These great circles again constitute planes of direct and transverse polarity, and they are found to follow the principle of the segmentation of the cell. They serve a most important part in the determination of sex. But this is a long and intricate matter, and cannot be fully discussed in these pages.
Now, by tracing the effects upon health, character and fortunes produced (or indicated) by the transits of the planets over these sensitive planes, astrologers have been able to determine exactly what effects are due to each, that is to say, what they signify in the course of events. Ptolemy, Tycho and Kepler, Newton, and others among the great astronomers, have confirmed the ascriptions of the astrologers from personal observation, but without in any way contributing to the solution of the problem of their modus operandi, presuming them to have a causative relationship in human affairs, or of their status in a scheme of universal symbolism. They have just left the problem where they found it, while confirming the general claim of astrologers that there is a possible means of a scientific method of prediction. Astrologers make no claim to any degree of special inspiration. They merely argue from like causes to like effects, finding illustration of the law of periodicity in lunations, transits, eclipses and revolutional ingresses, which, being connected in experience with a certain succession of events, are found to produce events of a similar nature whenever they recur. Astronomy gives us the periodic values of these several factors, while Astrology supplies an interpretation from experience. Nothing could be more scientific or more satisfactory. I may now pass to the citation of some remarkable instances of scientific prediction.
CHAPTER VIII
ANCIENT AND MODERN EXAMPLES
Among the earliest of the great readers of the Symbolism of the universe was Thales of Miletus, who during the sixth century B.C. formulated a true theory of the cause of eclipses, and proved his theory by predicting the eclipse of May 28, 585 B.C. He founded the Ionic sect of philosophers, which was distinguished for the profundity of its speculations, to which his successors and pupils, Anaxagoras, Anaximander, Anaximenes and Archelaus so largely contributed. Archelaus became the master of Socrates. Anaxagoras proved himself as skilful as his Master in the use of the sphere and in astronomical studies, for he predicted the eclipse of the Sun which was seen at Athens in the first year of the Peloponnesian War. From Thucydides we learn that it happened after noon in the summer, and that the Sun assumed a crescent shape and that some of the stars shone out.
Sir J. Herschel has spoken of this eclipse as total, but this cannot be, as the Moon’s apparent diameter was less than that of the Sun, so that even where it was central it would be but annular.
Now of Thales it is recorded that he foresaw by his reading of the symbols that there would be a great dearth of olives in a certain year, and he accordingly bought up all the stock of olives that was on the market and chartered all the stalls, so that when the dearth occurred he was able to sell at his own price, and thereby made a great sum of money. This was at Alexandria. He then went to Athens and found the plague raging there. He at once took the matter in hand and was speedily successful in purging the city, so that the people erected a statue in his honour to commemorate the event. Seeing his end approaching and knowing that it would be due to the fall of some heavy body, if indeed he himself did not receive a fall, he thought to circumvent the evil by taking necessary precautions. To this end he retired to a field where he established himself. Being thus far removed from any buildings and himself in no danger of falling from a height, he thought himself to be secure, and looked forward to the time when the evil indications should have passed by. But it happened that an eagle, having secured a particularly fine tortoise as prey, carried it aloft and sought for somewhat whereon to break its shell. Seeing the bald head of the philosopher and mistaking it for a stone, the eagle promptly let the tortoise fall. Exit Thales!
The general truth of the Hebrew records has been abundantly established by archaeologists both in regard to the Babylonian and Egyptian captivities and the sojourn in the wilderness. Their prophets were men skilled in the reading of the universal symbolism, and they described events centuries before they happened. Daniel so correctly portrays the career of Alexander that the early opponents of the Bible sought to prove, but without success, that the prophet was describing what was past instead of predicting what was in the future. However this may be, we cannot get away from the fact that the ruin and desolation of many cities which were in a high state of prosperity in Daniel’s time and for some centuries after, such as Moab, Edom, Amalek, Tyre and Sidon, and Ammon, were undoubtedly predicted. These cities were to be blotted out. They were in existence in the first centuries of our era, but now they no longer exist. The subjugation of Egypt was clearly foretold and has accordingly happened. Nineveh and Babylon were condemned to desolation and utter ruin when in the height of their prosperity. They were to be places of eternal solitude, the haunt of wild beasts, and the palaces a hiding-place for jackals. Daniel’s famous prophecy of the coming of the Messiah after Seventy Weeks, i. e. 490 years from the time of the going forth of the order to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. The prophet clearly indicates the source whence he was able to obtain initial light upon the basis of prophecy, for he informs us that in the first year of the reign of Darius (521 B.C.) he “understood by books the numbers of the years,” etc. Thereafter by prayer and fasting he attained great illumination, but in all his prophecies, where he makes use of the symbolism of Nature, he uses the day for a year that is still pursued by the student of Astrology.
Coming to more modern times of which we have closer record, we find in Michael Nostradamus, Physician to Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici, something of the same flame that animated the ancient prophets. He carried his Astrology to a fine art, and among his predictions are many that deserve notice. The death of the King in a duel is well pourtrayed by him in a stanza—
Le lion jeun le vieux surmontera
En champ bellique par singulier duel,