IN addition to the foregoing brief observations, applicable to the various forms of death, further attention is demanded with respect to the division of time, which requires to be contemplated in its natural order and succession.
Now as, in all genethlialogical cases, a certain common and general arrangement, affecting the region or country and the race or generation, is pre-supposed to be in operation, to which arrangement particular inferences, relating to the form of the body, the properties of the mind, and national habits and variations, must each be subservient; and as, in these respects, certain causes more general and predominating are pre-supposed in existence before particular causes, due care must consequently be taken, in order to make an inference consistent with the course of nature, to observe always the original and predominating cause, and never to lose sight of it; lest some similarity in nativities (if any such should exist) might induce an assertion when the original predominating cause proceeding from the region itself has been overlooked, that the native of Æthiopia will be born of white complexion, and with long and straight hair; or, on the other hand, that the native of Germany or of Gaul will be black in complexion, and have curled
Hence, the first age of infancy, which endures for four years, agreeing in number with the quadrennial period of the Moon, is consequently adapted to her; being in its nature moist and incompact, presenting rapidity of growth, being nourished by moist things, and possessing a highly variable habit. Its mental incompleteness is likewise in accordance with its familiar relation to the Moon, and her operative influence.
The age after this continues for ten years, and accommodates itself to the second sphere, that of Mercury. In this period, the intellectual and reasoning faculties of the mind begin to take their character, imbibing the seeds of learning, and developing, as it were, the elements and germs of the genius and abilities, and their peculiar quality. The mind is also roused to discipline and instruction, and to its first exercises.
Venus corresponds with the next and third age, which lasts throughout the following eight years, the number of her own period: from her, the movement of the seminal vessels originates, as well as an unrestrained impetuosity and precipitancy in amours.
Further, in prorogations of the ascendant, the degrees of distances will be equal in number to the ascensional times of the particular latitude; but, in prorogation, from the mid-heaven, to the times of culmination; and, in other prorogations, they will be in proportion to the ascensions, or descensions, or culminations, and will depend on their proximity to the angles; as has been already said in treating of the duration of life. 3
The arbiters of general times are to be determined by the foregoing method; but arbiters of annual periods as follows: viz. after the number of years which have elapsed since the birth has been ascertained, the amount is to be projected from each place of prorogation, in the succession of the signs, at the rate of one sign for a year, 4 and the lord
It is, however, necessary to notice the ingresses made on places allotted to different periods; for they take effect in no small degree on the events of the period. Thus, the ingresses made by Saturn, on places of general periods, require special observation; those made by Jupiter, on places of annual periods; those made by the Sun, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, on monthly places; and the Moon's transit over daily places. It must also be remembered, that arbiters of general periods are chiefly paramount over the events; and that, to their influence, the arbiters of particular periods (each of whom acting by its own proper nature) present either co-operation or obstruction; and that the ingresses also operate on events, by increasing or diminishing their force and extent. 3
The general characteristic property, and the duration of the period, will be indicated by the place of prorogation, as also by the lord of the general times, and by the planet in possession of the terms; by means of the familiarity subsisting, from the actual birth, between each planet, and the places of which they may have respectively and originally taken dominion. The arbiters of time will also give indication whether the event will be good or evil, by means of their own naturally benefic or malefic property and temperament, and by their original familiarity or variance with the place of which they have become lords. But the period, at which the event will become more strongly evident, is shown
The mode in which the Sun and Moon may be disposed, in reference to the signs relating to annual and monthly periods, is also indicative. For example, should they, from the date of the nativity, be posited in concord with the operative places, and keep a position of concord at the ingresses, they will produce good; but, if adversely posited, evil. And also, if they be not in concord with the said places, and provided they be contrary in condition, and in opposition or in quartile, to the transits, they will cause evil: should they, however, not be in quartile, nor in opposition, but otherwise configurated, their influence then will not be equally malefic.
Should it happen that the same planets may be lords of the times, 2 as well as of the ingresses, the effect will be extreme and unalloyed, if of a favourable nature; and more particularly unmitigated, if evil. And should the said planets be not only lords of the times, but likewise hold dominion from the date of the nativity, and provided also that all the prorogations, or most of them, should tend to, or depend on, one and the same place, or, should the prorogations not be so constituted, yet notwithstanding, if the meetings occurring at the periods be found to be either all, or most of them, benefic or malefic, they will wholly produce, in all respects, good or evil fortune, respectively.
