WERE YOU BORN UNDER A LUCKY STAR
[PAGE 55] WERE YOU BORN
UNDER A LUCKY STAR?
CHAPTER III
WERE YOU BORN UNDER A LUCKY STAR?
Have you ever
looked through a kaleidoscope at the patterns formed there
by the many little pieces of varicolored glass, and noticed how the slight-
est disturbance of the position changes the pattern? Also,
do you realize
that it would be impossible, or almost so, to duplicate any
pattern, no mat-
ter how much you were to turn; there is such a variety of
effect. Similarly
when you look into the heavens night after night you
will notice changes
among the planets, in
fact such is the variety of changes that occur
among
them that it would be
impossible to duplicate the position which they
hold
relatively to one another while you are reading this, for almost twenty-six
thousand years. Thus
in the planetary kaleidoscope there is, we might say,
an infinity of patterns.
When we realize that human beings are entering the
world constantly and that each being is stamped at the first
complete breath
with the planetary
pattern then in the sky, everyone
must necessarily be
different from everyone else. Nor should this statement about stellar in-
fluence create doubt when we consider that wireless saves
of different
lengths and different
pitch sent out from a tiny man-made contrivance can
[PAGE 56] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
make themselves felt and can register by mechanical
operations involving ex-
penditure of energy thousands of miles from their
source. The planetary vi-
brations from those great orbs in the heavens make
themselves felt millions
of miles away as surely,
as easily, and with equal
uncertainty. We know
that the angle of the
solar ray determines whether it is winter or
summer.
We also know the
effect of the Moon upon the waters, and
it is within the
experience of all that we feel more buoyant when the
atmosphere is clear and
dry than when it is moist and murky. And what determines these atmospheric
conditions but the planets, the circling stars?
When we look up at this planetary kaleidoscope
from time to time we see
in the heavens various configurations which are pronounced
lucky or unlucky
according to whether they are formed between so-called
benefices alone, such
as Venus, Jupiter and the Sun, or planets said to be malefic
such as Saturn,
Mars or Uranus. When Jupiter and Venus are in close
conjunction near the
mid-heaven, it is a
foregone conclusion that those who come into the world
under this configuration will enjoy a measure of good
fortune far above the
average, and such
persons would therefore me considered "lucky" in the ex-
treme. On the other
hand there are times when Saturn and Mars
occupy the
zenith position for souls that are born to suffer.
But why should one
suffer and another be born under a lucky star?
Why do
the stars give good fortune
to one and misfortune to others,
and if we are
[PAGE 57] WERE YOU BORN
UNDER A LUCKY STAR?
born to "luck":
whether good or bad, what is the use or where is the incen-
tive to individual effort?
If there is a law of nature which is established
beyond doubt it is surely the law of Cause and Effect. Every cause must
produce an adequate effect and nothing which we see as
an effect can be
without a pre-existence cause. Moreover, if this is a universal law it must
apply to the
conditions of birth as well as to subsequent life. Following
up this idea the next
question is: If our birth under a lucky
or unlucky
star. Thus by
induction of belief in Astrology requires also a belief in a
previous existence as well as in future lives, for while we are now reaping
in our horoscopes the effects of our past lives we are also
by out acts lay-
ing the foundations
for a new horoscope which can only be worked out in a
future life.
"How
closely luck is linked to merit
Does never to
the fool occur;
Had he the
wise man's stone, I swear it,
The stone had
no philospher,"
said MEPHISTO sarcastically in "FAUST" and it is
true. If we are born under
a lucky star it shows that we have earned good fortune
thereby indicated, by
[PAGE 58] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
forethought,
kindness, and our other virtues
expressed in previous lives,
for we cannot have friends unless we are friendly
ourselves. If we happen
to have Saturn and Mars instead of Venus and Jupiter near
zenith, it shows
that in the past we ourselves have not been kindly and
friendly or we could
not now express the opposite traits. But this is just the point where the
study of Astrology should help us. It shows our limitations for the present
and it points out the obvious remedies and HOW TO BUILD FOR
THE FUTURE. Can
the leopard change its skin? No.
Can the lion cease to prey?
Absolutely
impossible. Can the
flower cease to bloom or the mineral
to crystallize?
Certainly not;
because they are under laws which are as unchangeable as the
laws of the Medes and
Persians. THEY HAVE NEITHER CHOICE NOR
PREROGATIVE
but must obey the dictates of the group spirit which guides
them along their
path of evolution.
But in this respect we differ radically from those lower
kingdoms, we have both choice and prerogative. WE MAY DO WHATSOEVER WE WILL
and that is a factor
which is never shown in the horoscope, a
factor that
may be made to play an all important role in every
life. It is not enough
to be born under a lucky star to have a lucky life, for the horoscope shows
only the tendencies and the person who is so well endowed
will without ques-
tions have an
abundance of opportunities to make his life fortunate in the
very highest degree.
