Gadbury's Natal aphorisms

Continuing in my series of aphorisms, in  Partridge's Μικροπαστρων, Mikropanastron, I now present its reprint of Gadbury's "Choice aphorisms for Nativities" These aphorisms were initially added at the end of Gadbury's  "Collectio Geniturarum" available here. This book was a collection of 150 horoscopes; ones belonging to famous persons or were somehow astrologically noteworthy. The aphorisms themselves come at the end, as an appendix.  Their reprint in the Mikriopanastron starts here: 

Textual and editorial conventions Abbreviations have been expanded; so  

is transcribed "Mercury in Square or Opposition to Mars gives a sharp, but a most turbulent wit and understanding". 

I have attempted to divide the text into sections of roughly similar themes. But it must be remembered, that this collection is so miscellaneous , the headings are only approximations. The editor only hopes they are able to help, rather than hinder the reader. If any reader can impose a better order on this text, I would be most grateful.

****

A Century of Choice aphorisms added at the end of the Collectio Genuturarum. By Mr. J. Gadbury.

1.     Of all the parts of Astrology, the Genethliacal is the chief; for therein is consulted the whole progress of Man, from his Birth to his Burial; and by that alone we are enabled to discover the times of his happy and inauspicious fortunes.

[Characteristics of persons born under planets]

2.     Those who are born under such a position where Saturn beareth greatest rule, or if he be in the Ascendant, are melancholy, envious; yet timorous persons; if Mars or Mercury be in Square or Opposition to him, they turn Enthusiasts or Mad-Men

3.     Men born under Jupiter, are generally noble-minded, aiming to do good to others, thinking no ill; but if either of the lights shall be in Square or opposition to Jupiter or Saturn, and Mars in the Ascendant or in Opposition thereunto; the Native will be villainously minded, rash, head-strong, and rebellious, treacherous to all, and friend to none, but from the teeth outward. [276]

4.     If under Mars, and he essentially powerful, the native is full of Courage, proves a good Souldier, attains to great Honour thereby; Mars also maketh good Chyrurgeons [surgeons] Physicians, Apothecaries &c.

5.     He that is born under the Sun, and he Royally dignified, is altogether aiming at Soveraignty, Rule and Diminion; and (quoad capax) will be very famous; the same, if any of the fiery signs Horoscopize, and the Sun fortified as aforesaid.

6.     He that is born under Venus, and she nobly fortified, is a great lover of delights and pleasures, of an upright mind, nothing distrustful; but if she be ill placed, and in ill Aspect of Saturn, he follows sensuality and bestial pleasires; if of Mars, he is subject to many notorious Scandals and Disgraces, and is seldom free from the Veneral Disease

7.     Mercury Lord of the Ascendant in a Nativity well-dignified, shews the Native to be of a most admirable fancy, and great Elocution; he makes famous Orators, by being in good Aspect of the Moon and Venus, or in Reception of them; Excellent Divines or Philosophers, by being in good Aspect or reception of Saturn or Jupiter, the best Mathematicians or Astrologers, by being in Reception or good Aspect of Mars.

8.     When the Moon governs the Horoscope, and she well placed, the Native is a great lover of Novel things, subject to Mutations, of a gentle [277] Nature and Disposition, timorous, often desirous to travel and see strange countries; if she be in Aspect of Mercury, he will be apt to learn many Languages .

9.     Mars strong in a Nativity, and Lord of the seventh, and in no good Aspect of the Luminaries or Ascendant, the Native is subject to misfortunes in War, or any thing of Controversie; for the seventh House signifies adversaries, and in this regard they will be too powerful for him to contend with

[ Planetary configurations ]

10.  All the Planets (or most of them) above the Earth, the Native of what Capacity he will, make him Eminent and Famous beyond it; but if they shall be in their dignities so posited, the Native, (like a Comet) shall outshine all in that place or part of the world, where he shall be born  

11.  The Infortunes afflicting the Sun, Moon or Horoscope by Body or Partile Aspect, shews him that is born to be of a short and sickly life

12.  The Sun in the Ascendant makes eminent boasters, and very pround persons, Mars there makes notorious Lyars and Inventers of Fables, and great contrivers of mischief, perjur’d turbulent and evil-minded men.

