BETHEM'S CENTILOQUY
translated anonymously into Latin in 1505 in Flanders, which was then Northern France and what is today Belgium.
1. We will begin this book, according to custom, and in the judgment of the stars.
2. Thou mayest know, when a planet is Retrograde, he is a man infirm, stupefied and solicitous.
3. If Cadent, he is as a man dead and hath no motion.
4. If Combust, as a man in prison, without hopes of liberty.
5. If Stationary to Retrogradation, he is a healthful man, receding from health: yet there is hope of recovery remaining.
6. If Stationary to Directlon,as a sick man amending.
7. If besieged (i.e., when between the two infortunes), as a man fearful, between two enemies.
8. A planet between Jupiter and Venus is as a man pleasant and free from want and trouble.
9. If aspected of the Infortunes from the fourth house, as a man on whom death is approaching.
10. A planet in aspect of his enemy, as a man fearing to be trepanned or betrayed.
11. A planet in conjunction with an Infortune, is as one fighting with his enemy.
12. A planet in conjunction with a Fortune, is as one in his friends' embraces.
13. A planet in another's house, who rules the same Trigon (i.e., triplicity), as a man in the house of his friend.
14. Cadent from house or exaltation, he is as one absent from his abode.
15. A planet in his own house or in his exaltation, is as one in his castle or stronghold.
16. If these Retrograde, he is as a sick man at home.
17. If combust in his own house, he is as a man confined thereto by his king.
18. If in his own dignity and cadent, he is as a man vexed and fearful.
19. Fortunate planets Retrograde, are unfortunate: but if cadent from Angles. or from their own houses, they are as one hoping for good but missing it.
20. A Fortune retrograde, conjoined with an infortune, strengthens the nature of the infortune, but abates the worth of his own.
21. An Infortune in his own house direct, and there joined to a fortune, his malignancy shall turn to good.
22. A planet in the last degree of a Sign, is as one falling from his estate.
23. A planet in the first degree of a Sign, is but weak in signification.
24. From the first degree to the fifteenth, a planet is rising, but from the fifteenth to the twenty-fifth he is as a man complete in strength.
25. A planet in the last degree, or the last five degrees of a sign, is as a man leaving his house.
26. An earthy planet in the Ascendant strong, augurs good in anything: (i.e.. a planet ruling the earthy triplicity).
27. A planet not in his own house is as a man knocking at another's door: and his signification is to be slighted, he having no power in that place.
28. When planets are with the Sun, their signification and power are abated and much lessened thereby.
29. When planets are in the last degrees of a Sign, retrograde, their judgments are transmitted, their light lessened and their strength and glory abated.
30. A planet seven degrees distant from the Sun, in his own house, retrograde, is as a man in his castle, in the power of his enemy, striving to abandon slavery.
31. A planet in the house of his enemy, is as a man in such a condition, namely, a real prisoner.
32. A planet in his own house, free from affliction, declares the perfection of the question, or thing, interrogated.
33. The Moon separating from a planet, shews what is past.
34. But applying to one, denotes what is to come.
35. If she be separating from Saturn in any question, she shows sorrow, discord and trouble.
36. If from Jupiter, mirth, pleasure, wealth, good fortune, etc.
37. If from Mars, contention, strife, bloodshed, bonds, false witnesses, etc.
38. If from Sun, she signifies sickness, cares, fears and imprisonment.
39. If from Venus, love or lust, sports, laughter, dancing, singing, etc.
40. If from Mercury, judge according as Mercury is posited.
41. The Moon applying to a planet, shows things to come, according as per application is with them.
42. Luna, fortunate in the morning, the querent's business will be the better all the day long. One born then will be fortunate, etc.
43. But if she be unfortunate in the morning, it shews corruption in the question, etc. He that is born then dies quickly, is sick1y, etc.
44. The Moon in Conjunction of Saturn, usually proves an ill day for every work.
45. The Moon in Conjunction of Jupiter, is observed to be a good day in general.
46. The Moon in Conjunction of Mars, is unfortunate for every purpose.
47. The Moon in Conjunction of Sun, is fit for private business, but he who then falls sick, dies.
48. The Moon in Conjunction of Venus, it is a good day, chiefly in love matters.
49. The Moon in Conjunction of Mercury, it is a good day, chiefly for contracts and writings.
50. The Moon in Opposition of Saturn, a bad day in all things, especially to saturnine people.
51. The Moon in Opposition of Jupiter, laudable in all things: (vix credo-opposition rarely produces good].*
52. The Moon in Opposition of Mars, begin nothing of weight that day, for no good end can be expected.
53. The Moon in Opposition of Sun, good in no manner of work or business, therefore to be avoided.
54. The Moon in Opposition of Venus, a laudable day in all things: (vix credo-the contrary often happens).
55. The Moon in Opposition of Mercury, a good day for all work: (not for contracts, I am sure).
56. The Moon in Square of Saturn, is a bad day, chiefly in meeting with kings and great persons. Let not noble and eminent men then take journeys, for they will prove ill. The sick man will hardly escape that is taken sick at such a time.
