The above can be considerably expanded by a knowledge of the sign, house, and nature of the aspect.
Those who have realised how essential it is that any hints as to the nature of planetary influences, aspects, etc., should not be accepted too matter-of-fact and literal a sense, will, it is hoped, forgive a further insistence on this point for the sake of their fellows who have not.
It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the student that the planetary influences, aspects, etc., are primarily of a super-material nature; so that a description of their true influence could not be accurately expressed in words, which are material things. And although in the progress of his study the difference between the influence of one planet and another, one aspect and another, and so on, will gradually take definite shape in the student’s mind, yet he will never be able adequately to portray his idea in words.—however much he may try to do so.—any more than the effect a beautiful sunset has upon a sensitive mind can be fully expressed even in the most poetic language: for thought and feeling are always in advance of, and transcend, language. This difficulty of description, then, is more or less inevitable, but the intuitive mind will be able to grasp much of what is meant by the aid of the hints that have been given, and they will therefore serve their purpose well enough, no doubt. It is only because the author has found by experience that beginners are too apt to take what is said as a hard and fast rule, invariable in all cases, that he has felt this caution to be necessary.
IMPORTANT NOTE
IT should be remembered in studying the foregoing lists that the conjunctions or aspects which appear first in each list are those formed between the slowest planets; they are therefore slow in formation and in dissolution and remain in operation for a lengthy period. Thus the conjunction of
From this consideration we learn two things. First, that the orbs we allow for an aspect would seem to require a certain amount of restriction in the case of the more distant planets. Second, that since during a period of four or five years (halving the above so as to be on the safe side) every person born would have these two planets within orbs of a conjunction, it must follow that the influence of such conjunction must be exceedingly general in its effect and must affect the community more than the individual: and we should therefore expect to find it indicating merely general tendencies rather than specific qualities: nor should we look for strong effect in the personal life of the native, unless (a) the aspect were very near completion, in which case it might be expected to have a marked effect on the character, and hence on the career, or (b) the planets forming such aspect occupied one of the angles, and would thus show out in the environment and personal fate. As an instance of the former, we may mention Sir Richard Burton and Mr Joseph Wallace, both born on March 21st, 1821, and both having
These remarks will likewise apply to the oppositions and also, with suitable modifications, to the squares and trines as well. They are very important and should always be borne in mind when attempting to judge the relative values of a number of conjunctions or aspects.
It should never be forgotten that ‘the greater includes the less’ and ‘the whole is greater than its part.’ For example, suppose a conjunction of the Moon and Sun to occur during the time that the Sun is in conjunction with, say, Mars: it might in a sense be said to take place within the soli-martial conjunction; and all events happening during the course of that lunation would therefore be coloured by the predominant influence of the
It is the PRINCIPLE here outlined that is the most important thing to be taken account of, and it is not necessary to enlarge upon it; the intuitive student will readily discern how to apply it. But by way of a guide and in order to assist the mind the approximate interval, during which any conjunction or opposition between any of the superior planets
