The fixed stars in the firmament are divided into six magnitudes by their visible diameters, as it may be seen in their catalog.
Of the first magnitude are:
Tail of Leo2.
Arcturus, Bootes.
Falling Vulture, Lyra3.
Pallilitium, Eye of Bull4.
Heart of Leo, Regulus.
Spica of Virgo.
Antares, Heart of Scorpio.
Achernar, the extreme of Eridanus.
Sirius of Dog.
Procyon of Dog.
Heart of Hydra5.
In the end of right foot of Centaurus6.
Fomalhaut, the farthest in outpouring water of Aquarius.
Regal stars are:
Regulus.
Pallilitium.
Antares.
Hercules7.
Spica of Virgo.
The brighter one of South Scale.
The fixed stars in the firmament are moved by first motion from rising towards setting for twenty four hours, and are moved by their own second motion from West to East around poles of ecliptic 51 seconds for one year and one degree for 70 years. The fixed stars are of the nature of planets: of Jupiter, of Saturn, of Mars, of Venus, of Mercury, and many are of combined nature of different planets, and they pour down propitious or unfortunate things to these more inferior things according to the quality of planets, of which nature they will be, when the stars are falling in Ascendant, Mid-heaven, or other house, or their lords, or being joined to the Sun, the Moon and to the rest planets.
Saturnians and of the absolute nature of Saturn, they pour down all that I said about Saturn in previous chapter - envy, greed, obstinacy, labours, dangers, falls from height, falls in waters, and prisons and the like; deep thoughts, superstition, poverty, hatred of women. They make natives sorrowful, avaricious, slow, ugly; sometimes, because of beneficents, they promise inheritances, and other, of what we will talk in its own time and place.
Jupiterians pour down good manners, justice, modesty, faithfulness, magnanimity, piety and all of this kind, and they grant honours and riches.
Martians - anger, vengeances, losses, brawls, wrangles, murders, exiles, prisons, dangers, violences, mischiefs from animals, journeys; yet good because of Martian things, or bad if they will be helped by malefics.
Venerians and Mercurials, they pass sentence on all that I say above about Mercury and Venus. Venerians pass sentence on delightful things, Mercurials pass sentence on actions and talent. Other observations uncover this.
Saturnian and Jupiterian stars, in which both planets retain their powers, and provide people with the best judgement and mental ability, make them sensible, magnanimous, sedate; and give them riches, inheritances, good agreements.
Saturnians and Martians predict that natives will be traitor, loquacious, obstinate, angry, and immoderate in everything, quarrelsome, rash, with many intents, and also redundant, deceitful, cruel if they will be with the Moon, Ascendant or the lord of Ascendant, yet they will be fit for arts.
Saturnians and Venerians pour down hatred for women, slander, envy, solitude, jealousy; mediocre luck in riches, greed in honest things, squandering through shameful things.
Saturnians and Mercurials give aptitude for study, best capacity, although willing to engage in slander; treacheries, delusions, thefts; discretion in vices and hatred; deep intellect, but not ready to be persuaded.
Jupiterians and Martians give honours, riches and luck; yet sometimes an misfortune for princes, because it makes them headlong. Declare natives exalting themselves to the great state, prudent in venegeance, in military tricks, cruel, wanting to be the first, bold, strong, lucky, quick, proper for management; and nothing mediocre in them, but self-will.
Jupiterians and Venerians produce beauty, probity, honesty, piety, justice, fidelity, friendships, honours, riches, love of women, dignities.
Jupiterians and Mercurials are favourable for teachings, administrations, honours, lucks, knowledge of languages, skillfulness, political wisdom, talent, mental ability, but not for happiness in life.
Martians and Solars create bold ones, cruel, lucky or unlucky, depending on the star is with malefics or benefics. With the Moon, the Sun, Mars of lord of Ascendant, the stars give dangers from fire and from lightning. While mostly these stars make some incapable of knowledges,8 and some afflicted in eyesight.
Martians and Venerians sometimes give unexpected and great luck, if cherished by benevolents; and they give inheritances, riches. They have great desire, passions, immoderate lust, sensual delights, although bad deaths. Sometimes, with malifics these stars may bring misfortunes and accidents, sexual violence.
Martians and Mercurials bring out witty ones, with ready tongues, crafty, deceitful, thieves, intriguers, and traitors, scoffers9, swindlers, unstable luck, spies. And these stars bestow good things upon workmen, and harm others, except in war.
Martians and Lunars give defects in eyes, poverty, hard labours, disgrace, violence or sudden death, journeys, exiles, and those who drink hard.
When Venerian and Mercurial stars are with the Sun, the Moon, Mid-heaven, Ascendant or his lord, they impart grace in arts and sciences, and produce skillfulness in contriving of delights.10
1 From Andreae Argoli... Ptolemaeus parvus in genethliacis iunctus arabibus, Lugduni 1659. back to the text
2 Denebola. back to the text
3 Vega. back to the text
4 Aldebaran. back to the text
5 Alphard. back to the text
6 Agena (but perhaps Toliman). back to the text
7 Pollux. back to the text
8 The next word in this enumeration is corrupted and unfit for translation. back to the text
9 This word also could mean players or gamblers. back to the text
10 The next sentence is corrupted and unfit for accurate translation. Presumably, this sentence talks about reasonableness and proportional judgements.back to the text
