If Mars be succedent to the Moon or Venus, or in quartile or opposition to them, or if Saturn be similarly aspected to the Moon only, and both of them be void of course or retrograde, or cadent, adverse accidents and disease will attend the mother; should they, on the other hand, be swift in motion and placed in angles, they portend that her life will be short or grievously afflicted.
Should the Sun be configurated, in any mode whatever, with the Moon or Venus, or should Venus herself be harmoniously configurated with the Moon, either by the sextile, the trine, or the conjunction, the mother will live long.
Concerning the duration of the native's own life, the Hylegliacal[9] places are, according to Ptolemy, the sign on the angle of the ascendant from the fifth degree above the horizon to the twenty-fifth degree below it; the thirty degrees in dexter sextile thereto constituting the eleventh house; also the thirty degrees in dexter quartile forming the Mid-heaven above the earth; those in dexter trine making the ninth house; and, lastly, those in opposition belonging to the angle of the west.
Among these places, the degrees which constitute the Mid-heaven are entitled to preference, as being of a more potent influence; the degrees in the Ascendant are next in virtue; then the degrees in the eleventh house, succedent to the Mid-heaven; then those in the angle of the west; and, lastly, those in the ninth house, which precedes the Mid-heaven.
He also holds that "the Sun, the Moon, and the Ascendant to be considered as the four principally liable to be elected to the office of prorogator"—or Hyleg.
These views are not adopted by the modern astrologers, but as this is a book setting forth the ancient methods it is needless to discuss the various objections made by them to this, as to some other of the theories laid down by Ptolemy.
Among the four prorogators already given, the Sun by day is to be preferred, provided he is placed in one of the Hylegliacal places, and if not, the Moon; but if the Moon also should not be so posited that planet is to be elected as Hyleg which may have most claims to dominion in reference to the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant, which means that the planet should have dominion, in any one of the places where these are situated, by at least three dignities. If, however, no planet should be so circumstanced the Ascendant is then to be taken as Hyleg.
By night the Moon is to be elected as prorogator, provided, in like manner, she should be in some prorogatory place; and if she be not, the Sun; if he also be not in any prorogatory place, then that planet which may have most right of dominion in reference to the Moon, and the antecedent full Moon, and the Part of Fortune. But if there be no planet claiming dominion in the mode prescribed the Ascendant must be taken; in case a new Moon had last preceded the birth; but if a full Moon, the Part of Fortune.
If the two luminaries and also some ruling planet of appropriate condition should be each posited in a prorogatory place, then, provided one luminary may be found to occupy some place more important and influential than the others, that luminary must be chosen; but should the ruling planet occupy the stronger place, and have prerogatives of dominion suitable to the conditions of both luminaries, the planet must then be preferred to either of them.
When the Hyleg has been determined by the foregoing rules, then note whether it is supported by benevolent planets in good aspects towards it and free from affliction—that is, from evil aspects from evil planets—if so, the life is likely to continue and the constitution to be strong; but if the Hyleg, whether it be the Sun, the Moon, or the Ascendant, be afflicted with evil planets and there be no assistance from good planets, the child will die in infancy: if there be some assistance from good planets, but yet the evil aspects exceed the good, the constitution will be weak and the first train of evil directions will destroy the life.