METEOROLOGY. 15 



modification, it may be asked, could the remote and comparatively small 

 body Saturn, although one of the largest planets, induce on the direct 

 action of the sun distant from the earth not 100 millions of miles, 

 more voluminous in bulk than Saturn by 1000 times, and by its 

 physical nature so distinct from that of the planets, evidently intended 

 to be not only the centre or focus of planetary motion, but the great 

 and only source of heat, light and vitality. Even the known and 

 demonstrated perturbative influence of Jupiter, Satuni, Venus, and the 

 whole of the planets on the earth's motion, is an almost inappreciable 

 fraction as opposed to the predominating force of the sun ; and with 

 reference to any other species of their mode of action it has yet to be 

 discovered. 



Again, in disproof of planetary configurations being any thing but 

 a figment in the brain of the astrologer, it may be stated that their 

 variations as seen from the earth, being dependent merely in their 

 synodic periods, or that portion of time which brings them to the 

 same aspect with respect to the earth, do not exhibit an astronomical 

 connection, but only an appaient coincidence of place as seen from the 

 eaith and consequent on the earth's position being eccentric to the 

 planetary paths of, motion- 



If anything depended on the co-operation or conflicting of plan- 

 etary power denoted by the teims conjunctions, trines, quartiles, sex- 

 tiles, oppositions, &c., it would not be to their geocentric places, or 

 such as they appear to occupy when seen from the earth, that we must 

 refer to detect their real position and influence. Our position is un- 

 fixed with regard to their paths, and renders every successive aspect, 

 although bearing the same name variable by our great changes in relative 

 distances. It is only as viewed from the sun that the real, or as it is 

 termed the heliocentric place of a planet is accurately defined, and it 

 cannot fail to be regarded as absurd that relative positions in the 

 planetary system, which in reality involve no consequent increase or 

 diminution of distance, should be regarded with superstitious interest. 

 When a certain amount of meteorological change is considered due 

 to the influence of two planets because they are in conjimction in 

 reality they may be wider apart than when viewed from another point 

 of the earth's orbit they may appear as in opposition ; and similarly 

 regarding the other aspects, a trine aspect or an angular distance of 

 120^, may be a real one of no more than 90^ or equal to a quartile 



