The tenth house, or medium coeli, refers primarily to the business career or occupation of the native, and whether Neptune in this position will be propitious or not depends very greatly upon the nature thereof. This will depend naturally upon the sign which rules the cusp of the tenth house, and its planet. In the ordinary affairs of life, Neptune is likely to bring about a great deal of embarrassment for reasons like those indicated in regard to previous matters of a similar kind. The career may be very strange and eventful, but it is not likely to be smooth or free from interruption. Neptune, and this remark applies to almost all that has hitherto been said, causes the native to suffer lapses. The inspiration which he implies is said to be distinguished from a steady flow of energy. It comes and goes without much apparent cause. The native may have brilliant ideas in regard to his business. He will carry them out with great vigour, but only for a time. Then he will forget all about it, only to begin again later on. As business depends so largely upon application, the effect is on the whole, unfortunate. There is also to be considered a good deal of risk from the nature of the business itself. This is likely to be of a queer and unusual character, and there will be many loopholes for fraud; also it is to be presumed that it may be a little difficult at times to keep track of the business. Profits will be irregular and uncertain. There will be a number of bad debts; and the business may also suffer from the occurence of apparently trivial circumstances, totally unconnected with it. There does not seem to be much risk of a definite smash. The indications arc rather those of vicissitudes. The native may feel inclined, again and again, to give it up for something steadier but he will find it hard to relinquish it.
The tenth house further refers to the mother in a man’s horoscope and father in a woman’s, who is indicated as a person of the Neptunian type. The eccentricity may take any of the forms previously described as characteristically Neptunian, hut there is probably a special tendency to religious fanaticism of an ascetic type. It is very rare for the native to remain on good terms with his mother; there may be a great deal of natural affection, but it will be partially inhibited by the incompatibility of temper which is shewn.
The tenth house, moreover, describes the fame or reputation of the native, and this is, of course, in the horoscope of important people, the chief point to consider. Fame, too, being not altogether of the earth, is a particularly Neptunian matter. When this planet is free from interference by others highly placed the fame should be starry and world wide. At the same time it is likely to be of a somewhat extraordinary character. Jupiter in the tenth house gives fame, but in matters more generally recognised, more in touch with the common life of mankind. There may be certain sinister elements connected with it. The name of the native may be involved in strange legends. He will appear to men under a thousand masks; and even time itself may fail altogether to unveil him. We need only instance the cases of Shakespeare and Michael Angelo. Both of these men were big in the best sense of the word. Humanity, much as it may admire them, may fail fully to recognise the grandeur and universality of their genius, unless they, too, be under Neptune. It is difficult to add a third name to these two, even by going back to the Greeks. Goethe had Neptune in the ninth house near the cusp of the tenth. Their comprehension of human nature was so vast that they stand unrivalled. Many other artists have excelled them in execution, in aim, but there are no others who have attempted work of anything like the same importance and also attained the same general level of excellence. (It is further to be noticed that there is something a little unfair in the way in which their fame has developed. They were entitled to it and they obtained it, but they seemed to have obtained it under false pretences. They were originally praised for quite the wrong reasons.) Another example is that of Nostradamus; in the Middle Ages, there were thousands of astrologers fairly celebrated in their day; but history has picked out the name of Nostradamus without any adequate reason. He was no more distinguished than any of the others, but for some reason legends gathered about his personality, and he passed through history as his rivals passed into oblivion. Another case of quite undeserved reputation is that of Mary Queen of Scots. This lady was, after all, a very ordinary queen – her morals were no better and no worse than those of any other queen – her fate was shared by dozens of monarchs, and though, no doubt, she was beautiful, there is no reason to suppose that she was much more beautiful than twenty others of the rulers of her period. And she has won a fame almost as equal to that of Helen of Troy. She has inspired poets, not only in her own country, but all over the world. She was the darling of Goethe’s imagination.; Swinburne devoted twenty years of his life to studying her life, and he made it the central figure of an entire period of his work To take yet one more example, we have the Kaiser. (There is no doubt that however the war may end, he will stand out as the one figure of heroic stature in modern Europe. It may again be remarked that in his case also his character has been totally misunderstood by his contemporaries.) A final example is Sir Humphrey Davy,9o who was a very great chemist, but not more so than fifty others – yet the name of Davy has become more popularly known than that of almost any other chemist. Even his greater pupil, Faraday, is always connected in the mind with Davy.
In lesser cases, the fame indicated will partake on a smaller scale of the same characteristics. A person with Neptune in the tenth house will constantly make talk in his circle. He will be somewhat of a mystery. He will be misinterpreted – perhaps, even in a very sinister sense; yet in spite of this or because of it, his name will become widely and more widely known. People will invent stories about him – good, bad and indifferent but all strange and either baseless or totally inaccurate.
In matters of ordinary reputation, Neptune is still less favourable. Where the general character of the native is such that he is not capably of attracting general attention, Neptune will stand for petty scandals – everything the native does will seem peculiar. The merest trifles will be passed round as dainty bits of gossip – no malice is implied. Perhaps the reader has sudden attacks of self-consciousness in a room in a public place, anywhere where people are, he may discover to his great embarrassment that for no reason at all, everybody is looking at him. Although there is nothing to cause it, he is the focus of attention. There is nothing peculiar in his appearance, yet people turn in the streets to look at him. It may be very painful to him to attract notice in this way – he may pay infinite attention to his appearance, endeavouring to make it conventional and yet he may fail.
It may also occur that the native changes his name or perhaps does business under an assumed name. This will probably suit the circumstances very well and success is to be expected.
The tenth house also indicates the employer, superior or master of the native. In spiritual matters, this position is the most favourable that is possible. He should find a teacher of the highest order, and if he follows out the instructions described, his spiritual advancement should be rapid and assured. He should reach the greatest heights that are possible to humanity. But where the career is more conventional, Neptune is not very good. The employer may be tricky, undependable and difficult to deal with, because of his being elusive. He will not be steady-going and matter-of-fact. The relations with him will be continual ferment. People with Neptune in the tenth ho use should be very careful not to take any chances with the law or the government of the country. To do so will have, perhaps, a quite uncanny fascination for them, and they will no doubt be very clever in keeping out of trouble, but if they were to take any chances at a time when the house was afflicted by direction or transit, they might find themselves in serious trouble.