Lilly's Easy and Familiar method of judging eclipses, Part 3: Lilly's constellational zodiac

This is the third part of my series of extracts from Lilly's "Easy and familiar method" of judging eclipses. (Part 1: Part 2:)

The following discussion is effectively a kind of constellational zodiac, which divides sidereal “signs” into 3 areas of differing planetary influence. You could alternately consider it an extreme version of fixed-star astrology. Lilly’s use of “asterism” to refer to the sidereal signs may be adopted with profit by modern sidereal astrologers.

Lilly included it in this book, because he notes in the first part, that if fixed stars are prominently placed in an eclipse chart, the nature of the stars would often tell you something about the nature of the eclipse.

Lilly the word ‘asterism’ to refer to the constellation that bears the name of the zodiac signs; so the tropical sign of Aries is distinct from the Asterism of Aries, its sidereal counterpart, and in Lilly’s time ran from 28 Ari to 17 Tau (tropical). These coordinates cannot be used as-is, for the reader must precess the coordinates/add ayanamsa to them, in order to bring the values up to date.

 Lilly further divides each asterism into three smaller parts, and describes the stars that occupy each part, as well as the weather that accompanies the part when (I presume) the Sun transits in that area.

It should be noted, that like the Chinese Lunar Mansions, Lilly’s Asterisms were extremely uneven in size. The following table will make this plain: Nonetheless , this system cannot be considered as a full-fledged sidereal zodiac, as he did not subdivide the asterisms into degrees.

Modens who would revive this system should note that there is an ambiguity in the numbering: Does Lilly use ordinal or cardinal numbering for the degrees? Or, put it another way, Do Lilly's signs run from 0-29 degrees, or 1-30 degrees? Much work needs to be done on this, work that would doubtless reward anyone who would undertake it.

For the sake of completeness, here is a copy of the original. Numbers in square brackets represent page breaks in the original.

*** *** *** Here Begins Lilly's Text *** *** ***

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The images or asterisms of the signs as they are now this present year, 1652.

The asterism of Aries

The asterism of Aries begins about the twenty-eighth degree of aries, and extends unto the seventeenth of Taurus.

First part

The first part of the asterism of Aries  begins about the twenty eighth degree of Aries, and extends unto the seventeenth of Taurus.

            First part

The first part of the asterism of Aries begins in the 18. Of aries and the 4. Of taurs, the fixed stars herein being of the nature of Mars and Saturn, and also some of the nature of Mercury being there, do stir up winds and showers; but nowadays not so plentifully as Ptolemy’s time; for the sun passing the horns and shoulder  of the ram doth now more heat and thereby prufify the air, those stars In aries now proceeded further northward, whereby more gentle winds do blow.

            Second part

The middle parts of this asterism are contained form the 4. Degree of Taurus, into the tenth degree of taurus; these degrees are temperate , inn some measure inclining to drought and heat, by reason of some stars in the hidner foot, loins, and hams of the ram which are martial: with which certain saturine stars towards south in the Whale, and saturine and venerian in cassiopeia towards the north do come near.

            Last part

The extreme or last parts of this asterims are from the 10. Of Taurus unto the 17. Of Taurus; these are now more scorching hot than in Ptolemy his days, but not very pesti[28]

lent: there are also norther stars in Aries as the Horns and hinder part of the neck of the nature of Saturn, mars and mercury, also mercurian triangles hot and hurtful, the southern stars by reason of saturine stars in the whale, are icey and very cold.

            Taurus

The first part of the asterism of Taurus begins in the seventeenth of Taurus, and ends in the twenty-seventh of Taurus, in which space of heaven the Pleiades are seen of the nature of Mars and Luna, they are turbulent, windy and clouds, but now less than formerly.

The middle parts of this asterism is from the twenty seventh of Tarus to the beginning of Gemini, these are somewhat moist and temperate by heat, by reason of some saturine and jovial stars of perseus.

The last parts are from the beginning of Gemini unto the twenty-fifth of gemini, in which space the hyades are, and horns of the bull, of the nature of mars, also the buckler, foot, and left shoulder of orion, of the nature of Saturn, Jupiter, mars, mercury; these shew thunder, lightning, fire. The north space is temperate, stars of Jupiter and Saturn making most part of the constellation of perseus; the south part is variable, because of the martial stars of taurus, with whom are some mercurian, and saturine, yea of Mars and Luna

            Gemini

The first part of the asterism of gemini is form the twenty sixth of gemini, to the sixth of cancer, the stars herein are moist and harmful, yea, even in our days.

The middle part is from the sixth of cancer to the fourteenth of cancer, containing saturine stars in the arms and knees of the twins, these are temperate, yet somewhat inclining to dryness.

The latter are from the fourteenth to twenty fourth of cancer, these are mixed and uncertain stars, declining to dryness by reason of some saturine, some martial and merciran stars, [29]as the forepart of the head of the twins, some partial stars, there are only in the back part of the head of the twins: the north part moves iwnds, which even shake the earth. The south part occasions drought and heat.

