In the ninth sphere (which is called Chrystallinum) the astronomers postulate a circulum i.e., a round ring which they call zodiacum, of 360 degrees altogether, and of 12 degrees in width, and they divide this into 12 equal parts which are called the twelve signs of the Zodiac; and there are 30 degrees in each of these signs; and the names of those signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Piscis. These names were given to them because of the properties which they give to the creatures when the sun enters them. They are called another name, viz., the House of the Planets, because when a planet happens to be in its own sign (i.e., in its own house) it is more powerful and more vigorous than when it is in another siga; and the length of each sign is 273,870,047 leagues, and the breadth of each sign 22,818,258 leagues; and if it be desired to find out about the houses of the planets, we shall tell that briefly; for the sign which is called Leo is the house of the sun, Cancer the house of the moon, Capricornus and Aquarius the houses of Saturn, Pisces and Sagittarius the houses of Jupiter, Aries and Scorpio the houses of Mars, Libra and Taurus the houses of Venus, Gemini and Virgo the houses of Mercury. When the sun enters these signs it has a change of property according to the nature of each sign, as shall be shown in its own place; likewise there will be shown the property and the natural secret of these houses or these signs, and the things which they produce in sick or delicate people when the moon enters them.
The form or figure which astronomers give to this sign is the form of a man pouring water out of a vessel; nevertheless it is not because it is so in reality (for it is not so at all) but because of the abundance of water which falls. The property of this sign is [to be] warm and moist, and it is the cause of immoderate heat and moisture. It is very harmful, for it works corruption on the air and consequently damage to the plants and growing things. The sun enters this sign on the 21st day of January usually, i.e., on the 11th day of the same month here in Ireland (be it noted that this book is entirely after the method of the Pope, nevertheless profit may be derived here by taking account of the difference of ten days of time between [the reckonings] until the year 1700, and from that onward there is the difference of 11 days between them). This sign is airy, masculine, diurnal; it is a diurnal house and exaltation for Saturn, and nocturnal detriment to the sun. This sign governs the provinces of Aragon, Bohemia, Saxony, Ethiopia, Dalmatia, Arabia, Sogdiana, Azania, Piamonte, and India; the cities Constantia, Jerusalem, Urbino, Pavia, and Monserrat; in Spain the cities Zamora, Medina, Valencia, and Seville. The man who is born under the dominion of this sign will be of medium stature, wellspoken, secretive, stouthearted in going ahead with any project he may set before him; it signifies that he will receive a blow from iron and be in danger by water; he will be given to travel in foreign lands, and he will succeed better there than in his own country; it signifies that if he returns he will be fortunate and wealthy; but let him beware of getting angry, for it would
The figure and form given to this sign is two fishes, so that (as it is the nature of the fish to be wet and in the water usually) similarly when the sun enters this sign the weather is wet and watery. This sign is feminine, nocturnal, watery and common to the winter and the spring. It is of a wet and watery nature, on which account it is the cause of cold and moisture immoderately, which does harm to the water of the rivers, the wells and the lakes, for it makes corruption in them. This sign is the house of the day and night for Jupiter, exaltation for Venus, fall and nocturnal detriment and sorrow to Mercury. This sign has government over the provinces of Persia, Hibernia, Normandia, Portugallia, Lydia, Sicilia, Pamphylia Garamantes, Mesamenes: over the cities Colonia Agrippina,
The figure and form which is given to this sign is a ram. It is of the nature of fire, warm and dry; accordingly it causes heat and drought moderately. It is diurnal, mobile and masculine. It is the house of Mars, exaltation for Sol, fall for Saturn and detriment for Venus: the sun enters it on the 21st of March and then commences the first Equinox, in which the length of day and night are equal. It governs the provinces Anglia, Gallia, Alemania, and Polonia Minor; the cities Florencia, Napoles, Patavia, Favencia, Cracovia, Inmola, Pergamo; in Spain, Zaragoza, Tortosa and Valladolid.
