THE UNIVERSE IN WHICH WE LIVE 39 



across the sky to Antares. It has a third-magnitude star close 

 on either side of it; a line drawn through these leads to two 

 second-magnitude stars, one on either side, that are about as 

 far from Antares as the length of the Dipper handle. These also 

 are in the Scorpion. 



Vega in Lyra is about on the meridian at 10:00 P.M. the first 

 of August. A line drawn through the polestar and Vega and 

 continued nearly to the southern horizon leads to an irregular 

 group of third-magnitude stars, conspicuous only because there 

 are nine of them in a nearly horizontal group. These are in 

 Sagittarius, the Archer. The Goat and the Water-Bearer are 

 not marked by any conspicuous stars. 



In the evenings of mid-September, when the square of 

 Pegasus is a conspicuous object in the sky, to the east of the 

 meridian there is an irregular V of dim stars on the side of 

 Andromeda away from the Pole. The point of the V is well 

 down, then, toward the horizon, the arms rising so as almost to 

 inclose one end of the square. This line is the constellation of 

 the Fishes, two of them caught on the ends of one line. 



As suggested above, these zodiacal constellations were con- 

 sidered of great importance by the old astrologers. At the exact 

 time of a person's birth the heavens were divided by these sages 

 into twelve houses by great circles passing through the zenith 

 and nadir of the place of his birth. These houses beginning 

 in the east and passing around to the north, then west, were: 

 (i) life and health; (2) riches; (3) kindred; (4) inheritances; 

 (5) children; (6) sickness; (7) marriage; (8) death; (9) journeys; 

 (10) honor; (n) friends; (12) enemies. The position of the 

 planets and of the twelve signs of the zodiac in these houses 

 determined the forecast of the person's nativity. Certain 

 planets were fortunate, such as Jupiter, the sun, Venus, Mer- 

 cury. The others, Saturn, Mars, the moon, were unfortunate. 

 Thus Jupiter in the first house at one's birth meant long life and 

 excellent health. Each zodiacal sign was connected with certain 

 personal characteristics. Our language bears evidence still of 