BUT ONLY IN
SO FAR AS HE EXERTS HIMSELF TO
GRASP
[PAGE 59] WERE YOU BORN
UNDER A LUCKY STAR?
OPPORTUNITY on the
wing, will that which is foreshadowed in
his horoscope
come to pass. And similarly with the person who is
afflicted by the con-
junction of two malefics in the mid-heaven or anywhere
else in the horo-
scope. By his will,
and the exercise of choice, which are his divine birth-
rights, HE MAY RULE
HIS STARS and make of the unlucky horoscope a
fruitful
life from a far
higher standpoint than the other. The
bark that has been
tossed by the tempest harbors a job when the haven of safety
is reached that
is not equaled on the ship that has always said on smiling
seas.
"Who
never ate his bread in sorrow,
Who never
passed the midnight hours
Weeping,
waiting for the morrow,
He knows not
yet ye heavenly powers."
From the higher
standpoint those who are living in the lap of luxury are
to be pitied when
their lucky stars give them all the good things
of this
world and cause them
to forget that they are stewards and that the
day is
coming when their souls shall be required of them with an
accounts of their
stewardship. They
shall then be forced to confess that they have failed to
use the substance entrusted to them in the proper manner;
while others under
the strain and stress of live, expressed by the horoscopical
squares and op-
positions, have wrung
from their unlucky stars a measure of victory.
What
wonder then if
the king's messengers, the circling stars, take from the
[PAGE 60] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
unfaithful
steward that which he had and
give to the other, changing the
latter's adversity to prosperity in later lives. Thus the pendulum of luck
and loss, success and failure swings through many lives
till we learn to
make our own "luck" by ruling our stars.
"A god
can love without cessation,
But under
laws of alteration
We mortals
need, in changing measure,
Our share of
pain as well as pleasure."
And it is this
necessity for change that is ministered unto us by the cir-
cling stars which form configurations that we call good or
evil, though they
are neither from a higher standpoint; for no matter how good the horoscope,
by progression of the stars evil configurations are sure to
come and no mat-
ter how evil, there
are always new opportunities for good given by
aspects
of the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter to our planets at birth. ALL THAT WE HAVE TO
DO IS TO GRASP THE OPPORTUNITY, AND HELP OUR STARS, THAT OUR STARS MAY HELP
US.
AMULETS, BIRTH-STONES AND PLANETARY COLORS
In the windows of
jeweler's shops and in cheap, ready made horoscopes one
may often read that it is "LUCKY" for people born
in a certain month to wear
a particular stone or color. It means business to the jeweler and
the as-
trological prestidigitator who produced
"your horoscope" by a
turn of the
[PAGE 61]
AMULETS, BIRTHSTONES, ETC.
wrist from a box when
you tell him in what month you were born.
Both buy
their instructive (?) literature at a nominal price per
thousand, the prin-
cipal cost being
paper and printers' ink; there are no furrows in
their
foreheads from deep and earnest study of the problem.
But as the
counterfeit coin argues the existence of the genuine, so also
the fallacious
information flippantly dispensed by people who cater to the
sense of mystery and wonder which is deeply imbedded in
human nature argues
the existence of a genuine science of mineralogical
correspondences with the
stellar rays impinging upon all who inhabit our sub-lunar
sphere; and when
this is rightly
understood by the majority of people,
for then it is THE
RESULT OF ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE SCIENTIFICALLY USED, and therefore the outcome
is as inevitable as that water runs down hill.
The philosophy
of planetary colors and mineralogy is that each of the
Creative
Hierarchies which is active in
evolution works with the various
classes of beings from mineral to man, and is responsible for the progress
made by them. In the
course of this work each Hierarchy naturally
imparts
to the beings with whom it labors some of its
own nature and
vibration.
Thus each group of minerals, each species of plant and
animal, vibrates to a
certain keynote which blends with the vibration of the Group
Spirit, and the
[PAGE 62] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
particular sign and planet with which he is most nearly
attuned.
It has
been taught by
the Elder Brothers
in the Rosicrucian
Cosmo-Conception, that:
The Archangels,
who were humans in the Sun Period
when the present
animals started their evolution with a mineral-like
existence, are now the
Group Spirits of the animals.
The Angels,
who were human in the Moon Period when the present
plants
commenced their
evolution with a similar mineral constitution are now
the
Group Spirits of the planets. Man, who reached the human stage in the Earth
Period, is now working with the new life-wave which started
its evolution on
the Earth as minerals.
