On the Vitality and Upbringing of the Newborn

If the Moon looks upon Saturnoriginal: "Saturno"; the planet associated with restriction, cold, and death, the child will come forth dead. When the sign in which the conjunction or prevention preceding the birth occurred, the AlcocodenThe "giver of life," a planet used to determine the length of a person's life, the lord of the Sun's term, the Moon, the Ascendant, the lord of the Sun's triplicityA group of three zodiac signs belonging to the same element (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) by day and the Moon's by night, and the Part of FortuneA mathematical point in the chart representing well-being and luck are all unfortunate, the child will be born dead.

¶ Look to the lord of the luminaries The Sun and Moon by day and night, whether any planet is joined to it; also look to the place of the Part of Fortune and the Part of Cutting The "Pars Abscissionis," associated with the end of life to see if they are in fixed or falling houses, and who their lords are. For if they are under the Sun's rays and are beheld by the "unfortunates" Mars and Saturn, or joined to them, or joined among themselves, the child shall not taste life. This significance will be worse if the unfortunates behold the Sun and Moon or are bound with them. For if it be so, the child shall not live for a single moment. When all the planets or the greater part of them are in the 6th, 8th, or 12th house The "evil" houses associated with illness, death, and hidden enemies, and the lord of the Ascendant does not behold them, the child shall not taste life.

When the Moon is not received by the unfortunates, and an unfortunate planet is in the angle of the Ascendant or the tenth house, while the "fortunes" Jupiter and Venus are falling, the child shall not taste life. Especially if the Moon is in any angle and with an unfortunate, or if the lord of the Ascendant or the degree of the Ascendant is in the 4th house or in opposite aspect to an unfortunate. If an unfortunate is free from all impediment and beholds the degree of the Ascendant or the Moon from any angle: in this case, the child shall have life, by the Will of God.

When the Moon is in the middle of the sky The Midheaven or 10th house in aspect to a fortune with Mars, it signifies that the child will come forth dead and in vain. When the Moon and Mars are in the Ascendant and Saturn is in the West The 7th house, the child will come forth dead, especially if a fortune does not behold the Moon. And if the Moon is in the West with Mars and Saturn is in the Ascendant, the child shall not live a whole day.

¶ The child who is born and sees the world, but will not be nourished i.e., will not survive infancy, occurs when the significators and lords of the triplicity are in angles, but the greater part of the others are falling from the angles and unfortunate.

¶ Hermes Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary founder of astrology said that when the luminaries do not behold the Ascendant, or the Moon is under the rays of the Sun, the child shall live but a little while.

¶ The Moon joined to Saturn in his triplicity, or in the 4th house or in opposite aspect to him, signifies that the child shall live but will be of poor nourishment sickly or poorly raised. And if the Moon is with Saturn and the Sun, the child shall not be nourished. And if the Moon is with the Sun and Mars, or besieged between Mars and the Sun, the child shall be of short life. When the Moon is in her descent and in the West, the child shall not live nor even be nourished, especially if the Moon, being outside the angles, is made unfortunate by Saturn.

When the Moon is between two fortunes and a fortune does not behold her, the child shall live but a little while. When Mars and Saturn are in the Ascendant and the fortunes are falling from the Ascendant or from the sign of conjunction or prevention, and the unfortunates behold those two places, the child shall not be nourished; especially if the fortunes do not behold the Moon and Sun. When the Moon is in the same degree as the Sun, and Saturn beholds them from the 4th house or in opposite aspect, the child shall not be nourished. When the Moon is in Aries and in opposition to Mars, and a fortune does not behold her, the child shall be of weak nourishment and short life.

When the Ascendant and the lord of the place of the Sun and Moon and the Part of Fortune are under the rays of the Sun, the child shall be of little life. When the Moon is in Capricorn and both unfortunates are in the 4th house from the Ascendant, the child shall not be nourished. When the Moon, diminished in light, is besieged between two unfortunates, the child shall live but a little while. When the unfortunates behold each other in opposite aspect, so that one is in the Ascendant and the other is in the West, and the Moon beholds them from the middle of the sky or the 4th house, the child shall not be nourished. When any of the unfortunates are in the 7th house, and the Sun and Moon, being "pilgrims" Planets in a sign where they have no essential dignity, behold them, the child shall not be nourished.

When the Moon is in the term and aspect of an unfortunate in an angle, and a fortune does not behold her, the child shall not be nourished. When Saturn is in the Ascendant and Mars is in the 7th house, the child shall live but a little while, and for as long as he lives, he shall have evil. When Saturn is likewise in the Ascendant and the Moon, being a pilgrim, is in the West, the child shall live but a little while and shall be deformed. When Venus is in her fall in the West and Saturn is in the West, the child shall not be nourished.

