A DIAGRAM OF THE Twelve Houses of Heaven.

An Explanation Of The Above Diagram

In order to illustrate plainly to the reader what Astrologers mean by the "Houses of Heaven", it is proper for him to bear in mind, that, there are four cardinal points in the mundane circle of the earth round her own axis, which is not only demonstrable to reason, but known to every one; these are, the exact line wherein the Sun (speaking according to the course of custom) rises in the morning, where he comes to the meridian or mid-day, where he sets in the evening of the same day, and where he comes to the Nadir, twelve'o'clock, or midnight line, the first of these, that is, the tine (or imaginary line) which is level with the horizon when the sun rises, is the Astrologer's first house, or first grand angle, termed the Horoscope or ascendant. The second point, or the degree, when he is at his highest altitude, which invariably is in every latitude at noon-day, is the Astrologer's tenth house, or mid-heaven, and most powerful angle, or house of honor. Pursuing the same Course, the apparent line level with the horizon, when the sun sets, constitutes the seventh house in the sidereal art, being the third grand angle, and setting horizon or descendant.

Again, at midnight, the Sun arrives to the cusp or line of the lower heaven, or nadir, or as Astrologers term it, the Imum Coeli and fourth house. These four cardinal points, as before observed, all men are sensibly aware of, and the most inveterate critic that may be fated to lash our present system, will, we presume, allow us in this instance to hold our proposition undisputed; since, although we cannot in the " etherial blue" discern these said lines or terminating divisions, both reason and experience (leaving mathematical science out of the question) assure us that they certainly exist; therefore the Astrologer has certain grounds for the choice of his four angular houses, which, resembling the palpable demonstration they afford, (even to the most bigoted incredulist) are in the Astral science esteemed the most powerful of the whole.

Now at the equator, where the sun is vertical, and all celestial arcs are measured by rectangles, equal parts of the zodiac pass through the great circle of the equator in equal times, or in other words, every house of heaven would contain just thirty degrees; but in every other part of the globe, the oblique inclination of the earth in her orbit, (which causes the length and shortness of our days) causes the Sun apparently to rise earlier/and set later at one period of the year than another; and this causes his semi-diurnal arc, or the apparent space between sun rising and noon, to be greater or less, as the year advances or decreases; therefore, When the time of sun rising-is obtained, and subtracted from noon-day, it is self-evident the difference will give a certain space of time, which in hours and minutes, constitutes balf the day. This space of time the As--trologer next turns into degrees and minutes, (by multiplying each hour by fifteen degrees of the equator, and the minutes in proportion) which measured on the tropic of Cancer, and divided into two other equal parts, causes the space between Sun rise and noon-day to have three equal divisions, thus constituting two other houses of heaven, namely, the eleventh and twelfth houses.

The same method is pursued on the same principles, with the remaining part of the great diurnal and nocturnal circle, giving for the result, the whole of the twelve celestial houses, which thus are proved to be neither visionary nor imaginary, but founded on truths, as solid and substantial, as the course of the sun through the firmament, (or in other words, of the earth around that luminary) and defying the most acute incredulist to deny their existence.

" The western Sun withdraws; meanwhile'the Moon Full orb'd, and breaking through the scatter'd clouds, . Shows her broad visage in the crimsoned east"

Thomson.

The four first of these houses, namely,the first, tenth, seventh, and fourth, are termed angles, as being of the greatest strength and power; the next four are termed succeedents, as being of less energy, but still next in sympathetic power, and are the second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh houses. The weakest of all in influence are the cadent, which are the third, ninth, sixth, and twelfth houses; and it is not without reason that these divisions are made, which the attentive student, who wishes to read the true language, of the stars, will most readily discover; in which respect he will reap the benefit of the " labours of ages", and from the rust of antiquity will distinguish the true polish of substantial science.

There have been various opinions amongst Astrological writers, as to the nature and effect of certain aspects, familiarities, and configurations of the active and passive stars or agents; bat in the effects of the. houses, they are nearly all (or quite all) unanimous, both in the oriental and European regions; which we will now proceed to illustrate, in a manner intelligible to any one, that will but pursue the subject with a little undivided add close attention.

ASTROLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE Twelve Houses of Heaven.

From the most renowned Authors and selectest manuscript writings.

" Thus measuring things in heav'n by things on earth At thy request, and that thou may'st beware By what is past, to thee 1 have reveal'd What might have else to human race been hid".

Milton.

Astrologers in their descriptions usually commence with the: