The Science of the Stars

215 Pages·1881·7.025 MB·English

by  Alfred J. Pearce

This compilation © Phoenix E-Books UK
: JO O ^ ^
THE SCIENCE OF THE
STARS.
BY
ALFRED PEARCE.
J.
Kai (frfcycvrfcc rrr^ata.
Wa
f'^w&iuAraitra, ntpoo-Q&v cvr pyepa.
2Eschylus.
“ And I brought to light the fiery symbols that were
aforetime wrapt in darkness.”
LONDON
SIMPK1N, MARSHALL, and CO.,
STATIONERS’ HALL COURT.
4,
1881
.
———— ———
CONTENTS.
i
o
PAGE.
—
CHAPTER I.—Introduction. The Science of
—the Stars. The Ancient System of Astr—ology.
The Modern System of Astronomy. The
Pythagorea—n (or Copernican) Sys—tem of
Astronomy. The Ptolemaic System. Flam-
—
stead and Astrology. Sir David Brewster on
—
Astrology. Mr. R. A. ProctoronAsti-ology.
M. Lenor—mant’s Idea of the Origin of
Astrology. Kepler’s Definition of Aspects.
1—7
Religion and Astrology —
CHAPTER II. Mu—ndane Astrology. The
Vernal In—gress. On Casting a Figure of the
Heavens. Definitionof theTwelve—Houses.
General Influences of the Planets. Diagram
of the Winter Solstice, 1881 8—15
CHAPTER—III. Mundane Astrology Con-
tinued. The Transits of the Superi—or Planets
through the Signs of the Zodiac. Claudius
Ptolemy’s description of the familiarity be-
tween—the Signs and certain Regions of the
Earth. Transits of —Saturn through Aries,
from 1290 to 1821. Transits of Jupiter
—
through Aries, from 896 to 1880. Transits of
Uranus through Gemini 16—20
CHAPTER IV. Mundane Astrology Con-
—
tinued. The Progress of the —Fixed Stars
through the Signs of the Zodiac. The Bull’s
North Horn and—the Plague and Fire of
London in 1665-6. Nos—tradamus’s Prediction
of the Fire of London. Regulus in Leo 21—23
— ————
11. CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.—Mundane Astrology Con- PAGE.
— —
tinued. Eclipses of the—Sun and Moon. The
Battleof Isandhlwana. Diagramofthe Solar
Eclipse at Cape Town, January 22nd, 1879.
TheLunarEclipseatWashington, April 10th,
1865, and t—he termination of the Civil War
in America. The Lunar Eclipseof July12th,
1870, and the Franco-German War.—The
Lunar Eclipse of Febru—ary 27th, 1877, and
the Busso—-Turkish War. General Effects of
CHAEPclTipEsRes.VI.C—arMdaunn’dsaAnpehoriAssmtsrology Con- 24—28
— —
tinued. Great Conjunctions. The most im-
—portant Conjunctions of the Superior Planets.
The Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in
Capricornus, M—arch 1st, 1877, and the Russo-
Turkish War. The Conjunction of Mars and
Saturn, June 30th, 1S79, at Cabul 29—31
CHAPTER VII.—Comets as Portents. The
—Comet of 1870, and the Franco-German War.
Donati’s Comet and the War of 1859.
Comet B 1881, and the Death of President
Garfield — — 32—33
CHAPTER VIII. Astro-Meteorology.
Astronomical Causes andWeather-changes,
Kepler’s Testimony—as to the Reality of
Planetary Influence. The Aspects of the —
Planets affect—ing Weather-changes 34* 33
CHAPTER IX. Astro-Meteorology Con-
—
tinued. Meteorological Table of the S—un.
Meteorological Tables of the Planets. The
Major and Minor Aspects of the Sun and
Planets 39—43
CHAPTER X.—Howto Predict the Weather.
