Thus have I as plainly as possible may be, given you the seven Planets, in any of the twelve signes, being Lord or ruler of the sixt house, or principall significator of the Disease or sicknesse; I might now proceed to speak of the signification of the Aspects of the Planets one with another, especially of the Moon, for we must diligently observe what Planet she is in configuration with, and what Planet the Lord of the ascendant, and Lord of the sixt house are in configuration with, in what signe, the nature and quality of the signe, and nature of the Aspect, and accordingly we are to judge; but in regard I have been so plain in my former rules, I thinke it not expedient to treat of the Aspects, by reason we may easily judge of the signification of the configurations of the Planets, one with the other, in any of the twelve signes, by the foregoing rules, ever remembring the nature of the Planet, in configuration with the Lord of the ascendant, Lord of the sixt house, or the Moon, and according to his nature judge, making a right commixture as I have formerly said. I will now speak somewhat concerning the ascendant and Lord thereof.
First therefore, we must observe what signe ascends, and the Nature of the Lord of the ascendant, and signe wherein he is, are to be considered, for it signifieth much in this manner of judgement, the ascendant represents the Head and Face, it declareth the sick parties complexion, it further intimateth whether the Brain is disturbed or not, or whether the Disease lyeth more in the Minde then in the Body, viz. it shewes whether the parties Sences be troubled or oppressed more then any part of the Body, the signification of any of the seven Planets in the ascendant, is as followeth, viz.
When Saturn shall be in the ascendant afflicted, and chiefe significator of the disease, and he not Lord of the ascendant, then we may judge that the sick party is much afflicted in the head with Melancholly vapours, is silent, speaks very little, complaineth of great noyse and stuffings in the Head, and Ears, usually if Saturn be in the ascendant, the sick parties Head and Brain is much distempered.
Jupiter Lord of the sixt house, or principall significator of the disease, and in the ascendant or first house, declareth that the Head and Face is much oppressed by hot and moist humors flowing thither, occasioned by too much blood, the sick party hath a very high colour, and many times the veines in the Temples are swelled, and likewise in the Face also, this distemper afflicts the sick party most, when the winde is South.
Mars significator as aforesaid, and he not Lord of the ascendant, and posited accidentally therein, doth shew that the sick party is perplexed in the head by Chollerick humors, is also much troubled in the Brain almost frentick, and molested with extream pain in the head, sleepeth very unquietly; nor is the sick much subject to sleep, when Mars is in the ascendant, by reason of the hot and dry distemper of the Brain.
Sol significator or author of the disease, and in the ascendant, usually signifieth the same that Mars doth, onely sometimes the sick party is troubled with terrible sore eyes, and inflammations therein, or Cartaracts, a disease which usually taketh away the sight.
Venus and the Moon in the ascendant, and either of them significator as aforesaid, tells us that the sick party is stuffed in the head by cold, troubled with rhume in the head and eyes, occasioned by the cold and moistnesse of the brain, from thence ariseth Apoplexies, the Falling Sicknesse, Palsies, Lethargies, Coma Carus,[1] and other diseases incident to the Head and Brain, proceeding of cold and moist humors.
Mercury in the first house, and author of sicknesse, as I have said before intimateth, that the sick parties head is much distempered by wind and cold, and the braine is also much afflicted by the same, the sick party is also very giddy and light headed subject to vertigoes and the like diseases; also Cauda draconis[2] in the ascendant signifieth much distemper in the head.
By what hath been delivered, the Physician[4] may now suddenly and most easily find the nature and quality of a disease or sicknesse by the heavens, which is the onely way, and most assured for discovering of the quality of the humor offending in any disease, as Gallen, Hippocrates, and the first founders of the Art of Physick[3] affirme.
Now what hath been said concerning the position of the significator of the disease in the ascendant, the like may also be observed by the position of the Lord of the sixt house, or author of the disease, in any of the other houses; for as the first house or ascendant doth signifie the Head and Face, so doe the other houses signifie these severall parts or members in mans body, viz.
- The second house signifieth Neck and Throat.
- The third, Arms, Hands, and Shoulders.
- The fourth, Breast, Stomach and Lungs.
- The fifth, Liver, heart, Sides and Back.
- The sixth, the Belly and Bowells.
- The seventh, the Haunches, and Navill to the Buttocks.
- The eight, the Bladder and privy parts.
- The ninth, the Hipps and Thighs.
- The tenth, the Knees and Hamms.
- The eleventh, the Leggs and Ancles.
- The twelfth, the Feet.
Having now plainly shewed how to discover the nature of any disease, and judge upon any distemper, the quality and cause thereof in a naturall way, we hold it in the next place convenient to declare how to finde out the short and long continuance of any sicknesse or disease, for the which observe the succeeding method.
Footnotes
- Coma Carus: a very deep coma
- Cauda draconis: “Tail of the Dragon,” which is the South Node
- Physick: Medicine, or the practice of Medicine
- The original book, as published in 1656, used the spelling, “Physitian.” Here, we changed the word to use the modern spelling, “Physician.”