THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

A Literal Translation of the Hebrew Text

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord ; that is the starting-point, for when a man refrains
from following his eyes and his heart in their tendency to satiate his concupiscence, then
knowledge comes to rest within him; furthermore, the fear of the Lord protects him from the
decrees of the heavenly bodies and from their sway as long as he lives.
Now I shall begin to discuss the decrees of the celestial bodies with respect to the astrological
judgments which the ancient generations have investigated one after the other. When this book is
finished, I shall compile a treatise explaining the astrological reasons.
And may the Lord help me, Amen.

This book is divided into ten chapters.

The first chapter deals with the form of the firmament and with its parts, its signs, and its figures,
and with the seven wandering stars and their ascent, their celestial influence, their rotation, and
their power.
The second chapter treats of the influence of the signs, their ascent, their action, the conjunction
of the stars, and their forms.
The third discusses the aspects of the degrees, and the influence of the quarters of the sphere,
and the twelve houses.
The fourth tells of the conjunction of the seven planets and their influence and all that which they
prognosticate for all creatures which exist on the earth.
The fifth pertains to the matter of the planets, when their influence increases and when it wanes.
The sixth describes the influence of the planets themselves according to their position in front or in
back of the Sun.
The seventh takes up the aspects of the planets, their conjunction, their attraction, their
separation, and the regulation of the things in which is involved the influence over all that which
they prognosticate.
The eighth relates the decision of the planets with regard to the questions, the horoscopes, and
the revolutions.
The ninth refers to the parts of the planets, the parts of the houses, and the other parts
mentioned by the astrologers.
The tenth bears upon the radiation of the light of the seven planets, the path of their course, their
movement through the degrees of the sphere, and everything pertaining to them.

Any wise man who intends to investigate this science must take into account the rotation of the
seven planets, which are hasty in their motion because they whirl around the degrees of the great
circle, their motion in their orbits, when they are opposite the superior planets which are in the
zodiac of the signs, and all the rotations which take place around the center, or the earth, which is
just like the central point of the periphery. Then he will fully realize that the action of the aforesaid
movements will vary according to the regions, even though their movements be even and straight.
This thing is determined by the number of the degrees of the sphere and its northern and southern
forms, by the information about the seven planets, their common and individual natures, and all
their effects.
 CHAPTER I

The sphere is divided into 360 even parts, called degrees ; and on that point there is unanimity of
agreement among all the ancients and their successors, because that number is divisible by all
integers up to 10 with the exception of 7. It is also divided into 12 parts and they are called signs;
and each sign has 30 normal degrees; and in each degree there are 60 minutes, and in each
minute 60 seconds, and so on until the tenths.
The names of the signs are : Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces.
These are in the upper sphre, which is the eighth one, together with the northern and southern
figures ; and they form a total of 48 figures, and the number of their stars is 1022, according to the
opinion of all the ancients including Ptolemy. Of them there are in the figures of the signs 346
stars.
The first figure is Aries, which has 13 stars including the horns and the stomach. In the sign of
Taurus there are 33 stars, and the Pleiades are on their back. In Gemini there are 18 stars; in
Cancer there are 9 ; in Leo 27 ; in Libra 8 ; in Scorpio 22 ; in Sagittarius 31 ; in Capricornus 28 ; in
Aquarius 42 ; in Pisces 34.
The southern figures number 15 and they have 316 stars. The first one is the lion of the sea, which
some people call bear, and it has 22 stars. The second figure is the strong dog, and it has 38
stars. The third is the river, and it has 34 stars. The fourth is the hare, and it has 13 stars. The fifth
is the great dog, and it has 18 stars. The sixth is the little dog, and it has 2 stars. The seventh is
the ship, and it has 45 stars. The eighth is the wild beast, and it has 25 stars. The ninth is the
goblet, and it has 7 stars. The tenth is the raven, and it has 7 stars. The eleventh is the one which
carries the lion ; half its figure is that of a man and the other half that of a horse, and it has 36
stars. The twelfth is the leopard, and it has 5 stars. The thirteenth is the censer, and it has 7 stars.
The fourteenth is the crown, and it has 13 stars. The fifteenth is the southern fish, and it has 11
stars. The northern figures number 21, and they have 360 stars.
The first is the little bear, and it has 7 stars. The second is the great bear, and it has 17 stars. The
third is the dragon, and it has 31 stars. The fourth is the lady of the flame, and it has 11 stars.
The fifth is the barking dog, and it has 22 stars. The sixth is the northern crown, and it has 8 stars.
The seventh is the one which goes on its knees, and it has 28 stars. The eighth is the falling eagle,
and it has 10 stars. The ninth is the chicken, and it has 17 stars. The tenth is the one which sits on
the seat, and it has 13 stars. The eleventh is the one which carries the head of the devil, and it has
26 stars. The twelfth is the shepherd who has the bridle in his hand, and it has 14 stars. The
thirteenth is the one which holds back the wild beast, and it has 24 stars.
The fourteenth is the wild beast, and it has 18 stars. The fifteenth is the devil, and it has 5 stars.
The sixteenth is the flying eagle, and it has 9 stars. The seventeenth is the sea-fish, and it has 10
stars. The eighteenth is the head of the horse, and it has 4 stars. The nineteenth is the winged
horse, and it has 20 stars. The twentieth is the woman who had no husband, and it has 23 stars.
The twenty-first is the triangle, and it has 4 stars.
Now is finished the enumeration of the aforesaid stars, which total 1022. The ancients divided
them into six degrees, because every star whose light is great they ascribed to the first magnitude,
and those whose light is smaller they ascribed to the second magnitude; and thus they continue
getting smaller and smaller until the sixth degree, which is the lowest of all. The stars of the first
magnitude number 15, of the second 48, of the third 208, of the fourth 474, of the fifth 217, and of
the sixth 49, plus three dark stars which resemble clouds.
The seven planets are : Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. The most elevated of
all them is Saturn since it is in the seventh sphere in opposition to the earth, and after it comes
Jupiter, and so on until reaching the Moon in the first sphere which is close to the earth.
The signs are divided into four parts in accordance with the four natures, with three signs to each
nature.
They are as follows : Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are hot and dry as the nature of fire; Taurus,
Virgo, and Capricornus are cold and dry as the nature of the earth; Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
are hot and moist as the nature of air; Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are cold and moist as the
nature of water.
Saturn is cold and dry ; Jupiter is hot and moist ; Mars is hot and scorching dry; the Sun is hot and
dry; Venus is cold and moist; Mercury is variable, for its nature corresponds to that of the satellite
which accompanies it; the Moon is cold and moist. Some of these seven are male and others are
female; some of these stars are diurnal and others are nocturnal, and they are either beneficial or
baneful. They are: two luminaries, two beneficial ones, two baneful ones, and a mixed one
which varies with each nature. One of the luminaries is the Sun, which is male and whose force is
diurnal. The other one is female, namely the Moon, and its force is nocturnal. One of the beneficial
ones is male, belonging to the diurnal stars, and it is Jupiter; and the other one is female,
belonging to the nocturnal stars, and it is Venus. One of the bale ful ones is male, belonging to the
diurnal stars, and it is Saturn; the second one is female, belonging to the nocturnal stars, and it is
Mars.
Mercury is mixed since it tends to be male sometimes and female at other times, belonging
sometimes to the diurnal stars and at other times to the nocturnal stars, sometimes beneficial and
at other times baneful according to the nature of the star which goes together with it either in
conjunction or in aspect, as I shall explain in the proper place. The nature of the five planets,
together with the Moon, varies according to the distance from the Sun, as I shall also explain.
Furthermore, they have another variation in ascending or in descending, since sometimes
they are near the earth and at other times they are far from it, sometimes they are to the left and at
other times they are to the right. Now when the star is in the high degree of the eccentric orbit
which is not in the center of the earth, then the star is in the point of its elevation from the earth,
and conversely when it is in the point of its declination. Their dragon is in the place of the union of
the star's circle, which resembles the signs' circle, together with its leaning circle, and the head of
the dragon is the beginning of the north and the tail is the beginning of the south ; and when the
constellation is in the Moon together with the head or the tail, then it will be in the elliptical orbit of
the signs of the zodiac, and in the other places it will have width either to the left or to the right
according to its distance from the two points. The planets have power in the circle. There are the
power of house, power of honor, power of triplicity, power of limit, and power of face ; the power of
the house is 5 forces, the power of the honor is 4, the power of the triplicity is 3, the power of the
limit is 2, and the power of the face is 1.
Now when the star is in a sign, which is its house, it has power over the whole sign, and likewise in
a sign which is the house of its honor; but the star has greater force in the degrees of the honor
than in the other degrees of the sign. I shall mention in this book all that in which there is
agreement in the opinion of the ancient Babylonians and the wise men of Persia, India, and
Greece, whose chief is Ptolemy, and I shall recall the groups of nine and of twelve signs, the bright
and the dark degrees, those which are blank, the males and the females, the degrees of the stars'
censer, the degrees which increase grace and glory, and the abundant places of the stars which
are in the orbit of the signs, together with their longitude and latitude and the conjunction of the
largest ones, until my book will be complete and there will be no need for any other book besides it
in the introduction to this science.
 CHAPTER II
The second chapter speaks of the signs and their ascent and their operations and the conjunction
of the superior planets which are in them. Know that of the 12 signs 6 are to the left of the vertical
line, that is, from the beginning of Aries until the end of Virgo, and those to the right go from the
beginning of Libra until the end of Pisces.

Aries is a sign of fire, it is male, of the nature of the day, oriental, of the warm season, and it is
variable because the season changes within it; at its beginning the day is equal to the night, and
the day begins to grow longer and the night gets shorter; its hours are longer than the normal ; its
ascents decrease, because it rises in all places less than when it rises over the earth's equator; it
is oblique; it announces absolutely the nature of warmth, which is to increase; in it is the
movement of creatures ; it is one of the good, agreeable signs, and it indicates thunder and
lightning. Its beginning is rainy and windy, its middle is mixed, and its end is hot with whirlwinds. If
it is north it produces heat together with moisture, and if it is south it produces cold. It appears on a
figure which has four feet with hoofs, and its organs are split because they go in oblique orbits. It
shows two colors and two figures, and it has half a voice. Its heart is oriental and also its wind. Its
part of the four elements is the fire and its heat ; to it belongs blood ; of the flavors to it belongs
anything sweet; of the colors the reddish and every kind of saff ron ; of the animals the sheep and
every animal which has hoofs; of the metals gold, silver, iron, and copper ; in its part are the third
zone and the land of Babylonia, of Persia, of Ardekan, and of Palestine; of the places of the earth
there are the fields, the pasture-ground of sheep, the places of fire, the dens of robbers, and every
house constructed with beams. According to the opinion of Ptolemy in its part there are the houses
of worship and the seats of justice. The ancients said that among the letters the alef and the nun
correspond to it; its years number 15, its months 15, its days 37y2, and its hours 4. In its first face
there will ascend a figure of a woman, which is the radiant one, the tail of the sea-fish resembling
a serpent, the head of the triangle, and the form of an ox. The men of India say that one finds
there a head shaped like a dog, with a torch in its left hand and a key in its right hand. Kanka, who
is their wise man, says that in the first face there ascends a Moor with black eyes and straight eye-
brows ; he is one of the giants ; he is self-laudatory ; he is wrapped in a full white cloak; on him
there is a girdle made of rope; he is angry, and he remains standing. In the opinion of Ptolemy
there ascends in it the back of the woman who is seated on the chair and also her knees and her
left hand, the half of the back of the spinster together with her uterus and the edges of her
garment, the second fish, and some of the threads of flax. With the second face there arise the
fish, the middle of the triangle, half of the wild animal, a woman with a comb in her hair, a bronze
hauberk, and the head of the devil. The men of India said that there then arises a figure of a
woman draped in her garments and in a mande ; she has only one foot, and her figure is that of a
mare. In the opinion of Ptolemy there ascends the woman who sits on the seat, the head of him
who carries the devil and his right palm, the edges of the spinster's garment and her feet, the
triangle, the head of Aries and its horns, and the rest of the threads of flax. In the third face there
will ascend a young man who is seated on a seat ; over him there is a covering, and in his hand
are statues of domestic idols ; also a man with his head bowed low, who is crying to the Lord ;
there also arise in it the stomach of the fish and its head, the end of the triangle, and the second
half of the wild animal. The wise men of India say that there will ascend a russet man with reddish
hair ; he is irascible and contradictory ; in his hand are bracelets of wood and a stick; his clothing
is red; he is a smith; he desires to do good, but he cannot. According to the doctrine of Ptolemy
there ascends the bearer of Satan's head and Aries' body. He who is born in it will have an
unusual body, a long face, and large eyes, and he will look towards the ground constantly ; his
neck will be thick and his ears soft; he will have abundant hair, which will be curly on his head; his
legs will be weak ; his speech will be pleasant, but he will be garrulous ; he will want to eat
copiously ; he will be irascible, and fond of justice; his voice will not be strong. If the Moon is in this
sign or if its fate should be with one of the male stars, that points to a severe attack of scabies,
leprosy, deafness, tonsure, and alopecia frontalis. He who is born in the first face will be reddish
with a narrow stomach and little flesh, and he will have a mark on his left foot and in the elbow of
his left hand; he will have numerous f riends, and he will abhor evil. He who is born in the second
face will have a dark but beautiful complexion and a strange body ; he will be aroused to anger
easily, and he will not control his ire ; he will combine high principles with perf ect comprehension
and breeding; his enemies will be numerous. He who is born in the third face will be reddish and
saffron, and isolated from mankind. The part corresponding to this sign embraces the head, the
face, the pupil of the eye, and the ears ; his ailments include the sickness which causes one to fall
suddenly and unconsciously, ear-trouble, the pain in the nostrils, teeth, and eyes, and the maculae
which resemble wounds. In the opinion of the wise men of Egypt, the sickness particular to Saturn
is in the chest, to Jupiter in the heart, Mars in the head, the Sun in the genitalia, Venus in the feet,
Mercury in the legs, and the Moon in the knees. The people corresponding to this sign are the
kings who practise justice and generosity, the leaders in battles, fire, slaughter, and bloodshed,
and those who walk on the roads. The house of Mars and the dignity of the Sun come in 19
degrees, and the shame of Saturn in 21 degrees, and the hatred of Venus and the nadir of
Mercury in 25 degrees at the present time, namely, the year 4908. The rulers of the triplicity by
day are the Sun followed by Jupiter and by night Jupiter followed by the Sun, and their satellite by
day and by night is Saturn. The first face, according to the wise men of Egypt and to most of the
wise men of the other nations, corresponds to Mars, the second to the Sun, and the third to
Jupiter; in the opinion of the wise men of India, the first corresponds to Mars, the second to the
Sun, and the third to Venus. Here are the limits according to the conclusion of the wise men of
Egypt and Babylonia: to Jupiter 6 degrees, to Venus 6, to Mercury 8, to Mars 5, to Saturn 5 ; in the
opinion of Ptolemy they are as follows : at the beginning to Jupiter 6, the second to Venus 8, the
third to Mercury 7, the fourth to Mars 5, the fifth to Saturn 4. Its first novena corresponds to Mars,
the second to Venus, the third to Mercury, the fourth to the Moon, the fifth to the Sun, the sixth to
Mercury, the seventh to Venus, the eighth to Mars, the ninth to Jupiter. Now the novena of the sign
is 3% degrees, and the whole novena is like the nature of the sign and the ruler of the sign. As for
the force of the twelve signs, the first belongs to Mars, the second to Venus, the third to Mercury,
the fourth to the Moon, the fifth to the Sun, the sixth to Mercury, the seventh to Venus, the eighth
to Mars, the ninth to Jupiter, the tenth and the eleventh to Saturn, and the twelfth to Jupiter.
Nevertheless Enoch and the ancients proportion the strength of the twelve signs in another way,
for they maintain that the first degree is according to the nature of the sign itself, and the second
degree is according to the nature of the sign which is second to it, and the degrees 13 and 25 will
retrograde according to the nature of the sign itself. The wise men of India affirm that from the
beginning of the sign until 3 degrees they are medium, neither bright nor dark, then 5 dark
degrees, then 8 medium degrees, then 4 bright ones, then 4 dark ones, then 5 bright ones and 1
dark degree. The first 7 degrees are male, then 2 are female degrees, then 6 male degrees, then
7 female degrees, and then 8 male degrees. The Aras of the stars are the degrees 6, 11, 17, 23.
The degree which enhances grace and glory is 19, and in it there is, among the great stars of the
first magnitude, the star which is called the end of the river; at the present moment it is in degree
16 in the sign of Aries, and its latitude is southern 13j4 degrees, and its nature is a fusion of
Jupiter and Venus.

Taurus is one of the signs of the nature of the earth, female, belonging to the signs of the night
and to the period of heat ; it is always stationary ; its hours increase in proportion to the direct
ones; its ascensions decline ; it is oblique, and it is one of the good, pleasant signs; it
prognosticates fructification and growth. It is a complete mixture of hot and cold, and its moisture
is greater than its aridity. Its beginning points to winds and darkness, its middle is cold and moist,
and its end denotes tempest, fire, lightning, and firebrand. That which is towards the north of it is
mixed and towards the south of it is burning. It appears in the figure of a quadruped with hoof s ;
its limbs are deformed and severed, and it has only half of a voice. In its range lie the right part of
noon and the south wind. Its nature is cold, dry, and rather mild. To it belong melancholy
somewhat attenuated, the most ordinary temperament, among the savors sweetness diluted with
bitterness and astringency, among the shades of color the green and the white, and among the
wild animals every one having four feet with cloven hoofs. Its section of the vegetable kingdom
consists of the high trees, every tree which bears fruit, every tree which needs little water, every
tree which grows on a mountain and bears useful fruit, and every planted tree whose scent and
perfume are pleasant. Its area includes the fifth zone, Ethiopia, Mahun, Hamadan, El Herath,
Africa from Haquiroen to Tarabulus, Kufa, Bosra, Assouan, and Egypt, and among the plains
every cultivated land on which the plowing is done with cattle and elephants, the gardens, the
orchards, the places where buds give forth a nice scent, and every place where plants grow in hot,
mixed mire. Its letters are the dalet and samekh. Its years and likewise its months total 8, its days
20, and its hours 16. In the first face there ascends a warrior bearing a sword in his left hand, a
stick in his right hand, and two torches on his shoulders. A large ship surmounted by a lion will
also mount up, then a naked man seated, and under the ship half of the body of a dead woman ;
there will also ascend the figure of a man. The men of India say that it is a hirsute woman, who
has a son and who wears clothing partly burnt. In the opinion of Ptolemy there ascends the half of
him who bears the head of the devil, the tail of Aries, and the pouring of the water which is at the
end of the river. In the second face there will arise a ship, in which there is a nude man carrying a
key in his hand ; there will also ascend there the other half of the dead woman's corpse. The
sages of India declare that there will go up there a man, who resembles a ram in his face and in
his body, and whose wife resembles an ox ; his fingers are like goats' hoofs. That man is very hot
and gluttonous, and he does not have peace of mind ; he cultivates the earth, and he drives the
oxen in order to plow and to sow. There arises also a beautiful figure, with a stick in his right hand
and with his left hand lifted up. In the opinion of Ptolemy there ascend the knees of the bearer of
the devil's head, his legs, his feet, the back of Taurus, his horns, his hands, his stomach, his right
paw, the head of the river, and its middle. In the third face there will ascend the end of the body,
which resembles a head of a dog, and a man standing erect with a wild animal in his hand ; he has
two carts on which is seated a young man; two horses pull the carts, and the young man has a
sheep in his hand. The wise men of India affirm that there also arises a man whose feet are white
and likewise his teeth, which are so long that they stick out beyond his lips ; the color of his eyes
as well as his hair is reddish, and his body looks like that of the elephant and the lion ; but
prudence does not reside in him, since all of his thoughts are bent on doing evil; he is seated on a
cloth. There go up also a horse and a little dog. According to Ptolemy there will ascend the right
foot of him who bears the head of the devil and the shoulder of him who holds in his hand the
bridle, and his head, his knees, his left hand, his horn, the end of Taurus, and the beginning of the
river. He who will be born in it will have an erect posture, a long face, large eyes, a thick and short
neck, a broad forehead, an aquiline nose, and a shock of curly hair; he will be incoherent in his
speech and also in his knowledge; his hair will be black, and his limbs deformed; he will be very
lustful and gluttonous, and will have the habit of contrariness. He who is born in one of the
degrees of the Pleiades, that is, from degree 13 to degree 15, will have a pain in his eyes. He who
is born in the first face will have a short stature, large eyes, thick lips, a mark on his neck and
another on his pudenda; he will be noble at heart; his friends will be numerous, and he will enjoy
all kinds of delights. He who is born in the second face will have a round head, a broad stomach,
beautiful eyes, and a generous soul; he will be intelligent, and will have hair on his shoulder and a
mark on his loins ; some of them will have a pain in their veins. He who is born in the third face will
have a beautiful body and head ; there will be a mark in his left eye; he will be a man suffering
from overwork, and he will have no luck with women. He who is born at the end of this sign will be
castrated at birth or hermaphrodite. In its anatomical part are the neck and throat, and all the
ailments which occur there, as well as scrofula, torticollis, and goiter. In the judgment of the wise
men of Egypt the sickness caused in this sign by Saturn is in the heart, by Jupiter in the stomach,
by Mars in the neck, by the Sun in the knees, by Venus in the head, by Mercury in the feet, and by
the Moon in the legs. It belongs to the signs of the ailments just like Aries. In its part of mankind
there are the procurers, all those longing for coition, and those who like to eat, drink, dance, and
make merry. It is the house of Venus and the dignity of the Moon in its third degree ; the head of
the dragon of Mars, which corresponds to the house of hatred, is in the tenth degree. The lords of
the triplicity by day are Venus and then the Moon, and by night the Moon and then Venus, and
their satellite by day and by night is Mars. The first face, in the opinion of the wise men of Egypt
and Persia, corresponds to Venus, the second to the Moon, and the third to Saturn; but, according
to the wise men of India, the first face corresponds to Venus, the second to Mercury, and the third
to Saturn. Here are the limits in the judgment of the learned Egyptians and all astrologers: for
Venus as many as 8 degrees, then for Mercury 6, then for Jupiter 8, then for Saturn 5, then for
Mars 3; but according to Ptolemy they are: for Venus 8, for Mercury 7, for Jupiter 7, for Mars 2,
and for Saturn 6. The beginning of the force of the novena and the second one pertain to Saturn,
the third to Jupiter, the fourth to Mars, the fifth to Venus, the sixth to Mercury, the seventh to the
Moon, the eighth to the Sun, and the ninth to Mercury. The beginning of the force of the twelve
signs corresponds to Venus, the second to Mercury, the third to the Moon, the fourth to the Sun,
the fifth to Mercury, the sixth to Venus, the seventh to Mars, the eighth to Jupiter, the ninth and the
tenth to Saturn, the eleventh to Jupiter, and the twelfth to Mars. From the inception of the sign until
the end there are 3 mixed degrees, then 2 clear degrees, then 2 which are blank, then 8 clear
ones, then 5 which are blank, then 6 clear ones, and then 2 that are mixed. From the beginning of
the sign until 7 degrees they are male, then come 8 female, and then 15 male. The Ara of the
stars is composed of the degrees 5, 12, 18, 24, 25, 26, the degree which augments grace and
honor, which is the third, and the degrees 15, 27, and 30. In this sign of the superior planets there
is the back of the leprous one in the fourteenth degree, and its latitude is north 22 degrees and 20
minutes, and it is of the second magnitude and in the conjunction of Venus; the devil's head is in
the fifteenth degree, its northern latitude is 23 degrees and 3 minutes, and it is of the second
magnitude in the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. A brilliant star, called the left eye of the ox, is
in the twenty-eighth degree; its latitude is southern 5} degrees; it belongs to the first magnitude in
the conjunction of Mars and Venus ; it is one of the stars which result in death when the master of
the power of life reaches it. Among the dark stars there is in it the star of the tenth degree whose
northern latitude is 20 degrees and 40 minutes. Then there is another dark star like it in the twelfth
degree with a northern latitude of 70j4 degrees, and it is deadly.

