[PAGE 448]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
                                 CHAPTER XXI
                           MARRIAGE AND OFFSPRING
   There was a time when man-in-the-making was male-female and able to beget
children  without the assistance of another,  but when one pole of the  cre-
ative  force was directed upward to build the brain and the  larynx  mankind
ceased  to be bisexual and thenceforth each male or female had to  seek  its
complement to accomplish the begetting of children.   Therefore marriage was
instituted  by the angels as a sacrament and the sacred rite  of  generation
was  performed under their supervision in great temples at certain times  of
the year when the interplanetary lines of force were propitious for propaga-
tion.   The rest of the time all lived together in the paradisiacal bliss of
chase  companionship.   Therefore parturition was painless and sickness  and
sorrow were unknown.
   But when,  under the guidance of the fallen angels,  the Lucifer spirits,
mankind commenced to exercise the creative function for pleasure  regardless
of  the stellar ray,  death entered and the woman began to bring  forth  her
children in sorrow and suffering.   For though a minister may LEGALLY  marry
people,  he,  being ignorant of the stellar script,  cannot see if the basic
harmony necessary to truly mate two souls is present.  Therefore, alas, most
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marriages  fail to bring the happiness and satisfaction of soul  which  mark
the companionship of true mates.   Besides there is the pain of  parturition
incidental  to  mismating and the increased suffering of the  ego  which  is
building its body under inharmonious prenatal conditions.   Surely,  a heavy
toll to pay for ignorance of the stellar science!  Worse still, in the great
majority of cases where people do know astrology or where they are  informed
of  its pronouncement in their case,  they refuse to heed it  warning  voice
when it is contrary to their desires.   They often even hate the  astrologer
who  has  the  temerity to tell them that sorrow is in store  if  they  wed.
Therefore it is at best a thankless task.
   But this matter is so important at our present stage of evolution, it has
such far-reaching consequences both for the individual and for society, that
it is really criminal to leave to chance the choice of a mate.   Fortunately
we are nearing the Aquarian Age and there is no doubt that people will  then
study  the stellar script;  perhaps they will institute matrimonial  bureaus
maintained by the church or state,  with a view to guiding the growing  gen-
eration in the right direction.  If children whose nativities are harmonious
could visit at each others'  homes and become playmates the attachment would
undoubtedly ripened into love with the years.   Then marriage would not  end
the  romance as it unfortunately does in the majority of unions  consummated
at the present time, but it would intensify love and happiness year by year.
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The  bond of affection would grow stronger and aid the soul growth of  those
under its magic spell as no other relation can.
   Children would not be accidents then.   They would be loved into life and
they  would  scarcely miss the heaven they had left for they would  find  in
their  homes a heaven on earth.   Therefore we pray that the time  may  soon
come when each community will have its matrimonial bureau conducted upon the
astrological  basis where parents may send their child's birth data and  re-
ceive in return the name and address of another child who will be harmonious
as  a mate.   If the parents of both feel satisfied with respect  to  family
connections,  etc.,  the children could be made acquainted,;  if not,  other
names could be submitted by the bureau until one suitable according to  both
the  social and astrological standards was found.   The children could  then
become playmates,  and there is no doubt that in time their affection  would
grow  into  a love that would satisfy the youthful  sentiments  of  romance.
Later an ideal marriage would crown their happiness.
   Nor  should we wait for the church or state to take the  initiative.   If
parents who believe in astrology would form associations, maintaining a cen-
tral  bureau  where  horoscopes of their children could  be  kept  on  file,
grouped and classified with a view to finding true mates for them,  it would
give such a practical demonstration of the worth of astrology that in twenty
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five years enough cases could be pointed out to arrest the attention of con-
servative people.
                             HARMONY AND DISCORD
   Man is,  as Paul says, spirit, soul and body.   Therefore the blending of
two  beings  in  perfect  harmony requires that they be  in  accord  on  the
spiritual, moral and physical planes, symbolized in the horoscope by the Sun
and  Moon (Spirit or Ego),  Mars and Venus (soul or sex) and  the  Ascendant
governing  the physical body.   These significators taken together with  the
sign  on the Seventh House and the planet therein show the innate  agreement
or  discord  between people so far as the matrimonial relationship  is  con-
cerned.
