PlanetaryInfluence
From Wyclif
The planets were thought to influence most aspects of medieval life. Through their movement through the Zodiac, planets not only influenced destiny but also affected parts of the human body, days of the week, the four elements, character, personality and actions.
Albertus Magnus in his Book of Secrets describes each planet and its effects.
Saturn
"Saturn is the highest planet, whose nature is cold and dry, whose complexion
melancholic, an enemy to mankind, masculine, of the day, evil disposed, and
counted the greater misfortune. He is of slow motion, for he performeth his
course but in thirty years. He governeth in a man's body the right ear, the
milt, the bladder. He hath dominion over the phthisic, catarrh, palsy, dropsy,
quartan ague, consumption, gout, leprosy, morphew, cancer, flux, and griefs
of the spleen. He is a friend to the retentive faculty, and he hath two houses
as Capricorn and Aquarius. If he be Lord of the nativity, he maketh
the children of proud heart, lofty in honours, sad, keeping anger, upright
in counsel, disagreeing with their wives, malicious; of stature lean, pale,
slender, and hard favoured, thick lips, wide nostrils and cold of nature. This
planet giveth domination to Saturday, because he ruleth the first hour of the
day."
Jupiter
"Jupiter is next beneath Saturn, whose nature is warm and moist, whose complexion
sanguine, a friend to nature and to mankind, masculine, of the day, and called
the greater fortune; he is meetly slow of motion, performing his circuit but
in twelve years. He governeth in a man's body the liver, the lungs, ribs, midriff,
gristles, blood and seed. He hath domination over the King's evil, pleurisy, infection
of the lungs, apoplexy proceeding of blood, cramp, great headache, heartburning,
and other diseases of the blood. He helpeth the digestive and nutritive faculties,
and he hath likewise two houses, Sagittarius and Pisces. If he be Lord of
nativity, he maketh the children born to be of notable courage, trusty, achieving
great exploits, merry, glorius, honest; of stature fair and lovely coloured, gentle
eyes, thick hair, stately in going, very loving both of wife and children. He giveth
name to Thursday, because he ruleth the first hour of that day."
Mars
"Mars followeth Jupiter, whose nature is immoderate hot and dry, whose complexion
choleric, masculine, of the night, evil disposed, and termed the lesser misfortune.
He is indifferent quick of motion, performing his course in two years. He governeth
in a man's body the left ear, the gall, the reins, and cods. He hath influence in the
tertian fever, pestilence, and continual ague, ringworm, megrim, rottenness, untimely
deliverance, breaking of veins, and all diseases caused by choler, and hath two
mansions, Aries and Scorpio. If he be Lord of the nativity, he maketh
the children born rough, wild, fierce, invincible, bold, contentious, obscure, easy
to be deceived; of statue indifferent, lean, hard faced, red headed, small eyed,
delighting to burn and destroy, subject to breaking their limbs, and violent death,
or else to fall down from an high place. This planet giveth denomination to Tuesday,
because he ruleth the first hour of that day."
Sol
"Sol, or the sun, ensueth next Mars, whose nature is hot and dry moderately, the life
and light of all the other planets; masculine, of the day, good fortune by aspect, but
evil fortune by corporal conjunction. He is quick of motion, finishing hs course in
three hundred forty five days, and almost six hours. He governeth in man's body the brain,
marrow, sinews, the right eye of man and the left eye of woman. He hath rule of all
hurts in the mouth, in distillations from the eyes, and in all hot and dry diseases
which proceed not out of choler, and hath but only one mansion; to wit Leo. If he be
Lord of the nativity he maketh the children born trusty,, lofty, wise, just,courteous,
religious, and obedient unto their parents; of person corpulent, their hair inclined
to yellow, tall, large limbed, doing all things with a grace; and if this planet be
well placed, he causeth long life. This planet giveth denomination to Sunday, because
he ruleth the first hour of that day".
Venus
"Venus runneth after Sol, whose nature is cold and moist temperately: whose complexion
phlegmatic, feminine, of the night, and is cleped the lesser fortune, but of inclination
well disposed to mankind. She is of swift progression, absolving her revolution in one
year. She governeth in man's body the loins, kidneys, buttocks, belly, flank and matrix.
She beareth rule over all cold maladies, and moist, in the liver, heart, and stomach,
and specially women about their privities; and she hath two mansions or houses, Taurus
and Libra. If she be Lady of the nativity, she maketh the children born pleasant, merry,
given to pleasures, lovely, lecherous, just, inviolable keepers of faith and friendliness;
of stature tall, comely, white and fair, having wanton and amiable eyes, gentle looks,
thick and soft hair, sometimes curled, dancers and delighted in music. This gentle planet
giveth denomination to Friday, because she ruleth the first hour in that day."
Mercury
"Mercury immediately followeth Venus, whose nature in all respects is common and convertible:
masculine with masculine, feminine with feminine, hot with hot, cold with cold, moist with
moist, dry with dry, good fortune with the good fortune, best with good aspect or conjunction.
He is of swift motion, going his course in a year. He governeth in man's body the tongue, memory,
cogitation, hands and thighs. He hath dominion over the frenzy, madness, melancholy, falling
sickness, cough, rheum and the abundance of distilling spittle, and generally all things
are subject unto him; and he hath two mansions, Gemini and Virgo. If he be Lord of the nativity,
he maketh children stout, wise and apt to learn, modest, secret, and eloquent; of person small,
lean, pale of visage, smooth haired, fair eyed, hard and bony handed. This planet giveth name
to Wednesday, because he ruleth the first hour of that day."
Luna
"Luna, or the Moon, cometh last, and lowest of all the planets; whose nature is cold and
moist, feminine and of the night, conveyor of the virtue of all other planets coming next
from her to us. She is of a passing swift motion, finishing her course in twenty-seven days,
seven hours, and fourty-four minutes. She governeth in a man's body the brain, the left eye,
of a man and the right eye of a woman, the privy parts of a woman, the stomach in man and
woman, the belly, and generally the left parts of the body. She ruleth the palsy and writhing
of the body, displaying of members, obstruction of sinews, with infirmaties of cold moisture,
and she hath but one house only, to wit, Cancer. If she be Sovereign of the nativity, she
maketh the children born honest, honourable, inconstant, loving, wet and moist places, and given
to see strange countries; of stature tall, white and effiminate. She giveth name to Monday, because
she ruleth the first hour in that day."
The Planets and Their Children
Medieval Cosmology
The Planets in Renaissance Astrology
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