The Message of the Stars[18]
[PAGE 405] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
CHAPTER XVIII
THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION IN A NUTSHELL
Students of the Stellar Science will find the following Table very useful
in delineating horoscopes for though the planets confer many more character-
istics than there given, as shown in the general reading which opens the
chapter wherein the places and aspects of each planet are given, the follow-
ing keywords give in a succinct manner the quintessence of the characteris-
tics conferred by each planet according to whether it is well or ill
aspected.
When the student has mastered the meaning of the positions and aspects of
the various planets as given in the preceding chapters he may with the
greatest of ease give a good delineation of the effect of each aspect by
combining the key-words in this Table and elaborating upon them. for in-
stance, if reading a horoscope where the Sun is trine Saturn, put down the
description given in the Table as follows:
"The vital, venturesome and authoritive Sun trine the deliberative, per-
severing, tactful, cautious, methodical and thoughtful Saturn (then
elaborate) will give John a tenacious hold on life and endow him with both
courage and caution, so that while he may seem venturesome at times he will
[PAGE 406] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
always carefully calculate the obstacles to be overcome and not attempt any-
thing foolhardy, but accomplish his object once he has decided to go ahead.
He will be systematic, orderly and methodical, also persevering in whatever
he undertakes after due deliberation and forethought, hence his efforts will
generally be brought to a successful issue. In dealing with others he will
be thoughtful and tactful, hence usually able to obtain his desires by di-
plomacy. On account of these qualities he will be generally successful in
life and he will lay up a fair fortune, for Saturn is also the planet of ac-
quisitiveness."
In a similar manner students may combine the key-words of all the other
planets and aspects from this Table and elaborate on them as they can. This
will enable them to give a good reading of any horoscope with a little prac-
tice. For further practical demonstration of this method students are ad-
vised to study the children's horoscopes in RAYS FROM THE RED CROSS, where
the writer makes use of it every month. These horoscopes are a mine of in-
struction which not student desiring to perfect himself in the stellar sci-
ence can afford to be without. The key-words will bring to his mind what
has been said about the general nature of the planets under consideration;
this he may combine with the nature of the signs and houses where the plan-
ets are placed if a very full reading is desired.
[PAGE 407] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
TABLE OF PLANETARY KEY-WORDS
The vital, venturesome, dignified and authoritive Sun.
The lazy, ambitionless, despotic and cowardly Sun.
The harmonious, artistic, beautiful, lovely, cheerful and suave Venus.
The dissolute, sensual, vulgar, slothful, loud and lazy Venus.
The quick-witted, versatile, eloquent, literary, adroit and dexterous Mer-
cury.
The restless, shiftless, profane, gossipy, demagogic, dishonest, untruthful,
forgetful, and clumsy Mercury.
The magnetic, imaginative, plastic and changeable Moon.
The negative, procrastinating, dreamy, vacillating, visionary, frivolous,
childish and worrisome Moon.
The cautious, deliberate, methodical, persevering, tactful, thoughtful and
thrifty Saturn.
[PAGE 408] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
The malicious, materialistic, melancholy, pessimistic, avaricious, obstruc-
tive, secretive and worrisome Saturn.
The law-abiding, charitable, conservative, reverent, optimistic, opulent and
benevolent Jupiter.
The indolent, procrastinating, bombastic, ostentatious, prodigal, dissipated
and lawless Jupiter.
The gallant, enterprising, energetic, enthusiastic and constructive Mars.
The advanced, romantic, original, independent, liberty-loving and inventive
Uranus.
The licentious, unconventional, fanatical and irresponsible Uranus.
The occult, prophetic, inspirational, spiritual, devotional and musical
Neptune.
The fraudulent, vague, deceptive, dishonest and mediumistic Neptune.
[PAGE 409] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF THE PLANETS
SHOWN BY ELEVATION, EXALTATION, CRITICAL DEGREES, ETC.