The man who is born under the government of this sign is intellectual, wise, of magnanimous mind; nevertheless he is talkative, irascible, but easily appeased: it is characteristic of him to be talking to himself, not too rich nor too poor, faithful to his friends; he will have enough to subsist on mortuorum causa; it signifies that there will be a special mark on his body and that he will get a beating from a fourfooted beast, and another blow from iron; but finally he will be unfortunate, hardworked; he will be sick at the end of his 22nd year, and, if he gets over that, then forsan ducet uxorem and he will get according to his nature 75 years of life.
The woman who is born under it will be irascible and very lively and vivacious in her actions, pleasing according to other people's opinions; nevertheless it signifies, if she marries, that she will be a widow, and that she will suffer from a dangerous disease of the head or knee from the seventh year of her age until the twelfth, but that she will get of natural life 49 years. This sign signifies both for man and woman that they will come to be very poor, nevertheless they will achieve independence through their own good industry.
The figure or form given to this sign is a bull. Its property is earthy, cold and dry. It causes coldness and dryness, nevertheless moderately, whence it comes that sentient things are begotten and growing things grow when the sun enters it. This sign is nocturnal, feminine. It is the house of Venus and her joy, exaltation to Luna, and
The form or figure given to this sign is two children embracing each other in a very friendly way, denoting the mildness of the weather when the sun enters it. This sign is of an airy, warm, wet nature; accordingly it is suitable for growing things. It is the house of Mercury, detriment
The figure or form given to this sign is a certain fish which is called Cancer, and it is of a watery, cold, wet, feminine, nocturnal and mobile nature, because when the sun enters it the weather changes to damp and moderate cold, so that it is good for growth. It is the house of the day and the night to the Moon, exaltation to Jupiter, detriment to Saturn, and fall to Mars. It has dominion over the provinces Numedia, Holland, Norvegia, Zelanda,
The figure which is given to this sign is a lion. It is of a warm and excessively dry nature, masculine, diurnal, fixed, because when the sun enters it the heat is complete and steadfast, and it causes the destruction and withering of the growing things. It is the house of the night and day to Sol, detriment and sorrow to Saturn. It has dominion over the [following] provinces, i.e., over some of Sicily, and some of Apulia, Bohemia, and the coasts of the Red Sea, Chaldea, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Propontis, the Alps and Macedonia; over the cities Rome, Ravenna, Cremona, Usma, Croton, Damascus and Prague; in Spain, over Murcia and Leon. The man who is born under it will be
The figure or form of this sign is a virgin, signifying the unfruitfulness of the earth at this time. It is of an earthy, cold, dry nature; it is feminine, nocturnal, melancholic, and common to summer and autumn. It is the house, joy and exaltation of Mercury; fall to Venus, and nocturnal detriment to Jupiter. It governs the provinces Greece, part of Phenicia and Babylonia, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Cicilia, Rhodes and Candia; the cities Pavia, Paris, Ferrara. Toulouse, Pasencia and Coimbra; in Spain, Lerida, Toledo, Avilla and Algecira. The man who is born under it is honourable, chaste and of honourable condition; it signifies that he will be earnest and careful about his
The figure given to this sign is a balance of two scales, signifying the equality of days and nights about that time; and when the sun enters it the second equinox takes place, in which the night and day are of equal length. This sign is of the nature of the air, i.e., warm and moist. It is the cause of heat and thick moisture; accordingly it causes the air to coagulate so that it is harmful to every beast, and it generates many diseases. It is the house of the day of Venus, fall to Sol, exaltation to Saturn, and detriment to Mars. It has dominion over the provinces Austria, Casperia, Bactriana Regio, Tuscia, and Syria; over the cities Valencia, Lodi, Parma, Gaeta, Viana and Augusta; in Spain, over Burgos, Almeria, and Salamanca. The man who is born under this sign is honourable, courageous, and important in his deeds, inclined for foreign lands, where he will succeed better than in his own country; it signifies that he will have something to spend, but that he will find