He is not far enough advanced to assume the role of
Group Spirit, that
being reserved for the future. In the
Jupiter Period he
will give them life
as plants have, in the Venus Period he
will bring out
their desires and emotions as animals, and in the Vulcan
Period he will give
them a mind and make then human. That, however, is all in the future. At
present he is working
with them to the best of his ability,
smelting them
into iron bridges,
ships and skeleton skyscrapers;
he is pulling them into
wires which wind around the world; he is grinding from them gems that glit-
ter and grace the
great in our social structure, and thus
he is gradually
establishing an intimate relationship with them and
preparing to take charge
[PAGE 63]
AMULETS, BIRTHSTONES, ETC.
of their evolution as a Group Spirit at some future time.
It is well known to students of Astrology that
an astrological reading
based upon the month in which an individual is born is worth
little, for all
the people born in
the same month do not have the same experiences
by any
means, but if we consider the DAY, the YEAR and the PLACE we
get a horoscope
that is absolutely individual and totally different in
detail from the horo-
scope of anyone
else--and this is the point which
concerns us for
the
present argument--the
ruler is not the lord of the sign of the Sun
is in,
except for children born at Sunrise, when the Sun is on the Ascendant. IT
IS THE RULER OF THE RISING SIGN, THAT IS THE DETERMINATOR
WITH REGARD TO OUR
MINERALOGICAL AFFINITY, because
at the moment of
conception when the
seed-atom of our present mineral body was deposited the
Moon was in that
particular sign and degree,
(or its opposite), and acted then as a focus of
forces which have since crystallized into the vehicle we now
wear.
The following table shows the affinity of each of
the twelve signs with
certain gems, metals
and colors, and in that chart there are
the elements
for making an effective talisman by any individual who has
the knowledge of
how to cast a horoscope and blend the ingredients according
to the require-
ments of the case. We
have no scruples about telling how this is done, for
it may help some to help themselves and others. The
only harm it can do is
[PAGE 64] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
that it might induce some unscrupulous person to make
tailsman for money and
even then, if he is
conscientious about the work, whoever obtains them will
not be cheated,
the re-action being upon the one
who prostitutes the
spiritual science for material gain.
CHART OF BIRTH-STONES AND COLORS
SIGNS GEMS
RULED BY THE SIGNS SIGN RULER METALS COLORS
ARIES Amethyst,
Diamond Mars Iron Red
TUARUS Moss
Agate, Emerald Venus Copper Yellow
GEMINI Crystal,
Aqua Marine Mercury Mercury Violet
CANCER Emerald,
Black Onyx Moon Silver Green
LEO Ruby,
Diamond Sun Gold Orange
VIRGO Pink
Jasper, Hyacinth Mercury Mercury Violet
LIBRA Diamond,
Opal Venus Copper Yellow
SCORPIO Topaz,
Malachite Mars Iron Red
SAGITTARIUS
Carbuncle, Turquoise
Jupiter Tin Blue
CAPRICORN White
Onyx, Moonstone Saturn Lead Indigo
AQUARIUS Sapphire,
Opal Saturn Lead Indigo
PISCES
Chrysolite, Moonstone
Jupiter Tin Blue
To forestall
a question we may say that ancient
astrologers who have
studied this aspect
of the science have tabulated several hundred
minerals
of which the planetary affinities had been noted, but these works have been
[PAGE 65]
AMULETS, BIRTHSTONES, ETC..
mutilated in the course of time, and are now not
available. Paracelsus and
also Agrippa, made
considerable study of this subject, and with very impor-
tant results; but its
extensive consideration is outside the scope of
this
work, so the
authors will confine
their remarks to
the essentials,
indicating the way which others may pursue if they feel so
inclined.
To illustrate how the mineral elements may be
used to advantage let us
take the following
example: Suppose that in a certain
horoscope we find
Sagittarius rising with its lord Jupiter on the Ascendant. Jupiter is then
the ruling planet and so,
according to our chart turquoise is the
person's
birthstone, tin, the
metal with which he has affinity, and blue, his color.
That means that it
will help him express himself if he wears turquoise, an
amulet of tin, and dresses in blue whenever consistent with
custom. That is
true of a certain extent,
but it is only a small part of the truth, and it
is by no means the best use that may be made of this
knowledge.
To indicate
the better way, let us suppose
that this person's figure
shows severe afflictions by Mars and Saturn.
Mars afflicts three
planets; his metal is iron, Venus is the
opposite of
Mars; her metal is
copper, and consequently copper is an
antidote for the
martial vibrations.
Saturn afflicts one
planet; his metal is lead. Jupiter is his
opposite
[PAGE 66] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
and therefore the Jupiter metal, tin, is an antidote for the
Saturian vibra-
tions.