Gemini is of the nature of air, male, one of the diurnal signs, occidental, of the period of warmth ; it
has two bodies ; its hours are longer than the normal ones, and at its end the day is longer than all
the days of the year. It denotes a straight nature, which creates and increases in number and
completes all that which is useful to living beings and to things which grow. Its whole is mixed, its
beginning being moist, its middle diluted, and its end variable. The part of it which faces north stirs
up tempests and winds, and the part which faces south causes pestilence. It appears as a human
being with perfect limbs ; it is sterile ; in its right part is found the occident together with the west
wind, and its beginning is warm and damp; its humor is the blood, and its savor is very sweet ; its
shade of color stands for any color which is exceedingly variable. Among the living it takes in man,
monkey, the birds which sing delightfully, and from the vegetable kingdom it has the lofty trees. In
its totality it indicates any high thing, for example, the heavens, the air, and the winds. Its area
covers the sixth zone, the country of Iran, Armenia, Great India, Gilan, Birjand, Barkah, Holwan,
Barka, Palestine, Egypt, Ispahan, Kerman, and likewise every elevated and steep mountain, the
places where one catches birds, where one shoots dice, and where one plays instrumental music.
Its letters are gimel and ayin. Its years, as well as its months, number 20, its days 50, and its hours
4. In the first face there arises the tail of the figure whose head resembles a dog's head, and a
man with a stick in his hand. Towards the south there will ascend two carts drawn by two horses
on which is seated a driver, and the head of the horned animal will also mount up. The wise men
of India say that there will then go up a beautiful woman, standing in the air, who is skillful in
sewing. In the opinion of Ptolemy there will arise the head of him who holds in his hand the bridle,
his left foot, the horn of the bull, the shoulder of the dog, its left foot, the head of the hare, and its
paws. In the second face there will ascend a man who has a golden musical instrument on which
he is playing; then there will go up a wild beast standing on a tree and a wolf which has a mark on
its paw. The wise men of India state that there will come up a Moor with his head bound in lead,
with armor in his hand and an iron helmet on his head ; over the helmet there is a crown of silk,
and in his hand there are a bow and arrows; he indulges in ridicule and mockery; he walks in a
garden full of flowers and trees; in one hand he carries scales, upon which he strikes and plays
music with his other hand, and he picks flowers in the garden. According to Ptolemy there will
ascend in it the palm of him who holds in his hand the bridle and the rear legs of the bull, and the
hand of Orion together with its shoulder, head, stomach, girdle, knee, and foot, and the belly and
tail of the hare. In the third face the bewildered countenance of a man will rise up, with a turban on
his head, and in his hand a musical instrument which has strings of gold; there will also ascend a
barking dog, the fish called dolphin, something like a monkey, a tailor's thread, the first half of the
little bear, the tail of the wild beast belonging to the woman with a horn who is wrapped in the root
of Virgo. The wise men of India declare that there will come up a man who desires arms, and who
has a bow and a quiver ; in his hand he has a bow and clothing and jewels of pure gold ; he wants
to play music and to amuse himself and to practice all kinds of mockery. In the opinion of Ptolemy
there will ascend in it the shoulder of the last twin, its hand, its right foot, its pudenda, the tail of the
hare, the mouth of the dog, its paw, its right foot, the first oar of the ship, and a part of the second
oar. The man who will be born in it will be erect in stature, his stomach will be big, the form of his
body and face will be handsome, he will have a strong voice, he will be magnanimous, his
shoulders will be broad and his eyes beautiful, the hair on his head will be curly, and he will be
crafty in his work and in all tasks. Among them there will be writers, mathematicians, astronomers,
and famous sages. He will be a truthful man and moderate in his fear of God. He who is born in
the first face will be handsome in his body, eyes, and hair ; he will have a mark on his head or on
his cheeks; his countenance will be pointed; he will not be irascible; he will suffer from overwork;
he will be unlucky with women. He who is born in the second face will be short in stature and will
be dark; underneath his elbow there will be a black mark; his speech will be pleasing ; he will be
well bred and well built ; he will be noble, and will associate with kings. He who is born in the third
face will have a small countenance and small eyes ; he will be a man longing for sexual
intercourse; he will pronounce words which will not be proper, and he will prevaricate. He who will
be born at the end of this sign will not have perf ect eyes ; to his anatomical part correspond the
neck, the arms, the hands, and his shoulders. His ailments include every sickness due to the
blood and every disease which occurs in the afore- mentioned limbs. In the opinion of the learned
men of Egypt the sickness of Saturn is in the stomach, that of Jupiter in the kidneys, of Mars in the
shoulder, of the Sun in the legs, of Venus in the neck, of Mercury in the head, and of the Moon in
the feet. To its part of man- kind correspond the kings, the magnates, the heroes, the magicians,
the sorcerers, the chiefs of household deities together with the images, the engravings, all objects
of mockery and song, handiwork, and every delicate craft. The house of Mercury and the dignity of
the dragon's head are in the third degree ; the house of the hatred of Jupiter and the place of the
aphelion of the Sun and of Venus are in degree 27 at the present moment; the place of the nadir
of Saturn is in degree 12. The rulers of the triplicity by day are Saturn and then Mercury, and by
night Mercury followed by Saturn; their satellite by day and by night is Jupiter. The first face, as
determined by the Egyptians and the Baby- lonians, belongs to Jupiter, the second to Mars, and
the third to the Sun ; but in the opinion of the teachers of India the first corresponds to Mercury,
the second to Venus, and the third to Saturn. The limits, following the statement of the Egyptians
and of the astronomers, are as follows: for Mercury 6 degrees, for Jupiter 6, for Venus 5, for Mars
7, for Saturn 6; but Ptolemy taught that for Mercury it is 7 degrees, for Jupiter 6, for Venus 7, for
Mars 6, for Saturn 4. The beginning of the force of the novena befalls Venus, the second part
Mars, the third Jupiter, the fourth and fifth Saturn, the sixth Jupiter, the seventh Mars, the eighth
Venus, and the ninth Mercury. The begin- ning of the force of the twelve signs corresponds to
Mercury, the second part to the Moon, the third to the Sun, the fourth to Mercury, the fifth to
Venus, the sixth to Mars, the seventh to Jupiter, the eighth and ninth to Saturn, the tenth to
Jupiter, the eleventh to Mars, and the twelfth to Venus. From the beginning of the sign until the
end there are 7 bril- liant degrees, then 3 neutral, then 7 blank, then 6 brilliant, and then 6 neutral.
Likewise from the beginning of the sign until the end there are 6 female degrees, then 12 male
degrees, then 6 female degrees, then 4 male degrees, and then 3 female degrees. The degrees of
the Ara are 2, 12, 17, 26, and 30. The degree which enhances grace and honor is 11. In it there is
a star on the left foot of Gemini at 15 degrees; its latitude is 31 degrees and 40 minutes south; it
belongs to the first mag- nitude of the conjunction of Mars and Venus. There is also a star on its
northern side at 5 degrees; its latitude is 17j4 degrees south; it belongs to the second magnitude
of the conjunction of Mars and Mer- cury. There is found also the star of him who holds in his hand
the bridle; it is in the tenth degree; its latitude is 16 degrees north; it be- longs to the first
magnitude of the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. In addition there is the great star called
Alhaioc in degree 11 ; its lati- tude is 24 degrees and 45 minutes north ; it belongs to the first
magni- tude of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. There occurs also the center of the orbit
which is in degree 15; its latitude is 24 degrees and 45 minutes south ; it belongs to the second
magnitude of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Then there cornes the right shoulder of the
Twin in degree 16; its latitude is 17 degrees south; it belongs to the first magnitude in the
conjunction of Mars and Mercury. Then there is the right foot of the Twin in degree 24; its latitude
is 11J4 -degrees south ; it belongs to the first magnitude in the conjunction of Mars and Venus.
There is also the dog, called Alsaeri Alhabud. Finally among the dark stars there is the
prognosticating star, which is on the head of the warrior at 12 degrees; its latitude is 13 degrees
and 50 minutes south, and it is one of the baleful stars.

Cancer is one of the vvater signs, female, north, forming part of the signs of summer ; it is
variable, since the weather changes in it ; at its inception the day begins to shorten and the night
to grow longer; its hours are longer than the normal ones; it is straight in its ascents, which tend to
increase. In its entirety it denotes coldness and humidity, which are mild, producing fructification
and growth, and in it there are warm and moist degrees. Its beginning is dry and destructive, its
mid- dle coincides with its conjunction, and its end is wet. When it is in the north it heats and
burns, and when it is in the south it is wet. It appears in the form of aquatic animals; in its part falls
the vertex of the left angle and the north wind; its nature is cold and wet; it denotes the phlegm,
which exists in human beings, and every cold and wet mixture with a bit of equalization. Its flavor
is bitter and salty ; the shade of its colors is white and the color of dust like the smoky colors and
similar ones ; to its portion of the living correspond all the aquatic animals, the reptiles, the small
fish, the wild animals on dry land, the scorpions, and the animals that crawl on the ground. Taken
as a whole it prognosti- cates waters flowing constantly, all the vegetation near water, the rain
waters, and all calm bodies of water. Its zones include the seventh one, small Armenia, the land
beyond Samarkhand, Adrianople, the eastern section of Kourassa, China, a part of Africa, and
Balkh. In its part occur also the ponds, every sea shore, every river bank, and the trees of average
height. Its letters are dalet and pe. Its years are 25 and like- wise its months ; its days as well as
its hours are 5. In its first face there will arise the posterior half of Ursa Major and a whole figure
wrapped in garments close to the singing figure. There ascend also an iron pig with a head of
copper and a young virgin. Furthermore the wise men of India claim that there goes up a good-
looking young man wearing garments with an ornament of gold or silver; he has a slight curvature
in his face and in his back; his body resembles that of a horse or of an elephant; his feet are white;
to his body are attached delicate ornaments in the form of trees; he sits in a garden in which grow
aromatic stalks. In the opinion of Ptolemy there arise the face of Ursa Major, the head of the
anterior and posterior Gemini, the rump and hands of the anterior twin, the little dog, the remainder
of the great dog, and the hold of the ship. In the second face there will ascend a young girl who
resembles a cloud; there will also arise the half of the dog and the half of the ears of the northern
ass. The teachers of India posit that there will go up a girl who is very pleasing in her conversa-
tion ; on her head there is a crown of myrtle, and in her hand a wooden wand ; she longs for wine
and song. In the judgment of Ptolemy there will ascend in it the head of Ursa Major, the posterior
side of Cancer, and the hold of the ship. In the third face there will arise a young vir- gin
sometimes facing east and sometimes facing west. There will also go up the posterior dog, the
other half of the ear of the northern ass, and likewise the second southern ass. The wise men of
India maintain that there will then ascend a man whose foot looks like that of a wild beast and on
whose body there is a wild beast; his desire is to enter a ship in order to go to sea to bring in gold
and silver with which to make rings for his wives. Following the opinion of Ptolemy there wm* arise
the neck and the right hand of Ursa Major, the horns of Cancer, the head of the valiant warrior,
and the end of the ship. He who is born under this sign will have thick limbs, a wide forehead, and
teeth far apart; he will be deaf and dumb, a lover of mankind, and highly respected. For women
the horoscope augurs ill for difficult undertak- ings. He who is born in the first face will be attractive
physically; his hair and his eyelids will be stuck together ; his nostrils will be long and his shoulders
broad; he will have a mark under his elbow or in his right arm; he will have a good soul and many
friends; he will be an expert in fraud. He who is born in the second face will be reddish, short in
stature, and beardless; he will have a black mark in his eyes, and he will be beloved by all
creatures. He who is born in the third face will be fat, short in stature, with hairy eyelids, a broad
stomach, and a large abdomen. He will be strong; sometimes he will be seized with a heart attack,
and he will suffer a great deal by himself. He who is born at the end of the sign will not have good
luck. His anatomical portion comprises the breast, the mammilla, the cardiac region, the ribs, the
spleen, and the lung. To his share of ailments correspond all those which occur in those parts of
the anatomy and also heaviness in the eyes. In degree 22 of the cloudy star it denotes soreness of
the eyes with the resulting defect. In general this sign points to pruritus, itch, leprosy, pock-marks,
baldness, and scarcity of beard. To its part of mankind correspond every repulsive individual, the
plebeians, and the wanderers. In the opinion of Enoch it is the sign of the universe. The teachers
of Egypt declare that the disease attributable to Saturn falls between the loins, that of Jupiter in the
genitalia, that of Mars in the cardiac region, that of the Sun in the feet, that of Venus in the hands,
that of Mercury in the neck, and that of the Moon in the head. The house of the Moon and the
dignity of Jupiter are in degree 15; the shame of Mars is in degree 28; the house of the hatred of
Saturn and the dragon's head of Jupiter are in degree 9; the dragon's head of Saturn is in degree
19. The rulers of the triplicity by day are Venus and Mars and by night Mars and then Venus, and
their satellite by day and by night is the Moon. According to the Egyptians and the Baby- lonians
the first face corresponds to Venus, the second to Mercury, and the third to the Moon; but the
opinion of the wise men of India is that the first corresponds to the Moon, the second to Mars, and
the third to Jupiter. The Egyptians and the astrologers teach that the limits are as f ollows : to Mars
7 degrees, to Venus 6, to Mercury 6, to Jupiter 7, to Saturn 4; but in the opinion of Ptolemy they
are: to Mars 6, to Jupiter 6, to Mercury 7, and to Saturn 4. The beginning of the novena belongs to
the Moon, the second part to the Sun, the third to Mercury, the fourth to Venus, the fifth to Mars,
the sixth to Jupiter, the seventh and eighth to Saturn, and the ninth to Jupiter. The beginning of the
force of the twelve signs corresponds to the Moon, the second one to the Sun, the third to
Mercury, the fourth to Venus, the fifth to Mars, the sixth to Jupiter, the seventh and the eighth to
Saturn, the ninth to Jupiter, the tenth to Mars, the eleventh to Venus, and the twelfth to Mercury.
From the beginning of the sign until the end there are 7 neutral degrees, then 5 brilliant, then 2
neutral, then 4 brilliant, then 2 dark, then 8 brilliant, and finally 2 dark. From the beginning of the
sign until the end there are 2 male degrees, then 2 f emale, then 11 male, then 4 female, and
finally 3 male. The pit of the stars is found in de- grees 12, 17, 23, 26, and 30. The degrees which
enhance grace and honor are 1, 2, 3, 14, and 15. Among the superior planets there is the dog
called Alsaeri Alhabor, which is found in the first degree at the present time; its latitude is 29
degrees and 10 minutes south; it belongs to the first magnitude of the conjunction of Jupiter and
Mars. There one finds also the head of the anterior twin which, at this moment, is in the eighth
degree; its latitude is 9 degrees and 40 minutes north; it belongs to the second magnitude of the
conjunction of Jupiter and Mer- cury. There is likewise the head of the posterior twin, in the twelfth
degree at this time; its latitude is 6 degrees and 15 minutes north; it belongs to the second
magnitude of the nature of Mars alone. There is found the dog called Alsaeri Alguemitsa, in the
fifteenth degree at present ; its latitude is 16 degrees and 10 minutes south ; it f orms a part of the
first magnitude of the conjunction of Mars and Mercury. Among the dark stars there are also 4
which are near Ursa Major : the first one is now in the twelfth degree, in latitude 22 degrees and
50 minutes north; the second is in the sixteenth degree at present, in latitude 22 degrees and 2
minutes north ; the third is in the twenty-seventh degree at this moment, in latitude 22 degrees and
45 minutes north ; the fourth is at the end of the sign in latitude 20 degrees north. There is also
one star over its stomach in the twenty-sixth degree ; its latitude is 6 minutes north.

Leo is one of the signs of fire, male, diurnal, east of the signs of summer, remaining in one place
because time is stationary in it; its hours are longer than the normal ones ; it is direct in its ascents,
which are long; its nature is scorching hot and destructive; its beginning is rather warm, its center
is very destructive causing sickness, and its end stirs up winds. When it is north it is scorching hot,
and if it is south it is moist. It appears on a figure which is quadruped and has hoofs, and is
moving; its limbs are cleft and it has half a voice; at the left part of it is the orient together with the
east wind ; its nature is warm and dry ; its humor is the blood ; its flavor is the bitter and the sharp ;
its colors comprise saffron and russet; its share of the wild animals includes the lions, tigers,
hyenas, bears, and wolves ; its metals embrace gold, silver, precious stones, the stone which
pierces precious stones called diamond and the stone which attracts straw called magnet, and all
work of fire. To its area correspond the fourth region, Bagdad, Persia, Turkey as far as the end of
the inhabitable land, Naisabur, Tarsus, every place difficult to scale, every oppressed land, the
royal palaces, the strong fortresses, every mountain high and rugged, and every place exposed to
the wind. Its letters are he and qof. Its years and likewise its months are 19, its days number 47%,
and its hours 23. In the first face there will ascend a bear and a dog with a bow and half a ship on
its back. There are also its sailors, the head of a black beast, the head of a horse, and the head of
an ass. The wise men of India say that there will then arise a large tree on whose branches are
found a dog and a bird called vulture, and a man wearing clothing, which is valuable although
dirty, and wishing to beat his own father. There will also go up the master of the horse which looks
to the left. In the opinion of Ptolemy there will then ascend the neck of Ursa Major and its left hand,
the head of the lion, the neck of the warrior, and a half of the ship. In the second face there will
arise a figure with his hands lifted up; he utters loud cries, he plays music, and he dances. Then
there will come up two vessels of wine, a glass goblet, musical instru- ments made of deer's horns,
the other half of the ship, the eye of the wild beast, half of the horse, and half of the ass. The wise
men of India affirm that there will then arise an individual with a fine nose who wears on his head
something like a crown of white myrtle and in whose hand there is a bow ; he is angry and, in his
anger, he resembles a lion ; he is wrapped in a cloak the color of a lion. In the judgment of
Ptolemy there will go up the shoulder of Ursa Major and his right foot, the neck of the lion, the
middle of the warrior, and the bow of the ship. In the third face there will ascend the figure of a
young man whose duty it is to lead animals; in his hand he carries a stick; he guides a cart in
which there is seated a man together with a small child; in his left hand he carries a garment. Then
there will go up the raven, half of the black beast, the last part of the horse, and the last part of the
ass. The wise men of India teach that there will then ascend an ugly, laborious, intelligent Moor;
his mouth is full of dainty things, and he holds meat in his hand. According to Ptolemy there will
arise in it the figure of Ursa Major, the middle part of the lion, and a part of the strong warrior. He
who is born under this sign will have a fine body; he will be reddish ; his eyes will be like those of a
cat ; he will be valiant and irascible ; he will have a keen appearance ; his legs will be thin ; he will
be an educated and clever man, having sensuous lust; he will be generous, impotent, peremptory
in his word, very melancholy, relying upon himself in case of danger, and tending towards
contrariness. His nature is that of wolves, very gluttonous and fond of all food. The horoscope of
women prognosticates modesty. He who is born in the first face will have a beautiful body and
countenance; his complexion will be reddish; he will be blear-eyed; his chest and als his legs will
be erect; he will be sick in the upper part of the stomach; he will be well known among men and
modest while associating with kings. He who is born in the second face will have a prepossessing
body, wide chest, small testicles and legs; he will be bald, and will be sick in his diaphragm; he will
be honored by his people, and he will be magnani- mous. He who is born in the third face will be
rather short in stature ; hcwill have whiteness and vermilion ; his voice will be powerful ; he will be
fond of women; he will have many friends and enemies, and abun- dant aihnents. He who is born
at the end of the sign will be repulsive and full of defects. To its anatomical part correspond the
chest, the heart, the cardiac part of the stomach, the diaphragm, the back, the loins, the ribs, and
the nape. In the opinion of the wise men of Egypt the sickness characteristic of Saturn is that of
the genitalia, of Jupiter that of the testicles, of Mars that of the heart, of the Sun that of the head, of
Venus that of the chest, of Mercury that of the arms, of the Moon that of the neck. It also denotes
the eyesight and the pylorus. Its diseases are those which occur in the aforementioned parts of the
anatomy. To its part of mankind correspond the kings, princes, nobles, those who carve gold and
silver and precious stones, and those who exercise any useful trade. It comprises the house of the
Sun and the house of the hatred of Saturn. In it no planet has honor or dishonor. There the place
of the aphelion of Mars is in the twelfth degree at the present time. The ruler of the triplicity by day
is the Sun followed by Jupiter and by night it is Jupiter followed by the Sun, and their satel- lite by
day and by night is Saturn. In the opinion of the Egyptians and Babylonians the first face befalls
Saturn, the second Jupiter, and the third Mars ; but, according to the doctrine of the wise men of
India, the first face corresponds to the Sun, the second to Jupiter, and the third to Mars. In the
judgment of the Egyptians and astrolpgers the limits are as follows : to Jupiter 6 degrees, to Venus
6, to Mercury 6, to Saturn 7, to Mars 6 ; but according to Ptolemy they are : to Saturn 6, to Mer-
cury 7, to Venus 6, to Mars 6, to Jupiter 5. The beginning of the novera corresponds to Mars, the
second to Venus, the third to Mer- cury, the fourth to the Moon, the fifth to the Sun, the sixth to
Mercury, the s< venth to Venus, the eighth to Mars, the ninth to Jupiter. The begin:iing of the
power of the twelve signs belongs to the Sun, the second to Mercury, the third to Venus, the fourth
to Mars, the fifth to Jupittr, the sixth and the seventh to Saturn, the eighth to Jupiter, the ninth to
Mars, the tenth to Venus, the eleventh to Mercury, and the twelfth to the Moon. From the
beginning of the sign until the end there are 7 bright degrees, then 3 neutral, then 6 dark, then 5
which are blank, then 9 bright. From the beginning of the sign until the end there are 5 male
degrees, then 2 female, then 6 male, then 10 female, and then 7 male. The Ara of the stars
comprises the degrees 7, 13, 15, 22, 23, and 28. The degrees which enhance grace and honor
are 2, 5, 7, and 17. Among the upper stars there is found the neck of the warrior, which is in the
sixteenth degree at this moment ; its latitude is 20 degrees south ; it belongs to the second
magnitude of the conjunction of Saturn and Venus. There appears the heart of the lion, which is in
the twenty- eighth degree at the present time; its latitude is 10 minutes north; it belongs to the
second magnitude of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter ; it is one of the ominous stars. There is
also a star called the back of the lion, which is at the end of the sign at present; its latitude is 13
degrees and 40 minutes north, and it is in the second magnitude of the conjunction of Saturn and
Venus.