It is in this method, which preserves a natural order and succession, that times and seasons require to be contemplated.
137:1 On this chapter Whalley makes the following annotations: "One direction, how malevolent soever, rarely kills; and, in most nativities, there is required a train of malevolent directions to concur to death: where several malevolent directions concur so together, without the aid of intervenings of the benevolents, they fail not to destroy life.
"In such trains of directions, the author here distinguisheth between the killing planet and the causer of the quality of death; for one planet doth not give both. The foremost of the malevolent train is the killing place, and shows the time of death; but the following directions, though benevolent, show the quality. If the train fall altogether, and none follow, for the quality observe those which precede, though at a distance and benevolent also; for, though the benevolent contribute to the preservation of life, yet they frequently specify the disease which is the cause of death. And with these, our author tells us, concur the configurating stars, the quality of the stars and signs, and the terms in which the lords happen. In violent deaths, the genethliacal positions of the lights are to be observed, and how the malefics affect them, and [how they] are also concerned by directions in the quality or death." See also Chap. XIV, Book II.
138:1 With respect to the periodical divisions of time.
138:2 It will, of course, be remembered, that the Sun, in the Ptolemaic astronomy, is counted as a planetary orb.
139:1 The Latin copy of Basle, 1541, says, "to marriages."
140:1 "Bodily," or in conjunction.
140:2 On this passage, Whalley remarks, "we are to observe in direction, that the star in exact ray with the prorogator shall be ruler until the prorogator meets another ray; that then the planet whose ray it is shall take the dominion, and so on. But if no planet aspect the hyleg (prorogator) exactly, that which casts its rays before the prorogator is to be taken for ruler of the time, till another planet's ray comes in by direction. And the lord of the term, in which the direction falls, must be considered as a co-partner in this dominion."
140:3 Vide Chap. XIV, Book 3.
140:4 The Greek is simply as εισ τα επομενα κατα ξωδιον; but the context proves that the entire meaning must be as now given, although the Latin translation of Perugio renders it "one year to each degree." Whalley explains that by annual periods "the author intends profections: for the taking of which, for every year from the birth, add one sign to the sign in which the aphetics are at birth, and the sign which ends at the year desired is the sign profectional for that year, and the lord of that sign is chronocrator (arbitor) for that year; so far as the degrees of that sign reach. For example, if a prorogator at birth
141:2 Whalley says here, "let a sign be added for each month to the sign of the year. So, in the example before proposed, the last 15° of Gemini, and the first 15° of Cancer, shall serve for the first month: the last 15° of Cancer and the first 15° of Leo, for the second month; and so on. And for days, from 15° of Gemini to 15° of Cancer, rules two days and eight hours after birth, &c."
Placidus is of opinion, "that Ptolemy, speaking of annual places, is to be understood of the places of secondary directions; and that when he speaks of the menstrual, he hints at the places of progressions." (Cooper's Translation, pp. 25 and 57.)
141:3 Placidus says, that "active ingresses, if they be similar, to the pre-ordained effects, cause them to influence; if dissimilar, they either diminish or retard; as Ptolemy has it in the last Chapter of Book IV." (Cooper's Translation, p. 27.)
142:1 Placidus observes, that "the primary directions of the significators to their promittors, and the lords of the terms, Ptolemy calls the General Arbiters of Times, because they pre-ordain the general times of their effects; which, as its motion is slow and its perseverance long, discovers its effects after a very long time; that is, after months and years. In order that we may know, in this extent of time, on what particular month and day the effects appear, Ptolemy proposes these motions for observation, wherein, when the majority of the causes agree together, then doubtless the effect is accomplished, or most clearly manifests itself." (Cooper's Translation, p. 109.) And he says afterwards, in speaking of secondary directions, progressions, ingresses, &c., "these subsequent motions of the causes demand our greatest attention." (Ibid., p. 110.) In the Appendix to the same book, at p. 438, the proper equation of time, of measurement of the arcs of direction, is also treated of, in reference to the 16th canon of Placidus, which is as follows:
"To equate the Arc of Direction. Add the arc of direction to the right ascension of the natal Sun; look for this sum in the table of right ascensions under the ecliptic, and take the degree and minute of longitude corresponding with that sum; then, in the best ephemeris, reckon in how many days and hours the Sun, from the day and hour of birth, has arrived at that degree and minute. The number of days indicate as many years; every two hours over, reckon a month." (Ibid., p. 55.)
142:2 Whether general or annual.