Astrological Forecasts

The Ancients do put this question to those concerning the 9th house, and I conceive for no other reason, than because it must be granted, that all Ships are made for travel and journeys: however, in regard the most part of the judgment concerning its safety or ruin is derived from the Ascendant and his Lord, and the Moon, I thought fit to place this judgment as belonging to the 1st house.

“Generally, the Signe ascending and the Moon are Significators of the Ship, and what goods are in her: if in the question demanded you find all these unfortunate, that is, if a malevolent Planet by position be placed in the Ascendant, he having dignities in the 8th; or if you find the Lord of the Ascendant in the 8th, in any configuration with the Lord of the 8th, 12th, 4th or 6th, or the Moon combust, or under the earth, you may judge the Ship is lost, and the men drowned, (unless you find reception betwixt themselves) for then the Ship was casually Shipwrecked, and some of the sea men did escape: but if you find the preceding Significators all of them free from misfortune, both men and goods are all safe; the more safe if any reception be. But if the Ascendant and the Moon be infortunate, and the Lord of the Ascendant fortunate, the Ships like to be drowned, but the men will be saved: Some for better knowledge and discovery of what part of the Ship was like to be freest from danger, have divided the several parts of the Ship, and have assigned to every of the twelve Signes, a part or place of the Ship, by which if any damage was to come to the Ship, they could or might better prevent it.

Unto Aries they give the Brest of the Ship.

To Taurus what is under the Brest a little towards the Water.

To Gemini the Roother or Sterne of the Ship.

To Cancer the Bottome or Floor of the Ship.

To Leo the top of the Ship above Water.

To Virgo the Belly of it.

To Libra that part which sometimes is above, and sometimes below the Water, or betwixt Wind and Water,

To Scorpio that part where the Seamen are lodged, or so their Office.

To Sagittarius the Mariners themselves,

To Capricorn the ends of the Ship.

To Aquarius the Master or Captaine of the Ship.

To Pisces the Oares.

“At the time when the Question is asked concerning the well or ill being of the Ship, see which of these Signes, or how many of them are fortunate, or hath the Moon or the Lord thereof fortunate, it’s an argument those parts of the Ship so signified, will have no defect, or need repaire thereof, or the Ship will receive any detriment in those parts: but which of these Signes you find unfortunate, or in what Signes you find the Moon or Lord of the Signe where she is, unfortunate, in that place or part of the Ship assigne impediment and misfortune, and thereof give warning.

“But when the Querent shall demand of any Ship which is setting forth, and the state of that Ship ere she return, and what may be hoped of her in her voyage, then behold the Angles of the Figure, and see if the fortunate Planets are therein posited, or falling into Angles, and the infortunes remote from Angles, Cadent, Combust or under the Sun Beams, then you may judge the Ship will goe safe to the place intended, with all the Goods and Loading in her: But if you find the infortunates in Angles, or Succeeding Houses, there will chance some hinderance unto the Ship, and it shall be in that part which the Signe signifies where the unfortunate Planet is; if the same infortunate be Saturn, the Ship will be split, and all the men drowned, or receive hurt by some bruise, or running a ground: but if it be Mars, and he in any of his Essentiall Dignities, or behold a place where he hath any Dignity or be in an Earthly Signe, he shall then signify the same which Saturn did, or very great danger and damage to the Ship: But if the Fortunes cast their benevolent rayes or aspect to the places where Mars or Saturn are, and the Lords of the four Angles of the Figure, and especially, or more properly, the Ascendant, and the Lord of that house or Signe where the Moon is in be free, then it’s an argument, the Ship shall labor hard, and suffer much damage, yet notwithstanding the greater part both of Goods and Men shall be preserved. But if Mars does afflict the Lords of the Angles, the Dispositor of the Moon; the Mariners will be in great fear of their enemies, or of Pyrates or Sea-robbers, shall even tremble from feare of them: and if there also unto this evill configuration chance any other affliction in the Signes, there will happen among the Mariners Blood-shed, Controversies, quarrelling one with another, theeving and robbing each other, purloyning the Goods of the Ship; and this judgment will prove more certaine if the unfortunate Planets be in the Signes which fall to be in the Division of the upper part of the Ship, towards the height or top of her.

“If Saturn in the like nature doe afflict, as was before recited of Mars, there will be many thefts committed in the Ship, but no bloodshed; the Goods of the Ship consume, no body knowing which way.

