The accidental dignities consist of the position of the planets in respect to the angles of the figure. The first, tenth, seventh and fourth houses of the Map of the heavens are termed angular, and any planet placed in one of these houses is said to be “accidentally dignified.”
CHAPTER VI
The several horoscopes or figures of the heavens which are to be erected for various times during the year, and from which prognostics are made with regard to different nations of the world, are termed the “Mundane Maps” and comprise the following.
1. Quarterly figures. These are maps erected for the times of the entry of the Sun into the four cardinal signs of the Zodiac, viz., Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Each of these figures, which are termed “Ingresses,” rules for a certain specific period according to the sign which is rising at the moment of the Sun’s ingress into each sign. If a Cardinal sign rises, the figure has rule for three months only; if a fixed sign rises, then it influences the whole of the entire twelve months following; if a common sign rises, then it has influence for the ensuing six months.
2. Lunations. These are figures of the heavens erected for each New and Full Moon during the year. They are judged in a twofold way: — first according to the planetary positions and aspects in the figure for each New and Full Moon, and secondly by referring the planetary positions at the moment of each New and Full Moon to the previous quarterly figure. The quarterly figures are, as it were, the hour hand of the clock, while the lunations act as the minute hand. As to whether the
New Moon or Full Moon is stronger, is a matter of experience, but it is generally considered that if a New Moon fall nearest to the Sun’s entry into Aries, the each succeeding New Moon during the year is considered, but if a Full Moon fall nearest to this particular ingress, then the succeeding Full Moons should have preference. Their period of influence is only on month.
3. Solar eclipses. These are figures erected for the time of New Moon at any particular Solar eclipse. They should not be calculated for the time of Central eclipse, but for the exact moment of New Moon. These figures are very important. They have a specific influence of their own lasting for as many years as the eclipse is hours in length. Their effects are most powerful in those countries where the eclipse is actually visible, and also in those countries and cities ruled over buy the sign in which the eclipse falls. Certain specific effects are attributed to the action of Solar eclipses in the thirty-six decanates of the Zodiac, and these are given in detail in a later chapter.
4. Lunar eclipses. These are figures erected for the time of Lunar eclipses, which are in reality Full Moons, and the exact moment of Full Moon is taken, not that of the middle of the eclipse. These figures are important, but less so than Solar eclipses, and they have a period of action extending over as many months as the eclipse is hours in duration. Their effects, like Solar eclipses, are chiefly to be observed in those countries the eclipse is visible, and in those places ruled by the sign in which the eclipse falls. A list of the specific effects of each Lunar eclipse in the various decanates of the Zodiac is given is a later chapter.
5. The conjunctions and oppositions of the planets Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. These are figures erected for the time of the conjunctions and oppositions of the these planets; and the house and sign position of such conjunctions and oppositions are to be noted. They are extremely important configurations, as their effects are very pronounced and lasting. They will be dealt with specially in a later chapter.
CHAPTER VII
As the subject of Mundane Astrology is principally intended for more advanced students, it is not intended to go into the matter of casting horoscopes and placing the planets therein, as these rules can be learned from the “Guide to Astrology,” or the “Key.”
Once the student can erect a map of the heavens for Greenwich the process of computing a figure for foreign countries is a very simple process, and it is particularly with this in view that the following simple rules and instructions are given.
Now as it is usually the practice, when making forecasts for the different countries of the world, to first cast the Mundane map for Greenwich and compute the planets’ places for this particular time, it follows that all other maps required for places other than Greenwich can be found by merely adding or subtracting the difference in time between Greenwich and the place required.
The rule is a very simple one and merely consists of finding the longitude of the place required, and turning it into time at the rate of one hour for every fifteen degrees, or four minutes for every degree.
If the place is in West longitude subtract this time from the Right Ascension of the Meridian at the Greenwich Map, and if East add the time. The result will give the Right Ascension of the Meridian for the place required.
Then with this Right Ascension, and a Table of Houses for the latitude of the place, erect the Mundane map in the same way as you would an ordinary horoscope.
The planets’ places will be the same in every map. That is to say, whatever the planetary longitudes and declinations are in the Mundane map for Greenwich, they will be exactly the same for all parts of the world.
As two illustrations of this simple method of erecting the Mundane maps for different parts of the world, we will take the Sun’s ingress into Aries for March 21st, 1911. This takes place at 5h. 54m. 30s. P.M. on that day at Greenwich. We will then compute the same ingresses for Washington, in West Longitude, and Calcutta, East Longitude. Washington is 77°4’ W., equal to 5h. 8m. 16s., and Calcutta is 88°24’E., equal to 5h. 53m. 56s.
On casting the map for Greenwich we find that the Right Ascension of the Meridian, commonly known as the Sidereal Time, is 5h. 47m. 1s., and with the Tables of Houses for the latitude of Greenwich, the figure is erected. The planets’ places are computed for the time of the Ingress. Now to erect the horoscope for Washington we must subtract from the Greenwich Sidereal Time the difference in time between the two places, viz., 5h 8m. 16s. as Washington is in West Long., and this gives 0h. 38m. 45s. This is the Sidereal Time at the moment of the Sun’s Ingress into Aries at Washington.
The latitude of Washington is 38° 55’ N., and with a Table of Houses for this degree we erect the figure of the heavens. The planets’ places will be taken from the map for Greenwich without any alteration.
To erect the same map for Calcutta we add the difference in time between that place and Greenwich, it being in East Longitude, and with the Sidereal Time thus found, and Table of Houses for the Latitude of the place, we erect the map in the usual way, taking the planets’ places from the Greenwich map as before. The Sidereal Time at Greenwich for the moment of Ingress is 5h. 47m. 1s., and to this we add 5h. 53m. 36s., the difference between Calcutta and Greenwich, and the result is 11h. 40m. 37s., and with a Table of Houses for 22° 33’ N. (the Latitude of Calcutta) we erect a map.
The following tabular figure shows the Sidereal Times, and cusps of the houses, for the three figures used, and the planetary longitudes thereat.
| Place. | M.C.- | 11th. | 12th. | Ascend. 1. | 2nd. | 3rd. |
| Greenwich | 27°♊ 2' | 3° ♌ | 4° ♍ | 27° ♍ 42' | 21° ♎ | 21°♏ |
| Washington | 10° ♈ 32' | 17° ♉ | 24° ♊ | 25° ♋ 25' | 17° ♌ | 11° ♍ |
| Calcutta | 24° ♍ 43' | 26° ♎ | 23° ♏ | 16° ♐ 20' | 18° ♑ | 21° ♒ |