Aphoristic Astrology of Ptolemy, Hermes, and Others

...you should know the intention of the querent The person asking the astrological question; for many indeed do not know how to ask, nor can they express what they intend.

17. When you are asked about the Father, look to the fourth house; about a brother, the third; about a son, the fifth; about a wife, the seventh. But if you are asked concerning a sick person, look only to the Ascendant The degree of the zodiac rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of the question, representing the person themselves.

18. When the Sun [☉] reaches the squares original: quadratos; an aspect of 90 degrees, traditionally considered challenging of the benefics the "helpful" planets, Jupiter and Venus or malefics the "harmful" planets, Saturn and Mars, both the obstacle and the help will be uncertain; it is to be feared that the malefics may indeed hinder, and the benefics may be unable to assist.

19. At the beginning of journeys and returns, the Moon [☽] should not be in the Ascendant, nor in the fourth, nor in the ninth house, even if she is not otherwise afflicted original: impedita; blocked or weakened by bad aspects from other planets. In the entry into a city, she should not be in the Ascendant, the second, or the fourth house.

20. The events of men's lives are foreknown in three ways: either from one's own birth chart original: nativitate, or from that of the firstborn son, or from a question known through deep emotion and concern This refers to Horary Astrology, where a chart is cast for the moment a pressing question is asked.

21. Every undertaking started with a retrograde A planet appearing to move backward in the sky, usually indicating delays or reversals planet, if the Moon [☽] be joined to it, is quickly destroyed and comes to a worse state when it is afflicted.

22. The state of Kings and Princes is taken from Saturn [♄] and the Sun [☉], and from the planet existing—

—existing in the tenth house The house of career, public standing, and authority; but the king’s helpers are taken from the eleventh house, and the helpers of common people original: rusticorum; literally "country-dwellers" or peasants from the second.

23. The departure of a King or Prince for travel is utterly rejected when Cancer [♋︎] is in the Ascendant.

24. Gemini [♊︎] and Cancer [♋︎] obey the Dragon’s Head The North Node of the Moon, traditionally associated with increase and Dragon’s Tail The South Node of the Moon, associated with decrease or loss more than other signs, and therefore they produce more serious evils in those signs than in others.

25. In the birth charts of women, when the Ascendant is one of the houses of Venus [♀] Taurus or Libra and Mars [♂] is located in them, the woman will be immodest; the same will occur if she has Capricorn [♑︎] in the Ascendant.

26. The Sun [☉] receives the powers of the planets when he is joined with them in the Ascendant or in the Midheaven original: domo medii Coeli; the tenth house or the highest point in the sky. In the night, the Moon [☽] does the same when she is joined with the aforementioned in those same places.

27. Jupiter [♃] dissolves the malice of Saturn [♄], and Venus [♀] dissolves that of Mars [♂].

28. When a question is asked concerning a woman, take the general signification from Venus [♀], but the specific original: determinate signification from the seventh house; and if concerning an enemy, the general from the twelfth house, but the specific from the seventh.

29. In the departure of anyone for battle, but especially of Kings, let the Ascendant be some—