[Predictions surrounding the Asc and MC: Honour, fame and fortune]

13.  Eminent Fixed Stars upon the Angles of a Nativity, do give the Native eminent Honour and Fame [278]

14.  Merucry in Cazmi Solis  and in his own Dignities, makes the Native not only a famous Orator, but an excellent Councellor, and for his Ingenuity he will be admired and had in great esteem

15.  Saturn in the tenth of a Nativity, destroys the Natives Honour and fame, he may breserve it cum difficultate ; but in the end it will be absolutely Shipwrackt

16.  If Saturn in the Nativity of a King or other person less famous, shall be in opposition to the M.C. although the Geniture be otherwise fortunate, yet the Native’s end will be most inauspicious and cruel

17.  All the Planets in a Nativity Retrograde and under the Earth, though the Native be of illustrious Birth, yet he is of a falling fame and fortune

18.  Cardinal signs possessing the Angles of a Nativity, makes the Native (of any Condition or Capacity) most eminent and famous in his Generation and to do such Acts as After-ages shall admire him for

19.  Mars in the tenth, brings scandal and dishonor to the native in many things; whether he be deserving thereof, or no

20.  The Sun or Moon in Square or Opposition of Saturn or Mars from Angles, chiefly the fourth and tenth, declare a [279] violent Death; if it be to Mars only, and in humane signs, the Native dies by the hand of his Enemies; if to Saturn he may be poisoned or starved to death in Prison

21.  Those Persons (Be they Kings or of a meaner Quality) are beloved of all sorts, who have Jupiter or Venus well Placed in the tenth or first, and those angles free from affliction

22.  The Mid-heaven famously fortified, gives the Native not only eminent Honour, but such as shall remain and be durable; though at some times upon ill Directions, it may be subject to misfortunes as in the Nativity of Fred. 3. Rex Daniae

23.  When in a Nativity Saturn is in the tenth or eleventh Houses, and the M.C. comes by direction to his body, the Native loseth all his Offices and Preferment, and never riseth again; if in such a Nativity a violent death were threatened, this puts a shameful Period to his life

24.  The Dragon’s Tail in the tenth and Mars afflicting the lights in a violent Sign in the fourth, portend a fatal end to the Honour and Life of the Native

25.  The Lord of the Ascendant stronger than the lord of the seventh, the Native always overcomes his Enemies Et è contra.

26.  Mars in Aries, Scorpio or Capricorn in the Ascendant of a Nativity makes the native invincible, chiefly [280] if otherwise Aspected of the fortunate Planets and the Luminarties

27.  Mars in Conjunction, Square or Opposition to the Moon, and Saturn in the same aspect to the Sun from angles, portend a violent death; and if they shall be so placed in violent signs, though not in Angles, the same

[Aspects between the planet]  

28.  Mercury in Square or Opposition to Mars gives a sharp, but a most turbulent wit and understanding 

29.  Mercury in Pisces , in an Angle afflicted of Mars or the Sun, and the Moon in an Angle afflicted of Saturn, makes an Ideot, Phanatic or frantick fellow; for his Brains like a crackt Looking-glass, will represent a thousand several shapes

30.  Eminent fixed stars upon the Angles of a Nativity, chiefly the M.C. and the Horoscope, declares eminent and prodigious persons, such as shall make the world admire them, if the planets therein shall but moderately assist.

31.  Both the Lights afflicted in watery or aery Signs, bring to the Native an unremovable gout

32.  The moon in Conjunction of the Pleiades and in Square of Mars from an Angle, denotes great defect in the eyes, if not Blindness

33.  He that hath any of the firey Signs ascending, and the Lord of the Horoscope in the tenth House, will be always aiming at things beyond the Capacity of his Birth, let it be what it will. [281]

34.  Sometimes the inferiour planets shall denote great honour and fame to the Native than the Superiours; but then it shall not be of so log continuance

35.  He that is born upon a New or Full Moon exactly lives but little time, if at all, unless the Moon have great Latitude; for that sometimes may make the Conjunction or Opposition eight or nine degrees distant

36.  Virgo ascending, generally makes Ingenious persons, unless Mercury, who is Lord thereof, is in Pisces or Sagittarius, then the Natice confident without Reason, and will pretend to things he understands not

[Ninth house topics ]

37.  Fortunate Planets in the Ninth House, make famous Church-men and Lawyers; the like if the Benevolents Trine  the Lord of the ninth

38.  He that hath Saturn or Mars in the Ninth, and the Dragon’s Tail in the Horoscope, will prove a mad Fellow to make either a Pope or Parish Priest of.