Cancer

The first part of the asterism of cancer is from the twenty fourth of cancer to the first of Leo， near the feet of the crab, and to the cratch, wherein there are some martial, some mercurial stars, some of mars, and of lunar, these shake the earth and cause darkness.

The middle part are from the first of Leo to the seventh of Leo, in which space are the asses of the nature of mars and sol, formerly they were held temperate, now their nature is more dry and hot.

The last part are from the seventh of Leo, to the thirteenth of leo almost, wherein are contained saturine and martial stars, in former ages they were windy, now not so; still they are very dry: but both the northern and southern stars are hot and hurtful.

            Leo.

The first part of this asterism is from thirteen degrees to the twenty fourth of Leo, in this space are several stars, part saturine and martial, part saturine and venerian, part martial and jovial, these are of a suffocating and pestilential nature.

The middle part is from the twety fourth of leo to the fourth of virgo, this part if heaven is illustrated  with saturnine, veneerial and mercurian stars, these are temperate and somewhat incline to moisture.

The extreme parts of this asterism are form the fourth of Virgo to the seventeenth of Virgo, in which the Lion’s tale is, being saturine and venerian; these are temperate and moderately hot and humid.

The northern part hereof is of a fiery influx and instable, by reason of some martial stars of the great Bear. [30]The southern part is moist by reason of Saturine and venerian stars in the constellation of Hydra,

            Virgo.

The beginning of the Virgin’s asterism is from the seventeenth of Virgo to the end of the sign, by reason of some martial and mercurian stars, they are somewhat hot and harmful.

The middle is the beginning of Libra, unto the eighteenth of Libra, containing mercurial and venerian stars in the left wing and shank of the virgin, this part is temperate.

The end of this asterism is form the eighteenth of libra to the eighth of Scorpio, in which the Virgin’s spike is placed a star of the nature of Venus and Mars; there are also other mercian and martial stars in the train of her gown or garment, and these are somewhat watery; the north part is windy having therein stars of the nature of mercury,

The south part is temperate, having jovial and satruine stars therin.

            Libra

The first part of the balance asterism begins in the eight of scorpio, ending in the fifteenth of scorpio, containing saturine stars participating with some martial in the southern scale of the balance, and in the serpent of Ophiuchus, these stars are temperate, yet at this present more dry than formerly.

The second are from the fifteenth of Scorpio, to the nineteenth of Scorpio, and these are temperate.

The last part of this asterism is from the nineteenth of Scorpio to the twenty sixth of scorpio, these are watery; the northern part is windy, having stars of Saturn and mercury therein; the southern part is dry and pestilent.

            Scorpio

The asterism of the scorpio begins in the twenty sixth of scorpio, and continues to the sixth of Sagittarius, being furnished with[31] martial stars, and some others of Saturn and Jupiter their influence as Antares in the fourth of Sagittarius

, these produce snows more plentifully now than formerly.

The middle are form the sixth of Sagittarius to the sixteenth of Sagittarius, wherein the strs of Ophiuchus are saturine and venerall, and they [are] temperate, but inclining unto moisture.

The later parts are from the sixteenth of Sagittarius to almost the twenty sixth of Sagittarius

, these stars are turbulent and of the nature of Mars and Mercury.

The north part do occasion heats, the south are moist and inconstant.

            Sagittarius

The first part of the asterism of Sagittarius is from the twenty sixth of Sagittarius to the sixth of Capricorn, its cold and moist in our days more than anciently.

The middle is from the sixth of capricorn to the sixteenth of Capricorn, temperate; and declining to cold, the stars of sagitary being of Jupiter and mars

The later part from the sixteenth of capricorn to the twenty eighth of Capricorn, are hot and fiery. The north part of the constellation is windy; the south moist and inconstant.

            Capricorn

The first part of the asterism of Capricorn begins in the twenty eighth of capricorn and continues to the seventh of Aquarius, the stars in this place are part venereal, part martial, they produce heat and do mischief.

The middle part are from the seventh of Aquarius, to the fifteenth of Aquarius,, and the stars herein are temperate.

The last part is from the first of Aquarius, [Ed: Error for "fifteenth of aquarius", see the above entry] unto the twenty one of Aquarius  these produce rain; both north and south constellation is moist and harmful.

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Aquarius

The first part begins in the twenty one of Aquarius to the end of the sign, and is moist.

The second part is from the first of pisces to the eighth, temperate it is, by reason of saturine and jovial stars.

The last part of the asterism is from the eighth to the fifteenth of pisces, it is windy. The north stars do heat, the southern produce snow.

Pisces.

The first part of this asterism begins in the fifteenth of Pisces, and ends in the last degree of pisces; these stars are now more cold, they were temperate.

The middle part is from the First of Aries to the fifteenth of Aries, these are moist

The last part of this asterism from the fifteenth of Aries to the twenty-eighth of Aries, formerly did cause heat, thicken and dark the air; the northern part is windy, the southern is watery.