The figure which is given to this sign is a poisonous beast which has a sting with which it does harm, as it does with its mouth, signifying that the sun, when it enters it, does the like, causing cold and storms, thunders and lightnings. It is of a nature wet, cold, feminine, nocturnal and fixed, because the autumn is then in its strength. It is the house of the night and joy to Mars, fall to Luna, detriment and sorrow to Venus. This sign has dominion over the provinces Scotia, and over the coasts of the sea, Syria, Mauretania, Getulia, Cappadocia, and Judea; over the cities Messina, Padua, Aquilea, Crema, and Buxia; in Spain, over Valencia, Xativa, Segovia, Tudela, Braga, Malaga, and Burgos. The man who is born under it will be of evil nature, deceitful, adulterous, violent, doubleminded and thievish; he will be grave, friendly, sweet spoken, though malicious. Sed sapiens dominabitur astris. It signifies that he will be prone to disease in his stomach and testicles, and that he will incur danger from stone and iron; he will be inclined for other lands and will be guileful and flattering in his words and in his
The figure of this sign is an archer shooting arrows, signifying how the sign acts when the sun enters it, throwing rains, hail, thunder and fiery balls. It is of the nature of fire, warm and dry, masculine, diurnal, and common to autumn and winter. It is the house of the day and joy to Jupiter, and daily detriment to Mercury. It has dominion over the provinces Hispania, Arabia Felix, Sclavonia, Dalmatia, Helvetia, and part of Liguria; over the cities, Malta, Avignon, Jerusalem, Asta, and Milan; in Spain over Jaen, Calahorra, and Medina Celi. The man who is born under the dominion of this sign is modest, honesty upright, fortunate; it signifies that he will be inclined to go on the sea, on which he will find a better fortune. It signifies that he will receive harm from a fourfooted animal, and sickness at the end of the seventh year of his age and again at 18, but if he escapes from them he will get 67 years of life. The woman who is born under it will be taciturn, fearful, shy and rich, and she will be called the mother of children; but the woman and the man likewise will be changeable, unsteady, nevertheless
The figure which is given to this sign is a goat which goes into high places, signifying that, when the sun enters it, it is rising towards us and the days getting longer. It is of an earthy nature, cold and dry, feminine, nocturnal and mobile; for the autumn passes and the winter begins. It is the house of the night for Saturn, exaltation for Mars, fall for Jupiter, and detriment for Luna. It has dominion over the provinces Macedonia, Bavaria, Portugal, Romandiola, Albania, Muscovy, Gedrocia, Thrace, Croatia, India, and part of Sclavonia; over the cities Verona, Forlivio, Savoy, Favencia, and Constantinople; in Spain over Tortosa, Soria, and Carmona. The man who is born under it will be wrathful, vain, lying. It signifies that he will be talking to himself; he will be melancholic, greathearted, inclined to war, et gaudebit bonis alienis, et habebit curam de animalibus quadripedibus. It signifies that he will find trouble causa mulierum, will be delicate, and will get 77 years of natural life. The woman who is born under it will be of an exceedingly perverse nature, and will be very extravagant; it signifies that a fourfooted animal will bite her, and danger of falling from a height; she will be sick, but lightly, and will get naturally 69 years of life.
To know these, figures and such like are no longer necessary, but only to pay heed to three things, viz., first, a knowledge of the sign in which the sun will be on the day on which the person will be born; secondly, a knowledge of the hour in which the sun rises that day; thirdly, an accurate knowledge of the hour in which he was born. After knowing these three things, one must see how many hours have elapsed from the rising of the sun until the hour in which he was born exclusive, (that is to say, not to reckon the hour the sun rose). Then reckon a sign for every two of those hours, from the sign in which the sun will be that day to the sign of the hour in which he was born inclusive, and in this way the natural sign of every person will be found. And in case there should be an hour over [i.e., after dividing by two] to the hours from sunrise to the hour of his birth, let it be reckoned to the sign following; and in case it does not amount to a full hour, let no scruple be made of that, for the rule is not faulty on that account. It is easy to understand everything when it is illustrated by an example: accordingly I say that the person who was born on the 4th of August, at one o'clock p.m., his sign is Scorpio (I mean a person who was born in Valencia); because the sun rises there at 5 o'clock about that time, and from 5 till 1 p.m. is eight hours, which signifies four signs; and as it is in the sign Leo the sun was that day, I count four signs from it inclusive, and that is Scorpio. Another example of a person who was born in Italy the 10th day of October, at half-past eleven p.m., and according to the rule I say that Gemini is his sign; for about that time the sun here is in