[Translated by Jean Rhys Bram as Ancient Astrology: Theory and Practice = Matheseos libri VIII, Park Ridge, NJ, 1975.]
 

Julius Firmicus Maternus

Mathesis, Book 7, Chapter 25
 

[HOUSE OF SEXUAL DESIRE]

1. If the Sun and Moon are in feminine signs, either together or in different houses, Venus is in a feminine sign on any angle, and the Moon and Mars are together on another angle, they will make eunuchs or hermaphrodites. If the Sun and Moon are in masculine signs and Venus is also in a masculine sign in a woman's chart, women will be born who take on a man's character and desire intercourse with women like men.

2. If Venus is in the house of Mercury and vice versa, or if they are ill each other's terms, the Moon in Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus, or Leo, and the other masculine planets are in feminine signs and the feminine in masculine, hermaphrodites will be born.

3. If Mercury and Venus are in conjunction in the 19th degree of' Aries, they make the native impure of mouth. If Venus and the Moon hold the 3011) degree of any sign and are in square aspect or opposition to each other, they will exercise these vices secretly. But if the rulers of those signs in which the Moon and Venus have the 30th degree are in any aspect to these signs, they exercise these vices publicly, without shame.

4. Mars and Venus in conjunction in a morning rising and in a masculine sign make women shrewish and sterile. In an evening rising in feminine signs, in a man's chart, if Saturn is in any aspect, they make perverts who serve in temple choirs. If this combination is found in Aries or Capricorn, these same afflictions are indicated. But if Venus is in opposition or square aspect and there is no influence of Jupiter, women will be born with masculine character, but men will become castrates or eunuchs or male prostitutes.

5. If the Moon is in opposition to Saturn, but Mars is so placed that he is in square aspect to them and in opposition to Venus, and all these four are in each other's houses, this combination makes women sterile and shrewish, and makes men male prostitutes.

6. The same is true of Venus and the Moon in conjunction, also the Sun and Venus in the eighth house, Mercury and Venus in the houses of malefic planets, with Mars and Saturn in the house of Venus.

7. I shall briefly show how you may observe this more accurately: count the signs from the Moon to Venus and the same amount from the life ascendant. If the number falls in a feminine sign, and the Moon is in a ferninine sign from the 25th to the 30th degree, you will find male prostitutes who exercise their vice secretly; in a woman's chart the indication is for prostitutes.

8. But count the signs from Venus to the Moon and again from the ascendant, and if the number falls in a feminine sign, say that men will be detected in their practices. You will say the same in women's charts. If Venus and the Moon are located in feminine signs in the first degrees of these signs, the women perform their practices with public scandal.

9. If Venus is not with the Moon but is in an evening rising located in the first degree of a feminine sign, aspected to the Moon also in the last degrees of a sign, this makes both men and women prostitutes, both of whorn hide their practices. But if, with all as we have described, Saturn in a feminine sign is in square aspect to Venus or the Moon, this will make degenerates who are deformed and poverty-stricken.

10. If all are located as we have said, and Mars is found with Saturn, he makes castrates. If Venus is in the last degree of her sign and in aspect to Saturn and Mars, the degenerates will have good fortune and be entrusted with duties in temples; in a woman's chart they will be noblewomen involved in prostitution.

11. Mars, Mercury, Venus, and the Moon together in tropical signs, either in conjunction or in square aspect to each other, produce prostitutes, but their motivation varies according to the nature of the signs. If they are in feminine signs, this makes prostitutes, but in masculine signs, shrews.

12. If the Moon is on the ascendant with Mars and Venus, the Sun in the twelfth house, Saturn in opposition or square aspect to the ascendant, this will make castrates, but only if all influence of Jupiter is lacking. If Venus and Saturn are together, or in square aspect to each other, or are hidden by the Sun's rays, and the Moon and also the ascendant are in feminine signs, this makes secret degenerates.

13. But if Saturn and Venus are in a morning rising, they make these vices public. If Mars is in an evening rising in opposition or square aspect to Saturn and Venus, he will make public perverts. But if all are located as we have said and Mars is on any of the angles, this will make castrates. If it is a wornan's chart and all are located in masculine signs, they make her lustful and a shrew.

14. In general if the Moon, Sun, and ascendant are in the face or back of Capricorn, Aries, Taurus, or Leo, they indicate all kinds of sexual impurities together with extreme effeminization of the body. In all charts, if the Moon is found in the tail of Leo it will produce homosexuals who serve as tympany players to the mother of the gods. But if Venus is found in the face of Leo, or of Capricorn, Aries, or Taurus, she drives both men and women to all kinds of vices.

15. If the Moon is in the signs mentioned above, Saturn and Venus in the seventh house in square aspect to the Moon, this makes perverts; also if Mars is in any aspect to the Moon, and if Mars and Saturn are in any aspect to Venus in Taurus, Leo, Virgo, or Capricorn.

16. If the moon is in the sixth or twelfth house in a nocturnal chart, or the Sun by day in these houses and the Moon by night, or the Sun by day in the terms of Venus, Venus in the seventh house or on the IMC in her own terms, degenerates are born. But if Mars is in opposition or square aspect, he will make castrates. In all this look for the influence of Jupiter, for he to a certain extent mitigates or conceals these vices.

17. Eunuchs are produced if the Moon is in sterile signs, Saturn in conjunction with her, Venus in any aspect to them, but Saturn in the terms of Venus and vice versa, and Jupiter not in aspect to the Moon. But if the Moon is with Venus in earth signs, and Venus exchanges terms with Saturn, still with the influence of Jupiter lacking, eunuchs will be produced, but they will have intercourse with women.

18. Now I shall show you the house of sexual desire so that you may be able to find all vices and lusts. Count the signs from the Moon to Saturn, and again from the ascendant and in whatever sign the last number falls, that is the sign of vices and the house of desire.

19. If the house of sexual desire falls in a feminine sign, if a malefic planet aspects this house in square or opposition, and if Venus is located on any angle, degenerates are born but their vice is hidden. And if the house of desire has been exactly computed and found in dejected houses in a feminine sign, the native will be polluted by all impurities. But if it is located as we said and the Moon is in the first degrees of Pisces, Capricorn, or Leo, or in the last degrees of Taurus, the natives will be involved in all vices.

20. If the house of desire is located in dejected houses and attacked by influence of malefic planets, and the Sun and Moon are in dejected houses in signs of malefic planets or in their humiliation, they make public perverts engagcd in all vices. These vices grow stronger if the house of desire is in Capricorn, Aries, or Taurus.

21. If Venus is ruler of the chart and is together with Mars in a feminine sign and in dejected houses, but Saturn in a masculine sign is in trine to the ascendant in his own sign or his own terms, and the Moon is in a dejected house, degenerates will be born. If the Moon, Venus, Mars, and Saturn are in feminine signs in dejected houses and are either together or in square aspect to each other, they make male prostitutes. But if one of these is well located the natives will exercise their vices secretly.

22. If Venus and Saturn are in feminine signs in the seventh house but the Sun, Jupiter, the Moon, and Mercury are in dejected houses, this without doubt will make degenerates. And if all are located as we said and Jupiter alone is on the first angles, this will indeed make male prostitutes, but they will have the highest position, and glory and royal offices will be entrusted to them. If in this combination the Moon is found on the first angles, this will make them wealthy as well.

23. Venus and Mars in tropical signs, if they are in opposition or square aspect to each other in feminine signs, make perverts, but secret ones. Located as we said, without influence of Jupiter, they make women prostitutes and men homosexuals.