Aries

“ Aries is the house and joy of Mars, signifies a dry constitution, long face and neck, thick shoulders, swarthy complexion, and a hasty, passionate temper. It governs the head and face, and all diseases relating thereto. It reigns over England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Lesser Poland, Syria, Naples, Capua, Verona, etc. It is a masculine sign, and is regarded as fortunate. ”

“ Aries was originally the leader of the zodiac, but the Precession of the Equinoxes has now thrown it into second place, and brought Pisces to the front, the twelve signs of the zodiac being like a fixed circular framework through which the constellations drift toward the east. The sign Aries remains the first of the zodiac, but is occupied by the constellation Pisces. Is there in any language a word more mysteriously impressive than “zodiac”? ”

“ It would seem then that there are indications in the mythology and in the history of the Egyptians, of honour paid to the constellation Aries, and as we further study the records of antiquity, now within our reach, it will, I believe, become evident that not only the Egyptians, but also all the great civilized nations of the East, had traditions of a year beginning when the sun and moon entered the constellation Aries—such a year as that in use amongst the Babylonians during their long existence as a nation, and such as that which is used by the Hindus in India to this present day. ”

“ Take as a brief illustration of the manner in which Astrologers presumptuously assign to the planets their several offices relating to human nature the following:—
Those born when Aries ascends are born under the sign Aries and planet Mars. This is the diurnal, fair, and masculine house of Mars, and partakes also largely of the nature of the magnanimous Sun, and the benevolent and moral Jupiter, who rule the fiery trigon, of which Aries is the first sign. ”

“ Aries rules the brain and the fiery, imperial will. It signifies courage, daring, etc., the first qualities necessary for the battle of life. Ruling the head, the sign and house show us the ability of man to view the field of action, to mark his chart, and arm for the war (which will be incessant) ; responsible for his acts, a creature of unfolding consciousness, an individual, whose measure of free will enables him to wander so far North or South of his celestial equator, within his orbit, or Zodiac. ”

“ Let us suppose that we are again in the period when the sun was in Aries at the vernal equinox; on the 21st of March our earth, in travelling round the sun (annual motion) , has reached a point at which the sun is placed between us and the first stars of Aries, which are then, of course, invisible, because when the sun is visible it is daytime—that is, the part of the earth on which we stand is opposed to the sun, which renders all the stars in that part of the heavens invisible ”

“ At last from Aries rolls the bounteous sun,
And the bright Bull receives him. Then no more
Th' expansive atmosphere is cramp'd with cold,
But full of life, and vivifying soul,
Lifts the light clouds sublime, and spreads them thin,
Fleecy, and white, o'er all-surrounding heaven. ”

“ Now as Aries is taken as the starting-point for the reasons we have mentioned, and as the male likewise rules and holds first place, since also the active is always superior to the passive in power, the signs of Aries and Libra were thought to be masculine and diurnal, an additional reason being that the equinoctial circle which is drawn through them completes the primary and most powerful movement of the whole universe. ”

“ The shining Zodiac, with its myriad constellations and its perfect galaxy of starry systems, derives its subtle influence, as impressed astrologically upon the human constitution, from the solar center of our solar system, NOT FROM THE STARS which occupy the twelve mansions of space. Aries, the fiery, and PISCES, the watery, ARE ALWAYS THERE, and, instead of its being an argument against astrology, it is one of its grandest truths that, in all ages and in all times, Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac has been found EVER THE SAME, equally as well as Pisces the last. ”

“ The signs of the Zodiac are variously grouped to show certain of their qualities. One method segregates them into four groups of three signs each, each group having affinity for one of the elements: Thus Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fiery. Taurus Virgo and Capricorn are earthy. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are airy, and Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are watery. These four groups constitute the four Triplicities.
The fiery triplicity has its apex in the Eastern angle, Aries, where the creative fire commences to produce a body for the spirit to function in in the material world. ”

“ Pisces and Aries.—The remaining zodiacal constellations are Pisces, or the Fishes, Aries, or the Ram (Fig. 398) , and Cancer, or the Crab.
The Fishes lie under Pegasus and Andromeda, but contain no bright stars. Aries (between Pisces and Taurus) is marked by a pair of stars on the head,—one of the second, and one of the third magnitude. Cancer (between Leo and Gemini) has no bright stars, but contains a remarkable cluster of small stars called Præsepe, or the Beehive. ”

“ The Scorpion, Archer, and Sea-Goat,
The Man that carries the Water-pot,
And Fish with glittering scales.” These signs have always and everywhere been preserved in this order, and have begun with Aries. They have been known amongst all nations, and in all ages, thus proving their common origin from one source.
[pg 017] The figures themselves are perfectly arbitrary. There is nothing in the groups of stars to even suggest the figures. This is the first thing which is noticed by every one who looks at the constellations. Take for example the sign of Virgo, and look at the stars. ”

“ In Aries we have very clear proof that many of the constellations must be regarded as mere symbols, and in no-wise to be thought of as owing their names to a fancied resemblance to some creature or object, for the obtuse angle formed by the three principal stars in Aries could only resemble at best the hind leg of a sheep or ram, and so we are bound to the conviction that the ram is simply a symbol. ”

“ People born under Aries are usually very executive, earnest, and determined, also noble, generous, magnetic, and have occult powers and metaphysical tastes. Good scholars and great talkers" The modern astrologer professes to predict the personal appearance, characteristic temperament, dominant faults, prevalent diseases, love affairs, and character of children born under each of the twelve signs. ”

