Whether the Native’s Life is Likely to be Long or Short
The ancient astrologers, through careful observation and long experience, discovered many reliable rules by which the length or shortness of a person’s life may be judged. Since these rules were established with such diligence and seriousness, every astrologer who undertakes the judgment of a nativity ought to study them carefully and apply them before proceeding further. By doing so, he may avoid many needless mistakes and false conclusions that otherwise may easily arise.
For just as a traveller who loses the road at the beginning of his journey seldom returns to the right path without danger, trouble, and delay, so too the astrologer labours in vain if he searches into the most obscure and complicated parts of a nativity before first considering whether the native is likely to live long or die early. There are many winding passages and hidden turns within every horoscope, and therefore the foundation of the judgment must first be laid properly.
To prevent any student from erring at the very beginning of his work, let him carefully observe the following rules. In many nativities these testimonies have proven remarkably true.
General Testimonies of a Short Life
- A malefic planet placed in the Ascendant, corrupting its degree, or in square or opposition to it.
- Saturn and Mars joined together in the Ascendant.
- The Light of the Time greatly afflicted.
- The ruler of the Ascendant combust, cadent, and retrograde.
- All the planets placed below the earth.
- The birth occurring exactly at a New Moon or Full Moon.
- The Moon joined with Saturn or Mars in the sixth, eighth, or twelfth houses.
- The Moon in square or opposition to Saturn or Mars when those planets are placed in the fourth house.
- The Moon besieged between the Sun and Mars, receiving no assistance from the benefics.
- The Light of the Time eclipsed at the moment of birth.
These are the principal general testimonies of a short life that ought to be considered in every nativity. But if none of these testimonies are present, the native may continue in life until some powerful direction of the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant to a malefic promittor becomes the instrument by which the thread of life is finally cut.
Of the Giver of Life
The Giver of Life in a nativity, called by the Greeks the Apheta, ought next to be sought out and carefully considered. For, as Ptolemy teaches in the 67th aphorism of the Centiloquium, the years of the native are shortened through the weakness and debility of the Giver of Life. On the contrary, when the Giver of Life is strong and well fortified, the years of the native are increased and prolonged.
To discover the Giver of Life, you must first determine whether the nativity is diurnal or nocturnal.
- If the birth is by day, and the Sun is placed in the seventh, ninth, tenth, or eleventh houses — these being the proper aphetical places belonging to him — then the Sun shall be judged the Giver of Life.
- But if the birth is by night, and the Moon is found in the Ascendant, seventh, ninth, tenth, or eleventh houses, or within five degrees of their cusps, then the Moon shall be taken as the Giver of Life.
- If neither the Sun nor Moon is found in any of these places, then the Horoscope, or Ascendant, must be accepted as the Giver of Life.
Some astrologers, neglecting the Ascendant altogether, have taught that when neither the Sun nor Moon is suitably placed, the planet possessing the greatest essential dignity in the places of the Sun, Moon, and Part of Fortune should be chosen as the Giver of Life — provided that planet is well placed in the figure and above the earth.
Others have held that the Giver of Life should be the planet having the greatest essential strength in the places of the Moon, the Part of Fortune, and the prenatal lunation, especially if it is found in an aphetical place.
These are, in brief, the various opinions concerning the Hyleg, or Giver of Life.
Yet I judge the latter two opinions to be both vain and erroneous. And because they are erroneous, they are likewise vain. To demonstrate this more plainly, consider the following argument.
Argument Concerning the Giver of Life
The true significators of life ought also to be the preservers and sustainers of life.
But the Sun, Moon, and Horoscope are the true and certain significators of life.
Therefore, one of these must necessarily be the Giver of Life.
The first proposition stands upon this foundation: those things which are chiefly regarded at the beginning of life must also be regarded for the continuation of life. Now in every nativity, the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are principally observed at the beginning; therefore they, or one of them, ought also to be considered for the preservation and continuance of life.
The Sun and Moon deserve chief consideration because, according to the first aphorism of Hermes, they are the life of all living creatures. Ptolemy likewise affirms that the Sun is the fountain of vital power, and the Moon of natural power.
As for the Horoscope or Ascendant, any man who seriously studies the 37th aphorism of Ptolemy’s Centiloquium must acknowledge that, especially when the Sun and Moon are weak, the Ascendant ought to receive the dignity of being the Giver of Life.
The second proposition is sufficiently confirmed by the writings of nearly all astrologers who have treated upon nativities. Their testimonies are so many and so well known that there is no need to repeat them here at length.
Therefore, having established these principles, I confidently conclude that the Hyleg, or Giver of Life, ought always to be chosen from the Luminaries or the Ascendant. And whichever of these is strongest, according to the rules already given, ought to be taken as the true Giver of Life.
Of the Giver of Years, Called by the Arabians Alchocoden
That planet is called the Alchocoden, or Giver of Years, which has the greatest essential dignity in the place of the Giver of Life. This is especially true if that planet also beholds the place where the Hyleg, or Giver of Life, is situated.
If the Sun or Moon happens to be the Hyleg, and is also in its own house or exaltation, then that Light may be accepted as both Hyleg and Alchocoden. But if either Light is the Hyleg and is not strongly dignified, then it cannot be admitted as the Alchocoden.
If several planets appear equal in dignity and contend for priority, then the planet that casts a friendly aspect to the Hyleg shall be taken as the Alchocoden, or Giver of Years.
Note also that, in a diurnal nativity, an oriental planet is preferred before an occidental one.
The use of the Alchocoden, according to the Arabian doctrine, is this:
- If the Alchocoden is essentially dignified and placed in an angle, the native may live the greater years signified by that planet.
- If it is placed in a succedent house, except the eighth, the native may live its mean years.
- If it is placed upon or in a cadent house, the native will live only its lesser years.
The great, mean, and lesser years assigned to each planet are shown in the following table:
| Planet | Greater Years | Mean Years | Lesser Years |
| Saturn | 57 | 43 | 30 |
| Jupiter | 79 | 45 | 12 |
| Mars | 66 | 40 | 15 |
| Sun | 120 | 69 | 19 |
| Venus | 82 | 45 | 8 |
| Mercury | 76 | 48 | 20 |
| Moon | 108 | 66 | 25 |
I am truly persuaded that there is more truth in this doctrine, and in many other teachings of the Arabians, than is commonly practiced by any astrologer now living. If the art of directions were rightly observed and compared with the rules belonging to the Hyleg and Alchocoden, we would find a far greater harmony in the whole art of nativities than we are yet willing to acknowledge.
For while we think we have reached the very marrow of this science, we often, through neglect and lack of labour, content ourselves with the shell and outer surface of it. Therefore we may rightly say with the philosopher:
The greatest part of what we know
is but the smallest part of what we do not know.
And among all forms of learning, this is especially true in the doctrine of nativities. I leave the testing of these truths to those who are doubly diligent in this study, for no others are capable of judging them rightly.