   The  physical harmony is judged by comparison of the rising sign  of  the
two  persons  involved.   Fiery signs agree, so do earthy,  airy  or  watery
signs.   But a person with a fiery sign rising cannot successfully mate with
one  who has a watery or earthy sign on the Ascendant.   It is  like  mixing
fire  and water,  or heaping earth upon fire.   Fire will only combine  with
fire  and air.   People having a watery sign on the Ascendant may  harmonize
with a person having an earthy sign rising, or vice versa.   But neither the
earthy nor watery signs will mix with the fiery triplicity.
   On  the moral plane the relationship is governed by Mars and  Venus.   If
Venus in  the horoscope of one person is the same sign and degree as Mars in
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the horoscope of another person, there will be love at first sight when they
meet,  but the attraction will be sexual and unless there are other powerful
signs of harmony,  Mars will dominate Venus,  especially if Mars is situated
in  the Seventh House or highly elevated above Venus in the  other  person's
horoscope.
   When the Sun in one person's horoscope is on the place of the Moon in the
other person's chart harmony is shown on the spiritual plane.
   The  ideal marriage requires the blending of the two charts in all  these
particulars  and the happiness will depend upon the measure of agreement  as
indicated.   There are unions where people are sexually mated but  have  en-
tirely  different characteristics in other respects and vice versa.   There-
fore  the two charts must be examined in their entirety to give  a  reliable
judgment.
   The following will explain the indications for marriage in the individual
horoscope of both sexes.
                               MEN'S MARRIAGES
   An early marriage is indicated in a man's horoscope:
   (1)   When he is born in the light of the Moon,  at the time she is  pro-
gressing  from  the new to the full, provided she is placed in  the  Fourth,
Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh, or Twelfth House.
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   (2)   When the Moon and Venus are strong and well aspected with a  number
of other planets in the fruitful signs, Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.
   (3)    When the Moon and Venus are in the Fifth or Seventh  Houses  which
rule courtship and marriage.
   (4)   When a fruitful sign is rising with Cancer,  Scorpio,  or Pisces in
the Fifth or Seventh Houses.
   (5)    When  Venus  and Mars are dignified,  elevated,  strong  and  well
aspected.
   (6)    When  Jupiter or Venus,  or both,  are in the Seventh  House  well
aspected.
   A late marriage is shown in a man's horoscope:
   (1)   When he is born in the dark of the Moon;  that is to say,  when the
Moon is going from the full to the new and she is placed in the First,  Sec-
ond, Third, Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Houses.
   (2)    When the Moon or Venus are afflicted by Saturn,  Mars,  Uranus  or
Neptune,  especially  if either of these planets is placed in the  Fifth  or
Seventh Houses.
   (3)   When Saturn,  Mars,  Uranus or Neptune are in the Fifth or  Seventh
Houses.
   (4)    When  the Moon is square or opposition to Venus  or  Jupiter  they
bring trouble in courtship and consequent delays of the marriage.
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   Marriage is denied or is accomplished with great difficulty:
   (1)   When Saturn is in Scorpio which rules the genitals,  or if the Moon
is there parallel, conjunction, square or opposition to Saturn the planet of
obstruction,  for then there is little or no desire for sexual  intercourse,
hence such people generally remain bachelors.
   (2)   When the Moon,  or Venus,  the planet of love,  is afflicted in the
Saturnine  sign Capricorn,  especially if the affliction comes from  Saturn,
the planet of obstruction, many obstacles to marriage present themselves and
it is doubtful if they can be overcome, hence it is unlikely that the person
will marry.
   (3)    When the Moon is square or opposition to the Sun it  is  difficult
for the person to make up his mind on any subject, and if the Moon is placed
in the First, Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth or Ninth Houses, this will make
it particularly difficult to come to a decision regarding marriage.   If  at
the  same time there is an affliction from Saturn he will never make up  his
mind, hence marriage will not be consummated.
   (4)    When the Moon is in the last degrees of a sign she is said  to  be
void of course,  and if at the same time she makes no aspect to other  plan-
ets,  it shows a lack of attraction to the opposite sex, which will probably
prevent the person entering the marriage relation.