“ Observe, the order of the Zodiac is reversed upon the external human plane. But, Aries is always symbolical of the first angle, and Libra of the seventh, being the point of equilibrium, while the tenth, or South, angle becomes Capricorn and the fourth Cancer. The mission of the soul now is to evolve the positive, spiritual attributes. ”

“ Astronomers distinguish between a fixed and intellectual zodiac; and the movable and visible zodiac. According to the former, Aries still stands as the first of the signs; that is to say, the first thirty degrees of the zodiacal circle, reckoning from the equinoctial point in spring, are allotted to Aries in the intellectual zodiac.... Astronomers generally choose to reckon by the fixed and intellectual zodiac.— (Drummond's "Oedipus Judaicus.") ”

“ When the Sun is in the Hast and crosses the celestial equator from the south to the north, it enters its martial exaltation sign Aries as a conquering king at the vernal equinox, and all nature wakens to the life, love and labor of another year. Therefore the point where the lesser Light crosses into the north declination is also subject to a benign life-giving influence, such as that ascribed to the Dragon’s Head. It fosters and promotes all matters within its influence. ”

“ Aries governs the East, Cancer the North, Libra the West, and Capricornus the South.
The Double-bodied signs are Gemini, Sagittarius, and Pisces. It is important that all these classifications should be learned, as they form an essential part of the doctrine of Astrology, and are frequently employed in the reading of a Horoscope.
The types of people under the various signs should also be known as intimately as possible. A person is said to be “under” a sign—that is to say, under its influence, when that sign is rising in the East at the [Pg 26] moment of birth. ”

“ The Sun and Mars make the complexion more florid, the Moon and Saturn make it paler and darker, Jupiter and Venus make the body more portly. Saturn shortens, Uranus and Mercury lengthen it, This applies to all the signs, but is especially marked when a planet rises in the sign it rules. Mars, in Aries rising would give fiery red hair and a face full of freckles. The Sun rising in Leo would give a florid complexion with flaxen hair, but if Saturn were there, instead it would shorten the body and darken the hair.
Aries people are bold, self confident and impulsive ”

“ It is the only group of stars by which to distinguish Aries, and it is sometimes confused with the little constellation called Triangulum, which lies just west of it, or above it, as it rises. With this in mind, Triangulum may be made to serve as an identifying mark. They both rise just a trifle north of the exact east early in the evenings of late September and October. Triangulum rises first, with its apex toward the south. In less than an hour the triangle of Aries arrives with its apex pointed north. ”

“ This is exactly in accordance with the astrology of the period. Each sign, such as Aries, was said to contain 30 degrees, or 3 faces; a face being 10 degrees. The first face of Aries (degrees 1-10) was called the face of Mars, the second (11-20) the face of the Sun, the third (21-30) that of Venus. Hence the sun, being in the fourth degree, was in Mars's face. Again, every planet had its (so-called) mansion or house; whence Aries was called the mansion of Mars, Taurus that of Venus, Gemini that of Mercury, &c. ”

“ The diagram (Fig. 68) shows how it is that when Aries is on the meridian at 5 o’clock in the evenings of February, Gemini will be rising in the east, and Aquarius, with Mercury in it, will be getting ready to set in the west.
You can find all the other planets in the same way, but it is much easier to find them in the sky than it is to try and imagine their positions after reading how it is done. You should, though, by all [Pg 64] means, read the chapter on The Stars of the Zodiac before you try to plot a planet, for there is much useful information in it which you ought to know. ”

“ The Significator is no more then that Planet which ruleth the house that signifies the thing demanded: as if Aries is ascending, Mars being the Lord of Aries, shal be significator of the Querent, viz, the Sign ascending shall in part signifie his corporature, body or stature, the Lord of the Ascendant, the Moon and Planet in the Ascendant, or that the Moon or Lord of the Ascendant are in aspect with, shall shew his quality or conditions equally mixed together ”

“ As Scorpio's claws, and fam'd Orion's zone. 240
Deltoton next—another sign—is given,
Which marks the place of Aries in the heaven.
Three stars the form of a Triangle trace—
Two equal sides upon a shorter base.
Southward of this, declining to the west,
Behold his ample horns and shaggy breast.
Where the equator cuts the zodiac line,
On the blue vault the glittering Fishes shine.
Though far apart a diamond-studded chain,
Clasping their silvery tails, unites the twain. 250
The Northern one more bright is seen to glide
Beneath th' uplifted arm, and near the side
Of fair Andromeda. ”

“ Therefore parents with Aries children have a great responsibility to set before them by precept and example the noblest and best form of conduct of which they are capable, for this is probably the most impressive sign in the zodiac, and the habits formed, the lessons learned in childhood and youth will generally cling to the person through life and make him either very good or very bad. ”

“ And, whilst the Sun is in Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, the Earth’s Axis CP lies to the right hand of the Axis of the Ecliptic CH as seen from the Sun, and to the left hand while the Sun is in the other six Signs. ”

“ A bare view of the Figure is enough to shew, that as the Earth advances from Capricorn toward Aries, and the Sun appears to move from Cancer toward Libra, the north Pole recedes toward the dark, which causes the days to decrease, and the nights to increase in length, till the Earth comes to Aries, and then they are equal as before; for the boundary of light and darkness cut the Equator and all it’s parallels equally, or in halves. ”

“ If the Quere be concerning a Disease, and Aries be either on the cusp of the Ascendant, or descending in the sixt, you may judge he hath something in his Disease of the nature of Aries, but what it is, you must know by the concurrence of the other significators. If a Country man or Citizen hath lost or misseth and Cattle, or any materiall thing in his house, let him observe in what Sign the Significator of the thing is in ”