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Important Matters brought to Light.

writer of the Partridge's Almanac for the prefent year, printed at Birmingham, juftly obferves, " 'produce broils and bloodfhed in many places."

That the oppofition of the fuperior planets frequently affect the affairs of States and Kingdoms, may be fhewn from a variety of infances, both in ancient and modern hiftory; it is alio apparent from fome recent occurrences, to which I fhall briefly point your at tention.

Friday, the 16th day of laft March, the Moon being in Capricorn, the Sun in Pifces, and Mars retrograde in Virgo, oppofed to the Sun, ripened the long concerted plot again the life of the late King of Sweden. Mercury, the difpofitor of Mars, came foon after to an oppofition by reception to Mars; and Ankerftroem, by whose hands the King fell, was taken into cuftody.

The retrogradation of Mars, no doubt, prevented the unhappy perpetrator of the King's death from executing his intention to take away his own life immediately after he had executed his bloody purpose; and it is remarkable that the very day (viz. the 27th of April) on which Mars became direct, Ankerftroem was put to death.

On the 16th of that month, the Sun being in oppofition to Jupiter, no doubt fo influenced the public mind as to cause the French nation the fame week to declare war against the King of Hungary.

The French, in this great ftruggle which involves the liberty and happinefs of all furrounding nations, are fignified by Jupiter, who when placed in the equinoctial fign Libra, most aptly denotes whether the question relates to an individual or a nation, a defire to obtain justice, right, equality. Their adverfaries are faturnine perfons, of ferocious and martial qualities, who are fignified by Saturn in Aries, the Houfe of Mars. Unfortunately for the French, when hoftilities commenced, Venus, the difpofitor of Jupiter, was in Aries, in oppofition to Jupiter, and

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paffing to the conjunction of the planet Saturn, who is by nature unfortunate, and in Aries he is in his fall, out of all effential dignities, and aptly enough denotes men who fight from habit, or for hire; but Saturn being direct in motion, and Jupiter retrograde, dispofed of by a planet in oppofition to him, clearly fhewed that the beginning of the affray, fo far from being fuccefsful to the French arms, would be attended with difaiter and difappointments; and the application of Venus to Saturn, manifelted that fome part of the French troops were strongly inclined to join the enemy.

Venus having now entered Taurus, a fign in which the has effential dignities, the affairs of the French nation will be more profperous; and, if in consequence of fome friendly aspects which happen the beginning of the next month, matters are not in some measure conciliated by negociation, as Jupiter becomes direct in motion about the zoth of June, I judge that the French arms will be fuccessful, and that if they engage the enemy about Midfummer-day, the troops will be fteady to their duty, and victory be the reward of their valour: the planet Saturn about that time enters the fign Taurus, Mars at the fame time enters Libra, both which indicate a very material alteration in the pofition of the high contending parties.

The month of July produces five fquares, three fextiles, and two conjunctions of the fuperiors: much lightning and thunder may be expected, the bufinefs of defolation will proceed briskly, and many fkirmishes with various fuccefs may be expected. The middle of Auguft, the planet Saturn having entered two degrees thirteen minutes of the fign Taurus, becomes retrograde; and on the 16th, is opposed by Mars, ftrong, and in his effential dignities: Jupiter, at the fame time, will be beheld by a benevolent afpect of Venus and the Sun.

The Heavens will now fight against Sifera; and the French, if they fhould

now

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now engage, may expect a glorious victory. The 14th of September, Saturn and Jupiter come again to an oppofition of each other, the former will be then pofited in Taurus, the latter in Scorpio: this will not only have a confiderable effect on the af fairs of the Kings of the French, and of Hungary, but will tend to ftir up much commotion between Ruffia and Poland let the former, however, beware of internal revolt, for Saturn, who influences the minds of the peafantry, and infpires them with a fpirit of mischief, and difcontent, will be in Taurus upwards of two years and a half.

Indeed, the recent conjunction of Venus with the great infortune, but now martially difpofed,Saturn, and her Jate oppofition to Jupiter in Libra, are evident manifeftations of the hostile

difpofition of the Semiramis of the north, to the Revolution of Poland; although it cannot be objected to that, (as it has to fome others) that it did not take place at once with the concurrence, and for the grandeur and happiness of both the prince and the people.

But let not that extraordinary princefs, prefume too far upon that deftiny which has hitherto been fo aufpicious to her counfels; Heaven has faid to mortals-thus far fhalt thou come, and no further-Princes muft die and tury to duft. "Illa graves oculas conata attollere, rurfus deficit." But the farther profecution of this fubject must be poftponed until another opportunity, by Sir,

Minories, May 23, 1792,

your humble Servant, ASTROLOGUS

HINTS TO YOUNG ARTISTS.

IN ANSWER TO B. QUERIES, DRAWN FROM THE GENTLEMAN'S AND LADY'S NATIVITIES, IN NO. 4 and in no. 9.

By W. E. of Lambeth.