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                              WOMEN'S MARRIAGES
   An early marriage is indicated in a woman's horoscope:
   (1)   When she is born in the light of the Moon, that is to say, when the
orb of night is going from the new to the full, and the Sun is placed in the
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh, or Twelfth House.
   (2)    When the Sun and Venus are in one of the fruitful  signs,  Cancer,
Scorpio, or Pisces, and well aspected.
   (3)    When the Sun,  Venus,  and Mars are well aspected in the Fifth  or
Seventh Houses which govern courtship and marriage.
   (4)   When a fruitful sign is rising with Cancer,  Scorpio,  or Pisces in
the Fifth or Seventh Houses.
   (5)    When  Sun,  Mars,  and Venus are  dignified,  elevated,  well  and
strongly aspected.
   (6)   When Jupiter or Venus is in the Seventh House well aspected.
   A late marriage is shown in a woman's horoscope:
   (1)   When she is born in the dark of the Moon; that is to say,  when the
Moon is going from the full to the new,  and the Sun is placed in the First,
Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Houses.
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   (2)    When  the Sun or Venus are afflicted by Saturn,  Mars,  Uranus  or
Neptune,  especially if placed in the Fifth or Seventh Houses,  which govern
marriage and courtship.
   (3)   When Saturn,  Mars,  Uranus or Neptune are in the Fifth or  Seventh
Houses.
   (4)    When the Moon is square or opposition to Venus or Jupiter,  delays
and trouble in courtship and marriage may be looked for.
   (5)   When the Moon is parallel, square or opposition to Uranus,  the oc-
tave of Venus, that also will bring delays.
   Marriage is denied or accomplished only with great difficulty:
   (1)    When Saturn is in Scorpio,  the sign which rules the genitals,  or
when the Sun is there parallel, conjunction,  square,  or opposition to Sat-
urn,  the planet of obstruction,  the desire nature is held in clock,  hence
when  either of these conditions is found in a woman's horoscope it is  safe
to judge that she will remain a spinster.
   (2)   When the Sun, or Venus the planet of love, is afflicted in the Sat-
urnine sign Capricorn, particularly if the affliction comes from Saturn, the
planet  of obstruction,  there will be many obstacles to marriage and it  is
very doubtful if under the circumstances a marriage will result.
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   (3)    When the Sun and Moon are afflicting each other by square  or  op-
position  it makes the person vacillating on any subject,  and if  the  Sun,
which is significator or marriage for a woman, is placed in the First,  Sec-
ond,  Third, Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Houses, the will make it particularly
difficult to come to a decision regarding marriage.   Should there be at the
same  time an affliction between the Sun and Saturn it will eventually  pre-
vent the person from making up her mind,  hence marriage will not be consum-
mated.
   (4)   When the Sun by progression makes no aspect to the other planets it
indicates a lack of attraction to the opposite sex, which will probably pre-
vent her from entering the marriage relation.
                      HAPPINESS, SORROW AND BEREAVEMENT
   The masculine Sun is the particular significator of the marriage  partner
in  a  woman's horoscope,  and the feminine Moon signifies the spouse  in  a
man's chart.   Hence when the Sun and Moon are in good aspect to each other,
or to Venus, the planet of love, or Jupiter, the planet of benevolence, hap-
piness  and  joy are assured in the married  relationship,  particularly  if
these planets are placed in the Seventh House.
   On the other hand, Saturn, Mars, Uranus or Neptune, afflicting the Sun in
a female figure,  or the Moon in a man's chart,  indicate sorrow and trouble
through the  marriage relation.  If they are placed in the Seventh House the
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testimony is all the more potent, and it is also foreshown that the marriage
will be dissolved.
   In this respect,  Saturn and Mars indicate death of the marriage partner;
Uranus may also bring about this ending if afflicted by Saturn or Mars,  but
otherwise it points rather to a clandestine relationship which will probably
bring about the dissolution of marriage by desertion or divorce.
                              SECOND MARRIAGES
   If one or more of the malefics, Saturn, Mars,  Uranus,  and Neptune,  are
found in the Seventh House, and the Sun or Moon are in a fruitful sign, Can-
cer,  Scorpio,  or Pisces,  or in the double-bodies signs,  Gemini or Sagit-
tarius,  it is likely that the person will marry several times, and probably
to his sorrow.
