3ie> A S T R .O 
three figns. Trine is denoted by ar >d ' s when the pla¬ 
nets are diftant by one-third of the circle, or four figns, or 
120 degrees. And oppofition is denoted by £, and is 
when the planets are in oppofite points of the circle, or differ 
by one-half the circle, or fix figns, or 180 degrees of longi¬ 
tude. Thefe intervals are reckoned according to the lon¬ 
gitudes of the planets; fo that the afpebts are the fame, 
whether the planet be in the ecliptic or out of it. 
To the five ancient a'fpebfs, modern writers have added 
feveral more: as decile, for the tenth part of a circle; tri¬ 
decile , or and biquintile, or f- of a circle. And Kepler 
adds others, from meteorological obfervations : as the_/e- 
mifcxtile, being -fe, or 30 0 ; and quincunx , or or 1-50°. 
Laftly, to the aftrological phyficians, &c. we owe ottile, or 
trioBile, orf; and quintile, ~ of the circle. Thefe af¬ 
peefs are divided with regard to their fuppofed infiuences, 
into benign, malign, and indifferent. The trine and Textile 
afpebfs being dfeemed benign or friendly; thequartile and 
oppofition, malign or unfriendly ; and the conjunbfion an 
indifferent afpebf. 
Afpebfs are alfo diftinguiftied into partile and platic. Par- 
tile afpebf, is when the planets are juft fo many degrees 
diftant, as are cxpreffed above : and thefe only are the pro¬ 
per afpebfs. Platic afpebf, is when the planets do not re¬ 
gard each other exabfly from thefe very degrees of dif- 
tance; but the one exceeding as much as the other falls 
fliort. So that the one does not caft its rays immediately 
on the body of the other, but only on its orb or fphere of 
light. 
The conftellations, alfo, which form the twelve figns of 
the zodiac, and the figns themfelves, are faid to have a 
very powerful operation upon mundane affairs; and the 
reafon is, becaufe they form the-pathway of the fun, moon, 
and planets, in all their configurations, and thereby re¬ 
ceive from them a more forcible power and energy, where¬ 
by they ad both upon the inclination and temperature of 
man’s body, and upon the four feafons of the year. Thefe 
figns are diftinguiffied by the following charaders: 
V? Capricornus 
'£1 Aquarius 
X Pi fees 
They are placed in this order, and divided into four 
equal parts, anfwering to the four quarters of the year, 
becaufe the equator cuts and divides the circle of the zo¬ 
diac at the point beginning with Aries, and at the oppo¬ 
fite point of Libra, dividing the whole into two equal 
parts, confiding of fix northern and fix louthern figns. 
JBut the reafon why the fun’s courfe begins and is reckoned 
from Aries is, as tradition informs us, becaufe the (un, 
when firfit brought into exiftence, was faid to have been 
placed in this fign. And this is not an unreafonable con- 
jedure, fince the fpring quarter begins when the fun enters 
Aries, and brings with it increafe and length of days, and 
all nature begins to multiply and flouriffi, and, as it were, 
to rife into new life. The northern figns terminate with 
Virgo, and the fix fouthern commence with Libra; but 
the northern figns are confidered of a more efficacious and 
noble nature than the fouthern. 
Now whenever the profeffors of this fcience proceed to 
calculations, either in meteorological or judiciary aftrolo- 
gy, they project w hat is called the horofeope, or figure of 
the twelve houfes of heaven; into which, by the help of 
an Ephemeris for the given year, they colled the true pla¬ 
ces of the fun, moon, planets, and principal fixed ftars, all 
which they carefully place therein; and, by this means, 
they note every diftind afped which the heavenly bodies 
form with the earth, and with one another; from the fup¬ 
pofed tendency of which their judgment is decided. To 
form a competent idea of what is meant by the twelve houfes 
of heaven, let 11s fuppofe the whole celeftial globe, or 
fphere of heaven, divided into four equal parts by the ho¬ 
rizon and meridional line, and each of thefe into four qua¬ 
drants, and each quadrant into three equal parts, by lines 
drawn from points of Tedious in different parts of the ho- 
7" Aries 
55 Cancer 
Libra 
Taurus 
& L eo 
Iff Scorpio 
jQ Gemini 
np Virgo 
f Sagittarius 
L O G Y. 