The foregoing delineation of the effects and influences of the planets in
the various houses and signs, also by aspect and position such as parallel
and conjunction, sextile, square, trine and opposition, are subject to wide
modification according to the other configurations of the horoscope, and ac-
cording to whether the planets are essentially dignified or in their detri-
ment, exalted or in fall, or placed in critical degrees. The following
table of planetary powers will show at a glance the signs in which the
various planets are strong or weak; and when the student known in what sign
a planet rules or is exalted it is only necessary to remember that it has
its fall or detriment in the opposite sign. Thus the Sun rules Leo and is
exalted in Aries. Hence it is very powerful in those signs, and as the op-
posite signs are Aquarius and Libra it is at once apparent that when placed
in these signs the Sun is comparatively weak. Another important factor
which it is necessary to take into consideration is elevation. The closer a
planet is to the Midheaven, the more highly it is elevated and the more pow-
erful it is. Consulting the table of planetary powers we find that Mars
rules Aries and is exalted in Capricorn. Let us suppose that in a horo-
scope, Mars is found placed close to the Midheaven in Aries or Capricorn and
[PAGE 410] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
square to the Sun which is near the Ascendant. Then the evil will be very
much greater than if Mars were in Libra or Cancer, the signs of his fall and
detriment, and the Sun placed in the Midheaven elevated above Mars.
Similarly, if the Sun were placed in Aries, its exaltation sign, close to
the Midheaven in high elevation and trine to Jupiter in its own sign, Sagit-
tarius, then both planets are very strong and their effect would be much
more marked than if they were placed in the signs of their fall and debil-
ity. By memorizing this table and bearing in mind the matter of elevation,
the student will be able to form a much more accurate judgment of the effect
of planets in any particular horoscope than if this is not taken into con-
sideration.
TABLE OF PLANETARY POWERS
PLANET RULES DETRIMENT EXALTATION FALL
SUN------LEO------------------AQUARIUS-------------ARIES 19 DEG.---LIBRA
VENUS----TAURUS, LIBRA--------SCORPIO, ARIES-------PISCES 27-------VIRGO
MERCURY--GEMINI, VIRGO--------SAGITTARIUS, PISCES--VIRGO 15--------PISCES
MOON-----CANCER---------------CAPRICORN------------TAURUS 3--------SCORPIO
SATURN---CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS--CANCER, LEO----------LIBRA 21--------ARIES
JUPITER--PISCES, SAGITTARIUS--VIRGO, GEMINI--------CANCER 15-------CAPRICORN
MARS-----ARIES, SCORPIO-------LIBRA, TAURUS--------CAPRICORN 28----CANCER
URANUS---AQUARIUS-------------LEO------------------SCORPIO---------TAURUS
NEPTUNE--PISCES---------------VIRGO----------------CANCER----------CAPRICORN
[PAGE 411] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
CRITICAL DEGREES
Another division of the Zodiac which it is easy to remember and important
to take into consideration is based upon the massage of the Moon from the
first degree of Aries through the twelve signs. It takes the Moon about 28
days to go around the Zodiac and she moves with an average velocity of 13
degrees. Thus if we start with the first point of Aries and measure one
day's travel, the second day will commence at the 13th degree and the third
at the 26th; the fourth commences at 9 degrees of Taurus and the fifth day
she starts at 21 degrees of the same sign; on the sixth day she reaches 4
degrees of Gemini; on the seventh day she starts at 17 degrees of Gemini and
completes the first quarter by reaching the cusp of Cancer on the morning of
the eighth day. It is evident that she will strike the same degrees of the
signs composing the other three quarters during the three weeks it takes her
to complete the circuit, and thus we may easily memorize the critical de-
grees in the following manner:
IN THE CARDINAL SIGNS--Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, the first,
thirteenth, and twenty-sixth degrees are critical.
IN THE FIXED SIGNS--Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, the ninth and
twenty-first degrees are critical.
IN THE COMMON SIGNS--Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, the fourth
and seventeenth degrees are critical.