And some have said that if any of the unfortunates cast their rays upon the degree of the Ascendant, the child shall not escape that hour, unless the fortunes help by casting their rays upon the same prominent place, even if the Moon and the lord of the Ascendant and the triplicity are free from the unfortunates. When the Moon is with an unfortunate in the 7th or 4th house, the nourishment shall be bad, especially if the said unfortunate casts its rays upon the degree of the Ascendant and the lord of the triplicity is falling in the 7th house.

When the Moon is impeded by the unfortunates and in her fall, and you wish to know if the child shall be nourished: Consider if the circuit of the Moon is made through the places of the unfortunates and returned to the Ascendant and applying to the unfortunates, and afterwards passes to the fortunes. If the child is not dead then, he shall live until 12 revolutions years are completed.

The infant who shall be nourished and live, but shall not reach old age, is one who has eight significations and the lords of the triplicity unequal—that is, some shall be fortunate and some unfortunate, or some strong and others falling. And specifically the two lords of the triplicity of the Ascendant, namely the first and the second. When any of them is in a good place and has many testimonies—such as if the Sun is the lord of the triplicity of the Ascendant and the lord of the Part of Fortune, and free from the unfortunates and from fall—you shall judge life and nourishment for the child, but he shall not reach old age.

¶ Bozochius An Arabic astrologer, likely Al-Buzjani or similar said that if the divider of life is in a good place, it signifies the child's stay in the world and good nourishment. When Jupiter is in the Ascendant or beholds it with a trine aspect, the child shall be well nourished. And likewise if Jupiter is in any of the angles or succeeding houses, and Venus, free from the unfortunates, retrogradation, and combustion being too close to the Sun, does not behold him, the child shall be nourished and live, but shall not reach old age. And if in a daytime birth Saturn is in the angles or the triplicity of the Ascendant, the child shall live and be nourished.

When the Moon and Mercury are in the 7th house and Jupiter is in the 4th, the child shall live. When the Moon is free from the unfortunates, descent, and peregrination, and the lords of the triplicity of the Ascendant are in their own houses or exaltations, or in bright degrees, not retrograde or combust, nor even made unfortunate, the child shall be nourished and live, especially when he prevails in his exaltation. And when the Moon is in her own [sign] and increasing in motion with a fortune and free from Mars—for Mars destroys nourishment, especially in daytime births and specifically when he is above the earth.

When Saturn and Mars are in the Ascendant or another strong and fortunate place, yet appearing from under the rays of the Sun, they signify healthy nourishment and the child's stay in the world. And the same is signified by the daytime [planets] in daytime signs and nighttime [planets] in nighttime signs, being in the angle of the Ascendant or in the middle of the sky. When [a planet] has crossed the middle of the sign in which it is, and that sign is the Ascendant or the tenth, the child shall live and be nourished but shall not reach old age. When the lord of the triplicity of the Ascendant is strong and in the middle of the sky or in some strength or in the 4th house, it signifies the beauty of nourishment by the Will of God.

The infant who shall live and be nourished and reach old age is the one who has the aforementioned significators fixed and strong in angles and free, not falling from the angles. And likewise when the Alcocoden of the birth is strong and stable. And it is clear that if it is struck in places where it has some dignity, it is strong and safe from retrogradation and misfortune. For then the Alcocoden shall give him his "greater years" The maximum lifespan assigned to a planet in astrology.

When the Sun and Moon are fortunate in the succeeding houses, the child shall enter into years and shall have well-being, and shall master his own nature. When the Moon is in the middle of the sky and in aspect of a fortune, and the unfortunates are falling from her, the child shall have a long stay in the world. When the fortunes are in the 4th house, the child shall reach old age and his death shall be in a great state. When Jupiter is in his own house and his own term, it signifies length of life, so that the child shall see his children's children and their children.

When the Sun is in the term of Saturn and in his own house or exaltation, the child shall make a long stay in the world and shall have greatness like a mountain. When the Sun is in his own house or dignity so that the unfortunates do not behold him, the child shall live long and be the master of his nature. When the Sun, free from unfortunates, is in the middle of the sky, the child shall have a long life with high status.

When Venus is in the Ascendant and the unfortunates are falling from her, and Jupiter beholds her, the child shall be of long stay and a beautiful life in this world. When the Moon is in the Ascendant without the aspect of an unfortunate, the child shall be of long life. When Mercury, Venus, and the Sun behold the Moon with a good aspect, the child shall be of long life and equal and healthy in his nature. When the Moon and Mercury are in the same sign, and also in the West or the 3rd house, the child shall be of long life. When the Part of Fortune or its lord is oriental and outside the rays, without the aspect of an unfortunate in the Ascendant, the child shall be of long life.

Certain wise men, in the matter of nourishment, look to the three states of the Moon: namely on the 3rd, 7th, and 40th days from birth. For the Moon in these periods transmits the nature of all things and signs...