Chapter VII. Of the Planet Mars, and his Several Significations

CHAPTER VII.

OF THE PLANET MARS, AND HIS SEVERAL SIGNIFICATIONS.

MARS does in order succeed Jupiter, is less in body, and appears to our sight of a shining, fiery, sparkling colour: he finishes his course in the zodiac in 1 year, 321 days, and 22 hours: his greatest latitude north is about 4° 31'; his south, 6° 47'; and is retrograde 80 days; stationary two or three. He governs wholly the watery triplicity, viz. ♋, ♏, and ♓.

Nature.--He is a masculine, nocturnal planet, in nature hot and dry, choleric and fiery; the lesser infortune, author of quarrels, strifes, and contentions.

Manners when well dignified.--In feats of war and courage invincible, scorning that any should exceed him; subject to no reason, bold, confident, immoveable, contentious, challenging all honour to themselves; valiant, lovers of war and things pertaining thereto, hazarding himself in all perils, unwilling to obey or submit to anybody; a boaster of his own acts; one that slights all things in comparison of victory, and yet of prudent behaviour in his own affairs.

When ill dignified.--Then he is a prattler, without modesty or honesty; a lover of slaughter and quarrels, murder, thievery, a promoter of sedition, frays, and commotions; an highway thief, as wavering as the wind, a traitor, of turbulent spirit, perjured, obscene, rash, inhuman, neither fearing God nor

p. 41

caring for man; unthankful, treacherous; oppressors, ravenous, cheaters, furious, and violent. ¹

Corporature.--Generally martialists have this form; they are but of middle stature, their bodies strong, and their bones large, rather lean than fat; their complexion of a brown, ruddy colour, their visage round, their hair red or sandy, and many times crisping or curling; sharp, hazel, piercing eyes; a bold confident countenance; and they are active and fearless.

Oriental.--He signifies valiant men; some white mixed with their redness, inclined to be tall, and of a hairy body.

Occidental.--Very ruddy complexion, but low stature, little head, smooth body, and not hairy; yellow hair, stiff, and the natural humours generally more dry.

Qualities of Men and their Professions.--Generals of armies, colonels, captains, or any soldiers having command in armies; all manner of soldiers, physicians, apothecaries, surgeons, chemists, gunners, butchers, marshals, sergeants, bailiffs, hangmen, thieves, smiths, bakers, armourers, watchmakers, tailors, cutlers of swords and knives, barbers, dyers, cooks, carpenters, gamesters, bear-wards, tanners, and curriers, according as ♂ may be strong or weak.

Diseases.--The gall, tertian fevers, pestilent burning fevers, meagrims in the head,, carbuncles, the plague, and all plague sores, burnings, ringworms, blisters, phrensies, mad sudden distempers in the head, yellow jaundice, bloody flux, fistulas; all wounds and diseases in men's genitals, the stone both in the reins and bladder, scars or smallpox in the face. ²

p. 42

Mars causes all hurts by iron, the shingles, and such other diseases as arise by too much choler, anger, or passion.

Places.--Smiths' shops, furnaces, slaughter-houses, places where bricks or charcoal are burned, or have been burned; chimneys, and forges. ¹

His orb is only seven degrees.

Years.--In man he governs the flourishing time of youth, and from 41 to 56; his greatest year is 264; greater 66, lower 40, and least 15.

Countries.--Saromatia, Lombardy, Batavia, Ferraria, Gothland.

Footnotes

41:1 These extremely evil qualities obtain only when the ☽ and ☿ are also very much afflicted.

41:2 ♂ coming to ill aspect of the ascendant by direction early in nativities generally causes either smallpox, measles, or scarlet fever; but if the nativity denote it, he may give hurts, wounds, fevers, &c.

42:1 To this may be added, cutlers' shops, and places where iron is manufactured in any manner, armouries, &c.