Tetrabiblos (The Quadripartite Book)

of whatever manner this may be at that time.
Now Ptolemy had already given us a general statement that that which the stars operate, they operate in all things which are among us because of the change which they make first in the air; because because of their own virtue coming from them into the air, they operate so well [as] in the earth, in the humors of waters, [in] minerals, vegetables, and animals. But now, because of this statement of his, he wishes to make us understand nothing other than that the [subject] proper to the thing receives because of the mixing which is made in the beginning. For that which first receives [virtue] through the change and virtue of the stars, and according to this they are generated and formed. And the substance of everything which is made [from] that, also receives the virtue and such a disposition. And it is manifest that the virtues of the soul and all its operations always follow the disposition of the body, as Aristotle shows first, and afterward Ptolemy, and thus the same happens in all other principles of all things which have a beginning in time; and it is manifest that with that virtue which the thing receives in its beginning, it will remain as long as it shall last; whence, since it is so, we understand the operations of the stars to be in two manners. One [is] that which the beginning of the thing operates. The other is that which operates after the beginning; and that which the thing receives in the beginning remains with it as long as it lasts. But that which happens to it after the beginning does not last for it except for some time, and afterward is destroyed. Through this, indeed, Ptolemy proves the certainty of nativities and of every beginning.

¶ Whence it is that because of the many things that have been tested, farmers and shepherds of flocks, in the hour of the mating of animals and the sowing of seeds, understand what will happen through the blowing of the winds.

¶ And this, laborers and shepherds who observe more than others understand [at] the hour when the male is joined with the female and the hour when seed is sown, what will happen in this generation [and] the results running in that hour.

¶ Ptolemy did not hold himself content by merely giving us the arguments for that which he had demonstrated. But he wished to affirm and certify [it] through things which the common people know, so that we might know for certain and understand the great power which the beginnings of things have; because laborers and shepherds who observe more, as he advised, [he] made one book on agriculture, in which there is a treatise, now, very good, wonderful, and very complete. And similarly, the ancient wise men who made other books on this reason [are] such as these. They understand through the blowing winds the hour when the male is joined with the female, and when they plant or sow, what will happen to this generation. But when he said concerning the blowing winds, he says [it] because of the change which happens in the air because of the virtue of the stars; because winds are not except because of the vapors which are made in the air and because of the motion of the air. And all these are not made except through the virtues of the stars which are mixed in the air.

¶ Generally, also, we know that the general things which the sun and moon and the figures of the stars declare are plain and manifest.

¶ The explorers of this art recognize their prognostications frequently by experiments.

¶ And generally we see that the general things, those which we understand from the participation of the sun and moon and the stars in figures, are manifest [and] many, and appear visibly, so that many who know nothing of the science can know and understand them, not only by looking into things and because of the experience which others have had.

¶ He says that the roots of this science are so manifest that the common people knowing nothing of the science know and understand them by looking and by testing them. Through this, therefore, the more should the wise men know, [those] who study to know natural things, such as philosophers and physicists.

¶ Those effects of the stars also which occur with the greatest forces, and which are accustomed to happen naturally [are known] by the unskilled, and indeed even by some animals [it] is prognosticated. For we see many animals signify the variations of the seasons of the year and the changes of the winds, which are called the [signs] of the air.

¶ And the works which come from the greater air and run [by] perpetual order are known by the common people. And I say more, that many animals understand these things, because many animals imitate the change of the seasons of the year and the diversity of the winds which are called animal [winds].

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¶ Already he had said to us that every common person, of whatever sort he may be, [can] know something of the reasons of this art and science by looking a little into them. Much more, therefore, [can] the wise who know the nature of things, since the operations of the stars are stronger, running by perpetual order, just as [does] the sun, understand [more] than the common people. Sufficiently, therefore, [more] those who wish to test and look a little into things; and not only these understand this, but also many animals and those which change themselves from one place to another and stay in a certain place at any time, such as cranes. Similarly, animals which are generated at a known time, such as turtledoves. And animals which prepare their food at one time for another, such as bees and ants. This all teaches us that many animals understand and know the changes of the seasons of the year which the sun makes. We see also that the common people and many animals understand the diversity of the course of the winds, and they are called animal [winds]; because these winds always run in summer from the part of the north toward the south, and [there is] a certain [wind] running sometimes more and sometimes less because of the participation which the stars have with the sun. This, indeed, many mute animals understand. And in this way there are other winds which always [blow] because of any time of the year; because each one of them runs because of the course of the sun, and the increase and decrease of each of them are not made except because of the participation of other stars with the sun; whence these are not understood except by those knowing the virtues of the stars having participation in figure with the sun.

¶ That the occasion of these significations is frequently the sun, we do not doubt. Those things, however, which happen with lesser forces are not prognosticated except by those frequently tested; as by sailors, the individual changes of the winter air and the wind of a longer time.

¶ And the reason because of which this virtue is the sun [is] that, nevertheless, the works coming through another, lesser power can [also] be understood [to be] the same prognostications which many have applied to them and have many times tested, such as sailors who know the particular motions happening in the winter air and the winds running through courses for a longer time.

¶ Ptolemy glosses for us through these words the statement which he said before, saying that the reason because of which the common people and mute animals understand the great changes occurring in order is the great power of the sun prevailing in the mixture which is made because of the conjunction of the stellar virtues; because of this, the changes which are made because of another, lesser power than that of the sun, they cannot understand unless they have many times looked there and have been tested for a long time, like sailors who know through the course of the stars that which will happen in the winter air concerning the increase or decrease of the same. And similarly [that] which will happen in the winds coming for a long time. This, indeed, you will be able to know from sailors going upon the sea, and sailors [who] have life on the sea daily.

¶ That this, however, happens from the figures of the moon and the fixed stars with the sun is manifest.

¶ And this is how it happens to them through the participation which the moon and the stars have with the sun in figure.

¶ As the sailors by the experience of a long time know that the particular changes happening in the air are all made through the participation of the moon and fixed stars with the sun in any figure. And the statement or word follows those words aforementioned. We say that similarly laborers and shepherds do [this].

¶ But that the places of the stars and the hours of the aforementioned things and the motions of the erratic stars, which the worker very much changes, [they] being ignorant of the science, they have many times been deceived in this science.

¶ And because these do not have the power of intellect so great that they know the places of the stars and the times of the things which we have said to certify; nor are these [people] tested to fulfill; nor [do they know] the courses, nor the erratic planets which are a thing that give great help in knowing the things which we have said: it happens to them to err many times in these things to be known.

¶ He wishes to say that laborers and shepherds, sailors, and all others to whom it is expedient to test things, he says that because they do not know the course of the sun and moon and of other planets and fixed stars; nor [do they know] of the figure, nor of other manners; nor have they tested this many times as they ought; nor do they know the virtues and operations of the erratic planets, nor their course which they have in operating, namely, much greater than the fixed stars, it happens to them to err