[PAGE 412] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
It has been found that when a planet is within orb of three degrees of
one of these critical points it exercises a much stronger influence in the
life than it would otherwise. Therefore students will also do well to re-
member this and should a planet be in a sign of fall or detriment, but in a
critical degree, it is thereby strengthened and will do more good or bad ac-
cording to its nature and the aspect it has. On the other hand, if a planet
is in its exaltation sign, highly elevated and in a critical degree, its as-
pects will be exceedingly powerful and make themselves felt much more in the
life than would otherwise be the case.
MERCURY BEFORE AND AFTER THE SUN
Another important point which is only too often overlooked is the posi-
tion of Mercury with regard to the Sun. When Mercury is in a lower degree
of the same sign as occupied by the Sun, or in any degree of a preceding
sign, he rises before the Sun and, so to speak, carries the rays of the Day
Star forward. But when he is placed in a higher degree of the same sign as
the Sun or in the sign following that occupied by the Sun, then he rises af-
ter the Orb of Day and is, so to speak, overshadowed. Therefore it has been
found that when Mercury, the planet of mind, logic and reason, rises BEFORE
the Sun, it gives a keener, better intellect than when he follows the lumi-
nary.
[PAGE 413] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
ARE YOU HELPING YOUR STARS?
One not infrequently hears students of Astrology express their annoyance
at the way the stars work. They complain that the evil directions are al-
ways on time and marked in their effect, while very often the good direc-
tions seem to have little or not influence and they wonder why. Have you
ever realized that you cannot possibly get something for nothing, any more
than you can create something out of nothing. This holds good whether you
want a loaf of bread, a position, favors, or anything else. If at any time
you seem to get something without paying for it, you will have to settle
later, and settle with interest, for it is nature's law of Justice that
nothing is given for nothing. There must be an equivalent in one way or an-
other; the scales may be tipped in one direction for a long time, but as
surely as the pendulum swings equally to one side of the neutral point, so
surely will the scales of justice swing, and swing until the balance is
reached.
This holds good in Astrology; it is said that "God helps the man who
helps himself;" you may also say that THE STARS HELP THE MAN WHO HELPS HIM-
SELF, for they are God's ministers and it should always be remembered that
THE STARS SHOW TENDENCIES, THEY MARK TIMES WHEN OPPORTUNITIES ARE RIPE, BUT
THEY NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES COMPEL ANYONE TO ACT IN THIS, THAT OR THE
OTHER MANNER. But neither are the directions haphazard events, they are
lessons and experiences for us, of which we may avail ourselves, or not, as
[PAGE 414] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
we choose within certain limits. For instance, the Moon comes to a square
of Mars, and it will bring to us an opportunity to lose our temper, and get
into trouble thereby, then when the trouble is over and we sit down to re-
flect on the occurrence we will most likely say to ourselves: Well, what
fools we were to allow a little thing like that to play havoc with our hap-
piness. On the other hand if the Astrological student uses his knowledge in
the proper manner, then he should know what the effect of the Moon square
Mars will be, he should resolve beforehand to be calm and say: Here is an
opportunity for me to rule my stars. I am going to keep my temper well un-
der control so that no matter what happens, I shall maintain my equilibrium.
Then, when the opportunity comes along to lose his temper he may stand firm.
Although he may feel the passions surging WITHIN, he may stand outwardly
quiet, keep a cool head and when the danger is past he will have gained a
victory and learned the lesson which it was intended he SHOULD learn. Or
suppose it is a square of the Moon to Saturn; this will cause people to
worry and look upon the dark side of life, but the astrological student may
say to himself when such a configuration is approaching: No, I am not going
to worry; worry will not help matters, it hinders, because it takes from me
all my strength, wherewith otherwise I could overcome conditions. I am go-
ing to look at the bright side of the matter and see what I can do to remedy
[PAGE 415] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
this trouble.
