Chapter V. Of Saturn, and his Signification

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CHAPTER V.

OF SATURN, AND HIS SIGNIFICATION.

Hs is the supremest or highest of all the planets, ¹ and is placed between Jupiter and the firmament; he is not very bright or glorious, nor does he twinkle or sparkle, but is of a pale or wan ashy colour; slow in motion, finishing his course through the twelve signs of the zodiac in 29 years, 167 days, and 5 hours, or thereabouts. His mean motion is two minutes and one second; his diurnal motion sometimes is three, four, five, or six minutes, seldom more; his greatest north latitude from the ecliptic is 2 degrees 48 minutes; his greatest south latitude is 2 degrees 49 minutes.

In the zodiac he has two of the twelve signs for his houses; viz. Capricorn ♑, his night house; Aquarius ♒, his day house. He is exalted in ♎, receives his fall in ♈, and rejoices in the sign Aquarius, ♒. He governs the airy triplicity by day, which is composed of ♊, ♎, ♒.

If in any question he be in any degree wherein he has a term, he cannot be said to be peregrine, or void of essential dignities; or if he be in any of those degrees allotted him for his face or decanate, he cannot then be said to be peregrine: understand this in all the other planets. ²

He continues retrograde 140 days; is five days in his first stage before retrogradation, and so many in his second station before becoming direct. He is cold and dry (being far removed from the Sun); melancholy, earthy, masculine; and the greater infortune, author of solitariness, malevolent, &c.

When well dignified, he is profound in imagination, in his

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acts severe, in words reserved, in speaking and giving very spare; in labour patient, in arguing or disputing grave, in obtaining the goods of this life studious and solicitous, in all manner of actions austere. ¹

When ill dignified, he is envious, covetous, jealous, and mistrustful; timorous, sordid, outwardly dissembling, sluggish, auspicious, stubborn; a contemner of women, a liar, malicious, murmuring; never contented, and ever repining.

Corporature.--Most part of his body cold and dry; of a middle stature, his complexion pale, swarthy or muddy; his eyes little and black, looking downward; a broad forehead, black or sad hair, and it hard or rugged; great ears, hanging, lowering eyebrows, thick lips and nose; a rare or thin beard, a lumpish, unpleasant countenance, either holding his head forward or stooping; his shoulders broad and large, and many times crooked; his belly somewhat short and lank; his thighs spare, lean, and not long; his knees and feet ill made; and frequently striking against each other, with a shuffling gait.

Saturn Oriental.--You must observe, if Saturn be oriental of the Sun, the stature is more short, but decent and well composed.

Saturn Occidental.--The man is more black and lean, and fewer hairs; and again, if he wants latitude, the body is more lean; if he have great latitude, the body is more fat or fleshy; if the latitude be south, more fleshy, but quick in motion. If north, hairy and much flesh.

♄ in his first station, a little fat; in his second station, fat, ill-favoured bodies, and weak; and this observe constantly in all the other planets.

Quality of Men.--In general ♄ signifies husbandmen,

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clowns, beggars, day labourers, old men, fathers, grandfather, monks, jesuits, sectarians.

Employment.--Curriers, night-farmers, miners under ground, tinners, potters, broom men, plumbers, brickmakers, maltsters, chimney-sweepers, sextons of churches, bearers of corpses, scavengers, hostlers, colliers, carters, gardeners, ditchers, chandlers, dyers of black cloth, and herdsmen, shepherds, or cow-keepers.

Sicknesses.--All impediments in the right ear, or teeth; all quartan agues proceeding from cold, dry and melancholy distempers, leprosies, consumptions, black jaundice, palsies, tremblings, vain fears, fantasies, dropsy, the hand and foot gout, apoplexies, too much flux of the hemorrhoids; and ruptures, if in Scorpio or Leo, in any ill aspect with Venus.

Orb.--His orb is nine degrees before and after; that is, his influence begins to work when either he applies or any planet applies to him, and is within the half of nine degrees added to the half of that planet's orb, and continues in force until he is separate an equal distance.

Years.--The greatest years he signifies is 465. His greater 57; his medium years 43½; his least 30. The meaning whereof is this: admit we frame a new building, erect a town or city, or a family, or principality is begun when Saturn is essentially and occidentally strong, the astrologer may probably conjecture the family, principality, &c. may continue 465 years in honour, &c. without any sensible alteration. As to age, he relates to decrepit old men, fathers, grandfathers; the like in plants, trees, and all living creatures.

Places.--He delights in deserts, woods, obscure vanes, caves, dens, holes, mountains, or where men have been buried, churchyards, &c.; ruinous buildings, coal-mines, sinks, dirty and stinking places, houses of office, &c.

Countries.--Late authors say he rules over Bavaria, Saxony, Stiria, Romandiola, Ravenna. Constantia, Ingoldstadt.

Footnotes

35:1 This was true, as far as the author knew; the planet Herschel not having been then discovered.

35:2 For the terms, &c., see the table of Essential Dignities.

36:1 By these descriptions is meant, that persons signified in horary questions by this planet are of such a character; and if he influence the native by being in the ascendant at the time of birth, it applies also in nativities.