These are Death, Dowry, the Wife's Substance, &c.

CHAPTER XXXI.

OF THE EIGHTH HOUSE, AND ITS QUESTIONS: THESE ARE DEATH, DOWRY, THE WIFE'S SUBSTANCE, &c.

QUERY.--Whether an absent Person be dead or alive?

Take care to learn whether the quesited be any relation to the querent: if so, look to the house signifying that relation; and if not, look to the 7th for the quesited's significator. If the lord of the quesited's ascendant be in the 4th or the 8th, either from his own house or in the figure, it is one argument that the party is dead. If, also, his significator be in the

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[paragraph continues] 12th, or his own 12th in ☐ or ☍ to a malefic, or if ☽ or ☉ be unfortunate in like way, you have strong testimony that he is deceased.

If the significator of the absent be strong, and in a good house, and separated from a fortune, he is not dead. If he be afflicted, and was lately in ☍ or ☐ of an evil planet, I judge that he has been in trouble or misfortune, according to the nature of the house from whence afflicted; but not dead, unless the lord of the 8th afflict him also, and the lights be afflicted.

Of the Death of the Querent?

If any one ask concerning the probable length of his life, or when he may probably die, observe the ascendant, its lord, and ☽; also, the lord of the 8th, an unfortunate planet in the 8th, and that planet to whom the lord of the 1st or ☽ be joined by ☌, ☐, or ☍; and you may determine the death of the querent, according to the number of degrees between the significator and the aspect of the afflicting planet. If the lord of the ascendant be in ☌ with the lord of the 8th in an angle, it notes so many years; for in this question angles do not accelerate death, but show that life and nature are strong. If in a succeedent house, months; though if the sign be fixed, it gives half years, half months. In a cadent house, weeks. But you must always consider whether the significators are extremely afflicted; if not, the querent may live longer, and only be near death at the time threatened. The lord of the ascendant is more to be considered in this case than the ☽; and, therefore, his ☌ with the lord of the 8th or ☉ is to be most feared.

Observe that the ☽ being strong even, yet if the lord of the ascendant be afflicted extremely, she does not denote health or life, but only success in his affairs, &c. Aspects

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by separation are not to be considered, but only those by application. ¹

What manner of Death the Querent shall die?

This judgment is chiefly shewn by the lord of the 8th, if in the 8th, or any planet therein or nearest to its cusp, and having dignities in the 8th house; or from the planet which afflicts the lord of the ascendant, and has dignities in the 8th. If it be either ♃ or ♀, or that they be in the 8th house, or aspect its cusp by ✶ or △, they shew a natural death by such diseases as they shew in the sign they are in, and the part of man's body it governs. If evil planets be there, they shew violent deaths, or fevers, and long and painful illnesses; and if the figure be violent, it may be by accidents, &c. The ☋ with the significator of death is very evil; and if it be ♄, (and ♀ assist by her ☐, &c.), it shews fear of poison. The lord of the 1st and 8th being the same planet, shews that the querent brings on his own death by imprudence, &c.

Whether the Wife's Fortune will be great, or easily obtained, or whether the Person inquired of be rich or not?

The cusp of the 8th, in terms of ♃ or ♀, gives good hopes of wealth, or if ♃ or ♀ be therein. If they be essentially strong, and free from combustion, &c., they denote much wealth; but though well dignified, if they be combust, slow, or retrograde, they shew trouble in procuring the fortune, &c. The lord of the 8th in the 8th, and strong, and no way afflicted, gives good hopes of some estate or legacy to fall to the quesited; this is more sure if either the lord of

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the 4th or 10th be in good aspect with the lord of the 8th from angles. If ⊕ be in the 8th, and in ♌, or ♒, or any of the houses of ♃ or ♀, or they in good aspect to ⊕, the quesited's fortune is good. The dispositor of ⊕ in good aspect to it, or ♃ and ♀, shew the same thing. If all these happen, the quesited is very rich.

If ♄ or ♀ be in the 8th and peregrine, the party is poor, or there will be contention about the property. The lord of the 8th combust, shews slow performance, and little ability of what is promised; and if ☋ be in the 8th, and no planet there, fraud is intended, or more will be promised than can be performed.

The lord of the 8th in the 2d, or in ✶ or △ to its lord, the querent shall have what is promised; in ☐, with difficulty; in ☍ with much wrangling; if without reception, never. But weigh well what the particular figure promises besides these general rules.

Whether the Querent shall suffer by a particular Thing of which he is in fear?

If you find the ☽ afflicted, or the lord of the ascendant unfortunate and falling from an angle, or especially if he be in the 12th, and the ☽ with him, there is ground for his fear; and he may expect to be accused, &c. of much of which he is not guilty. If the lord of the 1st ascends into the 11th or 10th, or be joined to a fortune, he shall not be injured. If he apply to infortunes, the thing threatened is true; but if to a fortune, and not at the same time to an infortune, it is false or ungrounded. The ☽ in △ to ☉ discovers all suddenly. The ☽ cadent, and applying to a cadent planet, the supposed danger will be nothing, or come to nothing in the end.

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Click to enlarge
Fig. 23.

QUESTION.--SHALL THE QUERENT RECEIVE THE PORTION PROMISED?

Judgment.--The querent's significator retrograde in the 12th, shewed he had been in despair of it, which he confessed. The female is signified by ♃ and ♀; ♃ in his exaltation, and ☽ in ♌, a fixed sign, argue that she thinks well of herself, is confident, &c., yet modest and virtuous. The ☽ being near ☉, she had a scar near her right eye.

Finding ☉ lord of the quesited's 2d in his own house, and

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[paragraph continues] ♀ in her 2d, and also that ☽ separated from ☉, and transferring his light to ♄, lord of the ascendant and 2d and ⊕, I assured the querent that he had no cause to fear the nonpayment of his wife's portion; that all promised would be paid; and that, to his farther comfort, she would prove a chaste and virtuous woman, but somewhat proud. I have since heard, from his own mouth, that this judgment proved exactly true.

Footnotes

251:1 If the fatal ☌ or aspect fall in the term of ♃ or ♀, or exactly in their ✶ or △, there is much 'less fear of death.