rizon and meridian, equi-diftant from each other. By 
this operation, the whole globe or fphere will be appor¬ 
tioned into twelve equal parts, which conftitute what is 
called the twelve houfes of Iveaven. In this divifion of the 
heavens, the firft quadrant is aeferibed by a parallel line, 
drawn from the point of the eaft angle to the foutb, or 
mid-heaven ; and contains the twelfth, eleventh, and tenth, 
houfes, called the oriental or vernal quarter. The fecond 
quadrant is deferibed by a fimilar line, running from the 
exterior point of the mid-heaven to the point of the weft- 
ern angle, and contains the ninth, eighth, and feventh, 
houfes, called the meridian or eftival quarter. The third 
quadrant is formed by a parallel line running from the ex¬ 
treme point of the eighth houfe to the north angle; and 
contains the fixth, fifth, and fourth, houfes, called the oc¬ 
cidental or autumnal quarter. The fourth quadrant is de¬ 
feribed by a line draw n from the extreme point of the north 
angle to the extremity of the line which deferibes the firft 
quadrant, both meeting in the eaft angle of the heavens, 
and contains the third, fecond, and firft, houfes, called the 
northern or wintery quarter. The lines thus drawn de- 
feribe the twelve figns of the zodiac, or track in. which 
the fun, moon, and planets, move. 
Thefe twelve houfes are diftinguiffied by the names of 
angular, fuccedent, or cadent. The angular houfes are four, 
called the afeendant, mid-heaven or meridian, the feventh 
houfe, and the bottom of the heaven ; thefe are deemed 
the mod powerful and mod fortunate houfes. The fuc¬ 
cedent houfes are the eleventh, fecond, eighth, and fifth ; 
and are ranked next in force and virtue to the angles. The 
third clafs, or cadent houfes, are the third, twelfth, ninth, 
and fixth; and are confidered of the leaf!: efficacy of them 
all. Now, if a calculation is to be made to foretel the 
probable kind of weather for any given time come, the 
peculiar influence of thefe twelve houfes, the nature of 
the figns or conflellations which fall in them, and the par¬ 
ticular afpebfs which the fun, moon, and planets, make 
with the earth, are not only to be well confidered, but like- 
wife the following general obfervations, which we have fe- 
lebted from a recent publication by Dr. Sibly, and which 
we ftiall here give in his own words : 
“ Whatever affebts the flate of the air or atmofphere, 
mud neceffarily, in an adequate proportion, alter the (late of 
the weather ; and that, by how much the more the elements 
are impregnated or charged with elebtrical matter, or that 
the motions of the winds are increafed or diminiffied, or 
that the clouds are furcharged with moift and difeordant 
vapours, by fo much the more will ftormy, tempeftuous, 
and unfettled, weather, be produced. So likewife, it is 
equally demonftrable, that, as the temperature of the air, 
and the (fate of the ambient and elementary matter, is from 
time to time varied and changed, or furcharged to a great¬ 
er or lefs excefs with any particular quality, fo in a pro¬ 
portionate degree will the animal functions and fpirits of 
men be railed or depreffed, their minds agitated, and their 
puflions inflamed ; whence often arife putrid and malignant 
difeafes throughout whole provinces. And, feeing thefe 
things are fo, that their caufes are brought about by the 
attrabfions and mutations of the fun, moon, and fiars, in 
their different motions and pofitions, and in their conjunc¬ 
tions and oppofitions, and various configurations among 
themfelves and with the earth ; and, fince thefe motions 
and pofitions of the planets, and all their different afpeefs, 
can be afeertained for any feries of years to come; fo, it 
is manifelt, that, by knowing their influences and effebts 
upon the air, earth, winds, and elements, and upon the 
conftitutions and paflions of men; a prefage of times and 
feafons, of famines, peftilences, inundations, and various 
great and univerfal calamities, may be fought out and dis¬ 
criminated. 
“ This fpeculation is therefore defined to be, the art of 
prognoftication by the rules of aftronomy. It is divided 
into two principal or diftinbt parts; the one whereof is 
called general, or univerfal, becaufe it relates to whole em¬ 
pires, nations, or provinces; and the other local , or parti¬ 
cular ? 
