Simplified Scientific Astrology/Making the Index
MAKING THE INDEX
Looking at the horoscope for 8:15 P. M. we note that Saturn and Mars are in Aries, a Cardinal sign. We therefore place them under Cardinal signs in the index. Cancer, the next Cardinal sign, contains Neptune, and that planet is entered under the Cardinal signs in the index. Libra, the third Cardinal sign, contains no planets. Capricorn is the last of the Cardinal signs; Uranus is there and when we have entered him in the index we have a complete list of the planets which, in this horoscope, are placed in Cardinal signs.
The Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. In Taurus we find no planet. The Sun and Mercury are in Leo, hence we enter them in the index under the heading “Fixed.” Scorpio has no planets but the Moon is in Aquarius. It is therefore also entered under “Fixed” in the index.
In this horoscope the Common signs Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces, contain no planets, but Virgo, the other Common sign, has Jupiter and Venus; hence these are entered under the list of planets in Common signs, as is also the Part of Fortune.
This completes our classification of the planets in respect to the temperament, and to make sure that we have entered all in the index, we count them; Four are in Cardinal; three are classified as Fixed, and two as Common, making a total of nine planets, besides the Part of Fortune.
That is right; so we proceed in like manner to note the planets in Fiery signs. We enter them in the index. Next the Earthy, Airy and Watery signs. We have then made our classification according to elements, and again we count to see that we have entered all the planets. Four are in Fiery signs; three in Earthy signs; one in Airy, and one in Watery signs. The total is nine planets, which is right.
We next note the exaltation etc., as given in the index.
Now we are prepared to note the aspects, and the student is particularly requested to follow the system as here outlined; then he cannot possibly miss any aspect.
Place the index finger of the left hand upon the first or left hand planet under the heading Cardinal in the index. (In the present case Mars.) Place your pencil point held in the right hand on the planet next to the right in the Cardinal line (Saturn here). Note by a glance at the horoscope if these two planets are in orb (6 degrees) of each other. Here the answer is, no; one is 4, the other 23 degrees. They are therefore not in aspect. Keep the left index finger in place, but move the pencil to the right to the next planet (Neptune here), and ask, are they within orb?—again the answer is no, Again the pencil point is moved to the right and is on the last planet in the Cardinal line (Uranus); the question, are the planets under the index finger and the pencil point within orb, is asked, and answered negatively.
Thus we have ascertained that the planet under our left hand index finger (Mars) has no aspect to any of the other planets in Cardinal signs. We then move the left index finger one place to the right (to Saturn), place our pencil point on the planet next to the right of that (on Neptnue here), repeat the query, are the planets under the index finger and the pencil point (Saturn and Neptune here) within orb? A glance at the horoscope shows that they are; one being 17 and the other 23. They are therefore in aspect. Our rule says that—Planets in Cardinal, Fixed or Common signs are either in conjunction square or opposition if within orbs!
A glance at the position of Saturn and Neptune shows that they are not in conjunction; nor in opposition; they must therefore be square to each other. We therefore write a square and the symbol of Saturn in Neptune’s line in the Index; also a square and the symbol of Neptune in Saturn’s line. Thus we have recorded that aspect.
We leave our left index finger on Saturn, but move the pencil point to the right, to Uranus. We repeat our query, are they in orb? The answer is yes, and their positions indicate the aspect as being a square. This we note in the lines of Saturn and Uranus as in previous cases. Then we have recorded all the aspects of Saturn to the planets to the right of him, and we move our left index finger to the right (to Neptune and Uranus) and ask our question regarding orb. The answer is yes. Neptune and Uranus are within orb of each other, hence in opposition. This aspect is entered in the index also and completes the aspects of Neptune.
We have now noted in a thorough and systematic manner all the aspects between the planets in the Cardinal line. The same mode of procedure we employ with the planets in the other lines working in each line steadily from left to right. If this method is followed no aspect can be missed.
In dealing with the planets in the Fiery, Airy, Earthy and Watery signs, we remember of course that they are in trine or conjunction if within orb.
In getting the Sextiles a different method is necessary. Start with Mars (Aries 4 here), add 60 degrees, which gives Gemini 4. Ask, is any planet in orb of Gemini 4? The answer is no. Pass the left index finger to the next planet in the horoscope (Saturn). He is in Aries 23; adding 60 degrees gives Gemini 23. There is no planet within orb of that point. The left index finger is passed on to the next planet (Neptune) in Cancer 17. We add 60 degrees which gives Virgo 17. We ask our question, Is any planet in orb of that point? The answer is yes—Jupiter in Virgo 15. Then Neptune and Jupiter are sextile and are so entered in the lines of both planets in the index.
Proceeding we move the left index finger to every planet in the horoscope in turn; adding 60 degrees and asking our question. When we have followed the circle around we shall also have recorded all the sextiles and missed none.
The Dragon’s Head (☊), and the Dragon’s Tail (☋) exert an influence in the horoscope only when in conjunction with a planet or the Ascendant. An orb of only two degrees or at most three degrees is allowed. The Dragon’s Head is regarded as a benefic, its influence being analagous to that of the Sun in Aries, and Jupiterian in effect. The Dragon’s Tail is malefic, being Saturnine in quality and having an influence similar to that of Saturn in Libra. In the present case neither the Dragon’s Head nor Tail is in conjunction with a planet, hence there are no aspects to them to be entered in the Index.
There remain yet the Parallels. To find them we turn to the page from the ephemeris for the month of birth (August) found in the back of this book. At the top of the page we find the names of the planets: Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, etc., and below each planet is noted its Declination for the days of the month given in the left hand column.
As our G. M. T. is early morning on August 3rd we place the declinations for August 3rd opposite each planet in the index.
