J.M. Ashmand - Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos - Book 4: Ch. 5 lyrics

CHAPTER V MARRIAGE THE consideration of circumstances relating to marriage, or the cohabitation of husband and wife, as sanctioned by law, succeeds to the foregoing details, and must be pursued in the following method. With regard to men, it is to be observed in what manner the Moon may be disposed; for, in the first place, if she be found in the oriental quadrants, she will cause men either to marry early in life, or, after having over-pa**ed their prime, to marry young women; "but, should she be situated in either of the occidental quadrants, men will then marry either late in life, or to women advanced in age": and if she be found under the Sun's beams, and configurated with Saturn, she then entirely denies marriage. Secondly, should she be in a sign of single form, and in application to only one of the planets, she will cause men to marry only once; but, if she be in a bicorporeal or multiform sign, or in application to several planets, she will cause them to be married several times; and, provided also that the planets, which thus, either by adjacency or by testimony, receive her application, be benefic, men will then obtain good wives; but if, on the contrary, the said planets be malefic, bad. For example, if Saturn receive the Moon's application, the wives whom he will provide will be troublesome and morose; but, if Jupiter receive it, they will be decorous and economical; if Mars, bold and refractory; if Venus, cheerful, handsome, and agreeable; and, if Mercury, sensible, prudent, and clever. Moreover, should Venus be found connected with Jupiter, Saturn, 3 or Mercury, she will render wives provident, and attached to their husbands and children; but, if she be found connected with Mars, they will be irascible, unsteady, and indiscreet. Thus far in reference to the marriage of men. But, in the case of women, the Sun must be observed, instead of the Moon: and, should he be posited in the oriental quadrants, women will be married either in their own youth, or to men younger than themselves; but, if he be in the occidental quadrants, they will either be married late in life, or to men who have pa**ed their prime, and are advanced in years. And should the Sun be in a sign of single form, or configurated with only one oriental planet, he will cause them to enter into matrimony only once; but, if in a bicorporeal or multiform sign, or configurated with several oriental planets, he will then cause them to be often married. And Saturn, being configurated with the Sun, will provide husbands steadfast, advantageous, and industrious; Jupiter, such as are honourable and noble-minded; Mars, severe husbands void of affection and intractable; Venus, amiable and handsome husbands; and Mercury, such as are provident and expert in business. But, if Venus be found connected with Saturn, she will indicate dull and timid husbands; "if with Jupiter, the husbands will be good, just, and modest; "if with Mars, hasty, lustful, and adulterous; and if with Mercury, they will be extravagantly desirous of young persons. In regard to the Sun, those quadrants which precede the ascending and descending points of the zodiac, and, in respect of the Moon, those which are measured from her conjunction and opposition to her intermediate quarters, are called oriental quadrants: the occidental quadrants are, of course, those lying opposite to the oriental. Whenever both nativities, viz. that of the husband and that of the wife, may exhibit the luminaries configurated together in concord, that is to say, either in trine or in s**tile to each other, the cohabitation will most usually be lasting; especially if the said concord exist by means of interchange 4; but its duration will be also much more securely established, provided the Moon in the husband's nativity should correspond or agree with the Sun in the wife's nativity. 5 If, however, the relative positions of the luminaries be in signs inconjunct, or in opposition, or in quartile, the cohabitation will be speedily dissolved upon slight causes, and the total separation of the parties will ensue. And should the configuration of the luminaries, when made in con-cord, be aspected by the benefics, the cohabitation will continue in respectability, comfort, and advantage; but, on the other hand, it will abound in strife, contention, and misfortune, if the malefics be in aspect to the said configuration. In like manner, even though the luminaries may not be favourably configurated in concord, should the benefits still offer testimony to them, the cohabitation will then not be entirely broken off, nor totally destroyed for ever, but will be again renewed, and re-established as before. But if, on the contrary, the malefics bear testimony to such discordant disposition of the luminaries, a dissolution of the cohabitation will take place, accompanied by scorn and injury. Should Mercury alone be conjoined with the malefics, it will be effected by means of some public inculpation; and if Venus also be found with them, it will be on the ground of adultery, or sorcery, or some similar offence. There are, however, other varieties in the married state, which are to be contemplated by means of Venus, Mars, and Saturn. And should these planets act in familiarity with the luminaries, the cohabitation will be appropriate and domestic, and authorised by law; because Venus holds a certain affinity both to Mars and Saturn: her affinity to Mars, for instance, consists in each having exaltation