PEARCE'S WEATHER BITS

Highlights - Condensed from
The Textbook of Astrology, book 3, Astro-Meteorology,
by Alfred John Pearce

By their science the Egyptian astrologers could foretell years of scarcity and plenty, pestilence, earthquakes, inundations, and the appearance of comets, and do many other things surpassing the sagacity of the vulgar.

The State-endowed Meteorologic Office frequently fails to foretell the general character of the weather only twenty-four hours in advance, and dare not attempt to forecast the general character of a coming season.

Archimedes discovered the law of specific gravity; and Galileo discovered the law, which is the basis of mechanics. The laws of Kepler, as they are called from their discoverer, are 3 important general facts in astrology.

  1. The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the Sun in one of the foci.
  2. The planets move over equal areas in equal times.
  3. The squares of the times of revolution of any 2 planets are to each other in the same proportion as the cubes of their mean distances from the Sun. (this 3rd law may justly be regarded as the most remarkable and the most pregnant with important consequences.

Kepler found from pure observation that the ancients were right when they averred that "sublunary natures are excited by the conjunctions and aspects of the planets."

An aspect is an angle formed on the earth by the luminous beams of two planets, of strength to stir up the virtue of sublunary things. When two of the heavenly bodies are in conjunction or opposition, they have nearly the same declination, and act powerfully on the earth and its atmosphere, because they attract in the same line; they rise, culminate, and set nearly together, when in conjunction; when in opposition, one rises as the other sets, one is in the upper when the other is in the lower meridian.

Observation shows that certain of the celestial bodies are in certain relative positions when excess of heat or drought prevails, excess of cold or moisture prevails. ....... hence,

  1. That the said positions of those celestial bodies are the original, though not the proximate, causes of such atmospheric phenomena.
  2. That, since the periods at which such celestial positions shall recur can always be accurately computed, it is possible to foretell the periods concurrent therewith, at which such atmospheric phenomena will also recur.

It is observed that when Mercury is in conjunction with the Sun, the atmosphere is greatly disturbed, and the wind is strong; in winter, hurricanes sometimes happen, as in Dec. 1863.

Search for the causes of variations in the seasons - of a hot or a cool summer, of a severe or a mild winter - and of the visitations of drought, floods, storms, etc.

When Sun is in conjunction, parallel, opposition, sextile, quartile or trine aspect with Jupiter, the weather is warm and is usually fine except in aspect to Saturn or Uranus.

The author said Sun Spots will never lead to the discovery of the laws regulating the weather.

Moon

Great changes of weather are often found to occur when the Moon is in major aspect with the Sun and one or more of the larger planets simultaneously. Hence the following aphorisms were compiled two centuries since: "If the Moon after conjunction or opposition with the Sun, immediately apply to Saturn, especially in water signs, rain shall follow." "If the Moon apply to Jupiter, fine weather, with hardly any rain will follow." "If the Moon apply to Mars, rain will follow, unless Mars be in Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, or in aspect with Jupiter. If Mars be in aspect with Venus or Saturn, much rain will follow." "If the new Moon apply to Venus, without doubt rain will follow, unless she is in aspect with Jupiter. If Venus be in aspect with Saturn or Uranus, cold, rain, or snow according to the season will follow." If the new Moon apply to Mercury retrograde, rain will follow. If Mercury be with Venus or Saturn, much rain. If with Mars or Jupiter, warm or dry weather may be expected. Brisk winds will follow."

Out of 760 rains, 646 began when the Moon was very near the upper or lower meridian, or very near rising or setting. (Angles)

Changes of weather take place more frequently at the first quarter and the last sextile than at any other period of lunations-but the nature of the change depends on the planet with which the Sun and Moon may be configurated at.

Jupiter

Jupiter is fruitful and airy, and expressly connected with winds proceeding from the north. The position of Jupiter in the western angle at the vernal equinox of 1864 was followed by a remarkably fine, warm and dry season.

