Astrology

Of astrology, here I make an art, separate from astronomy: not by new device, but by good reason and authority: for astrology is a mathematical art which reasonably demonstrates the operations and effects of the natural beams of light and the secret influence of the stars and planets: in every element and elemental body: at all times, in any given horizon. This art is furnished with many other great arts and experiences: as with perfect perspective, astronomy, cosmography, natural philosophy of the 4 elements, the art of graduation, and some good understanding in music: and yet moreover with another great art, following hereafter, though I set this one before, for some considerations that move me. Sufficient (you see) is the stuff for making this rare and secret art; and hard enough to shape into a syllogistic conclusion. Yet both the manifold and continual travels of the most ancient and wise philosophers, for the attaining of this art, and, by examples of effects, to confirm it, have left us sufficient proof and witness; and we also may perceive daily that a man's body, and all other elemental bodies, are altered, disposed, ordered, pleased, and displeased by the influential working of the sun, the moon, and the other stars and planets. And therefore, says Aristotle, in the first of his Meteorological books, in the second chapter: This [elemental] world is of necessity almost adjoining the heavenly motions: that from there all its virtue or force may be governed. For that is to be thought the first cause of all: from which the beginning of motion is. And again, in the tenth chapter: We must therefore also take up the principles of these things, and the causes of all alike. The principle, then, as that which moves, chief and first of all, is that circle in which the sun's motion is plainly seen, etc. And so forth. His Meteorological books are full of arguments and effective demonstrations of the virtue, operation, and power of the heavenly bodies in and upon the four elements, and other bodies composed of them (either perfectly or imperfectly). And in his second book, On Generation and Corruption, in the tenth chapter: Therefore the uppermost motion is not the cause of generation and corruption, but the motion of the zodiac: for that both is continual and is caused by two motions. And in his second book, and second chapter of his Physics. For man (says he) and the sun are the cause of man's generation. Authorities may be brought, very many: of 1000, 2000, yes and 3000 years of antiquity: from great philosophers, expert, wise, and godly men, for that conclusion: which daily and hourly we men may discern and perceive by sense and reason: all beasts feel, and simply show, by their actions and passions, outward and inward: all plants, herbs, trees, flowers, and fruits. And finally, the elements, and all things composed of the elements, give testimony (as Aristotle said) that their whole dispositions, virtues, and natural motions depend on the activity of the heavenly motions and influences. By which, besides the specific order and form due to every seed: and besides the nature proper to the individual matrix of the thing produced: what the heavenly impression shall be, the perfect and circumspect astrologer has to conclude. Not only (by apotelesms) τὸ ὁτὶ, but by natural and mathematical demonstration τὸ διότι. As to which, what sciences are requisite (without exception) I have partly warned here: and in my Propædeumes (besides other matter disclosed there) I have mathematically furnished up the whole method: which in this age of ours has not been so carefully handled by anyone I ever saw or heard of. I was,

Years 1548 and 1549, in Louvain.

(for 21 years ago) by certain earnest disputations of the learned Gerardus Mercator and Antonius Gogaua (and others), so provoked thereto: and (by my constant and invincible zeal to the truth) in observations of heavenly influences (to the minute of time), then so diligent: and chiefly by the supernatural influence from the star of Jacob, so directed: that any modest and sober student, carefully and diligently seeking the truth, will both find and confess tin this the truth of these my words: and also become a reasonable reformer of three sorts of people, greatly erring from the truth about these influential operations.

Of these, the one is light believers, the other light despisers, and the third light practitioners. The first and most common sort think the heaven and stars answerable to any of their doubts or desires:

(1.)

which is not so: and indeed they overreach too much. The second sort think no influential virtue (from the heavenly bodies) bears any sway in generation

(2.)

and corruption, in this elemental world. And to the sun, moon, and stars (being so many, so pure, so bright, so wonderfully big, so far in distance, so manifold in their motions, so constant in their periods, &c.) they assign a slight, simple office or two, and so allow them (according to their capacities) as much virtue and influential power as they allow to the sign of the sun, moon, and seven stars, hung up (for signs) in London to distinguish houses, and such gross helps in our worldly affairs: and they do not understand (or will not understand) the other workings and virtues of the heavenly sun, moon, and stars: not so much as the mariner or husbandman: no, not so much as the elephant does, as the Cynocephalus, as the porcupine does; nor will they allow these perfect and incorruptible mighty bodies so much virtual radiation and force as they see in a little piece of magnet stone, which at a great distance shows its operation. And perhaps they think the sea and rivers (as the Thames) to be some living thing, and so to ebb and flow, run in and out, of themselves at their own fantasies. God help, God help. Surely these men come short: and either are too dull, or willfully blind, or perhaps too malicious. The third man is the common and vulgar astrologer, or practitioner: who, not being duly, skillfully, and perfectly

(3.)

furnished: yet either for vain glory or gain, or like a simple dolt and blind Bayard, errs both in matter and manner: to the discredit of the wary and modest astrologer, and to the robbing of those most noble corporeal creatures of their natural virtue: being most mighty, most beneficial to all elemental generation, corruption, and their appurtenances: and most harmonious in their monarchy: for which things, being known and modestly used, we might highly and continually glorify God, with the princely prophet, saying: The heavens declare the glory of God: who made the heavens in his wisdom: who made the sun to have dominion of the day: the moon and stars to have dominion of the night: by which day to day utters speech, and night to night declares knowledge. Praise him, all you stars, and light. Amen.