AS Mr. B. has publicly declared, that he is utterly unacquainted with any rule by which he could have predicted a broken arm in the one nati. vity, or an impofthume of the fame member in the other; and as Mr. E, finds he is publicly called on by B. to anfwer this feemingly difficult query; Mr. W. E. conceives it would be doing the higheft injuftice to himself as an artift, if he did not, in the moft plain, obvious, and felf-evident principles of art, convince B. of his miftake, that those who are about to enter upon this ftudy, may not be hunting after airy phantoms, in order to ac count for bodily infirmities or accidents in other nativities.

Mr. B. has not obliged us with the eftimate time of birth in either of the genitures alluded to; but, on confidering the matter, I find that of the

:—If

lady's is November the 25th 1770, at nine hours feven minutes A. M. with ten degrees of Libra afcending, and Jupiter lord of the fixth in the third houfe, and there afflicted by the op pofition of Mars. This pofition is quite fufficient to produce the given accident, which we thus prove: Mr. B. will turn to any good aftro logical author, he will find that the third Houfe governs the arms and fhoulders; Jupiter, who in this lady's geniture, is fignificator of bodily in firmities, becaufe Lord of the fixth, is pofited in the third Houfe, and afflicted by the oppofition of Mars, which was obferved before. Pray where

then lays the difficulty to account for the given accidents? Will not the lord of the fixth in the third, afflicted by the oppofition of an infortune, do it? I am thoroughly fatisfied that

The Augur.

It will, for which reafon I take my leave of this geniture, and país on to the gentleman's.

In this, as in the other, we are left in the dark, as to the eltimate time: however, on examination, it is on the firit of October 1763, at ten hours thirty minutes A. M. at which time nineteen degrees of the Celestial Leo afcending, which is the terms of Jupiter; the fun is in feven degrees fifty minutes of Libra, in Venus's terms difpofed of by her, and within fix degrees of her conjunction fo that the gentleman whofe nativity this is, ought to be of a fine clear complexion, with auburn brown hair. But only mark well the malice and partiality of his ill-natured ftars; for inftead of what we have now defcribed him to be, he is of a dull, fwarthy, fallow complexion, with very dark hair and eyes. I fhall, for these reafons, take the liberty of making the time of birth an hour and forty minutes later, and we shall then have five degrees of Virgo afcending, and Mars exactly on the cufp of the afcendant in mutual reception by Houfe with Mercury, who will then be Lord of the afcendant, and pofited in the third Houfe in Scorpio, within orbs of a fextile of Mars and oppofition of Saturn. Those that are unacquainted with what manner of perfon this pofition will produce, know nothing of aftrology. As to that rule mentioned by B. which excludes the Sun and Moon from forming the defcriptive when lord of the afcendant, it is neither agreeable to reafon, experience, nor common fenfe, which I fhall fufficiently prove, if I find this well

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received. But to proceed, Í again advife Mr. B. to have recourse to his books, and he will find a table fhewing what members or parts of the body every planet governs in any of the twelve celeftial figns, which, it he does, he will presently discover that Mercury in Scorpio governs the arms and fhoulders in this geniture; he is polited in that fign as was before obferved, and in the third house, and afflicted by the oppofition of Saturn; from which confideration it is fuffi ciently obvious, that this pofition, and no other, was the true caufe of the impofthume in the gentleman's arm. As to his person, complexion, &c. nothing can better defcribe him than the above position of Heaven; the given accident being thus fufficiently accounted for.

I fhall conclude with obferving, that I could with young students would be cautious of fuffering them. felves to be deluded into a fondness of new whims; let them rather endea vour to fathom the depth of art by its own genuine principles, which, if they do, they will find their account in fo doing.

I have been a practitioner of this fcience for many years; and if a birth is fent to me within an hour and a half of truth, I can, without farther information, gain the true time within a few minutes; and have ing fo done, can give a true defcrip tion of the complexion, colour of the hair, private marks and moles, tempér, &c.

No. 22, Kendall Place,
near Lambeth Walk.

THE AUGUR. No VII.

ORIGIN OF CERTAIN CUSTOMS.

Concluded from page 94. THE custom of faluting or blefing people when they fneeze, is generally believed to derive its original from a

W. Ea

difeafe wherein fuch as fneezed died; and this feemed to be proved from Carolus Sigonius, who in his History of Italy, makes mention of a peltilence in the time of Gregory the Great, that proved pernicious and deadly to t'ofe

that

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On the Origin of certain Customs.

that fneezed. Yet there is an elder the first night of a moon, they fay

æra for this practice, it being mentioned by Apuleius, who lived three hundred years before Gregory's time, and others, as Petronius Arbiter, proconful of Bithynia, in the reign of Nero. This cuftom is not only ufed in England, but in the remoteft parts of Africa, and the Eaft, as Codignus and

Pinto in their travels witnefs.

The ground of this fo ancient cuf tom was probably the opinion the ancients held, that fncezing was a good fign or bad; and therefore used to congratulate the one, and deprecate the other by this falutation; for out of Plutarch, Ariftotle, and others, we find that fneezing at certain times was held lucky, at others unlucky; and St. Auftin testifies, the ancients were wont to go to bed again if they fneezed while they put on their fhoes.

