But each das’amsha or division of 3° is reflected in an entire sign. Therefore each degree embraces 10° of the reflected sign. Thus the first 3° of the sign Aries correspond with the whole of the asterism Aries, using that term for purposes of distinction only, and each of these 3° will therefore correspond with 10° of the asterism, and every 6´ will correspond with 1°. Thus, if we take the first 3° of the sign Aries, we shall find that they correspond with the 30° of the asterism Aries, and the next 3° of the sign with the whole of the asterism Taurus, and so on. Here are the first 3° of the sign Aries reflected in the asterism Aries—
| Sign | Aster |
|---|---|
| 0° ♈ 6´ | 1° |
| 0 12 | 2 |
| 0 18 | 3 |
| 0 24 | 4 |
| 0 30 | 5 |
| 0 36 | 6 |
| 0 42 | 7 |
| 0 48 | 8 |
| 0 54 | 9 |
| 1 0 | 10 |
| 1 6 | 11 |
| 1 12 | 12 |
| 1 18 | 13 |
| 1 24 | 14 |
| 1 30 | 15 |
| 1 36 | 16 |
| 1 42 | 17 |
| 1 48 | 18 |
| 1 54 | 19 |
| 2 0 | 20 |
| 2 6 | 21 |
| 2 12 | 22 |
| 2 18 | 23 |
| 2 24 | 24 |
| 2 30 | 25 |
| 2 36 | 26 |
| 2 42 | 27 |
| 2 48 | 28 |
| 2 54 | 29 |
| 3 0 | 30 |
It is to be observed that in all these systems the Moon’s place at the moment of birth or other epoch is the basis of the calculation. The first of these I have been expounding bears the sign manual of Mars, inasmuch as it is a ninefold division of the sign, and the latter system is accordingly one that belongs to the Sun. The Hindus, who have many methods of subdividing the signs, from two to thirty divisions for each sign, have various uses also for the different methods, but the object of them all is towards an intelligent anticipation of the course of mundane events. In this direction the West has also developed some methods, which, on account of their simplicity, have found a certain vogue among the Arabs, and are even at this day exercising the ingenuity of reputable exponents of the predictive art. They are called by the Arabs, Alfridaries, and some examples of them are to be found in The Manual of Occultism. Let us look at some of the later evolved examples of the Alfridary.
CHAPTER XIX
ALFRIDARIES
Perhaps the simplest example of the Alfridary that we have received is that in which the Sun takes precedence in all Day births and the Moon in all Night births, the planets following the Sun in, the usual Chaldean order, and the Moon in the reversed order.
The oldest that is known to us in the West is that invented by Claudius Ptolemy in the second century. It is developed in the Tetrabiblos or Four Books on the Influence of the Stars, translations of which are easily obtained, the best being that by Ashmand. Under the head of Chronocrators, the Seven Ages of Man, so graphically described by the bard in As You Like It, are for the first time mentioned and placed under the dominion of the seven planets of the ancient solar system. Ptolemy’s invention consists in ascribing to these ages the number of years they extend, and applying to them certain periods of the planets and luminaries. Thus he makes the Moon to rule the first four years of life, the infant “mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms”; the next ten years are under Mercury, and denote the “schoolboy, with ... shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.” The next eight years are under Venus, and represent “the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress’ eyebrow.” The next nineteen are under the influence of the Sun, according to Ptolemy. The next fifteen under that of Mars, denoting the “soldier ... bearded like a pard ... sudden and quick in quarrel.” Jupiter rules the next twelve years and represents “the justice ... full of wise saws and modern instances.” Saturn, ruling the next thirty years, figures “the lean and slippered pantaloon.” Here the system of Ptolemy ends, and to this the poet, with that prophetic apprehension of ulterior need, adds a truly Uranian picture of that “second childishness and mere oblivion” which characterizes paralytic dotage. Astrologers have sought to apply this system of Chronocrators to the horoscopes of persons by taking into consideration the aspects held by these planets at the time of birth and judging of the period under consideration accordingly. Thus a person at whose birth Mars is an afflicting planet, as may be seen by its aspects to the Sun, Moon and other significant points of the horoscope, would suffer many troubles and misfortunes during the period from forty-one to fifty-six years of his age. One in whose horoscope Jupiter is a beneficent planet, as judged by its aspects, would similarly have good fortune and experience many benefits during the period of Jupiter from fifty-six to sixty-eight years of age. So in regard to the other Chronocrators. The scheme is set out in the following table—
Table of Chronocrators
By Ptolemy.
| Moon | 4 years. | From 1 to 4 inclusive. |
| Mercury | 10 ” | ” 5 ” 14 ” |
| Venus | 8 ” | ” 15 ” 22 ” |
| Sun | 19 ” | ” 23 ” 41 ” |
| Mars | 15 ” | ” 42 ” 56 ” |
| Jupiter | 12 ” | ” 57 ” 68 ” |
| Saturn | 30 ” | ” 69 ” 98 ” |
This may be taken as the foundation of a number of ambitious attempts to read light into the somewhat misty generalizations of the Alfridary. One of these has regard to the Moon’s position at birth, and employs the twenty-seven lunar mansions, so much in repute among the Orientals, the periods ascribed to the planets in this scheme being: Sun 10 years, Moon 9 years, Mars 7 years, Mercury 13 years, Jupiter 12 years, Venus 8 years, Saturn 11 years, making 70 in all, the planets following the order of the days of the week.