— —
Rules for predicting the We—ather. Table
of Phenomena for July, 1881. Conjunctions
of Mars and Saturn attended by great Storms
iu 1881,1879,1877,1875, and 18—61.—The great
Snowstorm of J—anuary, 1881. The “ Royal
Chart—er ” Gale. The great C—rimean Hurri-
cane.—Great Thunderstorm—s. The Fall of
Rain. Violent Hailstorms. Cardan’s Apho-
risms 44—54
———— ——————
CONTENTS. 111.
— —
CHAPTER XI. Earthquakes. Aristotle’s PAGE.
—
Observations on Earthquakes. M. Barthe-
lernySt. H—ilaire’s misconception of Aristotle’s
meaning. Mo—rrison’s Rules for foretelling
Earthquakes. Great Earthquakeat Cumana,
1853, and the Planetary Positions thereat.
M. Delaunay’s V—iew of Planetary Influence
on Earthquakes. The great Earthquake at
—
Lisbon. The Earthquakes at Chios, 1881.
The Earthquake-producing signs Taurus and
—
Scorpio. The Electrical Theory of the Cause
of Earthquake—s — 55—64
CHAPTER XII. Genethlialo—gy. Planetary
Influence upon Individuals. Lor—d Bacon’s
Advocacy of an Astrologia Sana.—Kepler’s
Practice of Genethliacal Astrology. Symbols
used in Astrology 65—67
CHAPTER XIII. On Casting the Horoscope.
— —
The True Moment of Birth. Process of
Calculation of R.A. of Meridian at Birth.
Diagram of H.M. Queen Victoria’sHoroscope. 68—71
CHAPTER XIV. On Forming a General
—
Judgment of a Nativity. The probable
—
Duration of Life. Ptolemy’s Aphorisms.
,
Cases illustrativ—e of Ptolemy’s Aph—orisms.
Goethe’s Birth. Newton’s Birth. Dry—den’s
Forecast of the fate of his son—Charles. The
Hylegliacal (Vital) Places. Blindness.
Surgical Operations 72—S5
CHAPTER XV. On the Mind and Disposi-
—
tion. Influence—of the Plan—ets on the mind
and disposition. Insanity. Cases illustra-
tive of the affliction of Mercury and the Moon
at birth predisposing to insani—ty 86-95
CHAPTER XVI. On Destiny. The Bourbon
—
Family and their Horoscopes.—The Fate of
Napoleon I an—d Napoleon III. Horoscope of
Napoleon III. S—ymbols of a fortunate and
successfu—l career. Symbols of an unfortunate
destiny. The choice of a profession or trade
—
aided by Astrology. Successful Commanders
a—n'l theConfigurations of Mars a—t theirbirths.
The late Lord Chief Justice. Diagram of
the Horoscope of the late Earl BeaconBfield ... 96—106
————— ——
IV. CONTENTS.
PAGE.
CHAPTER XVII. On Marriage.—Sympathy
a—nd love atfirst sightexplainedastrologically.
Ptolemy’s Ap—horisms in regard t—o matri-
monial felicity. Goethe’s Marriage. Astro-
CHAlPogTicEaRl SiXgVnIsIIof.maOrrniaDgieraencdticoenlsi.ba—cyPrimary 107—111
—
Directions described. Primary Directions in
—
the Nativity of H.M. Queen Victoria. Horo-
scope of H.R.H—. the Prince of Wales 112—119
CHAPTER XIX. On Solar Revolutions.
Solar Revolution for 1870, of the lateEmperor
of the French — 120—125
CHAPTER XX.—Horary Astrology. The
Origi—nofHoraryAstrology—.—Joseph’sDivining
Cup. Pl—anetary Hours. Origin of the
Sabbat—h. Nomenclature of the Days of the
Week. Lilly’s Practice of Horary Astrology. 126—132
CHAPTER XXI. Horary Astrology Con-
—
tinued. The—Twelve Houses and their
Signific—ation. Professions, &c., ruled by each
Planet. Table of the Houses or Chief
—
Dignities of the Planets. Questions—relating
to the First Ho—use of the Heavens. Of the
Fate of a Ship Example 133—139
CHAPTER XXII. Horary Astrology Con-
—
tinued. Questions pertaining to the Second,
Third, Fo—urth, and Sixth Houses of the
Heavens. Of the Recovery of MoneyLent.