With this in mind an amulet may be compounded of
tin and copper not ex-
actly in the ratio of three to one, but with a mind on the bulk
of the
various planets, their destiny and the strength of the
aspects it is desired
to overcome, a matter
which involves further study. The work
itself should
be done under auspicious planetary conditions. A Mars amulet, designed to
give energy to one with a weak figure would be most
successful if made in a
Mars-hour on a
Tuesday when both the Sun and Moon are in martial signs
as
happened in April and November. The same with amulets made for other plan-
ets. (See the Tables
of Planetary Hours, in our SIMPLIFIED
SCIENTIFIC AS-
TROLOGY.)
A gem or
an amulet made on these principles is a focus of the
stellar
rays of the planets it represents and infuses
vibrations of their nature
into our auras all the while we are wearing it, just as surely as the wire-
less receiver attuned to a certain pitch catches the waves
within its range;
and we may blend the colors in the same manner to obtain
help from them. As
a matter of fact, it
is the complementary color which is seen in the desire
world that produces the effect of the physical colors. If it is desired to
restrain one whose
Mars is too prominent, the gems, colors and metals of
Saturn will
help, and such a person should have as
little to do with iron
(tools, machinery, etc..) as possible, but if we want to
help someone who is
[PAGE 67]
BEST TIME TO BE BORN
moody and taciturn, we may use the gems, colors and metals
of Mars to advan-
tage. In the final
analysis the matter resolves itself into a question of
judgment and common sense.
With these, the knowledge concerning the essen-
tials here given may be used by anyone to advantage.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BE BORN?
In the light of
occult investigation of the subject it appears that birth
is an advent we are powerless to control; therefore when we seem to control
it in a slight degree we are really the agents of Destiny to
precipitate or
delay it till the proper moment has arrived. This view is also justified by
the author's experience in Horary Astrology. The philosophy of Horary As-
trology is that at the time one is impelled to ask a
question concerning an
important matter the heavens contain also the answer and a
figure set is
when the inquirer
asks the question of the astrologer, if
this is done in
person; when it is
done by mail the astrologer sets the figure for the time
he reads the question in the letter.
On a number of occasions we have received
letters containing questions
which bore marks of
having been delayed by flood or fire,
but the figure
cast for the moment of reading gave the answer, showing that
the delay had
[PAGE 68] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
a part in the plan,
nor should it surprise us that the great
Intelligences
which are the ministers of Destiny foresee and make
allowance for contingen-
cies beyond the grasp
of the human mind. When the
Infinite Mind bestows
equal care upon the design of the anatomy of a fly, a mouse
and a lion, may
we not conclude that a similar attention to the minutiae
prevails in all de-
partments of life and that when we seem to delay or
precipitate birth we are
really aiding nature to takes its predetermined course as
said in the open-
ing sentence of this article.
Nevertheless people
often ask the astrologer when is the best time to be
born; young
astrologers also frequently want to know this,
not that they
have any idea of controlling birth but so that on seeing a
horoscope or be-
ing told a person's
time of birth they may make a quick mental
calculation
as to whether
the horoscope is good or bad.
Such a judgment would
of
course, be founded
only on the position of the sun by sign and
approximate
house, hence general in the extreme. It may be said however that
other
planetary positions
being equal, it is better to be born
when the Moon is
increasing in light from the new to the full than when
she is
decreasing
from the full to the new for the growing Moon always
increases vitality and
furthers our affairs.
It is best to be born in April or August when
the life-giving Sun is in
its exaltation sign
Aries or Leo, its home, for then we enter the sea of
life on the
crest-save and are
backed in the battle of existence by an
[PAGE 69]
BEST TIME TO BE BORN
abundant fund of vim and energy.
It is also good to
be born in May or July when the life-light of the Sun
is focused thought the exaltation sign or home of the Moon, Taurus or
Can-
cer, especially, as said, when the lesser light is
increasing for those con-
ditions, also furnish
an abundance of vitality which is such a great
asset
in physical life.
With respect to the time of day most favorable for
birth it may be said
that children born about sunrise, or during the forenoon from 8 to 12 while
the Sun is tranversing the houses of friends and
social prestige are the
"luckiest"
for they are helped on every hand.
Children born between noon
and midnight are less
"lucky" the nearer the Sun
comes to the Nadir, and
them the "luck" turns again in favor of those born in
the early morning
while the Daystar is ascending towards the eastern
horizon. They will have
to carve their own way in the world, but opportunities will
be given them in
abundance.
We may therefore sum up our conclusions by
saying that it is best to be
born at Sunrise or in
the forenoon, preferably in April or August when the
Moon is increasing in light.