Virgo is one of the signs of the earth, female, belonging to the night, south of the signs of summer;
it has two bodies; its hours are longer than the normal ones ; at its end the day and the night
become equal in all zones ; it is erect in its ascents, which are long. Its nature f orecasts
destruction through its excessive aridity; nevertheless at its inception there is moisture, and it stirs
up a tempest ; its central part is variable, and its end is dry. When it is north it gives rise to wind,
and when it is south it is changeable. It appears as a figure of a man and as a figure of a bird, and
it has a powerful voice. To the right of it is the south with the south wind ; its nature is cold and dry
; it provokes melancholy ; its particular odors are those of bitterness and astringency ; its shade of
colors includes white, purple, and dust-color. Its group in the animal kingdom embraces man and
birds, and in the vegetable kingdom every small crop which is not irrigated, for example, wheat,
barley, beans, and all kinds of grains. It covers the second zone, the land of Aljeremica, the
Euphrates river, Bosporus, and Greece, and among the places every seeded land, the harems,
and the orchards. Its letters are vav and zayin. Its years and its months are 20, its days 7, and its
hours 4. In the first face a beautiful damsel will rise up with long hair and with ears of corn in her
hand; she sits on a chair, and she feeds a small child by nursing and by weaning. A man seated
on the same chair will also mount up. Then there will ascend the star, called the ear of corn behind
the wild animal, the raven's head, and the lion's head. The wise men of India say that there then
arises a girl wrapped in a cloak and wear- ing old clothes, with a cruet in her hand and myrtle
about her, and she wants to go to her father's home. According to Ptolemy there will then come up
a part of the dragon's tail, the rear and the paws and the tail of the bear, the goblet near the
warrior's head, and a part of his body. In the second face a figure will rise up, striking its palms and
singing. Likewise there will go up a man who has only half a figure, with a head similar to that of
an ox, and holding half of a nude man in his hand. Then there will also ascend the half of a beam
at the head of which there is a harrow ; with it he plows the land. There then arises the tail of the
black beast and the central part of the lion. The wise men of India say that a Moor, who is
completely hirsute, then mounts up; on him are three garments, of which one is made of leather,
the second of silk, and the other is a red mantle; in one hand he holds what he needs for writing,
and in the other hand he has tablets for counting. In the opinion of Ptolemy there will then arise a
part of the tail of the dragon, the tail of the big bear, the head and shoulder of the virgin, and the
head of the raven with its beak and wings. In the third face there will ascend the remaining half of
the semi-figure, the second half of the nude man, the second half of the beam, the tail of the lion,
two oxen, and the half of a herdsman. The sages of India posit that there will arise a white woman,
who is self-laudatory ; she wears a dyed mantle, has leprous hands, and prays to God. In
Ptolemy's opinion there will then go up a part of the dragon's tail, the end of the big bear's tail, the
shoulder of the southern monkey with a part of its stomach, the stomach of the raven, and the foot
of the wild beast. The human being who will be born then will be attractive in his posture ; he will
have an erect and good-looking body; he will be learned and intelligent; his hair will not be curly;
he will be an advocate of justice; he will have a powerful voice; he will be impotent; he will have a
kind soul; his face will be pleasing; he will be a writer, and will be an expert in mathematics. He
who is born in the second face will have a winsome appearance; his eyes will be small; his nostrils
will be pretty; he will be a well-bred, candid man endowed with magnanimity and fond of receiving
compli- ments. He who is born in the third face will have a beautiful appear- ance; he will be
educated, truly intelligent, humble, and wise. Its ana- tomical parts include the stomach, the
intestines, and the diaphragm. The ailments allotted to it are all those which occur in the
aforemen- tioned parts and any disease due to melancholy. In the opinion of the wise men of
Egypt the sickness attributable to Saturn is that of the testicles, to Jupiter that of the knees, to
Mars that of the stomach, to the Sun that of the neck, to Venus that of the heart, to Mercury that of
the chest, to the Moon that of the arms. Its group of mankind em- braces the intermediaries, the
writers, the sages, the mathematicians, the geometers, the women, the eunuchs, and the most
capable exponents of mockery. The house of Mercury and likewise its dignity are in degree 15, the
dishonor of Venus and the house of the hatred of Jupiter are in degree 27, and the house of its
zenith at the present time is in degree 23. The rulers of the triplicity by day are Venus and then the
Moon and by night the Moon and then Venus, and their satellite by day and by night is Mars.
According to the Egyptians and the Babylonians the first face corresponds to the Sun, the second
to Venus, the third to Mercury; but in the judgment of the men of India the first befalls Mercury, the
second Saturn, and the third Venus. In the doctrine of the Egyptians and the astrologers the limits
are as follows : to Mercury 7 degrees, to Venus 10, to Jupiter 4, to Mars 7, to Saturn 2 ; but in the
opinion of Ptolemy they are : to Mercury 7 and to Venus 6. The begin- ning of the novena and the
second one belong to Saturn, the third to Jupiter, the fourth to Mars, the fifth to Venus, the sixth to
Mercury, the seventh to the Moon, the eighth to the Sun, and the ninth to Mer- cury. The beginning
of the power of the twelve signs corresponds to Mercury, the second to Venus, the third to Mars,
the fourth to Jupiter, the fifth and the sixth to Saturn, the seventh to Jupiter, the eighth to Mars, the
ninth to Venus, the tenth to Mercury, the eleventh to the Moon, and the twelfth to the Sun. From
the inception of the sign until its decline there are five neutral degrees, then 4 bright, then 2 that
are blank, then 7 bright, and then 10 neutral; from the beginning of the sign until its decline there
are 7 female degrees, then 5 male, then 8 female and 10 male. The Ara of the stars is constituted
by the degrees 2, 13, 16, 21, and 25. The degrees which enhance grace and honor are 2, 5, 17,
and 20. Among the superior planets the lion's neck occurs in the tenth degree at present; its
latitude is 11 degrees north, and it be- longs to the frst magnitude of the conjunction of Saturn and
Venus. There is also a star in the degree mentioned, but its latitude is 25 degrees north and it is in
the second magnitude of the conjunction of Saturn and Venus. There are also two dark stars
between the bear and the lion; one is now in the eleventh degree in latitude 20 degrees and 40
minutes, and the other is in the same degree but its latitude is 25 y degrees.

Libra is one of the signs of the air, male, diurnal, occidental, one of the signs of winter, and
variable. At its beginning the day and night are equal, but the night starts to grow longer and the
day to grow shorter; its hours are shorter than the normal ones, and it is straight in its long
ascents. Its nature is warm and moist, but it is not diluted well. It forecasts every dense air and
mixture of winds and rising cloud which destroys the living beings. In general it varies, but its
beginning and center are better than its end. When it is north it causes winds, and when it is south
it produces moisture. It appears as the ligure of a man alone. In its part are the western heart and
the southern wind. Its nature is warm and moist, and to it belongs blood. Its savor is sweet, and its
colors are the green and the color of dust. Among the living it has man and every bird with a big
head, and in the vegetable kingdom it has the high trees. Its area includes the fifth zone, the land
of Edom from Rome until Africa, a part of Ethiopia, the sea of Barka, Sistan, Cabul, Tiberias,
Balkh, and Hamadan. In its sphere also fall all that which is planted on mountain peaks, every
weak land, every lofty place, and every site for markets and commerce. Its letters are the het and
the sin. Its years and likewise its days are 20, and its hours 16. In the first face there will ascend
the countenance of an irascible man, with a balance in his left hand and the book of Hagiographa
in his right hand. Behind him a man will mount up riding on a horse and singing. There will also
arise the dragon's head and the beginning of the golden sea, which the wise men of Persia call
Ursa Major. Then there will go up a part of the ship. In the opinion of the sages of India there will
then go up a man who is in a shop in a market ; in his hand he holds scales, and he wishes to buy
and sell. Ptolemy declared that there will then ascend the middle of the tail of the great bear, and
half of the body of the virgin, its left palm in which there is an ear of corn, the tail of the raven, a
part of the tail of the warrior, a part of the tail of the horse, and its rear. In the second face there
will arise a person who drives a cart, in which there is a man holding a stick in his hand ; with him
there is another individual who wears silk clothing and is seated on a bed. Likewise there will go
up a small boy, half of the ship, half of the dragon, half of the great bear, and also a fountain. The
wise men of India maintain that there then arises a man with a face of an eagle, nude, thirsty, and
eager to fly through the air. According to Ptolemy there will then ascend the tail of the dragon, a
part of the tail of the great bear, and the fringes of the dress of the virgin. There will arise in the
third face the end of the ship, the end of the sea of gold, and the head of the nude man with his
hand over his head. There is also a crown over the head of two individuals, and in the head of
each one are two horns. In the opinion of the wise men of India there arises also a man whose
face resembles that of a horse, and he has in his hand a bow and arrows. According to Ptolemy
there arises also a part of the dragon's tail, its hands, its arms, its right knee, a part of the fringes
of the virgin's dress, and her feet. The general horoscope for him who is born under this sign is
that his limbs will be straight, his speech will be pleasant, he will be a sensible and well-bred
person, his hands will be capable of plying any trade, he will be a musician and he will know how
to compose songs, he will be fond of women, he will enjoy hunting, he will be reliable and noble,
and his body will be cleaner than his face. Some of them will be negroes. He who is born in the
first face will have a beautiful countenance, he will have a wound in his head, he will feel a
smarting pain either in his hand or in his foot, he will suffer from overwork, and he will be humble
and refined. He who is born in the second face will have an attractive body, countenance, and
stature, his eyes and sides will be deformed, and he will be liberal and affable. He who is born in
the third face will also have a good-looking body, a win- some countenance, and defective vision;
he will be well-known and respected by his people. He who is born at the end of the sign will be
hermaphrodite or androgynous. To its anatomical section corresponds all that which is below the
stomach near the genitalia. Its particular ailments include astringency of the urine, hemorrhage,
and amblyopia. Its portion of human beings embraces the business men, judges, mathe-
maticians, singers, merchants, and those who deal in food and beverages. The house of Venus
and the dignity of Saturn are in degree 21, the shame of the Sun is in degree 19, and the house of
the hatred of Mars and its aphelion are in degree 24 at the present time. In the opinion of the
Egyptian sages the sickness characteristic of Saturn is that of the knees, of Jupiter that of the legs,
of Mars that of the lower part of the stomach, of the Sun that of the hands, of Venus that of the
Joins, of Mercury that of the heart, of the Moon that of the chest. The mas- ters of the triplicity by
day are Saturn and then Mercury and by night Mercury and then Saturn, while their satellite by day
and by night is Jupiter. The notion of the Egyptians and Babylonians is that the first face
corresponds to the Moon, the second to Saturn, and the third to Jupiter; but the sages of India
declare that the first corresponds to Venus, the second to Saturn, and the third to Mercury.
According to the Egyptians and the astrologers the limits are as f ollows : to Saturn 6 degrees, to
Mercury 8, to Jupiter 7, to Venus 7, and to Mars 2 ; but in the judgment of Ptolemy they are: to
Saturn 6, to Venus 5, to Jupiter 8, to Mercury 5, and to Mars 6. The beginning of the novena
belongs to Venus, the second to Mars, the third to Jupiter, the fourth and the fifth to Saturn, the
sixth to Jupiter, the seventh to Mars, the eighth to Venus, and the ninth to Mercury. The beginning
of the force of the twelve signs corresponds to Venus, the second to Mars, the third to Jupiter, the
fourth and fifth to Saturn, the sixth to Jupiter, the seventh to Mars, the eighth to Venus, the ninth to
Mercury, the tenth to the Moon, the eleventh to the Sun, and the twelfth to Mercury. From the
beginning of the sign until the end there are 5 bright degrees, then 5 neutral, then 8 bright, then 3
neutral, then 7 bright, and then 2 that are blank. From the inception of the sign until the declination
there are 5 male degrees, then 5 f emale, then 11 male, then 7 f emale, and finally 2 male. The
Ara of the stars comprises the degrees 1, 7, 20, and 30. The degrees which augment grace and
honor are 3, 5, and 21. Among the superior stars there is found the unarmed support, known as
Samach Alazel; it is in the twelfth degree now; its latitude is 2 degrees south; it belongs to the first
magnitude of the conjunction of Venus and Mer- cury. There is also the lance, which is called
Samach Alremach; it is in the thirteenth degree at present; its latitude is 31J^ degrees north; it
belongs to the first magnitude of the conjunction of Jupiter and Mars. Finally there is a brilliant star
at the end of the sign ; its latitude is 44^ degrees north ; it is in the first magnitude of the
conjunction of Venus and Mercury.
Scorpio is one of the aquatic signs, female, nocturnal, north among the winter signs ; it always f
ollows the same course ; its hours are shorter than the normal ones ; it is direct in its ascensions,
which are long. It forecasts humidity, which is not definite; there is in it a variation in quality, which
is of slight use to the living. In a general way it causes thunder and lightning. Its beginning is moist
and variable ; its central part is diluted ; its end stirs up tempests. When it is north, it is humid ;
when it is south, it is cold. It appears as a scorpion. In its domain occur the left part of the north,
the north wind, and the humor which controls man. Its special flavor is rather salty and insipid. Its
characteristic colors are red, green, and the color of dust. Among the living beings it has the
scorpions, the wild animals, the reptiles, and the aquatic ani- mals ; and all flowing waters, the
seas, and every aquatic plant such as coral ; and among the things that grow, the trees of average
height. Its area covers the third zone, Sheba, Arabia, Sanah, and Cyprus. It shares in the
vineyards and orchards, with the exception of any place giving f orth a stench and every deserted
spot. Its characteristic letters are tet and sin. Its years and months total 15, its days 37, and its
hours 4. In the first face there will arise the hind part of a horse, the posteriors of an ox, and a
negro with a stick in his hand. The wise men of India say that a form of a beautiful woman will rise
up, who has a reddish body and who is eating. According to Ptolemy there will ascend the hand of
Ursa Major, the head and right paw of the dog, and half of Libra. In the second face there will arise
a naked man, half of a horse, and half of the ox. The sages of India maintain that a woman mounts
up who was nude when she left her home ; she has nothing on, and she plunges into the sea. In
the opinion of Ptolemy there will ascend the hand of Ursa Minor, a part of the dragon's tail, the
boreal crown, the testicles and feet of Libra, and the crown of Scorpio. In the third face there will
go up the beginning of the horse, the bearer of the hare, and the head of Taurus. The learned men
of India say that there will then arise a dog, two pigs, a big leopard with a white mane, and a kind
of venison. In Ptolemy's judgment there will come up the form of Ursa Minor, the foot and shoulder
and right arm of him who walks on his knees, the stomach of Scorpio, and the head of the censer.
The man who is born in it will be rather dark, hirsute, and sometimes rubicund according to the
power of the aspect of the stars at the moment his horoscope is cast; his eyes will be normal, but
they will be small; his legs will be long, and his feet will be big; he will be fast and agile in his gait;
his face will be large, his forehead narrow, and his shoulder wide ; he will be homely ; he will have
neither a voice nor an enunciation pleasant ; he will have many children ; he will be destructive,
deceit- ful, irascible, a prevaricator, a calumniator, melancholy, generous, re- fined, unreliable, and
astute. He who is born in the first face will be rather attractive ; he will have a mark on his head ;
his eyes will be like those of a cat, and he will have a wide chest. Sometimes he will have a mark
on his left foot or on his right hand. He will be an educated, sensible man, glib in his speech. He
who is born in the second face will have a large head and a rather pretty shape ; he will have a
mark on his pudenda or on his back; he will be well bred and loquacious. He who is born in the
third face will be short in stature; his eyes will look askance ; he will be fond of gluttony and of
women, and he will be very dejected. He who is born at the end of the sign will be a bastard or a
hermaphrodite. To its share of the indecent places correspond the secret place and the sexual
organs of males and females. It is one of the signs of deformities since it denotes defective vision,
scurvy, the sickness called cancer, scabies, leprosy, pock-marks, and baldness. For women its
horoscope is baleful. From degree 21 to degree 24 it points to a defect in the eyesight. Its human
group embraces every perverted, despicable man. The house of Mars and the shame of the Moon
are in the third degree, and likewise the house of the hatred of Venus. The rulers of the triplicity by
day are Venus and then Mars and by night Mars and then Venus, and their satellite by day and by
night is the Moon. According to the teachers of Egypt, the disease peculiar to Saturn is in the legs,
to Jupiter in the feet, to Mars in the genitalia, to the Sun in the heart, to Venus in the intestines, to
Mercury in the stomach, to the Moon in the upper part of the stomach. In the opinion of the wise
men of Egypt and of Babylonia the first face belongs to Mars, the second to the Sun, and the third
to Venus ; but the wise men of India declare that the first belongs to Mars, the second to Jupiter,
and the third to the Moon. The limits, following the Egyptians and the astrologers, are: to Mars 7
degrees, to Venus 4, to Mercury 8, to Jupiter 5, to Saturn 6; but according to Ptolemy they are: to
Mars 6, to Mercury 6, to Jupiter 7, to Venus 7, to Saturn 5. The beginning of the novena
corresponds to the Moon, the second to the Sun, the third to Mercury, the fourth to Venus, the fifth
to Mars, the sixth to Jupiter, the seventh and eighth to Saturn, and the ninth to Jupiter. The begin-
ning of the power of the twelve signs belongs to Mars, the second to Jupiter, the third and the
fourth to Saturn, the fifth to Jupiter, the sixth to Mars, the seventh to Venus, the eighth to Mercury,
the ninth to the Moon, the tenth to the Sun, the eleventh to Mercury, and the twelfth to Venus.
From the beginning of the sign until the end there are 3 neutral degrees, then 5 bright, then 6
blank, then 6 bright, then 2 dark, then 5 bright, and then 3 neutral. From the beginning of the sign
until the fourth degree they are male, then come 6 female, then 4 male, then 5 female, then 8
male, and then 3 female. The Ara of the stars is constituted by degrees 9, 10, 17, 22, 23, and 27.
The degrees which augment grace and honor are 7, 12, and 20. Among the elevated stars the
horn of Scorpio is in the seventh degree at present; its latitude is~ 8J4 degrees north; it belongs to
the second magnitude of the conjunc- tion of Jupiter and Venus. There is also a star called the foot
of Hydra ; it is now in the sixteenth degree ; its latitude is 41 degrees and 10 min- utes south; it is
in the first magnitude of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter. Finally there is the heart of Scorpio in
the twenty-eighth degree at this time; its latitude is three degrees south; it falls in the second
magnitude of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter.

Sagittarius is one of the signs of fire, male, diurnal, west of the signs of winter, it has two bodies,
and its hours are shorter than the normal ones ; at its beginning the time of the hours of the day
tends to lengthen, and the time of the hours of the night tends to decrease in all regions ; it is
direct in its ascensions, which are long. Its nature is warm and dry, destroying the living beings
and the plants. In general it is windy ; its beginning is damp, cold, and cloudy ; its middle is mild ;
its end is as hot as fire. When it is north it is dry, and when it is south it is moist. It has two forms:
one half has the form of a man and the other half has the form of a horse. In its right part is the
orient with the east wind. Its savors are bitter and acrid ; it stirs up blood ; its characteristic colors
are yellow, reddish, and dust-color. Its group of living beings includes man, the horse, the bird, the
wild animals, and the reptiles. In the metal kingdom it takes in lead and, among the stones, the
one called emerald. It covers the second zone, the land of Rages, Ispahan, and all mountains, and
it has a share in the orchards, in every place for irrigation, in the places for horses and oxen, and
every smooth stone. Its letters are yod and tav. Its years and months are 12, its days 30, and its
hours 12. In the first face there will ascend the form of a nude man who has turned around and
who has a raven on his head. There will also ascend there the body of the bitch and the head of a
goat. The wise men of India say that there will then go up a nude man, who has a human form
from his head to his navel and who resembles a horse from his navel down; in his hand he has a
bow and arrow, and he shouts. In the words of Ptolemy there will arise the neck of the little bear, a
part of the dragon's tail, the rump, nape, and head of the one that walks on his knees, the end of
Scorpio, and the knots in the tail and body of Ara. In the second face a figure will mount up, which
holds in its right hand the horns of Capricornus, followed by the wolf's head, half of the hare, half
of the ship, the first half of the fish known as the dolphin, and half of the lizard. The sages of India
declare that there will then arise the figure of a beautiful woman, covered with hair, wear- ing
garments and ear-rings, and having in front of her an open chest in which there are golden jewels.
In the opinion of Ptolemy there will then arise the stomach of the little bear, a part of the dragon's
body, a part of his head, the knee, foot, and left arm of the one that walks on his knees, a part of
the body of the wild animal, the arrow and its quiver, and a part of the austral crown. In the third
face there will ascend the form of a dog, the end of the wolf's body, the body of the hare, the rest
of the lion's body, the second half of the ship, the rest of the fish called dolphin, the lizard's tail,
and half of the great bear. The wise men of India affirm that a man will then mount up who has a
golden appear- ance ; in his hand he holds a kind of wooden ear-ring, and he is covered with a
cloak made of the bark of trees. According to Ptolemy there will then arise the middle of the body
of the little bear, a part of the dragon's body together with its occiput, a part of the body of the fall-
ing eagle, the head, shoulder, and foot of Sagittarius, and the austral crown. The man who is born
in it will have an erect stature; he will be ruddy; he will have long testicles and fat legs; he will be
jovial, strong, and generous ; his f orehead will be sharp, and likewise his beard ; he will have little
hair and a large stomach ; he will be agile in jumping ; he will be fond of horses, and will be a
geometer; he will be sly and inconsistent; he will have a weak voice and few children. He who is
born in the first face will be beautiful and will have nice features; his posture will be erect ; he will
uphold what is good, and he will associate with kings and magnates. He who is born in the second
face will have an elegant body, although his countenance will have the color of saffron and his
eyelids will be stuck together, and he will have a mark on his chest. He who is born in the third
face will be tall; he will have a charming countenance; his eyes will resemble those of a cat; his
chest will be broad; he will be strong; he will have a mark over his left foot; he will be modest,
helpful, and well-bred. He who is born at the end of the sign will be a libertine. In general this sign
prognosticates a just man. To its anatomical part correspond the testicles, the larynx, and any
superfluous member such as an extra finger. Its sicknesses include blindness, fever, falling from a
high place, and the diseases which are caused by the venom of serpents and vipers or by cutting
a limb ; from degree 15 until degree 18 it denotes defective vision. Its human group embraces the
judges, servants of God, philanthropists, people imbued with mercy, interpreters of dreams,
archers, and merchants. The house of Jupiter and the dignity of the dragon's tail are in degree 3 ;
the house of the hatred of Mercury and the place of the aphelion of Saturn are now in degree 12 ;
the place of the nadir of the Sun and of Venus is in degree 27 at present. According to the wise
men of Egypt the sickness peculiar to Saturn is in the feet, that of Jupiter is in the head, that of
Mars is in the testicles, that of the Sun is in the heart, that of Venus is in the genitalia, that of
Mercury is in the intestines, and that of the Moon is in the stomach. The rulers of the triplicity by
day are the Sun and then Jupiter and by night Jupiter and then the Sun, their satellite by day and
by night being Saturn. In the opinion of the Egyptians and the Babylonians the first face
corresponds to Mercury, the second to the Moon, and the third to Saturn; but the wise men of
India affirm that the first corresponds to Jupiter, the second to Mars, and the third to the Sun. The
limits according to the Egyptians and astrologers are as follows: to Jupiter 12 degrees, to Venus 5,
to Mercury 4, to Saturn 5, and to Mars 4; but in the judgment of Ptolemy they are: to Jupiter 8, to
Venus 6, to Mercury 5, to Saturn 6, and to Mars 5. The beginning of the novena belongs to Mars,
the second to Venus, the third to Mer- cury, the fourth to the Moon, the fifth to the Sun, the sixth to
Mercury, the seventh to Venus, the eighth to Mars, and the ninth to Jupiter. The beginning of the
power of the twelve signs corresponds to Jupiter, the second and the third to Saturn, the fourth to
Jupiter, the fifth to Mars, the sixth to Venus, the seventh to Mercury, the eighth to the Moon, the
ninth to the Sun, the tenth to Mercury, the eleventh to Venus, and the twelfth to Mars. From the
start of the sign until the end there are 9 bright degrees, then 3 neutral, then 7 bright, then 4 dark,
and then 7 blank. Likewise from the inception of the sign until its declination there are 2 male
degrees, then 3 female, then 7 male, then 12 female, and then 6 male. The Ara of the stars is
composed of degrees 7, 12, 15, 24, 27, and 30. The degrees which enhance grace and honor are
13 and 20. Among the dark stars the star which follows the tail of Scorpio is now in degree 16, and
its latitude is 13 degrees and 15 minutes south; the star which is called arrow is in degree 18 at
present, and its latitude is 6 degrees and 20 minutes south; then there is the star known as the
marksman's eye, which is at the end of the sign at the present time, and its latitude is 45 minutes
north.

