Have regard first to the sign ascending,
the sign of the fifth, the Lords thereof, and the Moon and its Dispositor
that they be in Masculine signs, and let the Moon be free from impediment,
as also the Lords of the Ascendent and the fifth, and the Dispositor of the
Moon; this for Boys.
But in getting of Girls,
let the aforesaid significators and places be in feminine signs.
And if you cannot observe all this,
let your significators be (the major part of them)
masculine for a Boy, and so the contrary for a Girl; but if the significators be equal,
you must have regard to the Lord of the hour and the Planet to whom the Moon applies,
and judge by the major part, viz. if most Masculine Planets, a Male may be expected;
if feminine, a female;
But if it so happen that yet notwithstanding
the significators
are equal, viz. that there is the same equal number of masculine Planets and signs
that there is feminine, the conceived Infant will be an Hermophrodite; or if
the Moon, the fifth and Ascendant in signs of double bodies, perhaps there will be
Twins conceived.
But moreover know, that in Electing a time
for getting of Men-children
it is necessary that you place a fixed sign in the Ascendent and the rest
of the Angles, also the Fortunes free from all impediment or affliction,
let the Ascendent also be a masculine sign, and a sign of right Ascensions
free from the malevolent Aspects of the Infortunes;
But see that there be
in no ways an Infortune in an angle or a Feminine Planet, and let the
Lord of the Ascendent be fortunate, both in the seventh, eighth, ninth
and tenth moneths after the Conception, for that sometimes the Birth falls
out in these moneths as well as the ninth;
Let the Luminaries also be fortunate or
free from impediment, and let the Moon
be in Sextile or Trine of the Sun.
Chiefly have respect to
Venus and the Moon
that they be essentially
dignified, or at least free from misfortune for if Venus be afflicted
and weak, the place of Conception or
the receptacle for the seed will be deficient and weak to perform its
office; and if the Moon be impedited and weak, it debilitates the seed:
Some of the Ancients also have advised
that this should be done in odde or uneven hours,
as are the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh, for the getting of Boys,
they being accounted masculine hours; but for a Girl in even, as the second,
fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth, they being feminine.
Let your Ascendent be Libra, and place the
Moon therein, and Cancer on the
tenth, being a fruitful sign; but place the rest of the Significators in
masculine signs, and this causeth conception, and that of a Male childe;
but it is to be understood then, that the woman be sound in health and
nature, and of capacity for such matters: Your Significators in feminine
signs cause a Girl.
All these Rules it may be are too tedious,
or difficult to observe,
yet at least at the time of copulation, let the Ascendent and the
Moon be strong, and Jupiter upon the cusp of the mid-heaven fortunate;
for this signifieth the woman shall conceive at the first bout,
except she be a maid before, and then the first goes to another use
but at the second it will not fail, provided the party be capable and
sufficient in such an exercise:
If your Ascendent be a Masculine sign,
and the Moon and Jupiter in masculine signs,
or the major part, it is a Boy that is conceived; if feminine, a Girl.
But if thou canst not place Jupiter on
the cusp of the tenth, let him be on
the cusp of the eleventh, or fifth, or in such a degree as that he may
behold the Ascendent its Lord, or the Moon with a Sextil, or Trine, or
place the Moon or Lord of the Ascendent in the fifth, within five degrees
of the cusp thereof in good Aspect to the Ascendent, for this signifieth
the woman then made much of shall conceive.
Arabians and others have delivered
rules for electing such a time, especially
for that oftentimes through negligence or ignorance the childe hath been
almost spoil' d, in that the place sometimes did gangreen or fester, &c.
but since we have that Ceremony in no use, it being abolished by the death
of our Lord JESUS, it may seem here to be needless; but since the rules may
(if observed) tend to some other benefit; and for that I would not willingly
omit any thing that might be beneficial to posterity in these my weak endeavors,
I thought I would however spare one side of Paper for them.
See then that Venus be exalted above Mars,
and applying to the benevolent Aspect
of Jupiter; also let the Ascendent, its Lord and Venus, and the Moon be free
from the Aspect of Saturn, for that he causeth putrefication and corruption
to the generating of a Gangreen, and perhaps the indangering of the life of the childe.
Let the Lord of the Ascendent also be
ascending in latitude, and the Moon and
its Dispositor in septentrional signs, and in succedent houses of heaven, and
look that the Moon be not in Scorpio, nor Mars in the Ascendent or any other Angle.
These rules might serve also for
Christening;
but since the Ancients were not
so well acquainted with the use of Christening as we in this latter age, they
have been herein somewhat deficient, and have not delivered the rules of
Astrology thereon as is requisite; many, nay most of them, wholly omitting it;
wherefore (though Astrology medleth not with Divine matters, nor causeth or
procureth grace (this Ceremony being a sign and seal of our admittance into
the Church of Christ, and number of the Elect, if we live accordingly) yet
they act and incline, though not compel or force) I will give you here some
directions concerning this matter.
Know then that your Ascendent,
and its Lord, the Moon also and its Dispositor,
ought to be fortunate, and if possible, let the Ascendent be a fixed sign,
and Jupiter herein well dignified, or in the ninth, or in good configuration
with the Planets therein, or with the cusps of those houses: and let the
Planets either in the Ascendent or ninth be fortunes, or at the least well
dignified;
But let Saturn and Mars be in no
wise either therein placed,
or in configuration with them, or their Lords, or the Planets therein
placed; and let the sign of the ninth be fortunate, as also its Lord,
and place Venus and the Moon in a good Aspect of Jupiter; and if possible,
with reception, or let them be all in conjunction in the ninth or ascendent.
But if you cannot fully follow all
these directions yet let the ascendent,
the ninth house, the Planets therein posited, the Moon, its Dispositor,
and the Lords of the Ascendent and ninth, be well dignified, and in Sextil
or Trine of Jupiter or Mercury.