Of the remaining eight signs, four are fixed, and four bicorporeal. Those signs, which severally follow immediately after the two tropical and the two equinoctial signs, are termed fixed, because, during the Sun’s presence in them, the cold, heat, moisture or dryness, of the season, which commenced on his arrival in the preceding tropical or equinoctial sign, is then more firmly established: not, however, that the temperament of the season has in itself actually increased in vigour, but, having continued for some time in operation, it then renders all things more strongly affected by its influence. The bicorporeal signs severally follow the fixed signs; and, being thus intermediately placed between the fixed and the tropical signs, they participate in the constitutional properties of both, from their first to their last degrees. [43] In other words, the Sun then begins to diminish his declination, which, at the first points of the said signs, is at its greatest amount. CHAPTER XV MASCULINE AND FEMININE SIGNS Again, among the twelve signs, six are called masculine and diurnal, and six feminine and nocturnal. They are arranged in alternate order, one after the other, as the day is followed by the night, and as the male is coupled with the female. The commencement, it has been already said, belongs to Aries; since the moisture of the spring forms an introduction for the other seasons. And, as the male sex governs, and the active principle takes precedence of the passive, the signs of Aries and Libra are consequently considered to be masculine and diurnal. These signs describe the equinoctial circle, and from them proceed the principal variation, and most powerful agitation, of all things. The signs immediately following them are feminine and nocturnal; and the rest are consecutively arranged as masculine and feminine, by alternate order. Masculine or feminine qualities are, however, by some persons, attributed to the signs by means of a different arrangement, and by making the sign ascending (which is also called the horoscope) the first of the masculine signs. They also consider the first tropical sign to be that in which the Moon is posited, because she undergoes more frequent and rapid changes and variations than any other heavenly body; and it is by a similar mode of reasoning that they establish the horoscope as the first masculine sign, on account of its being more immediately under the Sun. Again, certain of these persons likewise allow the alternate arrangement of the signs; while there are, again, others who do not admit it; but, instead thereof, divide the whole zodiac into quadrants, and denominate those between the ascendant and the mid-heaven, and between the western angle and the lower haven, oriental and masculine; and the other two quadrants, occidental and feminine.