Finally it should
always be borne in mind that there is no "luck," in the
commonly accepted
sense, for that which we have or lack in
any respect is
due to our own actions in the past, and in the future we may by proper ap-
plication have what we now lack.
[PAGE 70] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
CHAPTER IV
READING THE HOROSCOPE
INTRODUCTORY
When the student of
Astrology has learned to cast the horoscope correctly
by the study of our "Simplified Scientific
Astrology," or another reliable
textbook, the next and most important part is to read its
message. Astrol-
ogy means "Star Logic" and we must seriously advise the student not
to de-
pend too much on
authorities but to try to understand the basic
nature of
each planet, the
influence of signs, houses and aspects:
then by a process
of reasoning to combine these and thus develop his own
intuition which will
serve him far better than the ability to quote like a poll
parrot what some
one else has said.
We would also advise the younger astrologer not
to bother too much with
the descriptions of physical appearance indicated in the
horoscope. It is
foolish to spend
hours in studying over a phase of the subject which is of
limited value. We
give descriptions of the different physical types, but do
so for the purpose of aiding the student to determine at
sight the probable
sign and planet rising when a person comes who does not know
his birth hour.
[PAGE 71]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
There are people for instance, who have a face perfectly resembling that of
a sheep. If such a
one were in doubt about the birth hour, we would at once
look to Aries and experimentally try how Aries rising
would fit with the
other characteristics of that person; if we did so we should probably find
our guess to be correct.
Thus also the other signs and planets in signs ex-
hibit distinguishing
characteristics of valuable aid to the student in the
direction mentioned.
The student should also endeavor to cultivate
perfect confidence in the
science of
Astrology. There is NOTHING EMPIRICAL
ABOUT CHARACTER READING
AND DIAGNOSIS. In those respects it is plain as A B C. PREDICTIONS
MAY
FAIL because the
Astrologer is unable to determine the strength of will of
the person for whom
he predicts, but the latent tendencies
are always ac-
curately foreshown.
The writers have found that where they do not person-
ally know the people who characteristics they read, their delineations are
much deeper and more
accurate than otherwise because then personal
impres-
sions and bias are absent and the mystic scroll of the
heavens is more eas-
ily read.
There are
three factors which bring to us
the mystic message of the
stars; the houses, the signs and the planets.
Each house represents a department of life; the signs are divisions of
the heavens which
by their placement relative to
the houses indicate our
[PAGE 72] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
basic temperament and
attitude towards life; and the planets are
the mes-
sengers of God which
by their motion through the houses and signs bring to
us the opportunities for soulgrowth which we need for our
individual devel-
opment. It is therefore necessary for one who wishes to
learn to read a
horoscope to become thoroughly acquainted with these three
factors both
separately and in
their various combinations. The
following descriptions
may help to convey this knowledge:
THE HOUSES
The houses are
called "Mundane Houses," to differentiate between them and
the "Celestial Houses" namely the twelve signs of
the Zodiac; but generally
they are designated as "houses" only.
It is the
angle of the stellar ray which determines its effect in our
lives, planets which are in the East affect our physical
constitution, plan-
ets in the South near
the zenith are factors for good or ill where our so-
cial position is concerned.
If a planet is setting in the West at the time
of our birth its ray strikes us in such a manner as to draw
us to a certain
type of marriage
partner, and the planets under the
earth, in the North,
have an effect upon our condition in the latter part of
life. Let us sup-
pose for illustration of
the point that someone is born at sunrise on a day
[PAGE 73]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
when the Sun and Jupiter are in conjunction. Then they strike him from the
eastern angle and give him splendid vitality. Another born on the same day
at noon when Jupiter and the Sun are in the zenith position
may have a very
poor, weak body if other planets in the East are adverse,
but the ray of the
Sun and Jupiter
falling or his birth figure from the South
will certainly
attract to him attention in his social sphere and make him
the recipient of
public favor and honor.
Another born on the same day, when the Sun and Ju-
piter are setting in
the West may be an outcast if planets in the East and
South so decree, but the benefic ray of the Sun and Jupiter
from the Western
angle will make him beloved of his mate and successful
in partnerships.
These facts have been ascertained by observation and
tabulation. Therefore
the twelve sections of the circle of observation as seen
from the birthplace
are truly said to rule or govern various departments of life
and thus people
born on the same day may have the most diverse experiences.
The houses may be
variously grouped according to the influence they exer-
cise in our lives; there are "angular," "succeedent" and "cadent" houses,
also personal, spiritual, material, social and mystical
houses.
Of the ANGLES, the first house governs our personal
self, and its oppo-
site the seventh house, rules the one who is nearest and dearest to us,
namely, the marriage partner. The fourth house determines conditions in our
[PAGE 74] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
home and its opposite angle,
the tenth house, shows our social
standing in
the community where we live. Thus the angles show collectively the sphere
of our activities in life.