As a matter of fact most of the things we worry about never come to pass,
and if the student can learn under this planetary direction to keep his
equilibrium, to stop worrying, then he has ruled his stars and learned an
important lesson. Thus, if he helps his stars be learning the lessons which
they re endeavoring to teach him, the evil directions will not have the same
power over him as if he simply sits down and folds his hands saying: "Well,
I cannot help it, I am under the evil directions and naturally things are
bound to go wrong in every particular ." There is in the horoscope a
dominant factor, namely, the Individual Will; bear in mind that the HORO-
SCOPE SHOWS ONLY TENDENCIES AND IT HAS NO POWER WHATEVER TO COMPEL YOU; COM-
PULSION IS FROM WITHIN YOURSELF. You, in the final analysis, are the
dominant factor in that horoscope, and can by an exercise of sufficient will
power rule your stars. It is admitted that we are all weak, and therefore
not able to exercise the necessary will power at all times; but that is ex-
actly why these evil directions are sent to us, to enable us to cultivate a
stronger will to do the right thing at the right time and it depends upon
ourselves whether we shall be compelled by circumstances from without or by
our own will from within. Surely that is the proper way, and astrological
students above all other people ought to be able to guide their lives safely
amid the rocks and shoals of existence, because they have proper warning,
[PAGE 416] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
they know what is coming, and they should prepare for it.
On the other hand it is asked: Why do the good directions not bring a
corresponding measure of benefit? And the answer to that question is, for
the same lack of co-operation. It is as absolutely necessary to help our
stars in one direction as to hinder them in the other. Are you out of a po-
sition with perhaps the family exchequer running low and no means in sight
wherewith to replenish it; but your hopes centered upon a strong favorable
direction such as perhaps a trine of the progressed Moon to the ruler of the
Sixth House or the Sun? Under these conditions you feel sure, from an as-
trological standpoint, that you are going to obtain a good position which
will put you on easy street. Very well, you may be sure that the opportu-
nity will come, but do not expect it to be laid in your lap without a single
effort on your part; if a thing is worth having it is worth going after, it
is worth making the very best efforts to get it; do not neglect any detail,
dress yourself carefully, but not showily when you go to see the person who
has it in his power to bestow the favor, remember, first impressions are im-
portant; have all your ammunition ready in the shape of recommendations and
everything else that you would have were you not depending upon an astro-
logical aspect to help you get the position. Use every proper means if im-
pressing the prospective employer with your ability and you may depend that
your effort will be successful, for YOU HAVE HELPED YOUR STARS, you have
[PAGE 417] THE DOCTRINE OF DELINEATION
grasped your opportunity. Or, are you about to embark in a business venture
with some one else and you feel very confident because the Moon is trine to
the Sun and Venus in the Seventh House? Be careful that you do not lay
aside your caution on that account, thinking that under such a direction no
one can come into your partnership who is not all right. If you do, you ne-
glect your part and you will have no reason whatever to blame the stars if
later on it is shown that the person is not all you expected him to be.
Nothing is needed in the world today in the same degree that we need common
sense, and this applies to the department of astrology, as well as to every
other department of life. Opportunity may be likened to a toboggan slide
between ourselves and our desires; it is necessary for us to make an ad-
equate initial effort in order to launch our sled upon this incline, but
once we have done our part, then everything will go along swimmingly under
favorable directions, for then the stars are with us to impress others in
our behalf, or to strengthen our penetrative power so that we may know what
is best for us.
If you want to know positively the power of directions, even transits, as
will call the actual position of the stars in the sky, take an ephemeris and
note the moon's aspects for the current month. When the Moon is in opposi-
tion to Mars you will find in people a general lack of energy and ambition,
they would rather tear down than build. When we have a conjunction of Mars
[PAGE 418] THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
and the Moon, people will be active and energetic, but impulse rather than
common sense will govern, hence they will accomplish little good, and may do
harm without intention. But when the Moon and Mars are trine, there will be
a general desire among people to do something of a constructive nature, and
they will meet with success in such efforts. And last, but not least, when
the Moon is square to Mars it will make people irritable, quarrelsome, de-
structive, ready to fly at each other, unreasonable and unmanageable.