in a sign belonging to the other's triplicity, 1 and it operates in the cases of youthful and vigorous persons: while her affinity to Saturn arises from their respective houses being in the signs, again also, belonging to each other's triplicity, and relates to persons of more advanced age. Hence, if Venus be in concurrence with Mars, she will produce entire love and affection in the cohabiting parties; and if Mercury also coincide with the said planets, such affection will become publicly notorious. Should Venus be found in a sign mutually common and familiar, such as Capricorn, or Pisces, she will effect marriages between brothers and sisters and kindred by blood: and, provided she be also in the presence of the Moon, when the native may be male, she will cause him to connect himself with two sisters, or other near relatives; but, if the native be a female, a similar contract on her part, with two brothers or near relatives, will be indicated, when Venus may be also with Jupiter. Again, if Venus be with Saturn, the cohabitation will be established entirely in happiness and constancy; and if Mercury be present with them, it will be profitable; but, should Mars be present, it will be unsettled, calamitous, and afflicted by jealousy. And if Mars be configurated on equal terms with Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, he will effect marriage between persons of equal age; but, on the other hand, should he be more oriental, marriage will take place with a younger man or woman; and, if more occidental, with an older person. Should Venus and Saturn be found in signs common to each other, that is to say, in Capricorn and Libra, 1 marriage will be contracted between persons kindred by blood: and, when the said position may happen in the ascendant, or in the mid-heaven, provided the Moon also should present herself there, men will become connected with their mothers, or maternal aunts, or with their mothers-in-law; and women with their own sons, or the sons of their brothers, or with their daughters' husbands. But if, instead of the Moon, the Sun should be in concurrence with the said position, and especially should it happen that the planets in question may be occidental, men will then connect themselves with their daughters, or the wives of their sons; and women with their fathers, or paternal uncles, or the husbands of their daughters. When the aforesaid configurations, although not existing in signs of affinity to each other, should be found in feminine places, they will render the parties obscene, lustful and shameless; for instance, when found in the anterior and hinder parts of Aries, and near the Hyades of Taurus, about the urn of Aquarius, in the hinder parts of Leo, and in the face of Capricorn. And should the last-named planets, Venus and Saturn, be posited in angles, they will then, if posited in the first two angles, the eastern and southern, produce a total exposure of the pa**ions, and cause them to be publicly canva**ed; but, if in the last two angles, the western and northern, they will produce eunuchs, or persons unprolific, and not possessing the proper channels of nature. The pa**ions, liable to operate in males, are to be considered by observation of Mars: for should he be separated from Venus and Saturn, but yet, at the same time, be supported by the testimony of Jupiter, he will make men pure and decorous in s**ual intercourse, and incline them to natural usages only: and, if he attach himself to Saturn only, he will render them cold in blood and dull in appetite; if, however, when Saturn and Mars may be thus connected together, Venus and Jupiter should also be configurated with them, men will then become easily excited and eager in desire, although they will still be continent, and restrain themselves in order to avoid reproach. But should Saturn be absent, and Mars be with Venus alone, or even although Jupiter also be with her, men will become highly licentious, and attempt to gratify their desires in every mode. And further, if Venus be found more occidental, men will connect themselves with low women, female servants, and aliens or vagabonds; but, should Mars be found occidental, with women of rank, and gentlewomen; or with women living with their husbands, or under the protection of men. Thus far with regard to males. In the case of females, Venus requires attention: for, if she be configurated with Jupiter, or with Mercury, she will cause women to be temperate and pure in s**ual intercourse; still, however, when she may be thus connected with Mercury, if Saturn be not present also, she will cause them to be easily excited to desire; although they will control their desires, and avoid reproach. But, should Venus be conjoined or configurated with Mars alone, she will render women licentious and lustful; and if, to both these planets, when thus conjoined or configurated, Jupiter also present himself, Mars being at the same time under the rays of the Sun, women will then mingle in intercourse with servants, and persons meaner than themselves, or with aliens, or vagabonds: but, should it happen that Venus may be under the rays of the Sun, they will then connect themselves with their superiors or masters. And, further, should the planets be in feminine places, or configurated femininely, they will be content with their pa**ive faculties only. Saturn, in being conciliated with such positions as those now described, tends to produce greater obscenity; Jupiter, greater decency; and Mercury, greater publicity, and greater fickleness, or instability.