Of the SUCCEEDENT HOUSES the second shows our
financial status with re-
gard to that which we acquire by our own efforts and the
opposite succeedent
house, the
eight, shows whatever we may receive
from others as legacies,
etc. The other
succeedent houses, the fifth and eleventh, show how our in-
come may be
spent, for the fifth house indicates the
children of our body
who have a legitimate claim to a share of our income, and
the eleventh house
shows the children of
our brains, our hopes, wishes and
aspirations which
also draw upon our resources.
Of the
two pairs of CADENT HOUSES the sixth is the house of
voluntary
service which we perform as our share of the world's work
for an equivalent
share in the world's wealth,
and the twelfth house shows how we may be com-
pelled to labor without remuneration under prison
restraint if we do not
work willingly. The
sixth house shows also the state of our health and the
twelfth tells if hospital treatment is necessary.
The other pair of cadent houses, the third and ninth show whether
our
life and work will confine us to one place or require travel
and changes of
residence. In this respect the third house shows short
journeys and the
ninth house long travels.
The PERSONAL HOUSES
comprise the first, fifth and ninth. The
first house
[PAGE 75]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
rules the constitution and peculiarities of the physical
body. Planets and
signs in that house
put their stamp on it to make or mar according
to the
nature of its self-generated destiny. Our fifth house shows the quality of
love-nature of the soul and the line of its expression if
it follows the
line of least resistance; and the ninth house shows as much
of the spirit as
we can apprehend in our present limited state.
The MATERIAL TRINITY OF HOUSES consists of the
second, sixth and tenth
and shows the worldly
possessions of man, his means of
obtaining them and
the enjoyment they bring him. Wealth, or its reverse, is shown by the sec-
ond house, health,
without which there can be no joy in any worldly posses-
sion, is shown by the sixth house; and the public
prestige which is the
chief source of
gratification to the average human being,
is shown by the
tenth house.
The SOCIAL HOUSES
are the third, seventh, and eleventh houses and in them
is shown the nature of our relations and various classes of
souls we meet in
life. Brothers and
sisters to whom we are bound by the time of
blood are
shown by the third
house, the companion of our heart with
whom our
blood
blends in another way, is shown by the seventh house, and
the friends, more
precious than pearls to whoever has earned friendship, are
designated by the
eleventh house.
The fourth and last trinity of houses is composed
of the fourth, eighth
and twelfth. If them
are hidden mysteries
of the ante-natal life of the
[PAGE 76] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
spirit, and the post
mortem experiences immediately to follow the
TERMINUS
VITAE. On the
material plane the fourth house signifies our
condition in
the latter part of
life, the twelfth shows the sorrow
which impresses us
with the
worthlessness of material things and the eighth indicates the na-
ture of our exit from the world's stage.
An illustration may
further help the student to understand how the
heav-
ens influence our life through the twelve houses. Suppose we are out driv-
ing and our road follows the seacoast, but a mile or so
inland. A breeze is
blowing from the ocean and as it passes over the country
separating us from
the sea, it brings upon invisible wings messages from that
land, which evoke
pleasure or aversion according to their nature. In one place, an aroma of
new mown hay fills us with delight; perhaps we are nauseated
by the noxious
smell of jasmine on the next stretch of our journey; and
later become really
ill from the stench
of stagnant marsh-water. But then we
enter a forest,
and soon its grateful pine balm restores the normal health
and spirits.
In our journey from the cradle to the grave we
carry the twelve houses
with us in the auric atmosphere surrounding us, as the air
envelops the fly-
ing earth. Each house
mirrors part of the life; each holds some of our life
lessons; each represents how we have worked or shirked
before in a given de-
partment of life's tasks.
At the appropriate time of life we reap from each
[PAGE 77] READING THE HOROSCOPE
house what we have sown in past lives, that is, unless we
forestall the har-
vest in time. Is our
eleventh house afflicted, do friends
betray and for-
sake us, do they
leave us heartsick, or nauseate us like
the scent of jas-
mine and stagnant
marsh-water? Then let us examine the
horoscope for it
reveals what is hidden in our auric atmosphere. The friends sensed us, and
we then, through the eleventh angle, and something ill-smelling must
be
there. It may
be, we long to be befriended, more than
to befriend others.
Let us cease
to be like the sickly,
debilitating jasmine, and seek
to
manifest the sturdy
strength of the invigorating pine tree;
then we shall
find friend flocking around, admiring our strength. Not all
have such
sturdy natures, but we can attract equally by
kindliness, as soothing to
sorrowing hearts as
perfume of new mown hay to the sense,
and thus we may
rid the house of friends of affliction.