Capricornus is one of the signs of the earth, female, nocturnal, south of the signs of the cold days,
and variable. In it the hours of the day begin to grow longer and the hours of the night grow
shorter, and its hours are shorter than the normal ones. Its nature is cold, dry, and destructive ; its
beginning seems to be warm and damp, its middle mild, its end rainy, no matter whether it be
north or south. It is oblique ; its ascensions are short ; it is incomplete in its operations ; it has two
figures and two natures; its first half has the form of a land animal which has hoofs, and its other
half has the form of an aquatic animal. Its humor is melancholy; its savor is bitter and sour; its
shade of color is black and dust-color. Its group in the animal kingdom includes every quad" ruped
having hoofs, some of the aquatic animals in addition to the worms, fleas, and Aies ; in the
vegetable kingdom it has the olive-trees, walnut-trees, carob-trees, gall-nuts, every tree bearing
many thorns, and that which grows near lagoons, such as bamboos and reeds. Its area covers the
first zone, Ethiopia, Mabcan, Amman, Sind, India, Indies, and the end of the border of the land of
Idumea. Its places are the gardens, every irrigated land, the fountains, rivers, reservoirs, the
places for keeping dogs and foxes, prisons, servants' quarters, the place where the fire is kindled
after it has been extinguished, the pasture-ground of the sheep, and every place of mire in which
nothing grows. Its letters are kaf and het. Its years, as well as its months, amount to 27, its days
307^, and its hours 14. In the first face there will ascend the second half of the great bear, the
figure of a woman who is playing, the head of a large fish, a fountain of impure water, the body
and head of a monkey, and the head of a dog. The wise men of India say that an irascible Moor
will then mount up whose body resembles that of a fat pig ; he is hirsute ; his teeth are sharp and
as long as beams ; he carries the goad for the cattle, and he is fishing. In the opinion of Ptolemy
there will ascend in it the middle part and the neck of Ursa Minor and the last part of the body of
the falling eagle. In the second face a woman will rise up, who is sitting on a bed and who has with
her a vine- stock and half of a cart. The wise men of India posit that a black woman will then
mount up covered with a mantle and holding a horse. According to Ptolemy there will ascend the
end of Ursa Minor, a part of the dragon's body, the right wing and the neck and head of Cygnus,
the body of the flying eagle, the horns and head of Capricornus, and the edges of Sagittarius. In
the third face there will go up the tail of a fish, the end of the impure fountain, the end of the
monkey, the second half of the cart, and a half of the decapitated figure which holds its head in its
hand. The sages of India maintain that a woman then rises up who is beautiful although black,
capable of performing any handiwork or work in silk. According to Ptolemy there will also arise a
part of the dragon, the last part of the body and the right foot and the left wing of Cygnus, the fish
which is called dolphin, the central part of the body of Capricornus, and the tail of the fish. The
man who is born in it will have an attractive body and an erect stature, but he will be austere, and
he will have a small head and thick cheeks ; he will have a pointed beard, but he will not have any
hair on his chest ; his voice will be weak ; he will be irascible and destructive; he is endowed with
education, deceit, and great sorrow ; he is addicted to sexual intercourse and fornication ; he will
have a large offspring, including twins ; his actions are futile, and he lacks energy ; he will acquire
wealth through kings ; a serious mishap will befall him because of women. He who is born in the
first face will have a pleasing body, a wide chest, and a black mark beneath his elbow ; he will be
intelligent, modest, refined, and magnanimous. He who is born - in the second face will be
prepossessing, with large nostrils and pretty eyes ; his intention is evil ; he will be irascible but
ingratiating. He who is born in the third face will also have a beautiful body, but his counte" nance
will have a saffron color ; he will have a mark on his left arm or on his pudenda ; he will be easily
aroused to anger ; he will abhor evil and long for women ; he will be refined and sociable. He who
is born at the end of the sign will be a bastard. In general this sign is por- tentous for the
horoscope of women. Its anatomical part is the pudenda, with all the diseases arising there. Its
characteristic ailments are scabies, pruritus, leprosy, muteness, deafness, fever, amblyopia, and
hemorrhage, and from degree 22 to 25 it denotes a cataract in the eye. Its human beings comprise
those who till the soil, the sailors, the intermediaries, and the shepherds. The house of Saturn and
the dignity of Mars are in degree 28; the disgrace of Jupiter and the house of the hatred of the
Moon are in degree 15 ; the head of the dragon of Mercury is in degree 26. The ruler of the
triplicity by day is Venus and then the Moon and by night the Moon and then Venus, and their
satellite by day and by night is Mars. According to the Egyptians the sickness pertinent to Jupiter
is in the neck, to Mars in the knees, to the Sun in the stomach, to Venus in the testicles, to
Mercury in the genitalia, and to the Moon in the intestines. According to the doctrine of the
Egyptians and the Babylonians the first face belongs to Jupiter, the second to Mars, and the third
to the Sun ; but in the opinion of the wise men of India the first corresponds to Saturn, the second
to Venus, and the third to Mercury. Here are the limits according to the Egyptians and the
astrologers: to Mercury 7 degrees, to Jupiter 7, to Venus 8, to Saturn 4, to Mercury 4 ; but in the
judgment of Ptolemy they are : to Venus 6, to Mercury 6, to Jupiter 7, to Saturn 6, to Mars 5. The
beginning and the second of the novena belong to Saturn, the third to Jupiter, the fourth to Mars,
the fifth to Venus, the sixth to Mercury, the seventh to the Moon, the eighth to the Sun, and the
ninth to Mercury. The first and second of the power of the twelve signs correspond to Saturn, the
third to Jupiter, the fourth to Mars, the fifth to Venus, the sixth to Mercury, the seventh to the
Moon, the eighth to the Sun, the ninth to Mercury, the tenth to Venus, the eleventh to Mars, and
the twelfth to Jupiter. From the beginning of the sign until its declination there are 7 neutral
degrees, then 3 bright, then 5 dark, then 4 clear, then 2 neutral, then 4 blank, and then 5 clear.
From the inception of the sign until the end there are 11 male degrees, then 8 f emale, and then
11 male. The Ara of the stars is formed by the degrees 2, 17, 22, 24, and 28. The degrees which
increase grace and honor are 13, 14, and 20. Among the superior planets the f alling eagle comes
in the third degree at present ; its latitude is 62 degrees north ; it belongs to the first magnitude of
the conjunction of Venus and Mercury. The flying eagle is in the nineteenth degree now ; its
latitude is 29 degrees and 10 minutes north ; it is in the second magnitude of the nature of Jupiter.
There are also cloudy stars between the degrees 7 and 13.

Aquarius is one of the signs of the air, male among the diurnal signs, occidental among the signs
of winter, stationary in its position ; its hours are shorter than the normal ones ; it is oblique in its
ascensions, which are brief. Its nature is warm, moist, and destructive; it denotes every air
annihilating the living and any devastating, exterminating wind. Its beginning is very damp ; its
middle is mild ; its end stirs up winds ; when it is north, it produces snow, and when it is south, it
produces clouds. It appears as a man all alone ; at its left is the occident, and the sea-wind
corresponds to it. Of the four humors it has the blood; its flavor is sweet; its shade of color is
green, saffron, and dust-color. Its group embraces man, princes, and every homely person. Its
area covers the second zone, Ethiopia, Kufa, Alhaviza, and Egypt. Its places are the running
waters, the seas, the refuse-dumps, the wine-shops, the hilly lands, the irrigated fields, and the
brothels. To it corresponds also every vessel in which one fetches water. Its typical letters are
lamed and dalet. Its years as well as its months amount to 30, its days 75, and its hours 6. In the
first face there will ascend the head of him who drives the horse with his hand, and a bird with a
black crest which catches fish. The wise men of India affirm that a Moor, who is a coppersmith, will
then mount up. According to Ptolemy there will also ascend the end of the tail of Ursa Minor, the
paw of Cygnus, the head of the first horse, and the rump and tail of Capricornus. In the second
face there will arise the body of the horse and the wing of the bird which catches fish. The
teachers of India say that a very dark Moor will then rise up who has a long beard and who holds
in his hand a bow, arrows, and bags con- taining precious stones and gold. In the opinion of
Ptolemy there will then ascend the tail of Ursa Minor, the body and head of the second horse, the
beginning of Aquarius, and half of the belly of the austral fish. In the third face there will come up
Cygnus, the rear of him who holds the horse with his hand, and the end of the bird which catches
fish. The sages of India say that an angry, deceitful Moor will then rise up, who has hair in his ear
and over whom there is a crown made of tree- leaves, and who moves from place to place.
According to Ptolemy there will then ascend the tail of Ursa Minor, the body of the horse, the end
of Aquarius, and the head of the austral fish. The man who will be born in it will be short of stature
; he will have a large head, and one f oot will be bigger than the other; he will be magnanimous,
attractive, and self- laudatory ; his sole ambition is to increase his wealth ; he will either be
impotent or will have few children. He who is born in the first face will have a beautiful body and
countenance; he will have a mark on his chest or on his lef t f oot ; he is a refined, gregarious
person. He who is born in the second face will be tall and ruddy ; he will have a mark on his back
and below his elbow ; he will be grieved all his life. He who is born in the third face will bave a
short stature, an attractive body, a ruddy complexion, and a mark under his elbow, and he will be
fond of women. He who is born at the end of the sign will be inconsistent in his appearance and in
all his actions. With regard to the human body it includes the legs and all their ailments,
depression, black jaundice, hernia of the organs, and, between degrees 20 and 25, defective
vision. Its human group embraces every downcast and afflicted individual, sailors, and tanners. It
is the house of Saturn and the house of the hatred of the Sun; in it no planet has honor or
disgrace; the place of the nadir of Mars is in the twelfth degree right now. According to the doctrine
of the Egyptians the sickness attributable to Saturn falls in the neck, to Jupiter in the hands, to
Mars in the legs, to the Sun in the intes- tines, to Venus in the knees, to Mercury in the testicles,
and to the Moon in the genitalia. The rulers of the triplicity by day are Saturn and then Mercury and
the reverse by night, and their satellite by day and by night is Jupiter. In the opinion of the
Egyptians and Babylonians the first face corresponds to Venus, the second to Mercury, and the
third to the Moon; but according to the wise men of India the first belongs to Saturn, the second to
Mercury, and the third to Venus. In the doctrine of the Egyptians and astrologers the limits are as
follows: to Mercury 7 degrees, to Venus 6, to Jupiter 7, to Mars 5, and to Saturn 5; but Ptolemy
claims they are: to Saturn 6, to Mercury 6, to Venus 8, to Jupiter 5, and to Mars 5. The beginning
of the novena corresponds to Venus, the second to Mars, the third to Jupiter, the fourth and the
fifth to Saturn, the sixth to Jupiter, the seventh to Mars, the eighth to Venus, and the ninth to
Mercury. The beginning of the influence of the twelve signs corresponds to Saturn, the second to
Jupiter, the third to Mars, the fourth to Venus, the fifth to Mercury, the sixth to the Moon, the
seventh to the Sun, the eighth to Mercury, the ninth to Venus, the tenth to Mars, the eleventh to
Jupiter, and the twelfth to Saturn. From the beginning until the end of the sign there are 4 dark
degrees, then 5 bright, then 4 neutral, then 8 bright, then 4 blank, and then 5 bright. Likewise from
the inception of the sign until its declination there are 5 male degrees, then 7 female, then 6 male,
then 7 female, and then 5 male. The Ara of the stars is formed by degrees 1, 12, 17, 22, and 29.
The degrees which increase grace and honor are 7, 16, 17, and 20. Among the elevated stars the
mouth of the austral fish is in the twenty- third degree at the present time ; its latitude is 23
degrees and 20 minutes south; it is in the first magnitude of the conjunction of Venus and Mercury.
There is also another star called Alradaf, which is in the tail of Cygnus and in the twenty-fif th
degree at present ; its latitude is sixty degrees north ; it belongs to the second magnitude of the
conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Finally there are 4 dark stars in the horse's head lying between
degrees 12 and 14.

Pisces is one of the aquatic signs, female, nocturnal, north of the cold signs. It has two bodies.
When it declines the day equals the night; its hours are shorter than the normal ones; it is oblique
in its ascensions, which are short. Its limbs are severed. It gives rise to cold and dampness,
annihilating the living beings and the plants. It points to every fetid body of water. In general it stirs
up winds. Its beginning is mild; its center is cold; its end is rather warm. When it is north it
generates winds, and when it is south it generates water. It appears as a fish. In it are the right
part of the north and the north wind which is between the north and the west. Its nature is cold and
moist. It puts bad phlegm into the human body. Its savor is salty and insipid. Its special shade of
color is green, white, and changeable. Among the living it has the aquatic animals, all plants which
grow in the water, bdellium, corals, and onyx stones. Its area covers the second zone, the country
of Sheba, Tiberias, and the northern territory in the land of Gira, besides having a share in Idumea
and Alexandria. Its places comprise the syna- gogues, the banks of all rivers, and the ponds. Its
characteristic letters are mem and tsade. Both its years and months amount to 12, its days 30, and
its hours 12. It is speechless, and has a large progeny. In the first face there will arise a half of a
horse which has two wings, the beginning of the river, and the tail of the fish called crocodile. The
wise men of India say that in the first face there will ascend a man dressed in desirable clothing,
who holds an iron vessel in his hand and who is going home. In the opinion of Ptolemy a part of
the tail of Ursa Minor, the intestines of the second horse, and the beginning of the first fish will
mount up. In the second face there will go up a half of the river and the second half of him who
moves on his knees. The learned men of India say that a winsome white woman will then rise up,
who is seated on a ship at sea and who wishes to land. According to Ptolemy there will then
ascend the tail of Ursa Minor, the hand of the woman who sits on the chair, the shoulder of the
woman who never had a hus- band, the head of the woman who is joined to the horse, and the tip
of the fish. In the third face there will arise the end of the river, the end of the fish called crocodile,
and the remainder of him who moves on his knees. The wise men of India say that a nude man
will then mount up ; he has put his f oot on his stomach, he holds a lance in his hand, and he
shouts through fear of robbers and of fire. In the opinion of Ptolemy there will then arise the end of
the tail of Ursa Minor, the middle of the back of the woman seated on the chair, the breast of the
woman who has never known a man sexually, a part of the threads of flax, and the rear of the
serpent. The human being who is born in it will have an erect and medium-sized body, a white
complexion, a broad chest, an attractive beard, a serene forehead, and eyes that are black rather
than white. Some of the persons will have a limb amputated. He will in- dulge f reely in sleeping,
gluttony, and inebriety. He will not be peremp- tory, but he will be irascible, polite, deceitful, and
will have a weak voice. He who is born in the first face will have a beautiful shape and
countenance, a narrow chest, and a mark under his elbow or under his foot. He who is born in the
second face will have a short stature, a prepossessing appearance, and a black beard ; he will be
hirsute ; a mark will be below his elbow ; he will be hostile to all men. He who is born in the third
face will be auburn, and will have beautiful eyes; he will be ill often. He who is born at the end of
the sign will commit suicide. Its anatomical part comprises the feet and toes with all their ailments ;
it results in the sickness of hemiplegy, itch, leprosy, and generally speak- ing it is a sign of
disease. Its group of human beings embraces the outcasts and the fishermen. The Egyptians say
that in it the sickness imputable to Saturn lies in the hands, to Jupiter in the cardiac region, to Mars
in the feet, to the Sun in the genitalia, to Venus in the legs, to Mercury in the knees, and to the
Moon in the testicles. It forms the house of Jupiter and the dignity of Venus in degree 27 and the
dishonor of Mercury in degree 15, which is the house of its odium. The nadir of Jupiter is now in
degree 23, and the dragon's head of Venus is now in degree 26. The rulers of the triplicity by day
are Venus and then Mars and vice-versa by night, and their satellite by day and by night is the
Moon. According to the Egyptians and the Babylonians the first face corresponds to Saturn, the
second to Jupiter, and the third to Mars ; but, in the opinion of the wise men of India, the first
belongs to Saturn, the second to the Moon, and the third to Mars. The limits given by the
Egyptians and the astrologers are as follows: to Venus 12 degrees, to Jupiter 4, to Mercury 3, to
Mars 9, and to Saturn 2 ; but in the Ptole- maic system they are : to Venus 8, to Jupiter 6, to
Mercury 6, to Mars 5, and to Saturn 5. The beginning of the novena corresponds to the Moon, the
second to the Sun, the third to Mercury, the fourth to Venus, the fifth to Mars, the sixth to Jupiter,
the seventh and the eighth to Saturn, and the ninth to Jupiter. The beginning of the influence of the
twelve signs belongs to Jupiter, the second to Mars, the third to Venus, the fourth to Mercury, the
fifth to the Moon, the sixth to the Sun, the seventh to Mercury, the eighth to Venus, the ninth to
Mars, the tenth to Jupiter, the eleventh and the twelfth to Saturn. From the beginning of the sign
until the end there are 6 bright degrees, then 6 neutral, then 4 bright, then 3 blank, then 3 bright,
and then 2 neutral. From the rise of the sign until its declination there are 10 male degrees, then
10 female, then 3 male, then 3 female, and then 2 male. The Ara of the stars comes in degrees 4,
9, 24, 27, and 28. The degrees which increase grace and honor are 18 and 20. Among the
superior planets there is the croup of the horse, at present in the eighteenth degree ; its latitude is
thirty-one degrees north ; it is in the first magnitude of the conjunction of Mars and Mercury. In
case the superior constellations, which I have just enumerated, should appear at the moment
when the horoscope is cast in the ascend- ing degree, or in the degree which is in the center of
the heavens, that is, the inception of the tenth house, or in a degree having the Sun by day or the
Moon by night, or in the degree of the Moon's fate called the favorable fate, then the new-born will
have a degree of a magnitude such as his forbears never possessed nor anyone can imagine; but
all the ancients are in unanimous agreement in auguring that the individual will meet with a terrible
end, and all the more so if the omen happens to be one of the stars in the conjunction of the
baleful stars. Now I shall proceed to a discussion of the character of the stars which are in the
elliptical orbit of the celestial sphere and in the northern and southern figures. The ancients
claimed that the stars which are on the mouth of Aries are of a nature similar to that of Mercury
and somewhat to that of Saturn; the star which is on its paw partakes of the nature of Mars; the
one which is on its rump is of the nature of Venus. The stars which are on the severed place of
Taurus have the nature of Venus and partake somewhat of the nature of Jupiter; the Pleiades
belong to the conjunction of Mars and the Moon; the stars which are on the head of Taurus are of
a nature analogous to that of Saturn and somewhat to that of Mercury. In their cluster the large
star is the eye of Taurus, called Aldebaran, which by itself corresponds to the nature of Mars, as
do the stars on the horns of Taurus. Those which are on the foot of Gemini belong to the nature of
Mercury and, to a certain extent, to the nature of Venus; those which are on the testicle of Gemini
are of the nature of Saturn. As to the two luminaries which are in the head, the one in front
partakes of the nature of Mer- cury and the other partakes of the nature of Mars. The nature of the
stars on the feet of Cancer resembles that of Mercury and somewhat that of Mars ; those which
are in its tail are of the conjunction of Saturn and Mercury. Those which are near its belly are
considered nebulous, and their nature is similar to that of Mars and the Sun. Those which are on
the head of Leo are by their nature comparable to Saturn and, to a certain extent, to Mars. The
stars on its neck belong to the nature of Saturn and somewhat to that of Mercury. The bright star,
called Leo's heart, is of the conjunction of Mars and Saturn; the one in its loins is of a nature like
that of Venus ; the stars in its testicles partake of the nature of Venus and somewhat of that of
Mercury. Those which are above Virgo's head at the tip of its right wing correspond to the nature
of Mercury and, to a small extent, to that of Mars. The nature of those which are on the loins is
equivalent to that of Venus. Those which are on the left wing fall in the conjunction of Saturn and
Mer- cury. The star called Simac Alezal is of the nature of Venus and somewhat of the nature of
Mercury. The stars on its feet partake of the nature of Mercury and, to a limited extent, of that of
Mars. The two stars on the palm of Libra lie in the conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury. The
asterism which is on the horns of Scorpio is of the nature of Saturn and corresponds roughly to
Mercury and Mars. The luminous stars on the back of Scorpio have a nature equivalent to that of
Mars and somewhat to that of Saturn. The nature of its heart is analogous to Mars and less so to
Jupiter. Those which are on its tail are, in their nature, similar to Saturn and somewhat to Venus.
The nebulous stars which are found there belong to the conjunction of Mars and the Moon; those
in Sagittarius fall in the conjunction of Mercury and the Moon ; those which are on the back of the
marksman are of the nature of Jupiter and, in a way, that of Mercury. The hoofs of the horse
belong to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and the stars on its tail correspond to the nature of
Venus and somewhat to that of Saturn. Those which are on the mouth of Capricornus have a
nature like that of Mars and a bit like that of Venus; those which are on its belly come into the
conjunction of Mars and Mercury ; those on its tail belong to the conjunction of Saturn and
Mercury. Those which are on the shoulder and the left hand of him who draws water with a bucket
lie in the conjunction of Saturn and Mercury, while those on its nos- trils are of the nature of
Mercury and somewhat that of Saturn. Those which are on the spurt of water are akin, in their
nature, to that of Saturn and a bit to that of Jupiter. The stars which are on the head of the fish
partake of the nature of Mercury and somewhat that of Saturn ; those which are on its belly belong
to the conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury ; the nature of those on its tail is like that of Saturn and,
to a certain extent, that of Mercury; those which are on its stomach towards the left have the
nature of Jupiter and somewhat that of Venus ; those which are found at the end of Pisces are of a
nature similar to that of Mars and somewhat to that of Mercury. These are the stars which are on
the northern side of the elliptical sphere. The luminaries in Ursa Minor belong to the conjunction of
Saturn and, to a small extent, of Venus. Those in Ursa Major, or Ayish, and its offspring, adhere to
the conjunction of the Moon and Venus. The luminaries in the dragon are in the conjunction of
Saturn and Mars. The stars of Cepheus lie in the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Those in the
bed of the armed one fall in the conjunction of Saturn and Mercury. The luminary in the boreal
crown belongs to the conjunction of Venus and Mercury. The one which moves on its knees is of a
nature similar to that of Mercury. The luminary, which is the falling eagle, adheres to the
conjunction of Venus and Mercury. The luminous star called Cygnus, and those which are
together with the woman who sits on the seat, lie in the conjunction of Venus and Saturn. Those
which are with the rider, who carries the devil's head, belong to the conjunction of Saturn and
Jupiter. Those which are on its sword are in the conjunction of Mars and Mercury. The luminary
called Ayoc comes into the conjunction of Mars and Mercury. Those which accom- pany the
bearer of the serpent are of a nature similar to that of Saturn and somewhat to that of Venus.
Those which are on its shoulder belong to the conjunction of Saturn and Mars. The flying eagle is
in the con- junction of Jupiter and Mars. The stars of the fish called dolphin are in the conjunction
of Saturn and Mars. The luminaries in Sagittarius lie in the conjunction of Mars and Mercury. The
stars which go with the woman who has never had a husband have the nature of Venus, and
those with the triangle have the nature of Mercury. These are the austral stars of the ecliptic of the
zodiac. The luminary in the mouth of the southern fish is in the conjunction of Venus and Mercury.
The one which accompanies the Sun has the nature of Saturn. The one which is on the warrior's
shoulder lies in the conjunc- tion of Mars and Mercury. The other luminaries belong to the con-
junction of Saturn and Jupiter. The stars of the river come in the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.
The stars of the hare fall in the conjunction of Saturn and Mars. The stars which move around the
loitering dog are in the conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Those which are on the dog's mouth,
that is, Alsaeri Alymania, are of the nature of Jupiter and somewhat of Mars. The stars of the
warrior have the nature of Saturn and Venus. Those in the ship have the nature of Saturn and
Mars. The luminary called Kesil is of the nature of Jupiter and Saturn. The two dark stars are in the
conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Those which are on the horse's form are in the conjunc- tion of
Venus and Jupiter. The luminaries on the throat are of the nature of Venus and somewhat of Mars.
The nature of those in the austral crown is that of Mercury. The stars of the wolf lie in the con-
junction of Saturn and Mercury. The stars of the censer have the nature of Jupiter and, to a certain
extent, that of Mercury. Those are the stars which the ancient scientists investigated.
CHAPTER III