   If  the  Sun  or  Moon are aspected to a  number  of  planets  placed  in
double-bodies signs,  Gemini,  Sagittarius,  or Pisces,  especially if these
signs are on the Seventh House,  two or more marriages are likely to  occur.
When the ruler of the Ascendant is placed in the Seventh House well aspected
to other planets and in a double-sided sign, Gemini, Sagittarius, or Pisces,
it indicates a plurality of marriages.
                     DESCRIPTION OF THE HUSBAND OR WIFE
   In  a  man's horoscope the planets to which the Moon makes an  aspect  by
progression  after  birth,  indicate the women to whom he will be attracted,
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together with their character and disposition,  which are determined by  the
signs that the planets are in and the aspects which they make.   For  illus-
tration,  let us suppose that the Moon in a certain person's horoscope comes
first  to  a sextile of the Sun in Leo,  and that the Sun is aspected  by  a
trine to Jupiter,  then we shall find the description of the wife by looking
up  the disposition,  a noble character, a blonde and of florid  complexion.
If  on the other hand,  we find that the Moon after birth makes a square  to
Mars  in Scorpio,  and Mars in turn square to Venus,  then it would  show  a
woman of a very lewd, slothful and slovenly nature who would be domineering,
quarrelsome, extremely difficult to get along with.  Similarly for the other
planets.
   In  a woman's horoscope the husband is described by the planets to  which
the Sun makes an aspect by progression, these planets to be taken in connec-
tion  with the sign where they are found and the planets with which they  in
turn  form configurations,  and the method is the same as indicated  in  the
case of the Moon in a man's horoscope.  It should be remarked, however, that
when the significator of the marriage partner,  aspected by the Sun or Moon,
is retrograde or weak by sign, as Saturn in Aries or Jupiter in Gemini,  the
attraction is not strong enough to culminate in a marriage but will probably
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indicate  only  a passing attraction.   Therefore the student must  use  his
judgment in these respects.
                                  CHILDREN
   Whether  a person will have children or not cannot be judged from his  or
her individual horoscope with any degree of accuracy for this matter is  not
dependent  on one only,  therefore the horoscope of the prospective  parents
should  be compared and the individuals indications blended,  then  if  both
horoscopes  show a fruitful nature many children will be born,  but if  both
are only moderately fertile,  or if one is very fruitful and the other  bar-
ren, the forecast must be made accordingly.
   The  indications shown i the individual horoscope may be  interpreted  as
follows:
   The  Moon is the planet of fecundation and therefore the  most  important
significator; next comes Venus, the planet of love and attraction; and last,
Jupiter,  the planet of benevolence.   If either of these planets is in  the
Fifth  House,  which  indicates children,  and in one  of  the  fruitful  or
double-bodies signs, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Gemini, or Sagittarius,  it is
an  indication that the person has a fruitful nature and will have a  number
of children who will be of good and pleasant disposition.   A similar  judg-
ment may be formed if the Eleventh House is thus invested.   For if we  turn
the horoscope upside down so that the Seventh House becomes the First,  then
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it will show the marriage partner's figure,  and the Eleventh House is  then
his Fifth House indicating children,  therefore both the Fifth and  Eleventh
Houses should be considered in this matter.   But as already said,  the true
state of conditions cannot be forecasted save by blending the actual figures
of both parents.
   When the violent,  turbulent Mars, or Saturn,  famed in ancient mythology
as a destroyer of children,  or the Sun or Uranus, are in the Fifth or Elev-
enth Houses,  they either prevent the birth of children or destroy them dur-
ing childhood.   This is particularly true if Aries, Leo or Capricorn are on
the cusps of either of these Houses.
   When the Moon is in Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Gemini,  or Sagittarius,  in
good aspect to Jupiter or Venus, a large family is indicated.
   But when the Moon is in Aries, Leo, or Capricorn, and afflicted by one of
the malefics or by the Sun, the marriage is usually barren.   Saturn and Ve-
nus in the Seventh House is also a sign of marriage without issue.
   If  there  is a difference in the testimonies of the Fifth  and  Eleventh
Houses the judgment must be modified accordingly.