After the foregoing
explanations, the houses may now be said to influence
the affairs of life as follows:
FIRST HOUSE rules the physical body and its constitution and
appearance; it
determines conditions
in the childhood home while the person is under
con-
trol of the parents.
SECOND HOUSE rules money,
the financial fortunes; it shows
what the person
acquires by individual effort and to a certain extent what
use he will make
of it.
[PAGE 78] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
THIRD HOUSE rules
brothers and sisters, neighbors, the instinctual mind,
writings, short journeys and conveyances of travel.
FOURTH HOUSE--That one of the parents who exercises the
lesser influence in
the person's
life, conditions in the latter part of
life, houses, lands,
mines; everything pertaining to the earth.
FIFTH HOUSE--Love,
courtship and licentiousness, the
legitimate and ille-
gitimate attraction
and social intercourse between the sexes prior to wed-
lock; children, education institutions, books and newspapers, sports and
amusements, stocks and speculations.
SIXTH HOUSE--Health,
service to be rendered by the person and also the con-
dition and faithfulness of those who serve him.
SEVENTH HOUSE--The
marriage partner, the public in general,
competitors,
partners, opponents in litigations, rivals.
EIGHTH
HOUSE--Death, legacies, the marriage
partner's finances, occult
abilities and faculties latent but nearly ready for
manifestation.
NINTH HOUSE--Religion, spiritual experiences and
aspirations, dreams and vi-
sions, long travels and law.
TENTH HOUSE--The
parent who exercises most influence in the person's life,
the honor and social standing of the person, his employer or
judge, and the
government.
[PAGE 79]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
ELEVENTH HOUSE--Friends,
companions and well-wishers, hopes, wishes and as-
pirations, generally of a material nature, also
stepchildren.
TWELFTH HOUSE--Confinement in hospitals or prison, secret
enemies and plots;
sorrow and self undoing.
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
On either side of
the Sun's path there are a number of fixed stars which
are so grouped that they may be conceived as forming
twelve constellations,
and as they have certain characteristic influences ancient
sages named them
for the animals which express similar traits. These
constellations are
called the NATURAL Zodiac and for all practical purposes it
may be said that
they occupy permanent positions relative to the other
fixed stars of the
firmament. This circle is divided into twelve sections starting
at the
first degree of Aries, which is occupied by the Sun at the
vernal equinox.
On account of the precession of the equinox the
Sun does not cross the
equator at the same point each year, but it has been found
that the first 30
degrees from the
point where the Sun does cross the equator at the equinox
have an effect
similar to that ascribed to the
constellation Aries; the
next thirty degrees radiate a Taurian influence and so on
with the other ten
[PAGE 80] THE
MESSAGE OF THE STARS
sections of thirty degrees each. Therefore the twelve sections
measured
from the vernal
equinox are used exclusively in Astrology and called SIGNS
of the Zodiac, to differentiate them from the
CONSTELLATIONS. (For a thor-
ough elucidation of the subject see "Simplified
Scientific Astrology," under
the caption "Intellectual Zodiac.")
These twelve signs
of the Zodiac are variously divided according to their
effect on humanity into Cardinal, Fixed and Common signs, also into Fiery,
Earthy, Airy and
Watery signs. What their influences are
we shall endeavor
to elucidate in the following sections.
THE CARDINAL SIGNS
Keyword "Activity"
The Cardinal Signs
are ARIES, CANCER, LIBRA and
CAPRICORN. These signs
are called Cardinal because when the Sun is in them he is in
one of the four
corners of the heavens;
at a turning-point, where he is forced to take an-
other direction. In Aries he is as far EAST as he can
go; Cancer is the
tropical point of the NORTH where he gives the PERPENDICULAR
RAY at the Sum-
mer Solstice, and consequently the greatest HEAT. Libra is
the extreme
WESTERN point of his path, where he turns away from the
Northern Hemisphere,
and in
midwinter, at Christmas, he is in Capricorn at the farthest point
SOUTH, where his
HORIZONTAL RAY leaves the people of the North in winter's
icy grip. The
effect of the angels, the first,
fourth, seventh and tenth
[PAGE 81] READING THE HOROSCOPE
houses, is similar to
the effect of the cardinal signs because these houses
are at the East, North, West and South points of the
horoscope. The nature
and effect of
cardinal signs and angles may be summed up in the words "Ac-
tion" and "Initiative" (though each acts differently from
the others,)
therefore planets placed in cardinal signs and angles give
zest to life ac-
cording to the nature of the particular planet, sign and
angle.