39.  Saturn in an aery Sign in the Ascendant in good aspect of the Moon or N=Mercury, make learned and famous Divines, such as will acquaint themselves with many Languages

40.  Venus and Mercury in Conjunction in an Aereal Sign in the Ascendant, in Trine to Jupiter in the ninth, make the greatest Scholars, and most learned Criticks [282]

41.  Those persons who are the very top of their Profession, who have many planets in their ninth House.

42.  The Lord of the  tenth in the twelfth, and the lord of the twelfth in the Ascendant, are certain arguments of Imprisonment and Restraint; the like if the Lord of the Ascendant is in the twelfth

43.  Mercury in Cancer retrograde, in Square to Mars and Saturn, and they in Opposition to each other, in the nativity of a Divine, makes a great Enthusiast

44.  Mercury or Jupiter in the Ascendant, void of the afflictions of the Infortunes, make just and upright persons

[Speech and oratory]

45.  Those persons who have Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces ascending at Birth, and Mercury afflicted of Saturn or the Dragon’s Tail, they either speak not at all, or else they have a very great Impediment in their Speech; if Mars afflicts Mercury in such a Nativity, the Native Stammers very mucj

46.  If signs of voice ascend at birth, as Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, or Aquarius, and mercury be free from affliction, the Native is of excellent Speech, and of a graceful Elocution

[Visions and Deception]

47.  The Moon in Conjunction of Saturn in an earthy Sign, and an Earthy sign ascending, makes exceeding Melancholy persons, and such as believe they see Visions.

48.  He that hath the Moon in Aries in Opposition to Mercury and [283] the Dragon’s tail upon the Ascendant, will be a Promoter of Lyes and Deceits

[Fortune, poverty, power, friends ]

49.   Saturn, upon the Cusp if the second makes the native always poor, let him have what assistance soever, unless he be well dignified there, and friendly Irradiated by the beams of the Fortunes

50.  Mars and the Sun in the second in their Dignities, give the Native an Estate, but procure him ways to spend it; ill posited there, he will not have much to be Prodigal of, without good assistances.

51.  The greater the Dignities of the Planets are in a Nativity, the more splendid and spreading is the Native’s fame, the greater their Debilities, the more obscure his fortune

52.  A continued Series of good Directions makes a bad Nativity, at sometimes very good; but they will not continue it so to the end

53.  A grand Satellitium of Planets in the eighth House, upon good Directions to them, the Native gains mightily by the Wills and Legacies of deceased persons

54.  Fortunate Planets well placed in the eleventh House denote many great and powerful Friend; unfortunate ones there, ill affected, declare few and faithless

55.  Mercury and Venus posited in the tenth House, either in the houses of Mars or Mercury, make the Native [284] exceedingly famed for his skill in Sciences

56.  The Moon in Reception and Trine of Mercury, makes a man a Turner up of Councils by the Roots

57.  Saturn and Mars in Opposition from Equinoctial Signs, make a great Tyrant, and if they shall be in Square to Jupiter, he shall be an observer of Law and Religion for his own ends

58.  All the planets under the earth, when they promise Dignity, Honour and Renown, they generally perform it in the latter part of the Native’s life

59.  The Lord of the eleventh stronger than the lord of the seventh, denotes to the Friends and Assistance of the Native to be more considerable and powerful than his Adversaries

[Predictive techniques]

60.  The returns of the Superiour Planets to their Radical places in any Revolution, portend a fatal year, chiefly if attended with an ill direction

61.  The Lord of the Ascendant in the Radix in Conjunction with the Lord of the eighth in a Revolution in the eighth, is very dangerous to the life of the Native.

62.  When the sign of the sixth in the Radix ascends in a Revolution, and the Lord of the sixth posited in the Fourth, it is a dangerous year to the Native’s life, if an ill direction be operating [285]

[Synastry ?]

63.  Some persons attain to great Honour and Preferment, who have bad genitures; but they must Sympathize with the Nativities of their Raisers

64.  The Sympathy that can be in Nativities is by having the fortunate Planets in one, upon the place of the Luminaries in the other, and the Luminaries upon the places of the fortunate Planets

65.  The greatest antipathy is by the Infortunes in one, possessing the places of the Luminaries in the other, and the Luminaries upon the places of the Infortunes.

66.  Saturn in one man’s Nativity, upon the Ascendant of another, is an absolute token of Hatred, and the latter shall be the Wronged person.

[intellect, honour, marriage, death ]

67.  Mercury in either of the houses of Saturn gives an asmirable understanding; if he shall be in Sextile or Trine, or Reception of Saturn, the Native will be admired for his Ingenuity

68.  The Sun and Moon in Conjunction of Mercury in a Tropical Sign, give the Native large Intellectual Abilities

69.  The Head of Algol  in the M.C. and the Moon in the twelfth, in Square thereunto, portend loss of Honour and Renown, if not (at last) Death in Prison

70.  All the Planets in a Nativity out of their [286] Essential Dignities, declare obscure persons; which if they happen to attain any degree of Preferment, they never long enjoy it.

