Strong and Weak Natures.
Timorous people, the type who cross the bridge of adversity before they reach it, had better leave the study of astrology to stronger characters, because on these people the knowledge of future "bad" aspects might have a paralysing effect.
They lack the courage and strength to struggle with their lower self, and by their fear they would only strengthen the influence of the planet.
It is scarcely advisable to acquaint such people with something regarding "bad aspects" in the future.
That there are natures who cannot bear the truth, is however, no reason to withhold the truth from those who are strong.
On the contrary, the knowledge of it is of incalculable use.
The weaker ones, might also derive force from it, if they only thought of the good aspects which are sure to come and will help them.
Astrology teaches how long the bad time should last, and knowing that it is only a passing cloud, a temporary darkening of the sun, they will gain strength.
Among those who study some branch of occult sciences there are many who say self consciously: "Astrological influences cannot do anything to me I have outgrown them." To be sure, these people do not realise the full significance of their words and moreover they are blind to their faults and foibles.
No one ever rose to the height of being above these influences!
Even the highest Ego, who incarnates on this earth of his own free will, has submitted himself t o limitations.
They influence all of us, the lowest as well as the highest, but through the latter they will be expressed in another, a more harmonious way, that is difference.
For him also, however, it is of the greatest use to know when he will be subjected to certain influences, when he will be best fitted for one kind of work, when for another.
He will be able to use these influences for his benefit; for what else does the expression: "to rule one's stars" signify but to use the planetary influences in the right direction, for one's benefit.
The influences tend to make us by certain old faults in our character act in this way or the other but we need not give in slavishly, we may rise above them.
Therefore, is it not highly useful to be fore-warned?
16 Astrologically speaking the Cosmos consists of the Sun (☉) the Moon (☽) and the planets Mercury (☿), Venus (♀), Earth (♁), Mars (♂), Jupiter (♃), Saturn (♄), Uranus (♅) and Neptune (♆).
2) We do not take into account the Asteroids or Planetoids and the Meteorites, because they do not influence present humanity perceptibly; neither the Comets, because we know so little of their influence.
We also neglect the moons of the various planets, the influence of which!) Poolster = Pole-star; Keerkring = Tropic; Zuiderkruis = Southern Cross; Equator des Kernels = Equator of the Heavens; Ecliptica = Ecliptic.
2) In Holland the symbol g is also used for Uranus; and for Neptune *.
17 is not to be taken into account.
Our moon only forms an exception: by her short distance from the earth, and especially because she was one with the earth before her separate existence, she influences it and all that is on it, very strongly.
Our whole planetary system moves in retrograde direction through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, which like a gigantic ring encircles our Cosmos with numerous other solar-systems.
All these solar-systems revolve round one Central Sun, which is supposed to be in the constellation Pleiades (Alcyone).
Our solar system wants 26,000 years to revolve 360° through the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
This is called a cosmic year.
Our planetary system is now in Aquarius which sign it has recently entered, and 26,000 where it consequently will remain = 2,160 years.
This movement is in opposite direction to the order of the 12 signs of the Zodiac and is called in astronomy the Precession (i.e.
backward movement) of the Equinox.
The velocity of this retrograde movement is about 50' a year.
As all planets revolve round the sun and we observe them from the earth, we see the sun and the planets successively pass through the 12 different signs, and with greater velocity when they are closer to the sun; in the order in which the planets are placed above.
The moon, however, surpasses the fastest moving planet (Mercury).
It does not only move with the earth once in a year round the sun, but has a revolution of its own r round the earth which takes only 28 days.
When the planets are being treated, these velocities will be spoken of at greater length.
There is also an apparent movement of the 12 signs of the Zodiac as well as of the planets and the moon to know, the movement caused by the revolution of the earth round its axis in 24 hours.
Through this revolution round the axis, the whole sphere, passes in 24 hours each point of the earth's surface and thus every two hours (on an average) there will arise another sign of the Zodiac on the eastern horizon.
For some readers a short explanation of certain terms, used in cosmology, will not be superfluous; for we have to use these terms repeatedly, if we want to do without unnecessary definitions.
The celestial equator is an imaginary circle drawn at the heavens (round the earth), in the produced part of and parallel to the earth equator.
The ecliptic is an imaginary circle drawn at the heavens round the earth, which intersects the celestial equator at an angle of 23° 27'.
In this plane of the ecliptic move the planets including sun and moon.
With a deviation of only a few degrees north and south of it, the planets move in the plane of the ecliptic, and so it is possible that two planets at certain times seem to be in the same place in the heavens (conjunction), and at other times form certain angles (aspects) with the earth.
18 To this angle formed by the ecliptic and the equator, we owe the seasons in the temperate zones and the monsoons in the tropics.
The deviation north and south of the ecliptic is called northern and southern declination.
When two or more planets have the same declination, no matter whether one is north, the other south, or both the same declination, they form also an aspect with each other and this aspect is called a parallel.
The calculating of the aspects is the foundation of the astrological technics.
We take the earth as the centre of the cosmos in our calculations and the astrological tables for calculating the planetary positions and those of the Zodiacal signs are founded on this.
So that we work geocentric astrology (Gea = earth), in contradistinction to heliocentric astrology, which considers the sun (helios) as centre when making calculations.
The latter is to be looked upon as only an attempt to see the astrological influences from another point of view; it has given but unsatisfactory results so far.
Perhaps it will promise fair for the future.
It is altogether logical that man, on account of his being a part of the earth, takes the earth as centre when calculating astrological influences.
The astronomers often reproach the astrologers for doing this they assert that the latter follow the old Ptolemaic System, whereas Copernicus clearly proved that the sun is the centre round which all planets move.
What does it matter after all, if only this is taken into account in the calculations.
Everyone looks upon himself personally as th e centre of all that surrounds him; which is natural to him, and he is also prone to do so with his planet, the earth, however much this disagrees with the phenomena his physical eyes witness.
Astrology is, as it were, the psychology of astronomy, and just as a vast field of psychology lies fallow, so it is the case with astrology.
Both promise fair for the future.
In astrology we use the so-called sidereal time, to which we have to reduce the local time for our calculations.
If we did not do so, we!) Aquator = equator, Ecliptik = ecliptic.
19 should make a mistake of about 4 minutes for every 24 hours.
For while the earth revolves once, the sun moves forward about one degree in the Zodiac; so in order to see from the earth the sun exactly in the Zenith or, put otherwise, in the meridian, the earth has to revolve one 24X60 degree more than 360, which lengthens the day = 4 minutes.
That is why the so-called astronomical day is not 24 hours, but 24 hours 4 minutes, whereas the sidereal day is 24 hours exactly.
So that 6 hours usual time = 6 hours 1 minutes sidereal time.
In the astrological planet-tables (