"Zodiac"
means a circle of animals. The symbols
of three of the cardinal
signs are animalistic:
ARIES, the Ram; CANCER, the Crab; and CAPRICORN, the
Goat. The fourth
, Libra, the Scales, represents the ideal towards which
this class must strive.
None need poise so much as those under the impul-
sive influence of the
cardinal ray; therefore the Balance was
set in
the
heavens to direct their aspirations.
THE FIXED SIGNS
Keyword "Stability"
The Fixed Signs are
TAURUS, LEO, SCORPIO and AQUARIUS.
Three symbols of
the fixed signs are also bestial, violent and virulent; TAURUS,
the Bull;
LEO, the Lion; and SCORPIO, the Scorpion. The human figure of AQUARIUS, the
Waterbearer, shows us
the ideal towards which this class must strive. In-
stead of fighting, preying upon, or poisoning others in the
struggle for ex-
istence they must
learn to become humane, to be friends to all
instead of
foes.
[PAGE 82] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
The influence of
the fixed signs rouses the DESIRE nature, giving stamina
and persistence in action.
When fixed signs
are on the angles (the first, fourth,
seventh and tenth
houses), they exert a well nigh irresistible force,
impelling the individual
along a certain line.
He may be slow and plodding, but
is sure to be PER-
SISTENT in whatever
he undertakes, and whatever talent he
may posses in a
certain direction will be exploited to its fullest
extent. Setbacks which
would take the
courage from a person with cardinal signs do not daunt
the
man with fixed signs
on the angels, he knows no defeat,
and therefore he
usually gains his goal in the end and achieves success by
Concentration upon
one point, and
Persistence in following his chosen path.
On the other hand
such people are
conservative to the last degree. They
may see and desire
improvements in various lines, but are exceedingly slow to
adopt measures to
accomplish the
desired end; they never do this until
thoroughly satisfied
that a certain method
will meet the requirements. In other
words, people
with fixed signs on
the angels "look before they leap;"
they look a long
time and very, very
carefully, but on the other hand, when they have once
been won over to a certain cause they are faithful unto
death, and no more
ardent advocates can be found;
their zeal is almost
fanatical. On the
whole, people with fixed signs may be said to be THE MOST
RELIABLE PEOPLE in
the world, either for good or bad.
[PAGE 83]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
THE COMMON SIGNS
Keyword "Flexibility"
Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces are called
common signs, their in-
trinsic nature being best expressed by the keyword,
Flexibility.
The forces working
through the CARDINAL signs impinge upon the DENSE BODY
and stir it to action.
The power of the
COMMON signs is MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL,
giving purpose to
action and incentive to nobility of life.
Therefore people
influenced by stellar forces focused principally through
CARDINAL signs are
the workers of the world, not
the toilers, but
EX-
ECUTIVES, who
accomplish things industrially, and who bring
into concrete
existence schemes, great or small, of value in the world's
work. THE COMMON
SIGNS ARE ALL DOUBLE; two of them are human: GEMINI, the Twins, and VIRGO,
the Virgin; the
third, SAGITTARIUS, the Centaur, is partly human; and only
the fourth
symbol, PISCES, the Fishes, is taken from the lower
kingdom.
None are violent,
however, but intensely moral,
intellectual and spiritual
symbols.
Unstable as reeds
they are swayed hither and thither;
nothing appeals to
them permanently, they desire nothing as much as
change. No matter how well
placed, they can
seldom resist the lure of an opening in another city, the
farther away, the
better. Therefore the old maxim: "a rolling stone gath-
ers no moss," applies
particularly to this class, for their roving habits
[PAGE 84]
READING THE HOROSCOPE
usually keep them poor.
They spend as fast as they earn,
or faster. Thus
these people drift upon the sea of life propelled by the
currents of circum-
stances. Outside
conditions dominate them as they lack stamina
to assert
their own individuality.
The foregoing is true of the great majority who
are under the rule and
influence of common
signs; they respond to the LOWER PHASE
simply because
the higher side is
too high for all but a very few at our present stage of
development. Those
who make a success in the world because prodded by the
cardinal and fixed influences, call them indolent and
good-for-nothing, but
were the former
bereft of the cardinal or fixed energy which goads them to
action, and placed under the common ray, they would soon
realize its lack of
power and learn compassion for those who must so live all
their lives. What
then is the lesson these people have to learn?
COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF CARDINAL, FIXED AND COMMON
SIGNS ON THE ANGLES
While the nature of the cardinal signs is such that
their rays stir our
latent forces into action and promote change, the most prominent quality of
the fixed signs is
Stability; but the student must
beware of confounding
stability with
inertia. The action induced by the rays
of cardinal signs
may be changed into other channels with considerable
facility, all they want
being
expression; the direction
in which they
express themselves is a