The third chapter deals with the aspects of the degrees of the celestial sphere, their amity, their
animosity, all matters concerning the quarters of the orbit, its twelve divisions, and what they
prognosticate at any moment. The aspect can be in four ways, namely, sextile, quadrature, trine,
and opposition. The degrees of the aspect are seven, to wit, the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, ninth,
tenth, and eleventh. The aspect in the third and eleventh is the sextile aspect. The aspect in the
fourth and tenth is the quadrature aspect. The aspect in the fifth and ninth is the trine aspect. The
aspect in the seventh is the opposition. The aspect in the third, fourth, and fifth is septentrional; the
aspect in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh is meridional. The sextile aspect is the sixth part of the
sphere, that is, 60 degrees; the quadrature aspect is the fourth part of the sphere, or 90 degrees ;
the trine aspect is the third part of the sphere, or 120 degrees ; the opposition is half of the sphere,
or 180 degrees. By way of example, let us suppose that the sign of the ascendant is the beginning
of Aries; then its northern sextile aspect will be in the beginning of Gemini, and its southern sextile
aspect will be in the beginning of Aquarius; its southern quadrate aspect in the beginning of
Scorpio and its northern quadrate aspect in the beginning of Capricornus; its northern trine aspect
in the beginning of Aries, and its southern trine aspect in the beginning of Sagittarius ; its
opposition aspect in the beginning of Libra. The most influential of all the aspects is that of
opposition, next in influence is the quadrature aspect, which in turn is followed by the trine aspect,
and the weakest of all is the sextile aspect. The opposition aspect is complete enmity, the
quadrature aspect is semi-enmity, the trine aspect is perfect amity, and the sextile aspect is semi-
amity. The signs among which there is neither aspect nor conjunction are four, namely, the
second, sixth, eighth, and twelfth. Of these the weakest are the sixth and twelfth. There are some
signs which are detrimental with regard to the aspect, but which are helpful in another way by
virtue of lying within the same radius in ascensions, in prevalence, or in the elliptical orbit : those
whose ascensions are constant, such as Aries, Pisces, Virgo, Libra, Taurus, Aquarius, Leo,
Scorpio, Gemini, Capricornus, Cancer, and Sagittarius; those which have an equal influence, that
is, every sign whose odd hours are the same, such as Scorpio with Gemini, Taurus with Leo, Aries
with Virgo, Pisces with Libra, Aquarius with Cancer, Capricornus with Sagittarius. The star which is
in one of the direct signs is called the master, and the one which is opposite its degree in one of
the oblique signs is the serf. The signs which are precisely in the elliptical orbit are always double
signs which are houses of a star : for instance, Aries and Scorpio are of Mars, Taurus and Libra of
Venus, Gemini and Virgo of Mercury, Sagittarius and Pisces of Jupiter, Capricornus and Aquarius
of Saturn. Even though the Moon has a single house and the Sun has only one, nevertheless both
exert an influence, and their houses are supposed to belong to the same influence. Even though
Aries, Libra, Capricornus, Scorpio, Virgo, Pisces, et cetera, are of a nature which functions
with consistency, yet there is enmity seizing them because of the diametric aspect.
The sphere is divided at every minute of the hour into four parts, because the quarter of the
sphere which extends from the meridian of the heavens as far as the ascendant degree is oriental,
male, and direct; that which corresponds to it among the four elements is the air, in the human
body it is the blood, of the seasons of the year it is the springtime, of the four parts of the day and
night it is the first one, of the age of man it is childhood, of the shades of color it is white. The
quarter which extends from the meridian of the planets to the declining degree is southern, weak
as though it were female, and its motions are retrograde ; what resembles it most closely among
the four elements is the fire, of the seasons of the year it is winter, of the four parts of the day and
night it is the second one, in the human body it is the blood, of the ages it is adolescence, and of
the colors it is the red. The quarter which extends from the declining degree until the degree of the
abyss is occidental, with the power of male, and it is direct; its equivalent among the elements is
the earth, of the seasons of the year it is autumn, of the four parts of the day and night it is the
third, within the human body it is melancholy, of the ages it is about fifty years, and of the colors it
is the black. The quarter which extends from the line of the abyss to the ascending degree is
septentrional, like female, and retrograde ; among the elements what befalls it is the water, among
the seasons of the year it is the winter, of the four parts of the day and night it is the last one, in
the human body it is cold mixed with dampness, of the ages it is the days of old age and senility,
and of the colors it is the green. The term southing denotes the meridian passage above the earth,
extending from the zenith down to the horizon; the term northing refers to that which lies beneath
the earth. Likewise the two quarters which are male are called meridional, and those which are like
female are septentrional. The half of the ascending orbit includes the two quarters from the
meridian of the celestial bodies to the ascending degree and from the ascending degree to the line
of the abyss. The half of the declining sphere means the other half extending from the line of the
abyss to the declining degree and from the declining degree to the center of the celestial bodies.
Every minute the sphere is divided into twelve parts, in accordance with the number of the signs of
the zodiac, and they are called houses; each group of four receives the same name.
Houses 1, 4, 7 and 10 are known as poles, because they look like points.
Houses 2, 5, 8 and 11 all bear the same name, supports for the poles.
Houses 3, 6, 9, and 12 have the common name of wanes.
The poles are more powerful than the supports, and supports are more powerful than the wanes.
The most powerful poles are 1 and 10, the most powerful supports are 5 and 11, the most
powerful wanes are 6 and 9. At every minute the houses of the orbit correspond to the four
elements, and I shall give an example with reference to the poles. When the rising sign is in Aries,
whose nature is like fire, in the meridian of the celestial bodies there will be Capricornus, which
has the nature of earth, and the declining sign will be Libra, which is of the nature of air, and the
line of the abyss will be Scorpio with the nature of water. The same holds true in the case of the
supported houses and the wanes. These twelve houses are fundamental in casting the horoscope
of man, in the consultations of the stars, in the selections, and also in the astrological judgments of
the universe in general.
The first house is the one which rises at the beginning of the western line. It denotes life, body,
speech, knowledge, growth, the start of any undertaking, and any thing which pertains to the
human mind, and of the span of life it points to the inception. The ruler of the first triplicity
prognosticates the life and character of the new-born and of the asker, his requests, and all that
which may befall him early in life whether beneficial or baleful. The ruler of the second triplicity
exerts an influence over the body, over strength, and middle-age. The ruler of the third triplicity
shares, jointly with his companions, in all that they dominate, and, in addition, he controls the end
of the span of life.
The second house forecasts wealth, the acquisition of property, the gift, food and those who
prepare it, those who obey the command, witnesses, keys, and treasures. The ruler of the first
triplicity points to wealth early in life. The ruler of the second triplicity denotes middle-age. The
third refers to the end.
The third house rules over the brothers, sisters, relatives, sons-in-law, wisdom, knowledge of the
Holy Writ, jurisprudence, dreams, modesty, advice, fidelity, epistles, notices, and approximate
direction. The ruler of the first triplicity denotes the older brothers, the second those in between,
and the third the young ones.
The fourth house serves as an augury over the father, floors, homes, fields, regions, cultivated
lands, hidden treasures, and any concealed object. The ruler of the first triplicity points to the
father, the second to the floors, and the third to the end of anything.
The fifth house marks the sons, destiny, food, drink, raiment, pleasure, presents, emissaries,
crops, and the father's treasures. The first triplicity governs children and parents, the second
pleasure, and the third emissaries.
The sixth house points to any disease which is chronic, likewise to chance, servants, maids, small
cattle, prison, fraud, and calumny. The ruler of the first triplicity determines sicknesses and
defects, the second the servants, and the third whether they will be useful or harmful.
The seventh house prognosticates women, coition, dispute, war, litigation, thieves, social
intercourse, and business. The ruler of the first triplicity indicates women, the second wars, and
the third social intercourse.
The eighth house predicts death, inheritance, deposit, separation, fear, grief, and ruin. The ruler of
the first triplicity decides upon death, the second upon anything ancient, and the third upon
inheritance.
The ninth house determines circulation, distant roads, all that which turns freely, secular
knowledge, religion, the service dedicated to God, messengers, news, dreams, oaths, prodigies,
marvels, judgments, and law-suits. The ruler of the first triplicity decides upon circulation, the
second upon religion, and the third upon knowledge.
The tenth house refers to the mother, the government, reputation, and all professions. The ruler of
the first triplicity points to the mother, the second to reputation, and the third to professions.
The eleventh house denotes honor, grace, good reputation, hope, friends, companions, royal
princes, exchequers, and wardrobe-stewards. The ruler of the first triplicity points to the hope in
one's mind, the second to the companions, and the third whether they are favorable or
detrimental.
The twelfth house is an omen of grief, indigence, envy, animosity, fear, tricks, vigilance, prisons,
captivity, disgrace, beatings, and the animals which serve as a mount for man. The ruler of the first
triplicity denotes sorrow, the second prison, and the third enemies.
 CHAPTER IV

The fourth chapter deals with the conjunction of the seven planets, their influence, and all that
which they prognosticate. Now I shall begin by treating of Saturn, since it is the most elevated of
all by virtue of its being in the seventh sphere viewed from the earth. Saturn is cold and dry; its
nature is very pernicious ; it denotes destruction, ruin, death, affliction, weeping, grief, complaint,
and ancient things. In the human activity it has control of the mind, and its area covers the first
zone, which is India. Its group of peoples embraces the Moors, the Jews, the natives of Barbary,
the assembly of all the elders, the husbandmen, the cultivators, the tanners, the cleaners of
lavatories, the servants, the outcasts, the thieves, the diggers of wells and ditches, and the
undertakers who get the mortuary shrouds. Its metals of the earth include dark lead, iron-ore,
black stones, all black marble, the magnet, and every heavy and dark stone. Its sections of land
comprise the grottos, the wells, the prisons, every dim and uninhabitable place, and the cemetery-
grounds. Among its wild animals there are the elephants, the camels, any big and ugly animal
such as hogs, bears, monkeys, black dogs, and black cats. As its part of the birds it has every bird
with a long neck such as the ostrich, the eagle, the vulture, every bird with a terrible voice, the
raven, the owl, and every bird that looks black. Of the things that crawl on the ground it takes in
the fleas, the lice, the Aies, the mice, and any creeping thing within the earth which is destructive
and mephitic. As for trees it has any tree with gall, the carob-tree, tragacanth known as balot, the
medlar-tree, any tree which has thorns that hurt but which bears no fruit, lentils, and panic. Its
medicinal species are the cactus, which is called aloe, myrobalan, albalileg, and almaleg, which
are like prunes imported from India, in addition to any plant producing a deadly poison, any bitter
thing such as absinth, and in general any black plant. Its nature is cold and dry; its savor is acrid,
drawing together the tongue, and that which does not have an agreeable taste; its odor is fetid. Of
the kinds of spices there are alcasat or cinnamon, cassia fistula or barks of the tree, aromatic
laurel, and almaha or gum. Its raiments are the cloak, the woolen clothing, the covers, and any
heavy garment. To its part of the nature of man corresponds the mental faculty, paucity of words,
astuteness, isolation from human beings, the power to dominate over them, to conquer, pillage,
wrath, to be peremptory in one's word, concatenation of ideas, knowledge of secrets, worship of
the Lord, the betrayal of fellow-men, contrariness, to be afraid, to tremble, in general to deceive
consistently with little benefit and great harm, to plow and build up the land, to extract metals,
to seek hidden treasures and to excavate, to meditate upon subjects of death and any thing which
has lasted for years. Its occupation is any one which requires much work and which yields little
reward, all menial tasks such as chopping stones, cleaning cisterns, and any sordid job. It denotes
fathers, grandfathers, the deceased, tears, separation, wandering, poverty, indigence, humiliation,
distant and bad roads in which lurks danger, and it does not meet with success in any undertaking.
Now if it is in the horoscope of a man dominating over it, it will endow his character with all the
good which will be there provided that it is in an auspicious position with respect to the Sun, to the
parts of the orbit, and to the parts of the time, as I intend to explain; but, if it is the opposite, then it
will yield every undesirable thing. If, when it is in an elevated degree, a favorable star should be in
its conjunction, then it will produce all its effects beneficially, provided that the favorable star is in
its greatest exaltation; but if it should be in its nadir, then the benefit will be slight. If the baleful star
is in its conjunction and both are in their power, it will denote victory and incalculable pillage; if the
ominous star is not in its power, then it will bring him every undesirable and vulgar thing with
shame and opprobrium. I shall explain all that in the Book of Nativities.
If Saturn is alone on the figure of man, then his stature will be erect, his face will have a
complexion between white and black, he will be meek, beloved, strong, his hair will be black and
curly, he will have hair on his chest, his eyes will be plain and very sensitive to cold and
dampness. All this will occur provided that Saturn is east of the Sun, as I shall explain later ; but if
it is west, he will be thin, his hair will not be curly, and his nature will be cold and dry. In general it
indicates that the new-born will have a very homely shape and face, abundant hair on his body,
thick nostrils, lips, and teeth, and halitosis. Its anatomical parts include the bones, the spleen, the
right ear, the place of the urine, and the blood. Its particular ailments are insanity, imbecility,
tremor, hemiplegy, the diseases which result in a loss of speech, leprosy, the sicknesses of the
feet, any disease which lasts many days, and any cold and dry illness due to cold weather and
aridity. Of the ages of man it takes in old age and the end. Of the cardinal points it has the east; its
shades of color are black and dusty; of the days it has Saturday, and of the nights Wednesday; its
hours are the first and eighth; its letters are sin, ayin, and pe, while some add to them nun ; its
figures are these two. As for its years the maximum are 256, the long ones 56, the average are
43Y*, the small ones 30, and the years of the part called alphardar are 11. The force of its body is
9 degrees both direct and retrograde.
Jupiter is below Saturn, for it is in the sixth sphere viewed from the earth. It is warm and moist, and
straight in its conjunction. It is the most propitious of the planets. It prognosticates life, any
increase in well-being, productivity, development, talk of justice and righteousness.
It shares in the growing soul. Its area covers the second zone, which is the land of Yemen or
Sheba, the territory of Alchazizu, which is Assyria and Mesia ; among the nations the Persians and
the Babylonians ; among groups of people the judges, the scholars, those who serve God, the
meek, the noble, and the just. In the mineral kingdom it shares in tin called tutya, the stone called
hyacinth, the white and the saffron, the sapphire, the onyx, the crystal, and any shining white
stone which is useful. To it belong the synagogues, the places for divine worship, and the clean
sites. In the animal kingdom it denotes all those which have a cleft hoof, such as sheep and deer,
and every fine animal which has a beautiful appearance and which does little harm, and among
the fowl the peacocks, chickens, doves, and in general any granivorous bird which is useful to
man. Within the earth it stands for anything which is useful and not harmful, such as the silk-worm.
Among the trees it has the walnut-trees, the almond-trees, the fruit called pistachio, bendac, also
tsenobar or bean, and in general anything whose shell one must remove in order to eat what it
contains ; likewise wheat, barley, vetch, and millet; among the flowers the one called albahar,
jasmine, sweet marjoram, and that which is similar. Of the kinds of medicinal herbs, any one which
makes an agreeable concoction and which has a good odor and taste, such as musc, camphor,
sugar, fennel, aloe, amber, and similar species. It has pretty raiment, such as cotton clothing and
any delicate mantle. With regard to man's nature it denotes affection, justice, peace, faith, humility,
good reputation, nobility of heart, freedom of mind in telling the truth, reliability in keeping
covenants. The person will have a smiling face, loving good and abhorring evil. Ordinarily he will
be opposed to any act not in conformity with law and justice ; he will enjoy talking excessively, and
he will seek the praise of his fellow-men; his every thought will be directed towards seeking and
hoarding wealth, and towards attempting to succeed in every endeavor provided that it be in
a legitimate way; he desires to learn law, jurisprudence, and the interpretations of dreams, and to
serve in synagogues. Then it also prognosticates children and grandchildren. Usually it forecasts
good luck, grace, and honor, and, if it is isolated at the casting of the horoscope, it will bring to him
every honorable thing, and contrariwise if it does not exert its influence. The planets wax or wane
when they unite with it in conjunction or in aspect; if the stars are malignant, they will diminish its
benefit, but if they are favorable, they will increase its benefit. As for the shape of the individual, if
it is east, it prognosticates an attractive stature, a body of a white, reddish appearance, little hair,
and beautiful eyes; he will be a splendid person in all his activities, and by its nature it will be warm
and moist. If it is west, his body will be erect, but his white complexion will not be perfect, and the
hair on his head will be just the opposite of curly for he will be bald, and perspiration will develop in
him. Generally it results in an individual of noble mind, splendid ambition, excellent vision,
attractive beard, and light hair.
Its anatomical region includes the liver, the left ear, the ribs, as well as the blood. Its special
diseases are all mild ailments which pass quickly.
Of the span of life it is the period between adolescence and old age; of the colors it is the white,
green, saffron, the suitable one, and every pretty bright color ; of the cardinal points the north ; of
the days Thursday; of the nights the night preceding Monday; of the hours the first and the eighth ;
of the letters het, samekh, and bet, and here is its figure.
Its major years are 427, its long years are 79, its average ones are 45j4, and the small ones are
12. The years of alphardar are 12, and the force of its body is 12 degrees both direct and
retrograde.
Mars is hot, scorching dry, harmful, and destructive ; it prognosticates devastation, dearth, fiames
of fire, rebellion, blood, massacre, war, disputes, blows, separation, and, in general, anything
which is not in its usual condition and form. Of the temperaments of man, it rules over anger. Its
area covers the third zone, for example, Egypt and Alexandria. Its peoples are the English, or the
natives of England, and those who worship fire. In the classifications of men, it denotes all the
soldiers, their commanders, the thieves, the artisans of iron, the blacksmiths, the manufacturers of
lances and swords, those who shed blood, the herdsmen, and those who are like them. In the
mineral kingdom its part includes iron, red copper, sulphur, naphtha, vessels of crystal,
instruments of war, and any red stone. To it correspond the fortifications, the towers, and the
ovens. Among the wild animals it has the hyenas, the dogs, and the leopard, and among the birds
albuziah or goshawk.
Of the creeping things it takes in any harmful one such as the serpent, the scorpion, and all those
which possess a deadly venom. Its plants are the thorn, the briers, the one called albacam, which
is a kind of wood used for dyeing, in addition to bastard-saffron, madder, any prickly plant, pepper,
mustard, cumin, radish, leek, garlic, and alsedab or rue. The medicinal herbs which correspond to
it are spike lavender, turpeth, spinach, orange-flower water, euphorbia, scammony, euphrasia,
plantain, any herb which causes immediate pain, and any one whose flavor is caustic and tart and
not pleasant. Its aromatic spices are bergamot mint and zaefaran or saffron. In raiment it is skins
of hares and sable and the garments which are dyed in kermes. Its share in human character
refers to haste, strength, victory, power, disputes, combat, pillage, wrath, insults, anathema,
prevarication, calumny, debauchery, effrontery, failure to keep one's promise, libel, assault on all
that which is prohibited by law, larceny, any wicked deed, cruelty, and great pain ; furthermore, to
wander f rom one spot to another, to run risks, to afflict people, to strike, to incarcerate, to lead into
captivity, to plunder wealth, to dig in walls, to open gates, and to reveal any thing hidden.
Generally speaking, every thing in it is harmful and there is no good in it. It points to brothers,
brewers of quarrels, cutting the umbilical cord from the mother's placenta, making a woman
miscarry, any evil event which happens suddenly, any destruction and ruin. If it has no satellite
when the horoscope is cast, it will bring all the good it can, provided that its influence is in
force and that it is in aspect with favorable stars; just the opposite happens when its influence
does not count and baleful stars rotate near it. If it is east of the Sun, the new-born will be tall, his
appearance will be white but tending towards reddish, and he will have abundant hair over his
body; but if it is west, he will be short in stature, he will have a reddish appearance, his face will be
round, his eyes small, his hair red but not curly, and the nature of his body dry. Ordinarily it
indicates a person with a ruddy appearance, with eyes like those of a cat, and an ugly complexion;
he has spots and pock-marks on his face ; his acts are done with haste, crossness, and frenzy.
His anatomical section takes in the bile, the right nostril, the nerves, the kidneys, and the pudenda,
in addition to the red humor and the burning blood ; its diseases are ague, hot fever, the red
pustules which break out on the hody, tremor, insanity, contusion, and smarting pain. Of Ihe years
of the span of life it denotes youth. Its characteristic shade of color is dark red. Its cardinal point is
west, its particular day is Tuesday, its special night is the one preceding Saturday, and its typical
hours are the first and eighth. Of the letters of the alphabet it takes tsade, qof, and yod. Its figure is
this one, although some maintain it is another one. Its major years are 284, the long ones are 66,
the intermediate 40^2, and the minimum 15. The years of the part called alphardar number 7. The
force of its body is 8 degrees both direct and retrograde.
The Sun is equally warm and dry; it is both useful and injurious, doing good and harm ; to it belong
clearness and the sensitive soul. Its area covers the fourth zone as well as the land of Babylonia,
Iraq, and Palestine, and among the nations Idumea, Trachonitis, and Dilam. The parts which
correspond to it are as follows: of groups of people, the kings, princes, and counselors; of the
minerals of the earth, gold, precious stones such as the diamond, red salt, marcasite whose red
color tends towards gold, hematite, and any sparkling stone; of the places on land, mansions and
royal palaces ; of the living beings, man, horses, lions, big sheep, lambs; of the birds, aleukevan or
lammergeier, and sparrow-hawk; of the reptiles, the large, deadly ones; of the trees, the date-
trees, the vines, the olive-trees, the apple-trees, the mulberry-trees, havalmeloc or cherry-trees,
quince-trees, and fig-trees, in addition to the rose, kidney-bean, and silk; of the kinds of spices,
spikenard, kermes, lac, any spice of the warm variety with a tart taste, and any favorite
concoction ; of human qualifies, knowledge, intelligence, majesty, beauty, vigor, the ambition to
reach high positions, the attachment to wealth, garrulity, power of repartee, and excessive desires;
of the craftsmen, the beaters of gold and silver, and the manufacturers of crowns. In addition to all
these, it denotes laws, precepts, the union of society, fathers, and half-brothers. Participation in its
nature will be in proportion to its influence; if it is alone in the figure, the new-born will be fat with a
white complexion, ordinary eyes, thin hair, and a beautiful face. Its anatomical part extends over
the heart, the right eye by day and the left eye by night, the brain, the ducts, and the right half of
the body. It also refers to blood and to all the diseases which originate in the mouth. It shares,
among the ages, in the period of adolescence. Its shade of color is pure red and saffron. Its
special flavor is the acrid. Its cardinal point is east. Its letters of the alphabet are alef, dalet, and
lamed. Here is its figure. Its day is Sunday; its night is the one followed by Thursday; its hours are
the first and the eighth; its major years number 1461, its great years 120, the average 39}4, the
short 19, and the years of alphardar amount to 10. The force of its body is 15 degrees both direct
and retrograde.
Venus is cold and damp, mixed, favorable, and direct; it is a good and well-regulated planet. To it
correspond the lustful mind, fructification, and growth. Its area covers the fifth zone, which is Spain
and a part of the land of Idumea. Its peoples are the Arabs and all those who believe in the
Mohammedan religion. Its groups of human beings are the young, the eunuchs, the women, the
leaders in play, the musicians, and the composers of liturgical poetry. Its part in all that there
is in the bosom of the earth takes in the saffron copper, lapis lazuli, magnesia, litharge, sal
ammoniac, mercury or vitriol, orpiment, and all ornaments, jewels, and rings for women. Its
domain on the land includes the orchards, the gardens, the places where myrtle grows, the
buds, the places reserved for women, the dramshops, and the beds. Its animals are the deer, the
hinds, and any beautiful animal; its birds are alchayagil or partridge, turtle-doves, and sparrows,
while its insects are the spider and the ants. In addition it denotes frogs and, among the trees, the
apple-trees, pomegranate-trees, and any fruit which has a nice scent and an agreeable taste.
Within its domain lie balsam, anything that has a sweet perfume, and anything that is succulent
and oleaginous. Its raiment comprises any embroidered work and all pretty clothing.
Among human qualities it rules over cleanliness, love, mockery, laughter, joy, dancing, pleasant
conversation, lust, carnal intercourse, gambling with dice, philanthropy, excessive desire for
everything, false testimony, inclination towards inebriety, incessant longing for coition both legiti-
mate and illegitimate, love of children, fondness for markets, and ordi narily a devotion to justice
and to the temples of divine service. Among the trades it denotes anything connected with dyeing
and sewing. It also indicates eating and drinking, the mother, the daughters, and the younger
sister. Its characteristics will apply in proportion to its influence at the moment of casting the
horoscope. If it is isolated at the casting of the horoscope and is east, then the new-born will be
fat, his complexion white, his shape charming, his eyes black, and he will be tall; but if it is west,
he will be short in stature, the white complexion of his face will not be pure, his hair will not be
curly, and in fact he will be bald. In general it forecasts that every person will have an attractive
shape, with a round face and black eyes, and will be a gambler. Its anatomical part extends over
the flesh, the marrow, the liver, and man's semen. Humidity corresponds to it. Its diseases include
all those which arise in the loins and in the genitalia. In the span of life it controls youth, and, in
general, any time after the age of thirteen.
Its special color is white with a slight tinge of green. Its characteristic flavor is sweet and insipid. Its
cardinal point is the east. Its particular letters of the alphabet are tet and dalet, and here is its
figure. Of the days it governs Friday, of the nights the one which is followed by Tuesday, and of
the hours the first and the eighth. Its major years number 1151, the long years 82, the average 45,
and the short 8, while the years of the part known as alphardar amount to 8. The force of its body
is 7 degrees both direct and retrograde.
Mercury is mixed and variable, since it changes in conformity with the nature of the other planets
and also with the nature of the signs. Its nature tends somewhat towards coldness and aridity. To
its prognostic correspond the following influences: the soul of man and the power of
comprehension; the sixth of the seven zones; of the nations Gog and Magog and the natives of
India ; among men the philosophers, the learned, the doctors, the scribes, the mathematicians, the
geometricians, the merchants, and the artisans of any profession related to etching and painting;
in the metal kingdom mercury, all coins, and stones used as seals ; of the places the markets, the
educational institutions, all workshops, fountains, rivers, and abodes for the exiled; in the animal
kingdom man, foxes, wild donkeys, and any animal light in jumping; among the birds the starling,
the bees, and any bird agile in flying; of the things that creep on the ground the worms; in the
vegetable kingdom the citrus with a share in the pomegranates, walnuts, reeds, cotton, flax, in
addition to every variety of gum, ginger, gandabadastar, which is called the testicles of the animal
having a tail like a fish and which is found in England, pyrethrum, malobathrum, asarum,
choinuanthos, zedoary, schitarach, gentian, and anything that tastes bitter ; for raiment all clothing
of flax and all those which have embroidery; of human characteristics speech, thought, education,
wisdom, astrology, sorcery, any kind of magic, precise enunciation, accuracy in expression,
rapidity in conversation, ability in homiletics, talent for composing poetry, knowledge of concealed
secrets, prophecy, pity, affection, avoidance of evil, to know how to play musical instruments, to be
fond of any small thing, to lend, to donate, to argue verbally without resorting to blows, any kind of
astuteness, trickery, and forging of false documents. His hand is trained to perform any trade, and
he will be very eager to do any work, to acquire wealth and to squander it. The nature of the new-
born will vary in the case of each individual. It also denotes the small brothers and small children.
Its nature will manifest itself according to its influence. If it is isolated in the figure of the individual
and is east, the person will be short of stature with a small head and beautiful eyes; if it is west, his
complexion will be half-way between black and white, he will be delicate, he will have small eyes,
and dryness will predominate in him. Ordinarily it forecasts a person with a very prominent
forehead and large nostrils, lean of flesh, lacking a beard, having long fingers, and endowed with
refinement and education. Its anatomical part extends over the tongue, mouth, nerves, and
participates in the blood. Its ailments include psychic disorders, such as a plethora of worries,
grief, and all kinds of suspicion. Of the span of life its age is childhood. Its special color is bluish
purple and any color of different shades. Its characteristic flavor is bitter. Its cardinal point is the
North.
Its letters of the alphabet are the waw, taf, resh, mem, and the letters of the prolongation. Here is
its figure. Its particular day is Wednesday, its night is the one followed by Sunday, and of their
hours the first and the eighth. Its major years are 480, its great years 76, the intermediate 48, and
the short 20, and the years of the part called alphardar are 13. The force of its body is seven
degrees both direct and retrograde.
The Moon is cold and damp, but there is a little heat in it. It makes all bodies putrid and mouldy.
When it is in opposition to the Sun, it ripens all fruits. In its section resides the force of nature. Its
area covers the seventh zone, which is the very limit of the inhabitable world, and the nation of
Tsabuma. Its categories of men embrace the oarsmen, the vagabonds, the messengers, and the
servants. In the mineral kingdom it includes silver, crystal, onyx, and lime, in addition to the seas,
rivers, and ponds. In the animal kingdom it comprises mules, donkeys, cattle, hares, and fish ; of
the birds every white bird ; of the reptiles any one which is white. In the vegetable kingdom it refers
to willows near torrents, peach-trees, all varieties of leek, gourds, water-melons, and cucumbers,
in addition to alcarpa or cinnamon, long peppers, laurel, and any thing of a cold, moist species
which tastes salty and which has a white color mixed with a bit of green. Its variety of aromatic
spices is the galangal. Its kind of raiment takes in clothing and cloaks. Its human traits are
excessive introspection, meditation in a mind lacking knowledge, amnesia, phobia, indifference,
revelation of secrets, love of pleasure, victory, skill in magic, knowledge of stories, prevarication,
calumny, and plenty of food. In general it varies according to the nature of each individual. It points
to the years of suckling, to the mother, to her sisters, the older sisters, the women, and every
pregnant woman. Its nature will manifest itself according to the influence it exerts at the
moment of casting the horoscope. If it is isolated at the casting of the horoscope, the subject will
have an erect posture, a white complexion with a tint of yellow, a round face, and eyelids which
seem to come together; he will be hasty in his motion and in his gait. From the beginning of the
month until the middle it denotes whiteness, and then from the middle until the end it indicates a
bit of blackness. Its anatomical part is the left eye by day and the other eye by night, the lung, the
throat, the cardiac region, the chest, and the left side of the entire body. Its characteristic ailments
are all those which are due to excessive phlegm. In the span of life its age is infancy during the
period of suckling. Its special color is dust-color and green, and its taste is salty. Its direction is
South-West. Its letters of the alphabet are zayin and ayin, and here is its figure. The day which
corresponds to it is Monday, its night is the one followed by Friday, and of their hours the first
and the eighth. Its major years number 520, its long years 108, the intermediate 39>4, and the
short 25. The years of the part called alphardar amount to 9. The force of its body is 12 degrees
both direct and retrograde.
 CHAPTER V

