Chapter XIII. Another Brief Description of the Shapes and Forms of the Planets

CHAPTER XIII.

ANOTHER BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SHAPES AND FORMS OF THE PLANETS.

Herschel.--THIS is the most distant planet from the Sun; his motion is very slow, as he takes 83 years 151 days to go through the twelve signs. The nature of ♅ is extremely evil. If he ascend or be with the chief significator in any figure, he denotes an eccentric person, far from fortunate, always abrupt, and often violent in his manners. If well aspected, he gives sudden and unexpected benefits; and if afflicted, he will cause remarkable and unlooked-for losses and misfortunes. He is not so powerful as Saturn or Mars, yet can do much evil. Persons under his influence are partial to antiquity, astrology, &c., and all uncommon studies, especially if Mercury and the Moon be in aspect to him. They are likely to strike out novelties, and to be remarkable for an inventive faculty. They are generally unfortunate in marriage, especially if he afflict ♀, the ☽, or the seventh house, either it nativities or questions.

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Saturn--Signifies one of a swarthy colour, palish like lead, or of a black earthly brown; one of rough skin, thick and very hairy on the body, small eyes; many times his complexion is between black and yellow, or as if he had an affection of the black or yellow jaundice; he is lean, crooked, or beetle-browed; a thin weak beard; great lips, like negroes; he looks to the ground, ¹ is slow in motion, either is bow-legged or hits one leg or knee against another; most part a disagreeable breath, seldom free from a cough; he is crafty for his own interest, seducing people to his opinion; full of revenge and malice, little caring for religion; is a foul, nasty, slovenly knave, or a harlot, a great eater and glutton, a brawling fellow; has broad, great shoulders; is covetous, and yet seldom rich, &c. ²

Jupiter.--We must describe ♃ and a jovialist to be one of a comely stature, full-faced, full-eyed, a sanguine complexion, or mixture of white and red; a large space between his eye-brows; usually his beard is of a flaxen or sandy-flaxen colour; sometimes also, when ♃ is combust, very sad or black; his hair thick, his eyes not black; good broad, well-set teeth, but usually some mark of difference in the two fore teeth, either by their standing awry, or some blackness or imperfection in them; his hair gently curls (if he be in a fiery sign); a man well spoken, religious, or at least a good moral honest man; a person comely, and somewhat fat (if ♃ be in moist signs), fleshy; if in airy signs, large and strong; if in earthly signs, a man usually well descended; but if he be significator, if an ordinary clown, as sometimes he may be, then is he of more humanity than usual in such kind of men.

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Mars.--A martial man is many times full-faced, with a lively, high colour, like sun-burnt, or like raw tanned leather; a fierce countenance, his eyes being sparkling or sharp and darting, and of yellow colour; his hair, both of head and beard, being reddish (but herein you must vary according to the sign). In fiery signs, and airy, where ♂ falls to be with fixed stars of his own nature, there shews a deep sandy red colour; but in watery signs, being with fixed stars of his own nature, he is of a flaxen or whitish bright hair; if in earthy signs, the hair is like a sad brown, or of a chesnut colour. He has a mark or scar on his face; is broad-shouldered, a sturdy, strong body, being bold and proud, given to mockery and scorn, to quarrel, drink, game, and wench; which you may easily know by the sign he is in: if in the house of ♀, he wenches; in that of ☿, he steals; but if he be in his own house, he quarrels; in that of ♄, is dogged; in the ☉'s, is lordly; in the ☽'s, is a drunkard.

The Sun.--The Sun generally denotes one of an obscure white colour, mixed with red; a round face, and short chin, a fair stature, and one of a comely body; his colour sometimes between yellow and black, but for the most part more sanguine than otherwise; a bold man, and resolute; his hair curling; he has a white and tender skin; one desirous of praise, fame, and estimation among men; he has a clear voice, and great head; his teeth somewhat distorted or obliquely set; of slow speech, but of a composed judgment; using outwardly a great decorum in his actions, but privately he is lascivious and prone to many vices.

Venus.--Whoever is signified by Venus, whether man or woman, has a good and fair round visage, a full eye, usually we say goggle-eyed: red ruddy lips, the nether more thick or longer than the-upper; the eyelids black, yet lovely and graceful; the hair of lovely colour, (but most part according to

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the sign as before repeated); in some it is coal black, in others a light brown; a soft smooth hair; and the body extremely well shaped, even rather inclining to shortness than tallness. ¹

Mercury.--We describe Mercury to be a man neither black nor white, but between both, of a sad brown or dark yellow colour; long visaged, high forehead, black or grey eyes, a thin, long, sharp nose; thin spare beard, (many times none at all) of an auburn sad colour, next to black; slender of body, small legs; a prattling, busy fellow; and in walking he goes nimbly, and always would be thought to be full of action.

The Moon.--She, by reason of her swiftness, varies her shape very often, but, in general, she personates one having a round visage and full face, in whose complexion you may perceive a mixture of white and red, but paleness overcomes: if she be in fiery signs, the man or woman speaks hastily; in watery signs, he or she has some freckles in his or her face, or is blub-cheeked, not a handsome body, but a muddling creature; and unless very well dignified, she ever signifies an ordinary vulgar person. ²

Footnotes

54:1 This downward look, keeping the eyes on the earth, is one of the most remarkable circumstances in the character of the persons described by Saturn, or who have him in the ascendant at birth.

54:2 These evil qualities when Saturn is weak and afflicted.

56:1 We have always observed that Venus causes dimples and a smiling face.

56:2 We have given these descriptions in addition to the former, as it is most material for the student to be able to describe the person inquired of well; as, by that means, the character being known, his conduct may be more accurately foreseen.