57. The Moon in Square of Jupiter, is a good day in access to great men, to attain friends, but in Trine to Jupiter is much better.
58. The Moon in Square of Mars, is unfortunate in all things; chiefly in contending with great men, and in marriage; the sick man dies, or bleeds, that then falls sick.
59. The Moon in Square of Sun, is good to manage the affairs of great persons; but the Trine aspect must be preferred before it.
60. The Moon in Square of Venus, is good in all things. chiefly in love matters. (These aphorisms must be warily understood).
61. The Moon Square of Mercury is a good day to traffic in merchandise, study, or converse with kings, etc.
62. Luna in Sextile of Saturn, is good to converse with ancient people, or to begin any work of a saturnine nature.
63. Luna in Sextile of Jupiter, good to settle things, and to do justice, to marry, etc.
64. Luna in Sextile of Mars, is good to fight an enemy, to reduce or divide an army.
65. Luna in Sextile of Sun, is a good day to manage the affairs of great persons.
66. Luna in Sextile of Venus, is excellent in all things, chiefly in love matters.
67. Luna in Sextile of Mercury, a singularly good day for contracts, agreements and merchandise.
68. Luna in Trine of Saturn, is a good day to talk with magistrates, to build, etc.
69. Luna in Trine of Jupiter, is a good day in all things, principally to meet kings, lawyers, etc.
70. Luna in Trine of Mars, a good day to begin war, and end controversies: to hunt or converse with martialists.
71. Luna in Trine of Sun, is a good day to meet kings, princes and nobles, or court or petition their favour, etc.
72. Luna in Trine of Venus, is good for everything, chiefly in marriage matters, and all love affairs.
73. Luna in Trine of Mercury, good to converse with lawyers, scribes, secretaries, etc.
74. Saturn in the Ascendant hurts the question, and when retrograde there, destroys it.
75. Saturn in the Tenth House, he destroys the most hopeful things, let it be in a Nativity or Question.
76. Saturn in the Seventh, oft changes the business, and brings mischief to it by some means or other.
77. Saturn in the Fourth, shews an unhappy end of every business, though carried on with much care and pains. (Query, when lord of the fourth.-ED.)
78. What Saturn bindeth, Jupiter dissolveth.
79. The like doth Venus in what Mars bindeth.
80. The Moon separating from Jupiter or Venus, undoes what is bound by Mercury, in any Nativity, Question or Election.
81. The three Superior Planets in opposition of the Sun, corrupt and hinder the Question.
82. Saturn in Square of Sun, shows a good progress, but a bad end of a thing.
83. Saturn in Square or Opposition of Jupiter, dissolves oppression and violence threatened.
84. Saturn in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Mars, prohibits mirth, impedes or destroys the Question though never so hopeful.
85. Saturn in Conjunction or Opposition of Venus and in the Tenth, the Question then propounded aims at dishonesty.
86. Saturn in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Mercury, destroys the Question, makes things that are impertinent and idle, more idle and impertinent.
87. Jupiter in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Saturn, hinders his evil portended, and turns it to good.
88. Jupiter in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Mars, hinders the force of generation and corruption. (Query.-ED.)
89. Jupiter in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Venus, shews the aptness of the question and its good end.
90. Jupiter in Conjunction, Square or Opposition of Mercury. The business enquired after comes to a good end, with an addition to what the querent expects. (Query all the foregoing, as regards the Square aspect at any rate.-ED.)
91. The infortunes in the Ascendant or Second House, strong, shews the querent's fortune to be transmitted from evil to good. Understand the same both in Nativities and Questions.
92. But if in those houses unfortunate, it is then changed from good to evil, which must be left to the astrologer's judgment to determine.
93. It is the same when they are posited in any of the other Angles. An ingenious artist knows .how to apply these hints.
94. The Lord of the Ascendant in Via Combusta, the Question is corrupted. The Via Combusta is from 150 Libra to 150 of Scorpio.
95. An Infortune in the tenth or fourth from the Ascendant* of the question, obscures the matter or thing queried, and the querent shall tremble to think of the evil attending it.
96. An Infortune in the Ascendant or Second, fortunate, portends the business to answer the querent's desire but shews him to reap small gains thereby.
97. In the same houses unfortunate, it denotes the matter or thing enquired after will come to nought.
98. Few degrees horoscopical, ** and the Lord of the Ascendant in the Ninth or Sixth descending, the queren’t never obtains the thing he expects : The Fortunes cadent, and Infortunes angular, the same.
99. A Planet signifying any matter, evilly disposed at the time of the querent's first moving the same, denotes a vexcrtious and unhappy end to the thing required: if well disposed, judge the contrary.
100. When the significator of a thing is in Reception or good aspect of an Infortune in an Angle, the querent's business may then be accomplished; but he usually takes away what he gives hopes of at the last. By Reception is meant, when a Planet shall be in the house or exaltation of another, and that other in his; and both there free from the beams of the Infortunes.
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* I.e., the cusp of the house ruling the question.
** I.e., having passed across the cusp of the ascendant.
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