An exception is the Moon’s declination which requires a logarithmic correction in accordance with the G. M. T. This correction is made by the same method used in obtaining the Moon’s longitude. We thus find the Moon’s declination to be 17-2.
The declination of the Part of Fortune is the same as the declination of the Sun when in the same sign and degree.
INDEX
| ELEMENTS | DECL. | ASPECTS | |||
| cardinal | ♂︎ ♄︎ ♆︎ ♅︎ | ☉︎ | 17.37 | ☌︎ ☿︎, △︎ ♂︎ | P☽︎ |
| fixed | ☿︎ ☉︎ ☽︎ | ♀︎ | 10.32 | ||
| common | ♀︎ ♃︎ ⨂︎ | ☿︎ | 19.32 | ☌︎ ☉︎, △︎ ♂︎ | |
| fiery | ♂︎ ♄︎ ☿︎ ☉︎ | ☽︎ | 17.02 | ⚹︎ ♄︎ | P☉ |
| earthy | ♀︎ ♃︎ ♅︎ ⨂︎ | ♄︎ | 6.38 | □︎ ♆︎ ♅︎, ⚹︎ ☽︎ | P♃ |
| airy | ☾︎ | ♃︎ | 6.47 | △︎ ♅︎, ⚹︎ ♆︎ | P♄︎ |
| watery | ♆︎ | ♂︎ | 2.50 | △︎ ☿︎ ☉︎ | P⨂ |
| exalted | ♆︎ | ♅︎ | 22.41 | □︎ ♄︎, ☍︎ ♆︎, △︎ ♃︎ ⨂︎ | P♆︎ |
| essent’ly dignified |
♂︎ ☉︎ | ♆︎ | 21.35 | □︎ ♄︎, ☍︎ ♅︎, ⚹︎ ♃︎ ⨂︎ | P♅︎ |
| angular | ♀︎ ♃︎ ♂︎ | ⨂︎ | 2.25 | △︎ ♅︎, ⚹︎ ♆︎ | P♂︎ |
| critical degree | ♄︎ ☿︎ ☉︎ ♀︎ ♃︎ | ☊︎ | |||
| ruler | ♆︎ ♃︎ | ☋︎ | |||
Here the Part of Fortune is Virgo 23:43. Take an ephemeris for any year and find when the Sun was there. That will be about September 17, and then the Sun’s declination was 2:25 (ephemeris for 1909.) That, then, is the declination of the Part of Fortune. In the same way the declinations of the Midheaven and the Ascendant may be found if desired.
Having entered all the declinations in the index, place the left index finger on the declination of Neptune at the bottom; the pencil point on the declination next above (Uranus); ask if they are within 1 degree or at most 1½ degrees. The answer is yes, and so they are entered in the column of aspects as parallel. Move the pencil up the line, noting at each step if the declinations of the planets under the index finger and pencil point are within orb (one degree or a little more.) When the pencil point has reached the top, all parallels under the left index finger will have been noted. Then move the left index finger one step up (to Uranus) and the pencil point up to the declination of the planet next above; note their parallel, if any; move the pencil point upward, step by step, following the same method in moving from bottom upward to get the declination as was followed by moving the index finger and pencil point from left to right to get the conjunctions squares, trines and oppositions.
When the Parallels have been recorded the index is finished; and if placed below the horoscope on one sheet of paper as shown in the accompanying illustration the student will have ready at hand every means of judging the figure without turning his attention from that to computing aspects. Thus a more concentrated attitude of the mind is attainable Neither is the process of making the index as complicated as the process of describing it; in fact, it is simplicity itself, as it involves no mathematical calculation but only the proper methodical placement of the left index finger and moving a pencil point to the right or upward from that finger merely asking continually: Are the planets under finger and pencil within orb! If this method is followed out the student can never miss an aspect and will be able to make such an index in from fifteen to twenty minutes.
In order that proficiency may be achieved, the student should endeavor to make the index for the horoscope cast for August 2nd., 8:15 A. M.
Aspects to the Ascendant, which represents the body, have an influence upon the health. Aspects to the Midheaven indicate the nature of one’s opportunities for spiritual advancement. But since the exact time of birth is rarely known, and since a small error in this makes several degrees difference in the Ascendant or Midheaven, predictions made from aspects to these points are likely to be found unreliable. Hence we have not entered them in the Index.
Note: In addition to the foregoing, planets in the last six degrees of any sign must be compared with all planets in the first six degrees of other signs, because they may be in aspect to each other without coming under any of the preceding rules. Examples of this are as follows:
Mars in 24-30 Aries is in conjunction with Venus in 0-30 Taurus; Mercury in 26-0 Taurus is sextile Jupiter in 2-0 Leo; Saturn in 27-0 Gemini is square Uranus in 2-0 Libra; Neptune in 28-0 Cancer is trine Mars in 3-0 Sagittarius; Venus in 29-30 Leo is in opposition to Mercury in 5-30 Pisces.
NOTICE TO THE STUDENT:
The foregoing chapters describe the basis of Astrology and illustrate in detail the method of erecting a horoscope. They also indicate the elements of the science of reading a horoscope. A great deal of additional information along these lines is given in the Philosophie Encyclopedia following. But the next volume in this series, the “Message of the Stars,” is the Rosicrucian text book on the science of Astrological Reading, and the application of Astrology to our daily lives. It contains a complete exposition of the methods used in judging the radical horoscope, also in progressing the chart and making predictions therefrom. Medical Astrology and the diagnosis of disease are comprehensively dealt with, as are also the bearing of Astrology upon evolution and the general nature and effect of planetary vibrations.
All who wish to go further in the subject are referred to this volume.