Of —Buying or Selling Houses, Land, Farms,
&c. —Whether—an Illness will be long or
short Crises Example — 140—145
CHAPTER XXIII. Horary Astrology Con-
—
tinued. -Questions relati—ng to the Sev—enth,
Ninth, and Tenth Houses. —On Marriage—. On
Obtaining Employment Example Con-
146—149
clusion—
Appendix. AstrologicalVocabulary.—Tables
of Houses for London, Edinburgh, Calcutta,
and New York 150
PREFACE.
—
The most ancient of ali sciences the Science of the
—
Stars is but very imperfectly understood at the present
day.
Modern astronomers, while improving astronomy,
reject the ancient astrology. They accept the Pytha-
gorean (under the title of the Copernican) system of
astronomy, they recognise the truth and importance of
Keplers laws, yet they reject as unworthy even of
examination the belief in planetary influence to which
Pythagoras and Kepler subscribed. The very fact that
men of such giant intellects as those two great philo-
sophers, found, as the result of their experience and
observation, that planetary influence is exerted on the
atmosphere, etc., of the earth, should command respect
for astrology and should lead to an impartial and
thorough examination of it.
The highly educated portion of the public too often
sneer at judicial astrology as mere superstition, and
excuse themselves from any investigation of its claims
to be considered a science, on the ground that modern
VI. PREFACE.
astronomers reject it. They look upon it as a relic of
the bizarre superstition of the ancients, and of the
media3val alchemists. If authority alone could be
allowed to decide the vexed question of the truth of
astrology, it will be recognised, from the names of the
founders of modern astronomy before quoted, that the
weight of authority is decidedly in favour of astrology.
But the truth of no science can be allowed to be decided
by authority alone. Hence the author offers the
intelligent public the following epitome of astrology,
which is written in a perfectly clear manner, free from
abstruse terms, and free from the superstitious nonsense
too often to be found in astrological literature. This
work is based on the results of an impartial and most
searching examination of the subject, extending over
twenty-two years.
The meteorological observations of the author, and
those of some friends of his who have investigated the
subject, lead to the conclusion that no real progress
will ever be made in forecasting weather until planetary
influence shall be recognised.
In like manner, experience shows that an examination
of astrology throws a flood of light on mental gifts, on
the subject of insanity, and, to a certain extent, on “ the
ills that flesh is heir to.”
This work is, then, offered to the world with the sole
desire to spread a knowledge of divine truth, and to open
up a view ofone of the harmonies of the universe.
London: November 23, 1881.
— —
CHAPTER
I.
INTRODUCTION.
'•In natural science there is one language universally
intelligible, the language of facts it belongs to nature,and
itisaspermanentas the objectsof; nature.” Sir Humphry
Davy.
The Science of TnE Stars is at once the most exalted
and the most fascinati—ng of all sciences. It was formerly
designated Astrology from a<mjc (aster—), a star, and
Aoyof (logos), reason, logic, or information and it com-
prised the foretelling of the return of the planets, the
eclipses of the Sun and Moon, tempests, droughts, in-
undations, earthquakes, the rise and fall ofnations, wars,
revolutions, the destinies of remarkable men, etc. It
was this science which Dante declared to be “ the
highest and noblest, and without defect.” It was this
science in which Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Anaximander,
Democritus, Thales, Eudoxus, Hippocrates, Galen, Nigi-
dius Figulus, Kepler, Lord Bacon, Dryden, and many
other great—men, were skilled. The modern system—of
Astronomy from acrTyp and vopog (nomos) a law is
not so comprehensive, being limited to the study and
demonstration of the laws that govern the motions of
the heavenly bodies. Among the ancient Hebrews the
astrologer was called Ash-Phe, literally “ the mouth-
piece of the star,” because he interpreted what he con-
ceived to be the import of the configurations of the
stars koctol Xoyov, in conformity with reason.
B