An Introduction to Astrologie.
be significators, are even unfortunate: where remember, that a Gentleman enquires usually, if he shall have his health and live jocundly in such or such a Country or City; the merchant by wholly aimes at Trade, and the encrease of his Stock, therefore in the Merchants Figure you must consider the Country or City subject to the Sign of the second house, or where the Part of Fortune is, or Lord of the second is, and which is most fortified, and thither let him Trade.
CHAP. XVIII.
Of the Essentiall Dignities of the Planets.
The exact way of judicature in Astrology is, first, by being perfect in the nature of the Planets and Signs.
Secondly, by knowing the strength, fortitude or debility of the Planets, Significators, and a well poysing of them and their aspects and severall mixtures, in your judgment. Thirdly, by rightly applying the influence of the positure of Heaven erected, and the Planets aspects to one another at the time of the Question, according to naturall (and not enforced) maximes of Art; for by how much you endeavour to strain a judgment beyond nature, by so much the more you augment your Errour.
A Planet is then said to be really strong when he hath many Essential dignities, which are known, by his being either in his House, Exaltation, Triplicity, Terme or Face, at time of the erecting the Figure. As Example:
[ESSENTIAL DIGNITY, HOUSE.] In an scheam of Heaven, if you find a Planet in any of those Signs we call his house or houses, he is then essentially strong, and we allow for that five dignities; as Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter in Sagittarius, &c.
In Judgment, when a Planet or Significator is in his own house, it represents a man in such a
condition, as that he is Lord of his own house, estate and fortune; or a man wanting very little of
the Goods of this world, or it tels you the man is in a very happy state or condition: this will be
true, unlesse the
101
An Introduction to Astrologie.
significator be retrograde, or combust, or affli