If Jupiter be in an angle at a solstice or an equinox, or receive the application of the Moon at new moon, a temperate, good and wholesome air and a season favourable to the increase and fructifying of that which is sown and planted in the earth will follow. The ancients held that the action of Jupiter was varied in signs. When in Cancer, Aquarius or Pisces, more rain falls.

Saturn

When Saturn is in aspect to the Sun, the action is to condense aqueous vapour, to lower the temperature of the air. In contrast to Jupiter's health giving breezes, Saturn brings bleak, bronchitis-producing easterly winds or a stagnant, mephitic atmosphere favouring the spread of fevers. Spring blossoms can be blighted or, if summer, crops are injured.

When Saturn crosses the equator; the atmosphere is greatly disturbed. (once every 15 yrs).

Mars

Mars when in an angle at the equinox or solstice promotes evaporation and raises the temperature, causing a drier state of the weather than Jupiter, particularly when in Aries, Leo, or Cancer.

When Mars is in conjunction or opposition with Sun, calorific influence is usually observed to extend over a period of 2 to 5 days before the completion of the aspect, and a reaction frequently takes place immediately after.

Mars when in power generally causes such mischief and destruction as are concomitant with dryness. The atmosphere parched by hot, pestilential, and blasting winds, accompanied by drought. At sea, ships suddenly wrecked by the turbulence of the wind and strokes of lightning. Rivers fail and springs dry up.

Mars in Leo has power. Close to the meridian in Leo, stationary, the winter quarter was fair and mild, and the driest of the century in England for solstice Dec. 22, 1883.

Venus

Venus exerts a temperate and moist influence when in one of the angles at the equinox or solstice, when in conjunction and parallel declination with the Sun, and when in the equator.

Mercury

The electric planet (some say) produces rapid changes of weather. It generates in the atmosphere turbulent, sharp and variable winds. This if in conjunction or opposition with Mars, Jupiter or Saturn and especially if at the same time in or near the equator of tropics or in sign Scorpio or Leo or with Sun and Moon at eclipse.

The Sun in conjunction with Mercury is more prone to send us a hurricane than the Sun with Venus.

Mercury was in the 4th angle and nearly sextile aspect with Uranus. The fearfully severe winter followed with terrible blizzards with appalling loss of life. (Dec. 21, 1887 in Washington.)

Uranus

Disturbance caused by Uranus usually sets in very suddenly and can take shape of hailstorms. Tends to condense aqueous vapours and to lower the temperature of the air. Uranus in the 4th angle seems to threaten much damage by storms, more particularly in Scotland.

Neptune

There is evidence that Neptune in the equator disturbed the weather. Neptune in the 4th angle brought a cold and wet summer disastrous for farmers.

Mutual conjunctions and oppositions of the Planets

Mars and Saturn when in conjunction, more particularly when their declinations are the same and when the Moon happens to be in the same position cause a turbulent state of atmosphere. Conjunction of Mars and Saturn brought great winds and sometimes rain at any season of the year (in Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces). Thunder lightning, also inundations.

Dr. Goad records a dreadful tempest, wind, rain, and hail on the 13th of Nov. 1664 in England following the conjunction of Mars and Saturn in Sagittarius 27 degrees on the 12th. This combination produces storms and great disturbance of weather.

Jupiter and Saturn disturb the weather very greatly. Once every 20 years. Produces cold and dry weather, occasionally fogs. Mars and Jupiter do not always raise the temperature and promote evaporation. In Aries - great cold; in Taurus, snow; and in Leo, great cold.

Venus with Saturn produces either cold weather or much downfall; frequently fog, and sometimes strong gales.

Mercury with Mars is productive of vehement winds. Mercury with Jupiter frequently produces strong winds, and usually raises the temperature, sometimes thunderstorms.

Venus with Mars on the whole inclining more to warmth then cold. Overlook none of the conjunctions. When 3 or more planets are near together in longitude, great disturbance of the atmosphere is found to result.