For the benefit of those who object that there is too great a leaning to what they would call "the dangerous doctrine of fatalism" in these old-world beliefs, it may be well to quote a few reassuring words from a very able and voluminous writer on these subjects, Dr. Richard Saunders, who modestly styles himself on the title-page of his learned work (published in 1671) student in astrology and physic. "The stars," he says, "have such an influential power over us that we act by them and, though they are but second causes, their influences do so necessitate us that we cannot avoid their fatality, unless we have recourse to the First Cause which governs this all." In other words, though the stars influence us, God rules the stars.
CHAPTER II.
THE ALPHABET OF ASTROLOGY
The Science of Astrology consists of four branches, namely, Mundane Astrology, which is the art of foreseeing, by the aspect of the stars, at certain periods, the events likely to happen to nations, such as pestilences, wars, inundations and earthquakes; Atmospherical Astrology, which is the art of foreseeing, by the positions of the heavenly bodies, the quality of the weather at any particular time or place; the Casting of Nativities, or the art of foretelling, from the position of the stars at the moment of birth, the fate and character of the native; and Horary Astrology, or the art of foreseeing, by the positions of the heavens at the moment, the result of any business or circumstance.
As the two former branches are treated in the astrological almanacks issued every year by Zadkiel, Raphael, Orion, and others, it is needless to go into them; but as the casting of nativities and the answering of horary questions require individual treatment, the working of these two branches of astrology (after the ancient methods) shall be described as clearly as possible.
Before the student can do anything in astrology he must master its alphabet—that is, he must make himself thoroughly acquainted with the symbols used to represent the planets, the signs of the zodiac and the aspects.
The planets recognised by the ancient astrologers are, as we have seen, seven in number, and are as follows, with their symbols:—Saturn,
There are also the Dragon's Head, thus symbolised,
There are also the twelve signs of the zodiac, which are as follows, with their symbols:—
| Northern. | Southern. | |||
 |
Aries |
 |
Libra | |
 |
Taurus |
 |
Scorpio | |
 |
Gemini |
 |
Sagittarius | |
 |
Cancer |
 |
Capricorn | |
 |
Leo |
 |
Aquarius | |
|
|
Virgo |
|
Pisces | |
Through these twelve signs the planets continually move, and are ever in one or other of them.
They are divided into north and south. The first six, from Aries to Virgo, are northern; the latter six, from Libra to Pisces, are southern; this is because the Sun and planets when in the first six are north of the equator, and when in the last six they are south of that line.
Each point of the zodiac rises and sets once every twenty-four hours, occasioned by the earth's revolution on its axis once every day; therefore, when any given point is rising, the opposite point must be setting.[3]
As the zodiac consists of 360 degrees from the first point of Aries until we come to that point again, and as these are divided into twelve portions or signs, they must consist of 30 degrees each.
The aspects are five in number; they represent certain positions which the planets bear to each other as they move through the signs of the zodiac; they are as follows, with their symbols:—