71.  Violent Fixes stars upon the Cusp of the M.C. and the Lord thereof posited among such, denote a violent Catastrophe of the Native’s Honour and Fame

72.  Directions to the Planets in the descending part of Heacen, although they dnote the highest happiness Imaginable; yet it is not long durable

73.  Those persons that have crowds of Planets in Angles, have at some time or other of their lives, prodigious Success or Detriment, according to the Nature of the Directions that shall then occur

74.  He who hath Saturn Lord of the seventh, never Marrieth till he is past 30 years of Age, unless it so happen that Jupiter or Venus be upon the Horoscope, or in good Aspect to the Moon in his Nativity

75.  A fortunate Planet in the eighth House, always portends a Natural Death

76.  The Lord of the eighth in the tenth, declares death to the Native by the Sentence of a Judge

77.  The Sun, Moon or M.C. directed ad  Sextile or Trine Jupiter aut Venus, the Native (if capable) rarely fails of marriage [287]

78.  Astrologers may easily miss of the measures of time in Directions, if they shall omit the consideration of eminent Transits; for good or bad Directions may be both anticipaied anc continued, as happy or unfortunate Transits occur

[diseases]

79.  The Moon in Via Combusta  and the Sun in Via Lactea,  denotes great danger to the Eyes; and if the unfortunate Planets shall be in the Horoscope or Opposition thereunto, it presageth blindess

80.  In Nativities of Children (I mean such as are Vital) the Ascendant or Sun to the body of Mars, produeth the Small Pox or Measles; in grown men, the Plague or Pestilential Feaver; in elderly persons, Death.

81.  The Ascendant or either of the Lights (as either shall be Hylech) directed to the Conjunction, Square, or Opposition of Saturn, and the direction happening in Aries, Cancer or Leo, the Native seldom escapes Death; because these Signs in a Man’s Body represent the vital Parts, and Saturn in the contrary Signs hath most power to hurt

82.  Mercury in the House of Mars in good Aspect of the Moon and Lord of the Ascendant, gives a good understanding

83.  In a Woman’s Nativity, the Lord of the seventh posited in the Ascendant, makes her Domineer and Lord it over her Husband, and if the Lord of the Ascendant be a Superiour [288] Planet, she will Lord to the purpose

84.  The Sun and Mercury in the third or fourth, make men skillful in occult and studious arts

85.  He that hath many Planets in Reception, or beholding each other by good Aspect, cannot fail of having many Friends

86.  The Sun and Mars in the Ascendant in aery or firey Signs, make Proud and Prodigal persons, and such as conceit themselves to be much more than they are

87.  Mars in opposition to the Ascendant, and Saturn in the same Aspect to the Sun, make an absolute Knave and Treacherous Rascal

88.  Venus in the Ascendant, and Mercury Lord thereof in Reception of her, denote a Just, honest and fair-conditioned person

89.  The Moon in good Aspect of the Lord of the M.C.  and Ascendant, makes the Native eminently Honoured and Esteemed

[Death]

90.  Planets squaring and opposing each other from Cardinal Signs, declare great Mischiefs to the persons then born in their lives time, and at last a violent death

91.  In a Geniture of short life, the Ascendant [,] Sun, or Moon directed to the Dragon’s tail is killing

92.  Directions of the M.C. to Promittors never kill, but in those Nativities which portend a violent death [289]

93.  In a  Nocturnal nativity, if Saturn shall be posited in the eighth House, it portends a violent death

94.  When in a Nativity Venus is posited in the tenth House, be the Native Man or Woman, they Marry Honourably.

95.  The Sun or Moon in Square or Opposition of Saturn or Mars from Angles, portend prejudice to the Native’s sight

96.  Jupiter, Venus or the Dragon’s head in the fifth in a fruitful Sign, declare many Children to the Native; and if the Moon be in any good Aspect to them, there she increaseth the number

97.  Mars in Opposition to Jupiter or Venus destroys the Children or issue of the Native, let them be never so numerous

98.  The Aspects of the Fixed Stars are to be considered in general Positions or Directions, as well as the Aspects of the Planets

99.  Astrologers themselves , that are subject to a bad fate (though their skill may be good) shall be apt to err in their Judgment.

100.                 The art of Astrology is certain and most indubitably true; but there are few that Practice it, who rightly understand it.

The end of Mr. Gadbury’s Aphorisms