The fifth chapter treats of the beneficial and baleful influence of the planets, their strength and
weakness. If one of the planets is in conjunction with a favorable star or on its sextile, quadrate, or
trine aspect, and the harmful stars are neither in aspect with it nor together with it, or else if a
planet should separate from a beneficial star and enter into conjunction with another beneficial
star, or else if a planet should be midway between two beneficial stars or in conjunction with the
syzygy or with the Sun or with its trine or sextile aspect or with the aspect of the Moon while the
Moon is with favorable stars, or if the planet should be hasty in its action or if its brilliancy and
number should increase, or finally if it be in one of the places of its influence such as in its own
house, in the house of its dignity, in the house of its triplicity, or in its limit, its face, in the place of
its zenith, or else in a bright degree, whether it be received or whether it stay in its own figure.
When the two luminaries are in the place where favorable stars are in power, then they must be
considered as though they themselves were in power. The same is true of the lucky stars when
they are in the point of power of other lucky stars. When one of the planets is in the positions
which I have enumerated, then its nature will be in power and it will denote only good in conformity
therewith. If the opposite of what I have mentioned takes place, then its nature will exert a weak
influence. Furthermore if two, three, or more circumstances adhere to the good, then the good
which it prognosticates will be greater and more intense. The favorable influence of the planets is
of three kinds: one is double, another is complete, and the third is intermediary. The double
influence occurs when two or three favorable circumstances join the planet in the same sign of the
zodiac; by way of example, if Mercury should be in the sign of Virgo, then there would be two
favorable influences, one because it is in its house, the other because it is in the house of its
dignity; and if it is in its limit, then there will be three lucky influences. The complete lucky influence
is when the planet is in its house wherein its nature is adjusted, as for instance Saturn in Aquarius,
Jupiter in Sagittarius, Mars in Scorpio, Venus in Taurus, Mercury in Virgo, and the two luminaries
in their houses. The intermediary influence is exerted when the planet is in its house wherein its
nature is not adjusted, as for example Saturn in Capricornus, Jupiter in Pisces, Mars in Aries,
Venus in Libra, or Mercury in Gemini. The force of the planet is when it rises towards the north or
when it rises in the epicycle of its zenith and its nadir, whose eccentricity causes it to deviate from
the center of the earth; or when it is in its second station, which is the place wherein it starts to
adjust itself ; or when it comes forth from beneath the rays of the Sun ; or when it is in one of their
poles or supports ; or when the three superior planets, namely, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, are east
of the Sun, and if they rotate with it over the sextile aspect, then it will be in their favor ; or when
they are in one of the male quarters and in the male signs, and likewise the Sun when it is thus
unless it is in the sign of Libra. The force of the three inferior planets, namely, Venus, Mercury,
and the Moon, is when they are west of the Sun or in the female quarters. The weakness of the
planet sets in when it is retarded in its course or when it is in the first station or when it is
retrograde; this retrogression is more detrimental to the inferior planets, and all the more so if they
come within the hot rays of the Sun. It also sets in when the planet rotates beneath the solar rays,
or in the dark degrees, or in the part opposite its figure, or in the house of its dishonor; or when it
declines southward or meridional, or in one of the falling houses, or in the path of the scintillation
which extends from the nineteenth degree of Libra to the third degree of Scorpio; or when it is in
the house of its hatred; or when it is in conjunction with another planet that is retrograde ; or when
it is in the house of its hatred, or in a falling house ; or when the planet is not received, or when it
is isolated in its place. It is even more difficult if no planet forms a visual angle with it, or if the three
elevated planets are west of the Sun, or in one of the female quarters, or in the female degrees.
The same is true of the Sun unless it is in the sextile house, which is the house of its happiness.
The weakness of the planets obtains when they begin to be in the East or when they are in one of
the male quarters. The sinister influence of the planet occurs when it is in conjunction with
unfavorable stars, or in opposition with them, or in an aspect quadrate, trine, or sextile. Between it
and the bale ful object the distance is shorter than the limit of one planet, either when there is a
harmful object in the limit or in its house, or else when one of the pernicious objects is high over it
in the tenth or eleventh house measured from the place of the planet.
It is worse if the ominous object does not receive the planet and when the ominous elements are
in conjunction, quadrature, or opposition with the Sun, or when the planet happens to be with its
own dragon's head or tail, or with the dragon's head or tail of the Moon. Less than twelve degrees
lie between them. The harm befalling the Moon is great when it is in that position; the harm comes
to the Sun when the distance measures four degrees in direct or retrograde motion. The ancients
say that the nature of the dragon's head tends to increase, while the nature of the tail tends to
wane. Now in case the favorable stars are with the head, then their boon will wax greater; if the
injurious stars are there, then their harm will get worse. If the favorable stars go with the tail,
then their boon will decline; if the baleful stars are there, then their influence will be less harmful. In
this connection a wise man of India once said that the head is beneficial with the beneficial planets
and malignant with the malignant planets, and that the tail is malignant with the beneficial planets
and beneficial with the malignant planets. The weakness of the stars sets in when the star is
midway between two harmful elements or in aspect, as I intend to explain further on.
The sinister influence of the Moon obtains in eleven circumstances. The first one is when it is
eclipsed. The second one is when it moves beneath the rays of the Sun at a distance from it of at
least twelve degrees, either moving towards it or away from it. The third is when the Moon is
separated from the Sun diametrically by the same number of degrees either in front of the
opposition or behind it. The fourth refers to its position in conjunction or in aspect with the
detrimental lements. The fifth is when it lies in the force of the twelfth of Saturn or Mars. The sixth
is when it lies with the head or tail at a distance of less than twelve degrees. The seventh occurs
when it is in the south or declining in it. The eighth refers to its moving in the path of the
scintillation. The ninth when it is at the end of the sign, because the limits of the baleful planets are
located there. The tenth when it is retarded in its course ; that you may know is when it moves one
day behind its normal course as calculated in the ephemerides. The eleventh takes place when it
is in the ninth house, for it is diametrical to the house of its joy.
 CHAPTER VI

The sixth chapter offers a discussion dealing with the planets considered independently and with
their relationship to the Sun. The matter of the planets treated separately can be of many kinds.
The reason for that is that a planet may be in the center of its epicycle; that occurs when it is
ninety degrees distant from its zenith either to the right or left, or when it is ascending or declining
in the sphere of the elevation, or when it is at the beginning of the elevation or declining from the
center of its sphere to its nadir, or when it is ascending from its nadir to the center of its orbit, or
when it occupies the position of its nadir; it may also occur when its course is accelerated, its light
becomes more brilliant, and the force of its body is strengthened ; in addition that may happen
when it is waning in all those circumstances, when it remains intermediate neither waxing nor
waning, when its volume is either enhanced or diminished, when its total is enhanced or
diminished or remains normal; when its latitude is north either on the upgrade or downgrade or
south either ascending or declining, whether its latitude be extensive or not, or even when it has
no latitude at all. If a planet is ninety degrees distant from its aphelion, it will be direct in its course,
and its operation, its brilliancy, and the power of its body will be one half. If a planet is less than
ninety degrees distant from its aphelion and is rotating towards it, then it is ascending and will
slacken its pace, will dim its brilliancy, and will weaken the force of its body. When it reaches the
position of its aphelion, then the decrease is absolute. When it declines from the beginning of its
aphelion to the half of its orbit, then it is increased in its course, in its brilliancy, and in the force of
its body. When it declines from the half of its orbit to the position of its nadir, then there is a
complete increase. When it lies in the position of its nadir, then it waxes throughout. The
statements concerning the Moon apply likewise to the superior planets, for when it is twelve ?
degrees distant from the Sun it is said to enhance its light until it falls in opposition with the Sun,
and from that point until the moment when it enters into conjunction with the Sun once more, its
light diminishes.
Now if you care to know when the volume of a planet is enlarged, notice when you make the rows
of straight degrees coincide with its volume; if it is the first it grows, but if it is the second it wanes;
if there is no volume at all, then it neither waxes nor wanes. When you add the total of the
equation of the planet to its middle point at the end of its equation, then it is said to be enlarging its
total. If you subtract the equation, that will decrease its total. If you neither add nor subtract, then
the planet is in the elliptical orbit of the sphere. If you subtract the equation of the Sun from the
mean course and there is no remainder, or if one hundred and eighty degrees remain, then Venus
will coincide with the Sun in the same degree. If the course of the superior planets should some
day be greater than their normal course, then it is accelerated in its course ; if it is less, it is
retarded. But notice whether the course of Venus and Mercury is less than the average course
of the Sun, because then they are retarded; if it is more, then they are moving faster; if it is
equivalent to the average speed of the Sun, then they are neither slow nor fast. When the latitude
of the planet is inclined towards the north, and that does happen when it moves between the
dragon's head and ninety degrees, then it is north ascending; from there down to the tail, it is north
declining ; from the tail down to ninety degrees, it is south declining ; from ninety degrees to the
dragon's head, it is south ascending. When it is in the longitude of ninety degrees from the
dragon's head or tail, there is its entire latitude. In proportion as it approaches the head or tail, its
latitude gets smaller. When it is parallel to the head or tail, then it is in the elliptical orbit of the
sphere.
The action of the planets with respect to the Sun is varied, for as soon as the three superior
planets unite with the Sun, each part being opposite its corresponding part in the same degree
until they are in opposition with the Sun, they are to the right of it. From the time of the opposition
until they enter into conjunction with it, they are to the left of it. Nevertheless Venus and Mercury
are to the right of it from the time they depart from the Sun and retrograde back until they assume
a direct course, move behind it, overtake it, and unite with it; they are to the left of it from the
moment that they separate from it, move in a direct course, and go towards the west until they
take up their own station, retrograde back, are overtaken by the Sun, and enter into conjunction.
Likewise the Moon from the moment that it departs from the Sun until it is in its opposition is at the
left, and from the opposition until the moment of its conjunction it is at the right. You should realize
that the three higher planets undergo variations with respect to the Sun in sixteen ways. One
occurs when the planets are with the Sun, degree for degree and minute for minute ; then it is
called the united planet, on condition that it be less than sixteen minutes away, because if the
distance should be greater than that it would scintillate. When it is united, it prognosticates
success in all endeavors. If the planet should be at a greater distance than the number of minutes
just given and as much as six degrees away and is in the east, then it scintillates. That applies in
the case of Saturn and Jupiter. Mars, however, is not said to scintillate until it is ten degrees away;
that is the second way. When they are at a distance of six degrees or Mars between eleven and
fifteen degrees, they are said to be underneath the brilliancy; that is the third way. When a planet
is consumed, its force is spent. Upon leaving the end of the scintillation and moving beneath
the brilliancy, force will come back to it; the more it moves away, the better it will be. The wise men
of bygone days claimed to have observed that, when Mars is eighteen degrees distant, it comes
out from beneath the light, and then the planets have mediation of force in all their actions; they
are said to be due east until they are separated from the Sun by a sextile aspect; then the planet
will exert its maximum influence ; that is the fourth way. From that point until they are separated
from the Sun by a quadrature aspect, the effect of their rays will diminish; that is the fifth way.
From that point until its first station starts to wane is the sixth way. When it is in its first station, its
entire force will be scattered; that is the seventh way. In the eighth way it retrogrades until it enters
into opposition with the Sun and exerts absolutely no influence. In the ninth way it is in opposition
with the Sun; it prognosticates confusion and hope which will be frustrated. The tenth way starts at
the moment when they depart from opposition with the Sun; then the planet exerts a slight
influence until it reaches its second position. When this occurs, all its force comes back to it; that
is the eleventh way. From that point until it is ninety degrees distant from the Sun and it is in the
west, its force will wane; that is the twelfth way. From that moment on it tends to grow weaker until
it is separated from the Sun by a quadrature aspect; then all the force that it still has is less than a
third; that is the thirteenth way. The fourteenth way occurs when it is fifteen degrees removed from
the Sun; in that case it no longer has any force at all. When it is below the brilliancy, it is the
fifteenth way. When it is below the scintillation, it is the sixteenth way.
Venus and Mercury, however, operate differently. The reason is that when they are together with
the Sun in one or even less than one minute of the number of minutes just given, and are in the
east, you must count two ways, since they scintillate until the distance between them and the Sun
is seven degrees. When they are distant from the Sun as much as twelve degrees, they are
beneath the light. From that point on their force increases until they are in the first station; that is
the fifth way. Then their force wanes until they approach the Sun and there are twelve degrees
between them and it ; then they will be beneath the light. If there is a distance of seven degrees,
then it will be in the limit of the scintillation until they are in conjunction with the Sun.
When they separate from it and are in the west, they are in the limit of the scintillation until seven
degrees; from that point until twelve degrees, they are beneath the light. Their force will increase
when they leave the light, as long as they move in a straight path, until they resume their position
and retrograde back ; then their force will disappear until they come within fifteen degrees of the
Sun; from that point they will be beneath the light and afterwards beneath the scintillation.
The Moon has sixteen ways with respect to the Sun. One occurs when it is in conjunction with it,
or in front of the Sun, or behind it within 16 minutes; that constitutes the first way. The second way
is when it is 6 degrees distant and is in the west; then it will start to exert its force somewhat. The
third way is when it is 12 degrees away; from that point until the distance measures 45 degrees, its
force will increase ; then it will be in its bright quarter. After that, until it reaches 90 degrees, its
force will increase; then it will be in its bright half. From that point, until 135 degrees will be
between it and the Sun, it will be three quarters bright. From then on until its distance from the
opposition of the Sun measures twelve degrees, it will be in power; at the moment of opposition it
will have its maximum power. The tenth way occurs when it is 12 degrees distant from the
opposition until it is 45 degrees distant from it; then it will lose one quarter of its light.
After that, until it is 90 degrees distant from the opposition, half of its light will remain in its body.
From that point, until 45 degrees separate it from the Sun, it will still have one quarter of its
brilliancy. From there, until the distance measures 12 degrees, it will enter beneath the light, and
within 6 degrees beneath the scintillation. Note that when you deduct twice beneath the light and
twice beneath the scintillation, there still remain 12 ways. They are called the keys to the Moon,
and they are very necessary in order to forecast the phenomena of rains.
 CHAPTER VII

