establisheil ‘their importance. |

Salmon, in -his “ Hora ‘Mathematiox,” béforementioned, gives a long -dissertation (from p. 408 to-p.-444) onthe old Ptolemaic aspeots, illustrative of their foundation in-nature and in.matbematios; and, although his eonclusions are not quite satisfactorily drawn, some. of his arguments would seem appropriate, if he had but handled therh more fully and éxpertly ; particularly where ‘he says that the aspects are derived “from the aliquot parts of a circle, wherein ebserve that, “ although the.godiac:may have .many :more aliquot.parts than-these “ four (the sextile, quartile, trine, and opposition), yet those other “aliquot parts of the circle, or 860-degrees, wil] not make. an aliquot “ division of the signs also, which in this design was sought to. an- “-swer,‘as well in the number 12, as in the number 360.” ‘The passage in-which he endeavours to:shew'that‘they are sathorined! by-theic.

All Salmon’s. arguments, however, in support of the old poueks aspects, militate against the new Keplerian ones; and so does the following extract from the “ Apology” of Sir Christopher Heydon: — For thus, amongst all ordinate planes that may be inscribed, “‘-there are two whose sides, joined together, have:pre-eminence ‘to “take up a semicircle,’ but orily the hexagon, quadrate, and equi- “lateral triangle, answering to the sextile, quartile, and trine irra- “ diated. The subtense, therefore, ‘of a sextile aspect consisteth of “‘ two signs, which, joined -to the -subtense of .a trine, composed of “.four, being regular and cquilateral, take up -six signs, which is a “ complete.semicircle. ‘In like :manner, the sides of a quadxate.in- “.seribed, subtendixg three signs, twice reckened, do occupy likewise “the mediety of.acirele. ‘ And.what those figures are: before saad to “‘ perform” (that is, to take up a semicigole) “either doubled or

* Except the semiquadrate, which'he has not at afl noticetl. ee

‘42 _* * PTOLEMY’S TETRABIBLOS. { Book I.

_ means of parts designated as their houses, and also by their triplicities, exaltations, terms, and so forth.

The nature of their familiarity by houses is as follows :

Cancer and Leo are the most northerly of all the twelve signs ; they approach nearer than the other signs to the zenith of this part of the earth, and thereby cause warmth and heat: they are consequently appropriated as houses for. the two principal and greater luminaries; Leo for the Sun, as being masculine; and Cancer for the Moon, as being feminine. It has-hence resulted, that the semicircle from Leo to Capricorn has been ordained solar, and the semicircle, from Aquarius to Cancer, lunar; in order that each planet might occupy one sign in each semicircle, and thus have one of its houses configurated with the Sun and the other with the Moon, conformably to the motions of its own sphere, and the peculiar properties of its nature. .

Saturn, therefore, since he is cold and inimical to heat, moving also in a superior orbit most remote from the luminaries, occupies the signs opposite to Cancer and Leo: these are Aquarius and Capricorn ; and they are assigned to him in consideration of their cold and wintry nature; and because the configuration by opposition does not co-operate towards the production of good*.

Jupiter has a favourable temperament, and is situated beneath the sphere of Saturn; he therefore occupies the next two signs, Sagittarius and Pisces. These signs are

“joined together, may also be truly ascribed unto the opposite as- “ pect by itself; for that the diametral line, which passeth from the “‘ place of conjunction to the opposite point, divideth a circle into “‘ two equal parts: the like whereof cannot be found in any other “ inscripts; for example, the side ofa regular pentagon” (the quintile) . “ subtendeth 72 degrees, of an oetagon’” (the semiquadrate) “ but 45; “the remainders of which ares, viz. 108 and 135 degrees, are not sub- “ tended by the sides of any ordinate figure.”

* Saturn being also malefic in his nature.

airy and fruitful, in consequence of their trinal distance from the houses of the Juminaries, which distance harmonizes with the operation of good.

Mars is dry in nature, and beneath the sphere of J upitef : he takes the next two signs, of a nature similar to his own, viz. Aries and Scorpio, whose relative distances from. the houses of the luminaries are injurious and discordant.

"Venus, possessing a favourable temperament, and placed berieath the sphere of Mars, takes the next two signs, Taurus’ and Libra. These are of a fruitful nature, and preserve

‘harmony by the sextile distance ; and this planet is nevermore than two sign’ distant from the Sun.

Mercury never has greater distance from the Sun than’ the space of one sign, and is-beneath all the other planets : hence he is nearest to both luminaries, and the remaining two signs, Gemini and Virgo, are allotted to him*.