Astrological Poetry

Excerpts From "Astronomica" (Unfinished, ca. 14 - 27 A.D.,
From 1697 Translation by Thomas Creech)
By Marcus Manilius

The Ram defends the Head, the Neck the Bull,
The Arms, bright Twins, are subject to your Rule:
I' th' Shoulders Leo, and the Crab's obeyed
I' th' Breast, and in the Guts the modest Maid:
I' th' Buttocks Libra, Scorpio warms Desires
In Secret Parts, and spreads unruly Fires:
The Thighs the Centaur, and the Goat commands
The Knees, and binds them up with double bands.
The parted Legs in moist Aquarius meet,
And Pisces gives Protection to the Feet.

Some Signs for Sea, and other Signs for Land:
Thus watery Pisces, and the Crab retain
Their proper nature, and respect the main:
The Bull and Ram possess their old command,
They lead the herds, and still they love the land,
Tho' there the Lion's force their rest invades,
And poisonous Scorpio lurks in gloomy shades;
The danger is despised, the Ram and Bull
Keep Land, so powerful is the lust of rule:
The Twins, the Centaur, and the Scales dispose
In the same rank; and join the Maid with those.

Of middle nature some with both agree,
One part respects the Land, and one the Sea:
The double Goat is such, whose wild command
Now Sea affects, and now enjoys the Land:
And young Aquarius pouring out his stream
Here spreads a watery, there an earthly beam.

How small these things, yet they reward thy pain,
Reason's in all, and nothing framed in vain...

And now if you will know what signs dispose
To Leagues and Peace, and friendly thoughts disclose:

The Fire Triplicity

The Ram's bright births you may securely join
As friends to the production of his trine:
But the Ram's births are more fiercely plain,
They give more love than they receive again
From thy fierce Leo, or than his can show
That strides through heaven, and draws the Cretan bow
_________________________________(Sagittarius).

For (Aries) 'tis a sign of thoughtless innocence,
Exposed to harms, unpracticed in defence;
Unused to fraud or wrong, but gentle, kind,
And not more soft in body than in mind.
The others (Leo and Sagittarius) carry fierceness
____________________________in their rays.
Their nature's brutish, and intent on prey;
Ungrateful still, nor can they long retain
A sense of kindness. They are unjust for gain:
And though by nature these are both inclined
To frequent quarrel, yet expect to find
More force in that which is of double kind (Sagittarius).

The Earth Triplicity

The Bull, the Goat are equally inclined
To mutual friendship; both alike are kind;
The Bull's productions love fair Virgo's race,
Yet frequent jars disjoin their close embrace.

The Air Triplicity

The Scales and Urn one friendly soul inspire,
Their love is settled, and their faith entire;
To both their births the Twins productions prove
The surest friends, and meet an equal love.

The Water Triplicity

The Crab and Scorpion to their births impart
A friendly temper, and an open heart;
Yet Scorpios (fraud among the stars is found)
Though friends they seem, yet give a secret wound.
But those whom Pisces' watery rays create,
Are constant neither in their love, nor hate;
They change their minds, now quarrel, now embrace,
And treachery lurks behind their fawning face.

From "The Kalendar and Compost of Shepherds"
(Published in Paris 1493,
Translation ca. 1518)
Author Unknown

My son thou shalt understand
That, to avoid all idleness,
This matter oft thou shalt take in hand
To read of shepherd's business;
And special of the planets seven,
Of Mars and Saturn that is full high
Also of Sol, the middle heaven,
And under him Venus, Luna, and Mercury.
For to know their natures all
In sooth it is a great conning,
And show what may befall
When every planet is reigning;
By their working oft we be moved
To look lusty and plays of jollity,
And by some of them as clerks have proved
They steer us to theft, murder, and vility.
Some be good, some be bad verily,
Some be not comfortable to man nor beast;
Some hot, some cold, some wet, some dry,
If three be good, four be worse at the least;
Saturn is highest, and coldest being full bad,
And Mars with his bloody sword, ever ready to kill;
Jupiter very good, and Venus maketh lovers glad,
Sol and Luna is half good and half ill,
Mercury is good, and evil verily.
And hereafter thou shalt know
Which of the seven most worthy be,
And who reigneth high and who a-low;
Of every planet's property--
Which is the best among them all
That causeth wealth, sorrow, or sin.
Tarry and here, son thou shall
speak soft, for now I begin.