Here I make astrology an art separate from astronomy: not by any new device, but by good reason and authority. For astrology is a mathematical art that reasonably demonstrates the workings and effects of the natural beams of light and the secret influence of the stars and planets, in every element and in every elemental body, at all times, in any given horizon. This art is furnished with many other great arts and experiences: with perfect perspective, astronomy, cosmography, natural philosophy of the 4 elements, the art of graduation, and some good understanding of music; and moreover with another great art that follows later, though I set this one before it here, for reasons that move me. You can see that there is enough material to make this rare and secret art from, and that it is hard enough to shape into a syllogistic conclusion. Yet the many and unceasing labors of the most ancient and wise philosophers, to attain this art, and to confirm it by examples of its effects, have left us enough proof and witness: and we can also see every day that the human body, and all other elemental bodies, are altered, disposed, ordered, pleased, and displeased by the influential working of the sun, the moon, and the other stars and planets. So says Aristotle, in the first of his Meteorological books, in the second chapter: this elemental world is of necessity almost next adjoining the heavenly motions, so that from there all its force may be governed. For that is to be taken as the first cause of all things, from which the beginning of motion is. And again, in the tenth chapter: We must therefore also take up the principles of these things, and the causes of all things alike. The principle, then, as the mover, the chief and first of all, is that circle in which the sun's motion is plain, etc. And so on. His Meteorological books are full of arguments and effective demonstrations of the force, working, and power of the heavenly bodies in and upon the four elements, and upon other bodies made of them, whether perfectly or imperfectly composed. And in his second book, On Generation and Corruption, in the tenth chapter: the uppermost motion is not the cause of generation and corruption, but the motion of the zodiac is, because that motion is both continuous and caused by two movements. And in his second book, and the second chapter of his Physics: For man, says he, and the sun, are the cause of man's generation. Very many authorities can be brought for that conclusion, of 1000, 2000, even 3000 years of antiquity, from great philosophers, expert, wise, and godly men: a conclusion that we can discern and perceive daily and hourly by sense and reason. All beasts feel it and simply show it in their actions and feelings, outward and inward. All plants, herbs, trees, flowers, and fruits. And finally, the elements, and all things made of the elements, give testimony, as Aristotle said, that their whole dispositions, forces, and natural motions depend on the activity of the heavenly motions and influences. So, besides the specific order and form due to every seed, and besides the nature proper to the individual matrix of the thing produced, what the heavenly impression will be is what the perfect and careful astrologer has to conclude: not only (by apotelesms) τὸ ὁτὶ, but by natural and mathematical demonstration τὸ διότι. What sciences are needed for this, without exception, I have partly warned you of here; and in my Propædeumes, besides other matter disclosed there, I have set out the whole method mathematically: something that in our age has not been so carefully handled by anyone I ever saw or heard of. I was,

(Years 1548 and 1549, in Louvain.)

(for 21 years ago) by certain earnest disputations with the learned Gerardus Mercator, Antonius Gogaua, and others, so provoked to this; and by my constant and unbreakable zeal for the truth, in observations of heavenly influences down to the minute of time, then so diligent; and chiefly by the supernatural influence from the Star of Jacob, so directed: that any modest and sober student who carefully and diligently seeks the truth will both find and confess the truth in my words here, and will also become a reasonable reformer of three sorts of people who go greatly wrong about these influential workings.

The one sort is light believers, the other light despisers, and

the third light practitioners. The first and most common sort think that the heavens and stars are answerable to any of their doubts or desires:

(1.)

That is not so, and in fact they reach much too far. The second sort think that no influential force from the heavenly bodies has any sway in generation

(2.)

and corruption in this elemental world. And to the sun, the moon, and the stars—so many, so pure, so bright, so wonderfully big, so far away, so varied in their motions, so constant in their periods, and so on—they assign a slight, simple office or two, and so allow them, according to their capacities, as much influential force and power as the sign of the Sun, Moon, and Seven Stars hung up as signs in London to tell the houses apart, and other such crude helps in our worldly affairs. And they do not understand, or will not understand, the other workings and forces of the heavenly sun, moon, and stars: not as much as the sailor or the farmer; no, not as much as the elephant, or the Cynocephalus, or the porcupine. Nor will they allow these perfect and uncorrupted mighty bodies as much forceful radiation and strength as they see in a small piece of magnet stone, which shows its working at a great distance. And perhaps they think that the sea and rivers, like the Thames, are some living thing, and so ebb and flow, and run in and out, of themselves, at their own fantasies. God help, God help. Surely these men fall short, and are either too dull, or willfully blind, or perhaps too malicious. The third sort is the common and ordinary astrologer or practitioner, who, though not duly, skillfully, and perfectly

(3.)

furnished, yet goes wrong, either for vain glory or gain, or like a simple fool and blind Bayard, in both matter and manner: to the discredit of the wary and modest astrologer, and to the robbing of those most noble bodily creatures of their natural force: they being most mighty, most beneficial to all elemental generation, corruption, and their appurtenances, and most harmonious in their monarchy. For these things, known and used with due restraint, we might highly and continually glorify God, with the princely prophet, saying: "The heavens declare the glory of God: who made the heavens in his wisdom: who made the sun to have dominion over the day: the moon and stars to have dominion over the night: so that day to day utters speech, and night to night declares knowledge. Praise him, all you stars, and light. Amen."