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I 



1841.] Description of a Persian Astrolabe, 771 



These mansions occupy a prominent place in the Astrological 

 system ; certain actions are to be annually performed, certain to be 

 avoided by a person throughout life, according to the mansion in 

 which the moon was at the time of his birth. With the Hindoos, each 

 mansion is divided into four equal parts, to each of which appertains 

 exclusively a certain letter or syllable, according to which the name 

 of a person born during the occupancy of such portion, has its com- 

 mencement determined. For instance, the late Lion of the Punjab 

 must have been born while the moon was in the 1st quarter of the 

 15th mansion, as to that alone belongs the letter ^ with which his 

 name ^TfrwtfT f^^ commences. There are many other attributes 

 which they possess, but which it would be tedious and unprofitable to 

 mention. The names of Mahomedans are determined by the Koran, as 

 the sortes of old were by a reference to Virgil. 



The next demi-annulus contains the faces or aspects of the planets, 

 the nature and importance of which are as follow : — Each planet views 

 with full power the sign opposite to that in which he is, if in the 4th 

 and 10th signs with one half, or so on. 



The full power of a planet is represented in the plate by the 

 number 60, the half by 30, he. &c. 



The third demi-annulus contains the signs of the Zodiac themselves, 

 to which, as will be seen, the others are referred. 



The fourth, and last, is occupied by the hudood, or houses of the 

 Planets, which I have termed, not happily I find, '* comparative influ- 

 ences;" each sign is divided amongst the Planets. For instance, to 

 Jupiter appertains the first six degrees of Aries, and consequently if he 

 is within the limits of the first six degrees, he is in his own house ; if 

 between the sixth and twelfth degrees, in the house of Venus, and 

 so on. 



When a Horoscope is to be cast, a square is first described, and 

 divided into twelve compartments as follows : — 