“If the unfortunate Signes (viz. those which are afflicted by the presence of Saturn or South Node) be those which signifie the bottome or that part of the Ship which is under Water, it’s an argument of the breaking and drowning thereof, or receiving some dangerous Leak: if the Signes so unfortunate be in the Midheaven, and Mars unfortunating them, it’s like the Ship will be burned by fire, thunder or lightning, or matter falling out of the Aire into the Ship; this shall then take place when the Signes are Fiery, and near violent fixed Stars.

“If that Signe wherein Mars or the unfortunate Planet be the Signe of the 4th house, it notes firing of the Ship in the bottome of her; but if Mars be there, and the Signe humane, viz. either Gemini, Libra or Aquarius, that fire or burning of the Ship shall proceed from a fight with Enemies, or they shall cast into her or shall teare the Ship in pieces in grapling with her, and the fire shall in that part of the Ship first take hold, signified by the Signe wherein an Infortunate was at time of asking the Question.

“If Saturn instead of Mars does denunciate dammage, and be placed in the Mid-heaven, the Ship shall receive prejudice by contrary Winds, and by leaks in the Ship, by rending or using of bad sailes; and this misfortune shall be greater or lesser, according to the potency of the Significator of that misfortune, and remotenesse of the Fortunes.

“If the same Infortune be in the 7th house, and he be Saturn, the latter part of the Ship will be in danger of misfortune, and the Sterne of the Ship will be broke.

“Moreover, if any infortune be in the Ascendant, some losse will be in the fore-part of the Ship, greater of lesse, according to the quality or strength of the Significator thereof; or if the Lord of the Ascendant be Retrograde, the Ship will proceed forward a while, but either returne or put into some harbor within a little time after her setting forth; and if the Lord of the Ascendant be in a Moveable Signe and Retrograde, and the Lord of the 4th also, viz. Retrograde, the Ship will returne againe crossed by contrary Winds, to the very Port from which she first set out: and if the Lord of the Ascendant have no other impediments than Retrogradation, there will be no losse by the returne of it; but if to Retrogradation some other misfortune happen, the Ship returnes to amend something amisse, and was also in danger.

“Besides, if the Lord of the 8th shall infortunate the Lord of the Ascendant, especially if the Lord of the Ascendant be in the 8th, there will come hurt to the Ship according to the nature of the Planet afflicting: as if the same Planet that is Lord of the 8th house doe impedite the Lord of the house of the Moon, the Lord of the Ascendant and the Moon, it imports the death of the Master or Governour of the Ship, and of his Mate and principall Officers of the Ship: and if the Part of Fortune and the Lord of the 2nd house be unfortunate, it pronounceth losse in sale of those Goods in the Ship, or ill venting of them, or that they will not come  to a good market; but if either North Node, Jupiter or Venus be in the 2nd house, or Lord thereof, or Dispositors of the Signe the Part Of Fortune is in, there will be good profits from the Voyage of that Ship, and sale of Goods therein the more the Significators are essentially strong, the more profit may be expected.

“If the Lord of the Ascendant and the Lord of the house of the Moon be slow of course, and those Planets that dispose of them, then it’s probable the Ship will be slow in her motion, and make a long Voyage of it: but if the aforesaid Significators be quick in motion, the Ship shall make good speed to the Port intended, and will returne home again in shorter time then is expected.

“And if it happen that there be an Opposition or Square aspect betwixt the Lord of the Ascendant and the Lord of that Signe who disposeth the Moon, and this aspect be without reception, then will there be much discord among the Saylors, and much controversie betwixt the Merchant and them; wherein, he shall prevaile that is most dignified; that is, the Sea-men if the Lord of the Ascendant be strongest; the Merchant, if the Lord of the house where the Moon is be best fortified.

“If the lord of the 2nd be removed from his 2nd (that is, if Taurus be the cusp of the 2nd, and Venus further removed then Gemini) or if the Lord of the 2nd be removed from the 2nd house wherein the Moon is in, (as if she be in Virgo, and the Lord of the 2nd not in Libra, or if the Disposer of the Part Of Fortune be not with it, then the Ship-men will have scarsity of Provisions of Victuals and Food: if these Planets or Part Of Fortune be in Watry Signes, want of fresh water will most annoy the Saylors: if the Significators be in Earthly or Airey Signes, want of Food, Victuals and Fire will oppresse them: This is the manner by which the Ancients did judge of the good or ill successe of a Ship, concerning her Voyage at her first going forth.”