Abstract
Astrologers linked the expected duration of illness to the zodiac sign in the sixth house and to the planet responsible for the disease, assigning quick recovery to movable signs and certain planets like Mars, while fixed signs and planets like Saturn indicated long-lasting sickness. Rules are given for how the placement and movement of these planets and signs in a chart could signal whether a disease would be short, moderate, or lengthy, reflecting medical astrology's blend of astronomy and health in early modern times.
If we desire to know how long the sicknesse will continue, we must consider and carefully observe what signe is in the sixt house, and what Planet is author of the disease, or principall significator, for those diseases or infirmities signified by Saturn, are long and permanent by reason of his slownesse; diseases signified by Mars or Sun, are very short, although terrible, Jupiter also signifieth short diseases, and Venus a mean betwixt both, Mercury, such as are unconstant, and Moon signifieth sudden change, and alteration of the disease, either for better or worse; moreover the signe, as I have said before, which is in the sixt house, and in which the significator is posited, are also to be regarded, for some signes are moveable, some fixed, and some are common, the moveable are, Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, fixed signes are these, viz. Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius. Common signes are, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. Now if we finde a moveable sign in the sixth house, and the Lord thereof, and the Moon or principall significator of the disease in a moveable signe, then we may judge the sicknesse to be short, if they shall be in fixed signes, judge long and tedious sicknesse, but if they be in common signes, judge a mediocrity, and that the disease will neither be too short or long, but that you may be better instructed in this, observe these Aphorismes.
- Lord of the sixth, in the sixth, signifieth a durable and tedious sicknesse.
- Lord of the sixt house in square or opposition to the ascendant, or applying to the Lord thereof, argueth the same, and that the disease is not in its full force and power.
- The Lord of the sixth retrograde signifieth a relapse.
- The Lord of the sixth house removing out of one sign into another, and also the latter degrees of any sign, upon the cusps of the sixth house, denoteth sudden change, and alteration of the disease.
- The Lord of the ascendant in the sixth house, or the Lord of the sixth in the ascendant, intimateth a great sicknesse, and of long continuance, if they be in fixed signes.
- And Lastly, if the principall significators of the disease, be in moveable signes, judge a [1] sudden change of the disease, if they be in fixed signes or common, judg[2] as aforesaid.
Notes:
- removed an extra ‘a’ from the original text at this point
- misspelling is preserved as is