In feveral places, particularly on Malverne's Hills in Worcestershire, when people fan their corn, and want wind, they cry Youl, Youl, Youl, to invoke it; which word (no doubt) fays Mr. Gadbury, is a corruption of olus, the God of Winds.. And others

think it is from Æolus that they call the Yule-batch, or Christmas-batch, the Yule-block, or Youl-block, i. e. the Christmas-block; as also the Yulegams, that is, Christmas-games, fo

named because about Christmas time

the Eastern winds, faid to be governed by olus, are then most preva

lent.

In Herefordshire, and fome other counties, the vulgar people at the prime of the moon use to say it is a fine moon, God bless her; which may be a blind zeal retained from the ancient Irish, who adored that planet, or elfe might proceed from the custom in Scotland, particularly in the highlands, where women are used to make a curtley to the new moon. And that fome English women do retain a touch of this Gentilifm is plain, when getting over, and fitting astride on a gate or stile

All hail to the moon! all hail to thee!
I prithee good moon, declare to me,
This night, who my hutband must be.

horfe-fhoe on the threshold of fome Perhaps the original of nailing a people's doors, though now pretended to keep out witches, might be from hire, where stands Burgley House, the the like custom practifed in Rutlandancient Seat of the Harringtons, near Oakham, a fair market town of that county, which Lordfhip the Lord Harrington enjoyed, with this privi. ledge, That if any of noble birth came within the precinct of that Lordfhip, they should forfeit as an homage, a fhoe from the horfe whereon they rode,

or else redeem it with a fum of mo ney. In witnefs whereof, there are many horfe- fhoes nailed upon the Shire ancient fashion, others new, and of our Hall door, fome being of large fize, and prefent nobility, whofe names are stamped on them; but there are fome without any names.

That fuch homage was due it appears, because there was a fuit at law formerly commenced against the Earl of Lincoln, who refused to forfeit his penalty or pay the fine.

Of the customs at funerals in Herefordshire to hire poor people to take upon them the fins of the deceased, whom they termed fin-eaters: and the practice in fome parts of Lancashire and Chefhire, on the fecond of No. vember, to fet on a table-board a high heap of foul-cakes (like to the fhewbread in the bible) where every vifitant forbear to fpeak at large, referring to took one, and other the like ufages, I others who have writ thereof, and now come to enumerate fome few who have

writ of Augury, of which are thefe Authors: Amphiateus, Tyrefias, Mopfus, Aphilotus, Chalcas, Romulus, and Cornelius Agrippa.

ARBA

1

ARBATEL'S MAGIC.

APHOR. XIX.

(Continued from Page 346.)

OLYMPUS and the inhabitants thereof, do of their own accord offer themselves to men in the forms of fpirits; and are ready to perform their offices for them, whether they will or not: by how much the rather will they attend you, if they are defired ? But there do appear alfo evil fpirits, and destroyers, which is caufed by the envy and malice of the devil; and because men do allure and draw them unto themselves with their fins, as a punishment due to finners. Whofoever therefore defireth familiarly to have a converfation with fpirits, let him keep himself from all enormous fins, and diligently pray to the most High to be his keeper; and he fhall break through all the fnares and impediments of the devil: and let him apply himself to the fervice of God, and he will give him an increase in wif dom.

APHOR. XX,

All things are poffible to them that believe them, and are willing to receive them; but to the incredulous and unwilling, all things are unpoffible: there is no greater hindrance than a wavering mind, levity, inconftancy, foolish babbling, drunkenness, luft, and difobedience to the word of God. A Magician therefore ought to be a man that is godly, honeft, constant in his words and deeds, having a firm faith towards God, prudent, and covetous of nothing but wisdom about divine things.

APHOR. XXI.

When you would call any of the Olympic fpirits, obferve the rifing of VOL. I.

the fun that day, and of what nature the fpirit is which you defire; and faying the prayer following, your defires fhall be perfected.

"Omnipotent and eternal God, who haft ordained the whole creation for thy praise and glory, and for the fal vation of man, I beseech thee that thou wouldeft fend thy fpirit N. N. of the fólar order, who fhall inform and teach me thofe things which I fhall ask of him; or, that he may bring me medicine against the dropfy, &c. Neverthelefs not my will be done, but thine, through Jefus Christ thy only begot. ten fon our Lord. Amen."

But thou shalt not detain the spirit above a full hour unless he be familiarly addicted to thee,

Forafmuch as thou cameft in peace and quietly, and haft anfwered unto my petitions; I gave thanks unto God, in whofe name thou camest; and now thou mayeft depart in peace unto thy orders; and return to me again when I fhall call thee by thy name, or by thy order, or by thy office, which is granted from the Creator. Amen."

Ecclefiaft. chap. 5. Be not rafh with thy mouth, neither let thy heart be hafty to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven and thou on earth: therefore let thy words he few, for a dream cometh through the mul titude of bufinefs.

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