THE PLANETARY AND ZODIACAL SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
The first step in the study of Mundane Astrology is a knowledge of the names and symbols of the planetary bodies and zodiacal signs.
1. The planets are nine in number and their names and symbols are as follows:-
☉ Sol.
♀ Venus.
♄ Saturn.
☽ Luna.
♂ Mars.
♅ Uranus.
☿ Mercury.
♃ Jupiter.
♆ Neptune.
2. The twelve signs of the Zodiac are named and symbolised as follows:-
♈ Aries.
♌ Leo.
♐ Sagittarius.
♉ Taurus.
♍ Virgo.
♑ Capricorn.
♊ Gemini.
♎ Libra.
♒ Aquarius.
♋ Cancer.
♏ Scorpio.
♓ Pisces.
3. The following groups or divisions of the zodiacal signs should be committed to memory, as it is a very important factor.
Fiery. ♈ ♌ ♐
Cardinal. ♈ ♋ ♎ ♑
Airy. ♊ ♎ ♒
Fixed. ♉ ♌ ♏ ♒
Earthy. ♉ ♍ ♑
Common. ♊ ♍ ♐ ♓
Watery. ♋ ♏ ♓
The Planetary aspects and their symbols are as follows:-
☌ Conjunction. When two planets are in the same longitude.
P Parallel. When two planets are the same distance north or south of the Equator.
∠ Semi-square. A distance of 45° apart.
✻ Sextile. When two planets are sixty degrees apart.
☐ Square. Three signs or 90° apart.
△ Trines. 120° or four signs apart.
# Sesquiquadrate. 135° or four and a half signs distant.
☍ Opposition. 180° or six signs distant.
The student should bear in mind that all these aspects are of different strengths. The conjunction and the opposition are the most powerful, then the parallel, followed by the square, trine and sextile of about equal power, then the semi-square and sesquiquadrate.
The orbs of the aspects, or the number of degrees from an exact aspect, in which a planet will act upon another, requires very careful handling in Mundane Astrology, as only very close aspects should be considered. The orbs of the planets, ☿, ♀, ♂, ♃, ♄, ♅ and ♆ when forming the major aspects, ☌, ✻, ☐, △ and ☍, may be reckoned as 5°. They are to be measured thus. Suppose Venus is forming a conjunction of Mars, then when Venus gets to within five degrees of Mars, the aspect will begin to operate, and will last until Venus is five degrees past it. The same with the other planets. The Sun and Moon have larger orbs. Eight degrees may be allowed the Sun and Moon.
For the minor aspects, smaller orbs should be allowed. For the Planets 2°, and for the Sun and Moon 3°. It is a very difficult subject to deal with, but the above may be taken as practically correct.
For the parallel, one degree either way should be allowed for the Sun, Moon and Planets. Thus, if the Sun is in 12° north declination, and Jupiter in 17° [Ed — maybe typo.] north, then they are in parallel and will remain in this aspect until the difference of their declinations amounts to more than a degree.
For the cusps of the mundane houses, observe the following rule. Find the number of degrees between one house and the next and divide it by three, and reckon this one third as the orb of the cusp of the house. Thus if the twelfth house is Aquarius 13°, and the Ascendant Aries 0°, find the difference between these two degrees, which is 47°, and one third of this is nearly 16°, so when a planet gets within 16 degrees of Aries 0°, it is to be reckoned as in the ascendant, or first house.