When planets are setting at birth they are brought to the opposition of the Ascendant in a similar manner, only the opposite point of the zodiac must be found in the Tables under the Ascendant. Thus, if Mars were in the 7th House at birth in the 11th degree of Cancer, I find the opposite point (Capricornus 11) under the column of the Ascendant, and I note that Scorpio 19 is then on the Midheaven, so that from Scorpio 0 to Scorpio 19 gives 19 years, at which age the Subject would have a serious illness due to inflammatory action in the stomach and probably produced by overwork and worry, as indicated by the sign Cancer and the planet Mars, or if there be indications of an accident, then an accident by scalding with hot water or acids would be predicted.
Planets are brought to the opposition of the Midheaven by counting the degrees which intervene between the longitude on the lower meridian at birth and that held by the planet.
In all such directions the conjunctions of benefic planets are advantageous when directed to the Midheaven or Ascendant, and the conjunctions of the malefics are indicated of periods of bad fortune. The oppositions are uniformly evil, whether the planet involved in the direction be a benefic or malefic. ([Sect. I., chap. iv.])
These are the directions of the planets to the two Significators, the Midheaven and Ascendant. The Midheaven appertains to honours and credit, while the Ascendant has relation to the personal and bodily welfare and the general fortunes.
To direct the Midheaven or Ascendant to the other aspects of the planets, such as the sextile, trine, semisquare or square, it is only necessary to note the degrees in which these aspects fall and bring them to the Midheaven or Ascendant as if the body of the planet were itself there, and in the manner already indicated.
The Sun is directed after birth by its motion in the zodiac, which can be found in the Ephemeris for the year of birth, and the aspects it forms to the planets in the horoscope and in the daily progress should be tabulated. In most Ephemerides they are already calculated, so that the labour is considerably lightened. Each day after birth will represent one year of life, the mean motion of the Sun being about 1 degree per day. All that is necessary, therefore, is to count the number of days from birth to the date when the Sun forms an aspect, and that will give the age at which the planet aspected will produce its effects.
As the Sun goes through the zodiac the other bodies make progress along with it, in which course they form aspects to the Midheaven, Ascendant, the Sun and Moon in the horoscope of birth. These are called “Secondary” directions, and in connection with the Sun’s aspects after birth, constituted the system in use among the Arabian astrologers.
Minor periods of good and bad fortune, subsidiary to the above periodic influences, are taken from the Moon’s progress after birth, in which one day equals one year of life, and two hours equal one month. These directions of the Moon afford a monthly prognosis of the course of events, and are useful in the conduct of minor affairs in life. When they are contrary to the general trend and import of the periodic directions made to the Midheaven, Ascendant and Sun, they act indifferently, and frequently produce only passing benefits or annoyances; but when they are in agreement with the Primary Directions cited above, then they accentuate and define the nature and time of events. As if the Primaries be good and the Lunar directions evil, then there will be a predominance of good fortune with some current disturbances; but both being good there will be abundant success and satisfaction; while if the Primaries be evil and the Lunar directions good, the latter will serve only to moderate the effects for the time being of the Primary evil indications.
An intelligent apercu of the principles of directing will greatly enhance the value of any prognostications made from the horoscope of birth, as it will enable the student to select those periods in the life when the effects due to any planet are most likely to eventuate. Thus, if Saturn be in the 2nd House at birth, it may be said that there would follow some periods of great financial stress, and the rising of Saturn by direction after birth would show the time when one, at all events, of such periods would be experienced.
And here is the great fact upon which astrologers the world over are prepared to stand or fall. If the planets have no effect in the lives of men, their directions to the angles of the horoscope can have no effect; but never was it found that a man had evil fortunes at the period when the planet Jupiter was directed to the Midheaven or Ascendant, or anything but bad fortune when Saturn was similarly directed. The fact is there, and we cannot get away from it. The only question is as to how far we can intelligently carry our investigations beyond that point, and intelligibly convey our discoveries to the world by their application to the affairs of daily life. The reader may judge for himself from a perusal of these pages.