Practical astrology in two parts : the first part containeth an easie introduction to the whole art of astrologie ... : the second part sheweth the resolution of all manner of horary questions which concern the life of man, his estate, brethren, or short journeys ... / by John Middleton, Philomath.

CHAP. IX.

How to erect a Figure of the Hea∣vens for any hour of the Day or Night, by an Ephemeris and Ta∣ble of Houses.

THe whole Sphere or Globe of Hea∣ven is divided into four equal parts, by the great Circles of the Meri∣dian and Horizon; and each of these is divided again into three other parts by the Circles of Position which intersect the Equator equally, and do likewise meet in the points of the Grand Meridian, and with the Horizon; which are in all Twelve, called by Astronomers the Twelve Houses; of which there are Four prin∣cipal Angles; two of which fall equal∣ly upon the Horizon, the other upon the Meridian: that is to say, the First, the Fourth, the Seventh, the Tenth: the fol∣lowing houses are called Succedent hou∣ses, the other Gadent houses; which

we commonly draw in this manner.

[illustration]

A Figure of the XII HOUSES.

The Lines in the Figure do shew the Cusps or entring into the Houses. But for the erecting of an Astrological Figure, first, in your Ephemeris you are to get the true place of the Sun; and if the min. ex∣ceed 30, you are to adde one deg. more to the Suns place; then with those whole

degrees enter the Table of Houses in that signe which you finde Sol in, and in the Column of the 10th house finde the de∣gree of the signe; and right against it on the left hand, under the title time from noon, you will finde certain Hours, Mi∣nutes, and Seconds, which you are to adde to the hour in which you erect your Figure; and if the Sun amount to more than 24 hours, cast away 24, and with the remainder seek in the great Column entituled time from Noon, and right a∣gainst it you shall finde the Signes, De∣grees, and Minutes to be placed upon the Cusps of the 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, and 3 hou∣ses; then you are to place the opposite Signes and Degrees upon the Cusps of the other 6 houses. The Signes are opposite in this manner:

Signes	♈	Oppo∣site	♎	Houses	10	Oppo∣site	4
♉	♏	11	5
♊	♐	12	6
♋	♑	1	7
♌	♒	2	8
♍	♓	3	9

Here you see that Aries is opposite to Libra, and Taurus to Scorpio, Gemini to Sagittary, &c. And so in like manner the 10th House is opposite to the 4th, the

11th to the 5th, the 12th to the 6th, &c.

In the next place, you are to take the places of the rest of your Planets in the Ephemeris, and place them in the Signes of your Figure; always remembring, if the degrees of the Planets places be less than the degrees of the Cusp of your House, you must place him before the Cusp thereof; but if the degrees be more than the Cusp of your House, you must place him behinde the Cusp thereof.

But if you erect a Figure for 8 or 9 hours after noon, the Planets will require a reduction to the hour of the day: for all Ephemerides and Astronomical Tables are calculated from Noon to Noon; and so you are to reckon the time: as, if you would erect a Figure for two a clock in the Morning, you must account it at 14 hours after Noon the day preceding: but if it be onely for a Horary Question, a mental reduction of the Planets places will be sufficient; onely the Moon, by the swiftness of her motion, will require a reduction, and by adding 30 minutes to her place for every hour after Noon, and substracting in the Forenoon 30 minutes for each hour, you may gain her place truely enough for all ordinary Questions.

But for those that desire more exactness, I will give you a Table in the next Chap∣ter for the reducing the Planets places to any hour of the day or night, and pro∣ceed to give you an Example of erecting the Figure of Heaven.

Suppose it were required to erect a Fi∣gure the 6 day of January, 1677, at three hours after Noon. In the Ephemeris, I finde the Suns place to be 27 degrees 6 minutes of Capricorn: then I look in the Table of Houses for Sol in Capricorn; then I guide my eye down the second Co∣lumn, (marked at the top dom. x. which is the Column of the 10th House) and near the bottom of the Table, I finde 27 degrees; and against that in the great Column on the left hand, intituled Time from Noon, I finde 19 hours, 56 min. 12 sec. which I adde to 3 hours, the time of erecting my Figure, and it makes 22 hours 56 minutes 12 seconds; which number I seek in the Column intituled Time from Noon, and the nearest number to it, is 22 h. 57 m. 24 s. Then I look in the column of the 10th House, and I finde 13 degrees, and ♓ at the top for the Cusp of the 10th house; and in the column of the 11th house I finde 21 deg. 16 min.

of ♈; and in the column of the 12th house I finde 12 degrees, 31 minutes of ♊, And for the Ascendent I finde 14 degrees 54 minutes of ♋. For the second House I finde 4 degrees 21 minutes of ♌. For the third house I finde 21 degrees 18 mi∣nutes of ♌. And so you have the Cusps of the 6 Oriental Houses; and upon the other six Houses you are to place the op∣posite Signes.

Then I seek in the Ephemeris for the places of the Planets, and against the 6th of January 1677, I finde them thus:

The Places of the Planets.

	deg.	min.				deg.	min.
℞	♄	19	13	♉	℞	♀	17	2	♐
	♃	2	52	♒		☿	25	22	♑
	♂	8	26	♊	℞	☽	29	25	♊
	☉	27	6	♑		☊	11	11	♐

The ☋ is always opposite to the ☊

Having thus found the Cusps of the Houses, and places of the Planets, I place them as you see in the following Figure.

[illustration]

A Figure of the Heavens, January the 6th 1677. 3 hours P. M.

☽ à ☌ ♂ ad vacuum Lat. 51 deg. 32 min.

Here you see the Signe and Degrees placed upon the Cusps of the six Orien∣tal Houses which we formerly found in the Table of Houses, and the opposite Signes upon the opposite Houses; and for the placing the Planets therein, first I found Saturn as aforesaid in Taurus, which is not upon the Gusp of any House, but intercepted between the Cusps of the 11 and 12th Houses; therefore I placed him

in the 11th House, as you may see in the Figure.

Next, I finde Jupiter in 2 degrees 52 minutes of Aquarius; I finde Aquarius both upon the 9th and 8th houses; but finding the degrees of Jupiter nearest the degrees of the 8th, therefore I placed Jupiter before the Cusp of the 8th. Al∣so I finde Mars posited in 8 deg. 26 min. of Gemini, which I finde upon the Cusp of the 12th; but finding the degrees of the House more than the degrees of Mars, therefore I place Mars before the Cusp thereof; but still he shall be accounted in the 12th, because he is within 5 deg. of the Cusp thereof. The rest of the Pla∣nets you may finde posited in the Figure, as was before directed.