Tetrabiblos and Centiloquy

and adapts each thing to its own reception. ¶ Again, it must not be thought that superior things The "superior things" refer to the celestial bodies/planets. proceed toward their significations inevitably, like those things which happen by divine disposition and which are by no means to be avoided, nor those which occur truly and out of necessity. Rather, we ought to know that the powers of the heavenly bodies occur by divine disposition, which cannot be prohibited from happening truly. And likewise, the variation of earthly things proceeds by a natural path; they vary and receive the primary occasions of superior things accidentally, and some even by a general harm of accidents. These do not happen to men by the property of any specific thing, as in a great change of the air i.e., a change in weather or climate, from which we can scarcely protect ourselves; and many things happen to men which occur from an excess of the air, or mortality, or drowning. These things happen for this reason: because a great and strong occasion always overcomes a brief and weak occasion. And some accidents, both natural and proper to each one's temperament complexio: the specific balance of bodily humors, happen by any change contrary to them. Since these things are thus proven in general matters and individuals, those accidents where the primary occasion is stronger and greater than all occasions contrary to it will happen necessarily. It must also be known that those things which are not so constituted, when they happen to receive their contrary, will be easily changed. Those which do not find this will imitate their primary natures, which happens through laziness and ignorance, not by necessary forces. We see the same thing happen in all things that have natural beginnings: as in the innate properties of certain stones and vegetables, as well as living things, and abscesses and infirmities, which necessarily perform something, and some are such that they perform it unless they are contradicted by something contrary. Similarly, it happens to all those laboring in this science The "science" of astrology/prognostication to consider the accidents that happen to men, and to prognosticate naturally in them, so that they do not adhere to false opinions. Since some things cannot be avoided because the occasions from which they proceed are many and great, others however receive changes and alterations. Just as physicians to whom the infirmities of men become known predict which of them are curable and which are not at all. ¶ In things where alteration can exist, we ought to attend to the following from the methods of judgment: When the astrologer says in anyone's nativity Birth chart that since his temperament is such and the change of the air is so, the tempered complexion will be altered according to increase or decrease, and such an infirmity will follow. And just as sometimes the physician says that this infirmity or these ulcers will increase and putrefy; and similarly if someone knowing the natures of magnets says that magnets attract iron—each of these, if the skill of the craftsman does not apply a remedy, will necessarily happen and proceed according to the powers of its own nature. But the ulcers will not increase nor putrefy when medicine meets them. Nor likewise will the magnet stone attract iron if it is smeared with garlic original: "alijs" likely a corruption of "allio" (garlic), a common medieval belief that garlic neutralized magnets. These aforementioned things are not prohibited except by those things which are naturally contrary to them, and according to what has already been indicated. Similarly, it will happen in those things which occur to men: they will be ignorant of the accidents when they happen, but when they know them and do not oppose them with contraries, the primary order of nature follows necessarily. But if they are foreknown and someone is found who knows how to heal them, they will either not happen at all by the natural and previously indicated way, or if they do happen, they will happen in a small degree. Since the power is the same in general and individual things, it is a wonder why it is conceded by men that a prognostication of general things can be had and that they can be guarded against. For there are many who concede prognostications of the years and the clouds and figures of the fixed stars, and they occupy themselves much with them, and they even guard themselves against those things which are to come through them; they reserve things that are cold in summer, and in winter those things that are warm. Generally, they also strive to attract tempered complexions to their own. Likewise, when they wish to guard themselves against misfortunes and accidents which happen at sea, they attend to the clouds of the fixed stars.

LIBRARY OF SAINT GENEVIEVE