Scorpio 9 opposed to Taurus 6 Libra 8 ” Aries 7 Virgo 10 1 ” Pisces 11 2 Leo 1 ” Aquarius 2 Cancer 5 ” Capricorn 3 Gemini 12 3 ” Sagittary 4 — — 27 24 Equals 9 Mars Equals 6 Venus. The series begins with the signs of Mars and Venus and concludes under those of Mercury and Jupiter, the numbers attached to the various signs being reduced to their unit values and added together, thus yielding the sum of 27 for Mars and 24 for Venus, which again are reduced to the unit values of 9 and 6, the numbers of the planets under consideration. Exactly the same result is produced if we begin the series with the other signs of Mars and Venus, namely, Aries and Libra. Libra 8 opposed to Aries 7 Virgo 1 ” Pisces 2 Leo 1 ” Aquarius 2 Cancer 5 ” Capricorn 3 Gemini 3 ” Sagittary 4 Taurus 6 ” Scorpio 9 — — 24 27 Equals 6 Venus Equals 9 Mars. By making a sum of the values of the signs according to their mutual oppositions, we have for— Aries and Scorpio, the signs of Mars, values 7 and 9 equals 16 Sagittarius and Pisces, signs of Jupiter, 4 and 11 ” 15 Capricornus and Aquarius, signs of Saturn, 3 and 2 ” 5 — Total 36 These are opposed to the signs— Libra and Taurus, signs of Venus, values 6 and 8 equal 14 Gemini and Virgo, signs of Mercury ” 12 and 10 ” 22 Cancer and Leo, signs of Moon and Sun values 5 and 1 ” 6 — Total 42 Thus we have again 36, unit value 9, for Mars; and 42, unit value 6, for Venus. This scheme may be reduced to a diagram, as on the following page. Thus we see that 9, the number of Mars, is opposed to 6, the number of Venus, in whatever direction we look, and the old legends of Venus and Adonis, of Vulcan and Aphrodite, of Vishnu and Lakshmi, most clearly point to this association of the planets Venus and Mars in the minds of the writers of the mythology. As myths or veils they were intended doubtless to hide something from the popular mind, and initiation into the Mysteries consisted in the interpretation of these myths in terms of cosmical laws. [Illustration: Figure 14.]