The seventh chapter deals with the circumstances of the planets, which are thirty, as follows : the
application, conjunction, fusion, aspect, separation, isolation, feral position, displacement, union,
return of brilliancy, communication of ascendancy, communication of influence, communication of
one nature, communication of two natures, directness, obliquity, prohibition, improvement,
deterioration, interference, accident, ruin, distribution of brilliancy, pleasantness, recompense,
reception, liberality, similarity, mediation, and the dignity of the planet.
Application occurs when two stars are in the same sign, when they move in a straight line, and
when the degrees of the light star are less than the degrees of the star heavier than it; as long as
its degrees are less, it is said to be approaching. When it is in the same degree with it, its
application is complete. The beginning of the application occurs when less than 15 degrees
separate them. The fewer the number of degrees, the more effective is all that which it
prognosticates over it and over this way. In that way the application is in the rays of the light, which
are the seven aspects, as we have indicated above.
Conjunction takes place when two stars are in the same sign and each one is in the force of the
other's body; then they are said to be in conjunction; when they meet at the same minute, then
their force is complete in all that which they prognosticate. If one is in the force of the other's body,
and the second is not in the force of the body of the first, only about one half of that which it
foretells is perfect. To illustrate, suppose that the distance between the Moon and Saturn be 8
degrees forward or backward; then each one of them will be in the force of the other's body. If 10
degrees separate them, then Saturn will be in the force of the body of the Moon without the
Moon's being in the force of the body of Saturn. As long as the light planet moves in conjunction
with the heavy one, it will have more force than when it separates from it even though it be in the
force of its body. If the two planets should be in two signs and each one of them should be in the
force of the other's body, they must not be said to be in conjunction, because they are in diffeient
signs. That is the opinion of the ancient scientists, but I, Abraham, the compiler of this book,
disagree with them; I shall reserve my explanation for the Book of Nativities. Nor did the ancients
mention how great is the measure of the force of the body of the superior planets, with the single
exception of Dorotheus Sidonius who stated that it is the fourth part of one sign. The opinion
of those who make careful observations in this science is that it corre sponds to the measure of
the force of the planet, whether the superior planet belongs to the first magnitude or the second.
The reason for the conjunction is that when two or more stars are in conjunction the orbit of each
one of them is lower than the orbit of its satellite; if both of them should be separated by one
degree and one minute measured from the orbit of the signs, then the light one will prevent the
heavy one f rom being seen with the naked eye by having passed beneath it, unless they are
separated by the latitude of the elliptical orbit. I shall discuss this matter again.
Fusion happens when one star is in conjunction with another, both of which are planets; then there
is produced out of their double nature a third nature as, for example, Saturn and Mars, both of
which are baleful. The ancients declared that, when they join together, they exert a good influence.
The truth is that each one vitiates the action of the other, and thereby the new-born is saved from
harm. There fore they really prognosticate no good except the good of doing no harm. Jupiter
with Saturn is the great conjunction because both of them are superior; according to the force of
whichever one it happens to be, their nature will be in effect. Mars and Venus produce a mild
conjunction, as I shall explain. The conjunction of the planets with the Sun is detrimental to them,
the worst of all being the one affecting Venus and the Moon.
Saturn and Mars likewise exert a harmful influence with respect to the Sun when they enter into
conjunction with it. Jupiter with Venus do good and do not do harm. Mercury, because of the
multitude of its movements and because it is always near the Sun, will do a little harm to it when it
is beneath the rays of the Sun or beneath the limit of the scintillation. In the opinion of the
ancients, when the planet is joined to the Sun it has a great force ; they maintain their contention
to the extent that, when such is the case with Mercury, there are two Mercuries in the firmament;
but Ptolemy contradicts them, and he is right. The conjunction of the Moon with Saturn and Mars
is harmful. If the conjunction of Saturn and the Moon happens when the moonbeams are dim, then
that is even worse; if its moonbeams become bright, the harm will be alleviated ; just the opposite
is true in the case of Mars. If the Moon is in power, they will lessen its ascendancy without doing it
much harm.
Aspect means the beginning of the aspects, whether they be sextile, quadrate, trine, or
diametrical, as I have already explained in the third chapter, and also when it is 12 degrees
removed from the aspect.
Ptolemy says 6, and he is right. Now I shall give you an example. If a planet is separated from
another by 54 degrees, that is the force of the sextile aspect. When the distance between them is
60 degress, it is in a perfect aspect, and it signifies completion of all that which they prognosticate.
The same is true of the other aspects.
Separation results when the light planet passes beyond the heavy planet one degree either in
conjunction or in aspect; that can happen in two ways. If the light one separates and unites with
another planet, either in conjunction or by way of one of the aspects, then its fusion will be with the
other planet. If it does not unite nor enter into aspect with another planet, and if there was less
than the force of its body when it and the heavy planet were in conjunction, it will still be in its
fusion. More than that will happen if the fusion dissolves. You must always take into acount the
degrees which are even in their ascensions.
For example, suppose that one star is 10 degrees from Aries and another is 20 degrees from
Pisces ; then they are both equidistant from the path of Jupiter, and consequently they must be
treated as thought they were in conjunction. The other way refers to their position in the same
degree but with their hours uneven as, for example, degree 16 in Leo until degree 14 in Taurus ;
the reason for that is because their distance from the head of Cancer is even; the same holds true
if their distance is measured from the head of Capricorn. Those whose distance from the head of
Aries or of Libra is even are called straight conjunction ; those whose distance is the same from
the northern or southern extremity, which are the head of Cancer and the head of Capricorn, are
called diametrical conjunction.
Isolation sets in when a planet separates from its satellite 15 degrees either in conjunction or in a
sextile aspect, and it does not enter into conjunction with any other planet as long as it is in this
sign, and no planet enters into complete aspect with it as long as it stays there, regardless which
aspect it may be.
The feral position is when a planet is in a sign and no other planet enters into aspect with it as long
as it is there, and it does not depart from any planet. That can happen only to the Moon because
of the speed of its motion.
Displacement works in two ways. One is when the light planet separates from the heavy planet,
and enters into conjunction or in aspect with another planet; then it will transfer the ascendancy of
the heavy planet to the third planet. The second way is when a light planet joins with another one
heavier than itself ; then the light one will transfer half of its brilliancy to the heavier one.
Union occurs when two or more stars enter into conjunction with another star. In that case the
heaviest star absorbs everything. The return of brilliancy is noticed in two ways. One way is that a
planet does not enter into conjunction with another and that neither planet is in aspect with the
other, but rather that both of them are in conjunction or in aspect with a different planet which, in
turn, is in aspect with the house it needs or with the planet it seeks; then its brilliancy will return to
the one it seeks. The second way is when the ruler of the ascending sign is not in conjunction with
the ruler of the quest, or when one is not in aspect with the other, or else that one is drawing away
from the other; if the brilliancy of one planet is transferred between them, then that is also
considered as though it were a conjunction.
The communication of ascendancy takes place when a planet is in its house, or in the house of its
dignity, or of its triplicity, or in its limit, or in its face, and when it enters into conjunction or into
aspect with another planet ; then it will communicate its own ascendancy to the other planet.
The communication of influence is effected when a star is in an aspect of perfect amity or of partial
amity with another star; then the fusion of both of them will be straight.
The communication of one nature happens when the planet is in conjunction with the ruler of the
sign that is there, or with the ruler of the house of its honor, or with the ruler of its limit, or with the
ruler of its triplicity, or with the ruler of its face; then it will communicate its nature to the other
planet.
The communication of two natures occurs in two ways. One is when the star is in a sign in which it
possesses dignity, or is joined to another star which possesses dignity in the sign, or forms a
visual angle with it, as, for instance, Venus with Jupiter in Pisces. The second way is when the star
is in conjunction with another star of the same nature: rulers by day with rulers by day, and rulers
by night with rulers by night.
Directness, with reference to the planet which is in the magnitude of its degree, will occur when it
is in one of the points of intersection of the ecliptic with the meridian or in one of the supports.
Obliquity occurs when the star is in one of the falling houses. The prohibition happens in two ways.
One occurs when three stars are in the same sign, but their degrees are different, with the heavy
one being in a higher degree ; then the middle one hinders the light one, which is in a lower
degree, from uniting with the heavy one until it has gone by; for example, Saturn, which is in Aries
in degree 20, Mercury in degree 15, and Venus in degree 11 ; now Mercury will hinder Venus
from uniting with Saturn until it has gone by; afterwards, Venus will enter into conjunction with it.
The second way, with reference to the aspect, is when two stars meet in the same sign, the light
one entering into conjunction with the heavy one, and a third star forming a visual angle with the
heavy star in any aspect whatsoever. Now then, the star which is together with it, will hinder the
one which forms the visual angle, and will nullify its action, provided that its degrees be even; on
the other hand, if the degrees of the one in the visual angle approach doser to the aspect, then the
one that enters into conjunction will be unable to hinder the action of the one in the visual angle.
By improvement, understand that the improvement is as follows: a star enters into conjunction with
a star which is beneath the rays of the Sun or in aspect with it ; then the star, because of its
weakness, will not be able to receive light, and consequently it will turn back. Still another way is
for it to enter into conjunction with a retrograde star, and then it will restore to it all that it has
received. The improvement can come about in three ways. The first one is when the one which
retains the force, which has been restored to it, should receive the donor. The second is when the
light star moves in a straight path, and the heavy one scintillates, or is underneath the brilliancy, or
is retrograde. The third means that the star which caused the retrogression should be in one of
the falling houses, and that the star, whose brilliancy has been restored to it, should be in one of
the points where the orbit intersects the meridian or in one of the supports.
Deterioration is just the opposite of the three aforesaid ways. Interference sets in when the planet
is in the force of the body of another, and, before it is parallel to it in the same part, it turns back.
The accident happens when three stars are in the same sign, the first one light and with many
degrees, the second one heavier than it and with few degrees, the third one lighter than the first
and in conjunction with the heavy one; then the first light one, which has many degrees,
retrogrades, and enters into conjunction with the heavy one.
Ruin results when a planet is about to enter into conjunction with another planet in the same sign,
but, before the conjunction can take place, the heavier one moves out of the sign, and then
another planet unites with it.
The distribution of brilliancy is carried out in three ways. One is when a light planet is about to
enter into conjunction with one heavier than itself, both being in the same sign and another light
planet being in the next sign; if, before the first light planet can enter into conjunction with the
heavy one, the planet in the second sign should retrograde, and pass into the sign where the
heavy planet is and join with it, then it will take away the brilliancy of the first planet. The second
way refers to the conjunction of a light planet with a heavier planet in the same sign; this heavy
planet will in turn join with another planet even heavier than itself, and, before the first reaches the
second, the latter will enter into conjunction with the third, will outdistance it, and will eut off the
brilliancy of the first. The third way is when a planet enters into conjunction with another planet
unnecessarily. Pleasantness stands for the position of a star in its pit or in its nadir when another
star enters into conjunction with it, or when it enters into conjunction with another star which is its
friend or the ruler of its house, or else when it wields a certain influence in that sign; in that event
the other star will draw the first star out of its pit or nadir, and will spread pleasantness over it.
Recompense is seen when the star, which drew the first one out of its pit or nadir, moves into a
visual angle with the one it drew out, and itself falls into the pit or into the site of the nadir; then the
first star will draw out the other one.
Reception is noticed when a planet enters into conjunction or into aspect with a planet which is the
master of its house, the master of the house of its honor, the master of the house of its triplicity, its
limit, or its face, and it receives that planet. Likewise when one planet enters into conjunction with
another planet, and the latter is in a house which communicates force or in the house of its honor,
that again is reception; on the other hand, if it is in the house of its triplicity, or in its limit, or in its
face, it will not receive a perfect reception. If two influences join together, the triplicity with the limit
or the face, and the trine aspect with the sextile, that is also a reception. Again that is so if they
should be in the degrees of signs which are equal in their ascent. The lucky planet receives the
lucky one because their nature is straight. Mars and Saturn receive one another if they are in
conjunction or in sextile or trine aspect, but not in the other aspects. The reception may be strong,
moderate, or weak. The strong reception always applies to the Moon with the Sun, because the
former receives it from any sign and because its beams come f rom the Sun; from the opposition,
however, it will be in pain and sorrow; if it should be in a sign lacking all power, then there are two
receptions, as in the case of Mercury when it receives the planet in the sign of Virgo, because that
is its house and the house of its honor; therefore, that reception is perfect. The reception of the
house is moderate. The reception of the triplicity, or of the limit, or of the face, is weak.
Liberality means that each of two planets is in the house of its companion, or in the house of its
honor, or in any of its influences, and, even though they do not enter into conjunction or aspect
with each other, still there will be reception between them.
Similarity applies when the male star is found by day above the earth in a male sign and in male
degrees, and the female star is above the earth by night and beneath it by day in a female sign
and in female degrees. If the opposite is true, then all that which the planet may prognosticate
becomes inapplicable.
Mediation occurs when a star separates from one baleful star and joins with another baleful star
either in conjunction or in aspect, or when a star, either beneficial or harmful, is in a sign ahead of
it and another star is in a sign behind it; if the Sun forms a visual angle with the star situated
midway between the two portentous ones, it will thereby attenuate the harm greatly.
Dignity means that if the three superior planets should be east of the Sun from the time when it
begins to be visible to the naked eye, then they remain in their excellent dignity until there is
between them and the Sun a sextile aspect; from that point until the quadrature aspect the degree
of their dignity will diminish, and from there until the second station they will have no dignity at all.
If those planets are east of the Sun and west of the Moon, that dignity will be as exalted as
possible.
The dignity of the three inferior planets will start at the moment when they are observed in the
west after the setting of the Sun. The force of the dignity of Venus and Mercury lasts until the
moment when they retrograde. If they are east with respect to the Sun when they are west with
respect to the Moon, that dignity reaches the acme. The dignity of the Moon lasts until full moon.
Ptolemy said that, if the proportion of the sign containing the planet is to the sign containing the
Sun or Moon as the proportion of their houses is to each other measured by the distance
separating them, then the planet will exert a great force.
 CHAPTER VIII

The eighth chapter contains generalizations. The prognostics in horoscopes, rotations, and
consultations amount to 120.

1. Because the Moon is near the earth and accelerated in its course, it increases the conjunction
of planets by communicating its force to them without ever receiving any force from them ; it
transfers brilliancy from one to the other ; it corresponds to the new-born in that its beams develop
gradually until they are full, and afterwards it declines gradually until it is no longer visible and
disappears from the world. That is why the ancients said that it influences every deliberation and
the beginning of any task. If it is in its ascendancy and its circumstances are favorable, any thing
which one may start at that moment will meet with success, and contrariwise if it is in the
unfavorable circumstances. They added that, for the asker, you should observe the ascending
sign with its rulers, and for the request, the seventh sign with its rulers, and
always put the Moon in contact with it.

2. If the Moon is moving by itself, that indicates any futile thing, and it signifies that any thing which
the asker requests can not possibly occur.

3. The planet which enters into conjunction or into aspect with the Moon prognosticates every
future thing and anything which the asker will expect; if the planet is favorable, it will be a boon; if
the planet is unfavorable, it will bring harm.

4. The separation f rom the Moon denotes things which have passed ; if it separated in conjunction
or in aspect with a helpful planet, it was beneficial, and with a harmful planet, it was sinister.

5. If the asterism, which receives its force from the Moon, is in its ascendancy, then the thing will
be done properly; just the opposite, if it should be weak.

6. Likewise, in the case of any constellation which communicates force to another one, the event
will take place according to the power of the recipient.

7. On the day when the Moon is with the baleful planets, nothing which one may ask will be
completed properly if there is a planet in the ascending sign ; if the Moon should be in one of the
poles of the meridian, then it is worse, because it forecasts fear in mind and sickness in
body; if it should be in the falling houses, it indicates fear but not sickness.

8. The planets move in two faces, one helpful, the other harmful; no matter where you find the
planet to be favorable, predict good; for the opposite position, predict the opposite.

9. The favorable direct planets are use ful whether they receive or not. If they receive, so much the
better. The unfavorable planets are destructive by their very nature, but if a planet should be
received by it, its malignant influence will be attenuated. The same holds true whether the visual
angle formed with it is a sextile or a trine aspect.

10. A planet should not be considered harmful until the rays of the harmful planet dominate it in
proportion to the force of its body; if it is less than that, then it will f orecast only slight harm ; af ter
it departs in aspect one degree from the new-born, and relatively more if it goes further away, it
will provoke fear which will not have any practical consequence. That is the procedure of the
favorable planet. If the planet, which prognosticates all that which is to happen, does not form
a visual angle with the ascending sign, the hope of the petitioner will not materialize.
11. If the beneficial planets are in aspect with the baleful planets, the influence of the latter will be
less harmful.

12. The favorable always prognosticate a boon, and the unfavorable prognosticate harm.
Nevertheless if the unfavorable one should be in its exaltation, the effect will be good, although it
will involve pain and sorrow.

13. If the helpful planets should be in a position opposite to their character, in the house of their
dishonor, in the house of their hatred, or in the falling houses, and if no aspect lies between them
and the ascending sign, then it will exert absolutely no influence.

14. Likewise if the unfavorable are in that position, their harm will be slight.

15. If the favorable asterism is in its ascendancy and if it alone exerts an influence over the new-
born, then its good influence will increase.

16. If Jupiter is in aspect with the favorable planet, it will make its nature favorable. Venus can not
modify the nature of Saturn except with the aid of Jupiter. Jupiter nullifies the harm of Saturn, but
Venus nullifies the harm of Mars even more than does Jupiter.

17. If both the favorable and unfavorable planets are in a bad position, or if they scintillate, they
prognosticate something vile; yet they can not cause good or harm because of their weakness.

18. If a baleful planet should be east of the Sun, in a sign wherein it exerts an influence, and if no
other unfavorable planet is in aspect with it, then it is better than the favorable one which cintillates
or is retrograde.

19. If the baleful are in control of the thing requested, and if the ruler of the ascending sign joins in
conjunction with them, and if the Moon is in a quadrate aspect or in opposition, then, should the
request be granted, its end will be detrimental.

20. If the baleful is in an ascending sign and has within it any power, its influence will be less
harmful; if it is retrograde, it will heap evil on evil.

21. If the baleful is in quadrate aspect or in opposition, it will lose its favorable influence.

22. If the baleful should be in the position of its power and in one of the poles or one of the
supports, its force is to be considered equivalent to the force of the favorable planets.

23. If the baleful is estranged in its position, then its influence will become more harmful.

24. If the baleful is in one of the poles, or if it harms the star of the quadrate aspect or opposition,
then its evil influence will be complete; all the more so of it is more powerful than the star. If,
however, it is in a trine or sextile aspect, the evil influence will be attenuated.

25. If the baleful should be in control of the thing requested, it indicates delay in the matter, and it
means that it will not materialize but by grief and worry.

26. If the baleful should communicate its force to another ominous one, then it will heap evil upon
evil; if a favorable one gives its force to another favorable one, then it will result in more luck; if a
baleful gives its force to a favorable, then the fate will change from evil to good; the opposite will
have an opposite effect.

27. If any beneficial or injurious constellation is in its house or in the house of its honor, it will
always result in a boon.
28. Any planet at the beginning of a sign is considered weak until it is five degrees away. Likewise,
if the planet should be less than five degrees away from one of the houses, it will be considered to
be in the force of the house; if it is further away, then it falls beyond the force of the house.

29. Any asterism between the beginning of the house and fifteen degrees possesses great power.

30. If the planet is with one of the poles of the baleful and it departs from its aspect by one degree,
it will cause fear but it will not have any practical result.

31. If the constellation is in the house of its dishonor, it prognosticates grief, anguish, and distress.

32. The planet which retrogrades denotes rebellion and the destruction of any project.

33. The planet, which is in its first station, is like a man who does not know what he will do, and its
result is bad; if it is in its second station, it is like a man who expects something and whose hope
will not be in vain.

34. If a star should be delayed in its course, it will delay the thing either fortunately or unfortunately
; if Jupiter or Saturn should be in the variable signs, they will hasten the thing.

35. If the planet is at the end of the sign, its force will be lost for the first sign, and all its force will
pass to the sign into which it is to enter. If the planet is in the twenty-ninth degree of the sign, its
force stays in the sign where it is, because the planet exerts force in three degrees: in the degree
in which it is, in the preceding degree, and in the subsequent degree.

36. If a star is about to enter into conjunction with a second star but, before the conjunction is
consummated, the second star leaves for a different sign, and the first star pursues it and
overtakes it, and if, before overtaking it, no other star unites with it, then the thing requested
will be accomplished after the despair.

37. If a star is in aspect with another star, which then moves from its position before the lighter star
reaches it, no harm will result, because the aspect does not interfere with the conjunction of
celestial bodies.

38. If an asterism is in a sign which corresponds to its nature, its power will increase; if it is in a
sign contrary to its nature, its power will weaken as, for example, Saturn in a house that is cold
and dry.

39. If the planet, which is received, is favorable, then its force increases; if it is detrimental, then its
harm is lessened.

40. If the planet is not in one of the places of its influence, but is in the sixth or twelfth house, it will
not result in a boon.

41. If a planet is beneath the brilliancy and is one of the superior, it will exert no influence; the
same is true of the inferior. If they retrograde, their influence is worse than any.

42. If the star, which serves for the prognostic, is retrograde, but later its motion follows the order
of the signs, that indicates that the thing will be fulfilled partly. Likewise if it is beneath the rays of
the Sun and then departs from there.

43. If a constellation, assuming that it is favorable, is in one of the censers, it will lose its good
influence; if it is un favorable, its influence will become worse.
44. If the favorable planet is in the eighth house, it indicates neither good nor bad; if one of the
unfavorable is there, that prognosticates complete harm.

45. If the planet is about to reverse its motion, it forecasts unsuccessful consultation, difficulty, and
destruction; if its motion becomes direct, it will better the luck in the matter, its strength, and its
uprightness.

46. If the power of the planet should be twelve degrees in an auspicious position, that will exert a
better influence.

47. If the planet is in a fixed sign, it forecasts anything which will be constant and firm ; if it is in a
variable sign, the thing will vary; if it is in a sign with a double body, it augurs that one part of the
thing will remain constant or that the thing will be modified twice.

48. If the receiving star is in an unfavorable position, it portends evil.

49. If the ruler of the ascending sign is in the house of its hatred, it can not control completely the
thing requested.

50. If the planet enters into conjunction with the favorable or unfavorable, the nature of the
stronger of them is to be considered.

51. If the ruler of the ascending sign communicates force to the ruler of the consulted house, the
thing will be desired very strongly; but if the ruler of the thing sought communicates force to the
ruler of the ascending sign, then the thing will materialize without any difficulty.

52. If there is an obstructing planet between them, it prognosticates an individual who will put an
obstacle between it and the thing sought.

53. If the master of the ascending sign separates from the master of the thing sought, his desire
will disappear.

54. If no planet is in aspect with the Moon, that indicates indolence.

55. If many stars are in aspect with the Moon, those which assist in fulfilling the object will be
numerous.

56. If an asterism transfers from the ruler of the ascending sign to the ruler of the thing requested,
then the thing will be accomplished through an intermediary.

57. If the ruler of the ascendant is in the house of its triplicity, and if the rulers of the signs of the
triplicity are in aspect with it, those near to it will help it.

58. If the planet moves in the path, to which we referred for the return of brilliancy, the thing will
take place after despair.

59. If the prognosticator is in a position to communicate force, that means that the thing will be
accomplished exactly as he wishes.

60. If the prognosticator is about to communicate influence, that augurs that the thing will reveal
another.
61. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in the act of communicating the nature, that denotes
great joy in the affair.

62. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in the act of communicating two natures, that points to
the joy of the petitioner and of the one consulted.

63. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in a direct manner, that indicates a good outcome in
anything desired.

64. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in an oblique manner, it means that he will abandon
the project.

65. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in the position of prohibition, it augurs that the affair will
be destroyed after having been expected.

66. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in the manner of the return of light to evil, it shows that
the asker will repent his request.

67. If the testimony of the prognosticator corresponds to interference, it portends that events will
arise which will destroy the thing.

68. If the testimony of the prognosticator is in the phenomenon of the accident, something will
happen to it which will put an end to the consultation.

69. If the testimony of the prognosticator concides with ruin, the petitioner will seek other counsel.

70. If the testimony of the prognosticator is analogous to the elimination of brilliancy, it points to an
individual who will destroy his own consultation.

71. If the testimony of the prognosticator refers to pleasantness, it marks a man to whom it has
done some good.

72. If the testimony of the prognosticator falls in the phenomenon of recompense, it forecasts that
it will do good to others also.

73. The testimony of the mutual reception of the prognosticators predicts things which are
preparing something that has not yet come to mind.

74. If the testimony of the prognosticator corresponds to liberality, it augurs that the solicitor and
the adviser will love one another.

75. If the testimony of the prognosticator is taken at the time of similarity, it marks every good
which is in the process of formation.

76. If the testimony of the prognosticator occurs in the evil mediation, it refers to the prisoners and
the unfortunate, but if it occurs in a good one, it refers to the maximum benefit.

77. If the testimony of the prognosticator coincides with the dignity, it is an omen of every high
rank.

78. The seven planets in their respective positions in the ecliptic offer prognostics. If a star is in its
house, it is an example of a man in his home.

79. The star in the house of its honor is like a man in the pinnacle of his rank.
80. The star at its limit is like a man in his seat.

81. The star in the house of its triplicity is like a man with his relatives.

82. The star in its face corresponds to a man with his ornaments and clothing.

83. The star in its aphelion is similar to a man astride his horse.

84. The star in its form is like a man in a situation suitable to himself.

85. The star, which is in the reverse of its form, is like a man in a situation unsuitable to himself.

86. The star in the house of its hatred is like a man dissatisfied with himself.

87. The star in a position over which it does not predominate corresponds to a man who is not in
his country.

88. The star in the house of its perihelion is similar to a man who
falls from his greatness.

89. The star which moves beneath the rays of the Sun is like a man in prison.

90. The star which scintillates is analogous to a man who is on the verge of death.

91. The star, which is about to assume a retrograde motion, is like a man bewildered and
trembling at the misfortunes which will befall him.

92. The star which retrogrades is like a twitching and rebellious person.

93. The star in its second station is like a man who expects good
luck.

94. The star, which is delayed in its course, corresponds to a man exhausted and lacking strength
to go on.

95. The star accelerated in its course is like a young man running.

96. The eastern star is kindred to a person happy to fulfill his desire.

97. The western star is like an indolent man.

98. The star in conjunction with the Sun is like a person who sits with the king on his throne.

99. The star in aspect is similar to an individual who seeks what he desires.

100. The departing star is like a man who is repentant about the thing.

101. The star at a pole of the meridian resembles a man who stays at his post.

102. The star at a support is like a man who is hopeful.

103. The star in a falling house is like a man who changes his position.

104. The stars in conjunction correspond to two companions.

105. The stars in a sextile aspect are like two individuals who seek each other's love.

106. The stars in a trine aspect resemble two persons of similar temperament.

107. The stars in a quadrate aspect are similar to two people each one of whom seeks control for
himself.

108. The stars in opposition are kindred to two men fighting each other fiercely.

109. The star in the ascending sign is like the new-born child that comes out of the womb of its
mother or like a thing which occurs at the right time.

110. The star in the second house is the same as the person who is in the house of his assistants.

111. The star in the third house harmonizes with the man who visits his brothers.

112. The star in the fourth house corresponds to a man in the house of his forbears or in his land.

113. The star in the fifth house is in affinity with a person in his business and in his pleasure.

114. The star in the sixth house is equivalent to a weak man running away.

115. The star in the seventh house is the same as a man prepared for battle.

116. The star in the eighth house is related to a person beset with fear and terror.

117. The star in the ninth house refers to a man leaving his place to go into exile or a man who
has lost his high rank.

118. The star in the tenth house stands for a person in his power, in his dignity, and in his
profession.

119. The star in the eleventh house is in conformity with a man at the home of his friends.

120. The star in the twelfth house is akin to a person in prison.

 CHAPTER IX

The ninth chapter of this book enumerates the 97 fates of the planets and of the houses.
The fate of the Moon: subtract the position of the Sun in its sign in direct degrees from the position
of the Moon in its sign; then add the remainder to the ascending degree; the place wherein the
fate will fall will be called the favorable fate. That is the way to do it if the child was born by day;
but, if it was by night, then subtract the position of the Moon from the position of the Sun, and add
the remainder to the ascending degree ; there will be the auspicious fate. That is the opinion
of the teachers of yore.
Ptolemy, however, takes issue with them, for he says that you must always subtract the position of
the Sun from the position of the Moon, whether it be by day or by night; he is right, because the
ratio of the ascending sign is to the Sun as the ratio of the good fate is to the Moon ; therefore it is
called the Moon's ascendant.
A wise man of India, known as Mashallah, states in his Book of Experiments, that the fate of the
nocturnal mystery is more cogent than the auspicious fate; thus he reiterated the opinion of
Ptolemy without realizing it. This lucky fate rules over the body, life, possessions, profit, good
reputation, the start of any undertaking, and anything which comes to one's mind.
The fate of the Sun : subtract the position of the Moon by day from the position of the Sun, and
add the difference to the ascending degree; then you will find the position of the fate, which is
called the fate of the secret; if he was born by day, subtract the position of the Sun from the
position of the Moon, and add the remainder to the ascending degree; then you will find the fate.
That is the doctrine of the ancients.
Ptolemy says that it is the same both by day and by night; that is the truth. This fate rules over the
soul, divine service, and every occult or concealed thing.
The fate of Saturn: take the distance lying between the location of Saturn and the degree of the
auspicious fate; add it to the degree of the ascendant if the horoscope is cast by day, and vice-
versa if by night.
This fate is an augury over the depth of thought, the tilling of the soil, loss, theft, poverty,
incarceration, captivity, and death.
The fate of Jupiter: take by day the distance extending from the fate of the secret to Jupiter, and
add it to the ascendant; there will be the fate; by night, do the reverse. This fate has control over
truth, pity, science, honor, good reputation, and possessions.
The fate of Mars: by day, take the distance measured between it and the favorable fate, and add it
to the ascendant; by night, do the opposite; there will be the fate. It prognosticates force, power,
anger, rapidity, tricks, and deceptions.
The fate of Venus: by day measure the distance between the auspicious fate and the fate of the
secret, doing the opposite by night; add it to the ascendant ; there will be the fate. It predicts love,
joy, delight, food, drink, concupiscence, and coition.
The fate of Mercury: by day take the distance separating the fate of the secret from the lucky fate,
but by night do the reverse, and add it to the ascendant; that will give the fate. It forecasts poverty,
hatred, a spiteful character, giving, receiving, invention, instruction, and knowledge.
Now come the fates of the houses. The first house has three fates.

