The Ruins; Or, Meditation on the Revolutions of Empires and the Law of NatureVolney, C.-F. (Constantin-François)
Religion
The Ruins; Or, Meditation on the Revolutions of Empires and the Law of Nature
Volney, C.-F. (Constantin-François)
Ethics; History -- Philosophy; Religions; Revolutions
LIBRA, the Balance.--The seventh sign of the zodiac, directly opposite
to Aries, from which it is distant 180 degrees. It is marked thus
[symbol for LIBRA], after the manner of a pair of scales; to denote,
probably, that when the sun arrives at this part of the ecliptic, the
days and nights are equal, as if weighed in a balance. Hence the
period when the sun enters Libra, (about September 21st,) is called the
Autumnal equinox. On the 25th of September was born John the Baptist,
the forerunner of his cousin Jesus, who came to his exaltation of glory
on the 25th of March, the Vernal equinox. "The equinoxes and solstices,"
says Higgins, "equally marked the births and deaths of John and Jesus."
The one preceded and prepared the way for the other, who receded.
One advanced, the other declined. Jesus ascended, John descended.
Astrologically speaking, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John
iii, 30.)
SCORPIO, the Scorpion.--The eighth sign of the zodiac, which the sun
enters on the 23d of October, is marked thus [symbol for SCORPIO].
Scorpio is fabled to have killed the great hunter Orion, and for that
exploit to have been placed among the constellations. For this reason it
is also said that when Scorpio rises Orion sets.
SAGITTARIUS, the Archer: (marked thus, [symbol for SAGITTARIUS]) is the
ninth zodiacal sign, and corresponds with the month of November. This
sign is represented like a centaur and was fabled to be Crotus, the son
of Eupheme, the nurse of the Muses.
CAPRICORNUS, the Goat.([symbol for CAPRICORNUS])--The tenth sign of the
zodiac, which the sun enters the 21st of December, (the longest night in
the year,) called the winter solstice. This sign is drawn to represent
the horns of a goat, and is fabled to have been Pan, who in the war of
the giants was taken to heaven in the shape of a goat. Others claim
that it was the goat of Amalthaea, which fed Jupiter with her milk.
Macrobius, who calls Cancer and Capricorn the gates of the sun, makes
the latter sign to represent his motion, after the manner of a goat
climbing the mountains.
AQUARIUS, the Water Bearer.--A constellation in the heavens so called,
because during its rising there is usually an abundance of rain. It
is the eleventh sign in the zodiac, reckoned from Aries, and is marked
thus, [symbol for AQUARIUS]. It rises in January and sets in February,
and is supposed by the poets to be Ganymede.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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