Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos : $b or Quadripartite, being four books of the influence of the stars ... with a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy, together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's zodiacal planisphere and an explanatory platePtolemy
Religion
Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos : $b or Quadripartite, being four books of the influence of the stars ... with a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy, together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's zodiacal planisphere and an explanatory plate
Ptolemy
Astrology -- Early works to 1800
The commencement of the effect, and the period of its general
intensity, or strength, are to be inferred from the situation of
the place of the eclipse with respect to the angles. For, if the
ecliptical place be near the eastern horizon, the effect will begin to
be manifested in the course of the first four months after the date of
the eclipse; and its general height, or intensity, will take place in,
or about, the first third part of the whole extent of its duration.
If the ecliptical place happen to be in or near the mid-heaven, the
effect will begin to appear in the second four months, and its general
intensity will occur about the second third part; and, if the place
should fall near the western horizon, the effect will begin in the
third four months, and take its general intensity in the last third
part of its whole duration.[87]
[85] Temporal or solar hours are duodecimal parts of the Sun’s diurnal
or nocturnal arc, and are numbered by day from sunrise to sunset; by
night, from sunset to sunrise.
[86] Equatorial hours are the twenty-four hours of the earth’s
revolution on its axis. Each of them is equal in duration to the
passage of 15 degrees of the Equator; and they are numbered from noon
to noon. A particular explanation of the astronomical use, both of
temporal and equatorial hours, is to be found in the 9th Chapter of
the second Book of the Almagest; an extract from which is given in the
Appendix.
[87] The three periods of four months each, stated in this paragraph,
are applicable to solar eclipses only; for lunar eclipses, these
periods may be reckoned at ten days each; that number of days bearing
the same proportion to a month, as four months to a year. On this
point, Whalley, with his usual inaccuracy, has asserted, that “in
eclipses of the Moon, two days, or thereabouts, are equal to the four
months” here reckoned in eclipses of the Sun. He adds, however, what
perhaps may be true, that “lunar eclipses are by no means so powerful
as those of the Sun, although more so than any other lunation.”
Partial intensities, or relaxations of the effect, are, however, to be
inferred from any combinations which may happen during the intermediate
period,[88] either in the actual places where the primary cause was
presented, or in other places configurated therewith. They are also to
be conjectured by the various courses, or transits, of such planets
as co-operate in producing the effect, by being configurated with the
sign in which the primary cause was situated; and, with this view, the
matutine, vespertine, or stationary position, or midnight culmination
of those planets must be observed; for the effect will be strengthened
and augmented by their matutine or stationary position; but weakened
and diminished by their being vespertine, or situated under the
sunbeams, or by their midnight culmination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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