The first is the fate of life; by day it is calculated by the distance separating Jupiter from Saturn ; by
night, just the opposite ; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of support and
beauty; by day, it is taken from the favorable fate to the mysterious fate ; by night, the opposite
obtains ; it is cast f rom the ascendant ; this fate corresponds to that of Venus. The third is the fate
of knowledge and speech; by day it is taken f rom Jupiter to Mars; contrariwise by night ; it is cast
from the ascendant.

The second house has three fates. The first is the fate of wealth; both by day and by night it is
measured from the ruler of the second house to the beginning of the second house according to
the latitude of the earth ; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of lending ; it is taken
both by day and by night from Saturn to Mercury, and is cast from the ascendant. The third is the
fate of finding; by day it is counted from Mercury to Venus, and the reverse by night ; it is cast
from the ascendant.

The third house has three fates. The first is the fate of brothers; both by day and by night it is
figured from Saturn to Jupiter ; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of the number
of brothers ; it is taken by day and by night from Mercury to Saturn, and is cast from the
ascendant. The third is the fate of the death of brothers ; by day it is measured from the Sun to the
degrees in the center of the heavenly ecliptic equated according to the latitude of the earth, by
night the reverse, and it is cast from the ascendant.

The fourth house has seven fates. The first is the fate of the father ; by day it is taken from the Sun
to Saturn, by night just the opposite, and it is cast from the ascendant. If Saturn is beneath the
rays of the Sun, it is measured by day from the Sun to Jupiter, and by night the reverse; it is cast
from the ascendant. The second is the fate of the death of the father ; it is taken by day from
Saturn to Jupiter, and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The third is the fate
of the grandfather ; it is calculated by day from the ruler of the house of the Sun to Saturn; by night
in reverse order; it is cast from the ascendant; if the Sun is in its house or in one of the houses of
Saturn, it will be taken by day from the Sun to Saturn, contrariwise by night, and will be cast from
the ascendant; if it is beneath the rays of the Sun, do not let that bother you. The fourth is the fate
of noble lineage; by day it is computed from Saturn to Mars, conversely by night, and it is cast
from the ascendant. The fifth is the fate of property; both by day and by night it is taken f rom
Saturn to the Moon, and is cast from the ascendant. The sixth is the fate of the cultivation of the
soil ; it is taken both by day and by night f rom Venus to Saturn, and is cast from the ascendant.
The seventh is the fate of posterity; by day and by night it is taken from Saturn to the ruler of the
house of the conjunction of the luminaries if the child was born in the first half of the month, and to
the ruler of the house of the opposition if he was born in the latter half ; it is cast from the
ascendant.

The fifth house has five fates. The first is the fate of the son; it is taken by day from Jupiter to
Saturn, and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of the time
when the child will be born ; whether it be a boy or girl, and both by day and by night, it is
calculated from Mars to Saturn, and is cast from the ascendant. The third is the fate of male
children ; by day and by night it is taken from the Moon to Jupiter, and is cast from the ascendant.
The fourth is the fate of girls ; by day and by night it is measured from the Moon to Venus, and is
cast from the ascendant. The fifth is the fate of the consultation; in the case of both male and
female it is taken by day from the ruler of the house of the Sun to the Moon, and is cast from
the ascendant.

The sixth house has three fates. The first is the fate of diseases and deformities; by day it is taken
from Saturn to Mars, and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate
of servants ; by day and by night it is figured from Mercury to the Moon; it is cast from the
ascendant. The third is the fate of prison and captivity ; by day it is taken from the ruler of the
house of the Sun to the Sun, and by night from the ruler of the house of the Moon to the Moon; it is
cast from the ascendant.

The seventh house has thirteen fates. The first is the fate of sexual relations for both men and
women; it is taken by day and by night from Venus to the setting degree, and is cast from the
ascendant. The second is the fate of copulation in the horoscope of men ; according to Hermes, it
is taken by day and by night from Saturn to Venus, and is cast from the ascendant ; in the opinion
of Ibn al-Alam, it is measured by day and by night from the Sun to Venus, and is cast from the
ascendant. The third is the fate of the period of coition ; it is taken by day and by night from the
Sun to the Moon, and is cast from the ascendant. The fourth is the fate of excessive copulation; it
is calculated by day and by night from the Sun to the Moon; it is cast from the degree of Venus;
the fate will be there. The fifth is the fate of female modesty; it is taken by day and by night from
the Moon to Venus, and is cast from the ascendant. The sixth is the fate of female prostitution;
both by day and by night it is reckoned from Venus to Saturn, and is cast from the ascendant. The
seventh is the fate of the deceit of men ; it is taken by day and by night from the Sun to Venus,
and is cast from the ascendant. The eighth is the fate of the deceit of women; both by day and by
night it is computed from the Moon to Mars, and is cast from the ascendant. The ninth is the fate of
fornication by men ; it is taken by day and by night from the Sun to Venus, and is cast from the
ascendant. The tenth is the fate of carnal knowledge ; it is counted by day and by night from the
Moon to Mars, and is cast from the ascendant. The eleventh is the fate of love; it is taken by day
and by night from the Moon to Mars, and is cast from the ascendant. The twelfth is the fate of
disputes; it is taken by day and by night from Mars to Jupiter, and is cast from the ascendant. The
thirteenth is the fate of sons-in-law ; it is measured by day and by night from Saturn to Venus, and
is cast from the ascendant.

The eighth house has five fates. The first is the fate of death; it is taken by day and by night from
the degree of the Moon at the beginning of the eighth house equated according to the latitude of
the earth; it is cast from the position of Saturn ; that is the place of its fate. The second is the fate
of the deadly star; it is taken by day from the ruler of the ascending degree to the Moon;
conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The third is the fate of the year of peril; it is
taken by day and by night from Saturn to the ruler of the house of the conjunction of the
luminaries, if the child was born in the first half of the month, or to the ruler of the house of the
opposition, if the child was born in the other half of the month; it is cast from the ascendant.
The fourth is the fate of sickness; it is measured by day from Saturn to Mars; contrariwise by night;
it is cast from the position of Mercury; the fate is there. The fifth is the fate of distress; it is taken by
day from Saturn to Mercury, and just the opposite by night; it is cast from the ascendant.
The ninth house has seven fates. The first is the fate of the trip; it is taken by day and by night
from the ruler of the ninth house to its inception equated according to the latitude of the earth ; it is
cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of a trip by water; it is calculated by day from
Saturn to the fifteenth degree in Cancer; by night it is the opposite; it is cast from the ascendant; if
Saturn is in the degree just given, the fate will be in the ascendant. The third is the fate of
modesty; it is taken by day from the Moon to Mercury, and vice-versa by night; it is cast from the
ascendant. The fourth is the fate of intelligence; by day it is taken from Saturn to Jupiter, and in
the reverse order by night ; it is cast from the position of Mercury ; the fate is in that place. The fifth
is the fate of knowledge ; it is computed by day from Saturn to Jupiter; the opposite by night; it is
cast from the ascendant. The sixth is the fate of the stories; by day it is taken from the Sun to
Jupiter; by night the reverse; it is cast from the ascendant. The seventh is the fate of the matter as
to its being true or false ; both by day and by night it is taken from Mercury to the Moon ;
it is cast from the ascendant.

The tenth house has eleven fates. The first is the fate of royalty ; it is taken by day from Mars to
the Moon, and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The second is the fate of victory;
it is taken by day from the Sun to Saturn, and the opposite by night; it is cast from the ascendant.
The third is the fate of advice ; it is taken by day from Mercury to Mars; by night in the other way; it
is cast from the ascendant. The fourth is the fate of liberality; it is reckoned by day and by night
from Mercury to the Sun; it is cast from the ascendant. The fifth is the fate of the sudden rise to
power; by day it is taken from Saturn to the favorable fate, and conversely by night; it is cast
from the ascendant. The sixth is the fate of the work; it is taken by day and by night from Saturn to
the Moon ; it is cast from the ascendant. The seventh is the fate of manual labor; by day it is taken
from Mercury to Venus, and the opposite by night ; it is cast from the ascendant. The eighth is the
fate of the task which is to be accomplished; by day it is taken from the Sun to Jupiter; by night in
the opposite way; it is cast from the ascendant. The ninth is the fate of merchandise ; by day it is
measured from the fate of the secret to the auspicious fate; by night the reverse; it is cast from the
ascendant. The tenth is the fate of greatness ; by day it is taken from the Sun to the degree of
its honor, and by night from the Moon to the degree of its honor; if the Sun is by day in the degree
of its honor or the Moon by night in the degree of its honor, the fate will be found in the degree of
the ascendant. The eleventh is the fate of the mother; it is taken by day from Venus to the Moon,
and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant.

The eleventh house has ten fates. The first is the fate of the beloved; by day it is taken from the
good fate to the fate of the secret ; by night the opposite; it is cast from the ascendant. The second
is the fate of the element of certainty in human intelligence; by day it is calculated from the
favorable fate to the Sun ; by night conversely ; it is cast from the ascendant. The third is the fate
of prosperity; by day it is taken from the auspicious fate to Jupiter; the opposite by night; it is cast
from the ascendant. The fourth is the fate of hope; by day it is taken from Saturn to Venus; by
night in reverse order; it is cast from the ascendant. The fifth is the fate of the happy abundance at
home; it is taken by day and by night from the Moon to Mercury, and is cast from the ascendant.
The sixth is the fate of the freedom of mind ; by day it is counted from Mercury to Jupiter, and the
opposite by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The seventh is the fate of praise; by day it is taken
from Jupiter to Venus, and conversely by night ; it is cast from the ascendant. The eighth is the
fate of concupiscence; by day it is taken from the beneficial fate to the fate of the secret, and by
night in the opposite way; it is cast from the ascendant. The ninth is the fate of instability; both by
day and by night it is taken from the fate of the secret to Mercury, and is cast from the ascendant.
The tenth is the fate of friends ; it is measured by day and by night from Mercury to the Moon, and
is cast from the ascendant.

The twelfth house has two fates. The first is the fate of enemies; both by day and by night it is
calculated from the ruler of the twelfth house to the beginning of that house equated according to
the latitude of the earth; it is cast from the ascendant. The second fate, in the opinion of Hermes,
is taken from Saturn to Mars, and the reverse by night ; it is cast from the ascendant. The total of
the fates of the houses enumerated amounts to 71. The independent fates amount to 9.
The first is the fate of longevity : notice if the child was born in the first half of the month, calculate
the distance between the degree of the conjunction of the luminaries and the Moon at the moment
of the horoscope, and cast it from the ascendant; if the child was born in the second half of the
month, take the distance between the opposition of the luminaries and the Moon, and cast it from
the ascendant. The second is the fate of a bodily defect; by day it is taken from the favorable fate
to Mars, and conversely by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The third is the fate of delay; it
is taken by day and by night at the inception of the third house equated according to the latitude of
the earth; it is cast from the ascendant; Hermes says that the most proper method is to measure it
from the fate of love and to cast it from the position of Mercury, and thereby determine the fate.
The fourth is the fate of fraud; it is taken from Mercury to the fate of the secret by day, and the
reverse by night; it is cast from the ascendant. The fifth is the fate of the place sought; both by day
and by night it is calculated from Saturn to Mars, and is cast from Mercury. The sixth is the fate of
ambush ; by day it is taken from Mars to the Sun, and the opposite by night; it is cast from the
ascendant. The seventh is the fate of truth ; by day it is measured from Mercury to Mars, and
conversely by night ; it is cast from the ascendant.
The eighth is the fate of force ; it is taken by day from Saturn to the Moon, and the opposite by
night; it is cast from the ascendant. The ninth is the fate of massacre; by day it is taken from the
ruler of the ascendant to the Moon, and the reverse by night; it is cast from the ascendant.
These fates are necessary in the revolution of the year of the maximum conjunction in order to
determine, when speaking of kings, how long they will reign. The fate, which applies to them in the
years of the world, is the one called the fate of the kingdom ; it is taken by day from Mars to the
Moon, and it is cast from the ascending degree in the revolution of the year of the conjunction,
which prognosticates the exodus of the people. Some determine this fate in another way: by
taking the distance between the ascending degree in the revolution of the year of the conjunction
and the degree of the conjunction, and then casting it from the ascending degree in the annual
revolution. Others determine it by another method ; by taking the distance from the degree
of the celestial diameter opposite the position of the Sun to the celestial diameter opposite the
annual revolution, and then casting it from the position of Jupiter.
The fate of the number of days, with reference to kings, is taken, in the year of the king's ascent to
the throne, from the Sun to the fifteenth degree of Leo, and is cast from the position of the Moon. It
is also taken from the position of the Moon to the fifteenth degree of Cancer, and is cast from the
position of the Sun. Notice that these two fates will always come forth in houses corresponding to
a star; if one fate should come forth in the house of a luminary, the second fate will come forth in
the house of the other luminary. The fate revealing the year of the king's ascent to the throne is
taken from Jupiter to Saturn by day, and the reverse by night; it is cast from the ascending degree
in the annual revolution. If Jupiter is in a sign which has two bodies, when the revolution is diurnal,
and if Jupiter is in a falling house, it is taken from Saturn to Jupiter ; then add 30 degrees to the
distance, and cast it from the ascendant. If Saturn is opposite Jupiter and both are in falling
houses, take half of the distance separating them, and cast it from the ascendant. If Jupiter is in
the house of its honor when the revolution is nocturnal, measure the distance from it to Saturn,
and cast it from the ascendant.
There are two great fates. For the first of them, notice during the year of the king's ascent to the
throne where falls in that year the position of the conjunction of the triplicity which took place
before the ascent of the king ; assign one year for every 30 degrees and one month
for every 2j> degrees ; when you will know to which degree that measurement will correspond, in
that place you should work out the first fate. Determine the revolution of the year of the king's
ascent to the throne ; observe whether Saturn or Jupiter is east of the Sun ; calculate
the distance which there is between it at the start of the annual revolution and the degree which I
have given, because from that point you will equate the fate ; then cast the remainder from the
ascendant at the beginning of the annual revolution, and that will give you the fate.
For the second fate, observe whether Jupiter or Saturn is west of the Sun at the time of the annual
revolution; take the remainder which there is between it and the degree already given, by which
you determined the first fate ; then cast that remainder from the ascending degree in the annual
revolution.
The fate of rain. Measure by day the distance extending from the degree of the conjunction of the
luminaries to the degree of the Moon, and by night from the Moon to the degree of the conjunction,
and cast it from the ascending sign in the morning or in the evening ; regardless of the place in
which the measurement will be completed, there the fate will be. Now, if one of the inferior planets
is with this fate in one of the poles, notice that when the Moon reaches the position of that planet,
rain will fall. That will happen in any country controlled by the sign in which is the Moon. Hermes
says that the distance should be measured every day from the position of the Sun to the position
of Saturn, that the result should be cast in the morning from the position of the Moon, and thereby
you will determine the fate; upon experimentation that proves to be accurate. If the fate comes out
in one of the houses of Saturn, it will be cold; if in one of the houses of Jupiter, it will be windy; if in
one of the houses of Mars, it will be warm; if in one of the houses of Venus, there will be rain or
mist; if in one of the houses of Mercury, there will be strong winds; if in the house of the Moon,
there will be clouds or rain; if in the house of the Sun, the air will be pure.
The fate of a thing to determine whether or not it will happen. Take the distance lying between the
Sun and the ruler of the hour, multiply it by the complete odd hours which have elapsed by day or
by night, and carry the total. Then take the course of the sign, containing the ruler of the hour,
according to the latitude of the earth, multiply it by 70, divide the result by 12, add the quotient of
the division to the total, and cast the final amount from the position of the ruler of the hour;
the fate will fall there. Here are the fates in any revolution in order to determine whether anything
is valuable or insignificant. You must do as follows: observe the position of the fate which
dominates over the house; if you notice that its motion is retrograde, or if it scintillates, or if it is in a
house which is falling from the poles with respect to the ascending degree in the annual revolution,
then anything which the fate will prognosticate in that case will be insignificant. If the ruler of the
house of the fate is in power, and all the more so if it is in the celestial diameter, then it will be
precious. When the ruler of the house of the fate arrives at the house of its honor, it wilf be even
more valuable; but if it travels to the house of its dishonor, the reverse will be true. If one of the
beneficial planets is in aspect with the fate, then what the fate prognosticates will be abundant; if
the inauspicious planets are in aspect, it will be slight, and it will disappear.
The fate of water is taken from the Moon to Venus. The fate of wheat from the Sun to Mars. The
fate of barley from the Moon to Jupiter. The fate of peas from Venus to the Sun. The fate of lentils
from Mars to Saturn. The fate of beans from Saturn to Mars. The fate of cream from the Sun to
Venus. The fate of honey from the Moon to the Sun. The fate of millet from Jupiter to Saturn. The
fate of olives from Mercury to the Moon. The fate of grapes from Saturn to Venus. The fate of
cotton from Mercury to Venus. The fate of water-melons from Mercury to Saturn. The fate of acrid
flavors from Saturn to Mars. The fate of sweet flavors from the Sun to Venus. The fate of rancid
flavors from Mars to Saturn. The fate of sour flavors from Mercury to Saturn. The fate of medicinal
herbs, both bitter and purgative, from Saturn to Jupiter. The fate of salty medicinal herbs from
Mars to the Moon. The fate of deadly poison from the dragon's head to Saturn. All these fates
must be cast from the ascending degree.
The ancients determined the fates, which we have just enumerated, for two reasons. The first is
because the fusion of planets with each other, both in conjunction and in aspect, may occur in
many ways ; consequently through their fusion the favorable or malignant effect is renewed in any
place and at any time. The strength of the fate, which is more evident, is the one which is
determined by two stars which denote the same thing, such as Saturn and the Sun, both of which
denote parents; therefore, we must know the distance between them at any moment in order to
investigate the matter of parents. The second reason is because anything, which the planets
prognosticate, needs two or three testimonies; as a result the testimony may be treated with
suspicion when one planet belongs to the nocturnal constellations and the other belongs to the
diurnal constellations, because in that case the second will be more powerful than the first. Again it
may happen that one points to the beginning of the matter, while the other indicates the end ;
because of that, it behooves us to determine the fates.
The fate is in three ways, two of which are always stationary while the third is variable. The first of
the stationary ones is the one from which the fate is taken, while the other is the one for which the
fate is taken; the third is the one which comes forth opposite the ascending degree, and it is
variable since it changes every minute. We must cast these fates from the ascending degree,
because it denotes the start of activities. One also casts them from the beginning of the house
which predominates over the affair, and one deduces these fates in even degrees because the
planets follow the path of the zodiac; when one says that a certain star is in a certain sign and in a
certain degree, and also that a certain ascendant belongs to a certain sign, all are in even
degrees; that is why they have drawn those fates in even degrees. Because the degrees of the
ascensions are the degrees of the great ecliptic which is above the epicycle of the signs as it
rotates around the epicycle of the signs at the two poles, one counts all the aspects in even
degrees opposite the epicycle of the signs. In the same way the ancients have experimented in
the matter of horoscopes, consultations, and selections when the Moon communicates force to
one of the planets in degrees equal to the force of the aspects; as a result they observed that their
opinions were accurate at any moment in the quadrate, trine, or sextile aspect.
Using the same method, we have also carried out experiments, and we were successful.
CHAPTER X

The tenth chapter of this book is devoted to the aspects and the directions. Notice that the aspects
and their directions work in two ways. One way is the aspect of light in proportion to the
hypsometrical measurement of the signs in each and every country. The second way concerns the
measurement of the degrees of the signs, and they are the same in all countries. If the planet is in
the ascending degree, you should direct it in conformity with the ascension of the signs in that
place. If it is in the beginning of the seventh house, you should direct it conversely from the degree
of the planet and the reason of the sign which is opposite its degree. If it is at the beginning of the
horizon of the firmament or at the beginning of the fourth house, you should direct it in the
ascensions of the signs in the sphere of perpendicularity. That is the opinion of Hermes. The
second way, according to the doctrine of all astrologers, is that you should direct any planet or
fate, which you need to direct in any place whatsoever in the sphere, in even degrees opposite the
circle of the signs, and not opposite the circle of perpendicularity. They have made experiments of
this phenomenon innumerable times, and they have found it to be exact. Now the aspect of the
opposition will always be 180 degrees, the trine aspect 120, the quadrate aspect 90, and the
sextile aspect 60, and all the degrees are equal. That holds true provided that the planet does not
have the latitude of the orbit of the sphere's ecliptic; if it does have that latitude, its influence
will be somewhat baleful. That is what Albattani said in his book, and all those who came after
him. The reason of these directions betokens the time when you lead a star or a degree to an
astral body, or to an aspect of its light, in order to determine how many years elapse between
them. By means of directions one may predict all the good and harm which will befall kings, and
the conquest of the kingdom of one nation by another, and the transformations of evil to good or of
good to evil which are effected in the world both in public and in private.
The directions fall into five categories. The object of the first is to forecast worldly affairs in a
universal manner as, for instance, deluge and drought which ravage the world, or else national
affairs such as wars and repeal of laws. Now the world will be under the power of a sign 1000
years. The part of a year in this direction amounts to 1 minute and 48 seconds.
The second direction is less than the direction of the thousands. It prognosticates everything that
will happen to each one of the nations and at every cardinal point. In this case the world will be
under the sway of each sign 100 years. The part of one year in this direction is equivalent to 18
minutes.
The third way is less than the direction of hundreds. It prophesies the development in every
country and in every race. Here the world will be under the domination of each sign 10 years, and
likewise each person will be under the domination of the sign 10 years until the end of 120 years,
and the part of each year in this direction is 3 degrees.
The fourth category is the direction called alphardar. They take it likewise with regard to worldly
affairs. They begin with any planet which has the house of its eastern honor opposite the sign of
Aries, but, in the case of a child born by day, they begin with the Sun, and by night they begin with
the Moon. The total duration of the time of alphardar is 75.
The fifth class is the direction of the units in respect to worldly events in an effort to discover
everything that will happen year by year.
The new-born will also be under the influence of a sign every year. It is called the sign which
makes a complete circuit. This direction is finished in 12 years. The part of one year lasts for 30
degrees, which are as many as the degrees of one sign.
In the same manner you should direct the great conjunction until the moment when Saturn and
Jupiter transfer from one triplicity to another and resume their original position. That will take 960
years. The part for one year is 22 minutes, 16 seconds, and 5 thirds.
Furthermore you should direct the mean conjunction, which refers to the transposition of the
planets just mentioned f rom one triplicity to another. That will last 240 years. The part for one year
is 1 degree, 9 minutes, and 4 seconds.
You should also direct the minor conjunction in the transposition of the aforementioned planets
from one sign to another in the houses of the triplicity. Each one will be 20 years in round
numbers. The part of one year amounts to 28 degrees approximately.
Finally there is another direction in the horoscope of the individual and in the revolutions of the
year of the world. It is the one which you should take from the ascending degree to the body of the
planet, to the aspect of its light, to the known sign, or to the known degree, counting one degree
per year. The direction of the fates is the reverse of the signs, as Ptolemy mentioned in the Book
of Fruit.

Here end the ten chapters.

Praise be to the Creator of all beings, who has given the author the necessary strength.

He finished it in the month of Tammuz in the year 4908.

Explicit. Thanks be given to God Eternal.