Identifying the Ruler of Action
The lord of action is determined through two approaches: one based on the Sun and one based on the culminating sign. It is necessary to examine both the planet that has made its morning appearance closest to the Sun and the one situated at mid-heaven, especially when the latter is applying to the Moon. If a single star holds both positions, that star alone must be used; likewise, if no planet occupies one of these places, only the one occupying the other place should be employed. When one planet has made the nearest morning appearance and another is associated with the mid-heaven and the Moon, both must be used, with preference given to the one that, by reason of its strength, has the greater number of claims to domination according to the scheme already set out. If no planet is found either making an appearance or at mid-heaven, the lord of the latter region must be taken, with reference to the occasional pursuits of the subject, for persons with such genitures are for the most part inactive.
The Quality of Action
Having determined the planet governing action, the quality of that action is discerned from the character of the three planets—Mars, Venus, and Mercury—and from the nature of the signs through which they happen to pass.
Mercury as Ruler
When Mercury governs action, generally speaking, he makes his subjects scribes, men of business, calculators, teachers, merchants, bankers, soothsayers, astrologers, sacrificers, and in general those who perform their functions through documents, interpretation, and giving and taking. If Saturn testifies to him, they become managers of others' property, interpreters of dreams, or frequenters of temples for prophecies and inspiration. If Jupiter is the witness, they will be lawmakers, orators, sophists, who enjoy familiarity with great persons.
Venus as Ruler
When Venus rules action, she makes her subjects persons whose activities involve the perfumes of flowers or unguents, wine, colours, dyes, spices, or adornments—for example, sellers of unguents, weavers of chaplets, innkeepers, wine-merchants, druggists, weavers, dealers in spices, painters, dyers, and sellers of clothing. If Saturn testifies to her, she makes them dealers in goods used for pleasure or adornment, sorcerers, poisoners, panders, and those who make their living from similar occupations. If Jupiter testifies, they will be athletes, wearers of the wreath, persons deemed worthy of honours, and men who derive advancement from women.
Mars as Ruler
Mars, in aspect with the Sun, makes his subjects those who use fire in their crafts, such as cooks, moulders, cauterizers, smiths, and workers in mines. If he is not with the Sun, he produces those who work with iron, such as shipbuilders, carpenters, farmers, quarrymen, stone-dressers, jewellers, splitters of wood, and their subordinate workers. If Saturn testifies to him, he produces seamen, drawers of water, tunnelers, painters, gamekeepers, cooks, and embalmers. If Jupiter testifies, he produces soldiers, servants, publicans, innkeepers, ferrymen, and assistants at sacrifice.
Combinations of Two Rulers
When two planets are found to rule action, different outcomes arise according to the pair involved.
Mercury and Venus
If Mercury and Venus hold the rulership, they bring about action expressed through the arts of the Muses, musical instruments, melodies, poems, and rhythm, particularly when they have exchanged places. They produce workers in the theatre, actors, dealers in slaves, makers of musical instruments, members of the chorus, makers of strings, painters, dancers, weavers, and wax-moulders. If Saturn testifies to them, he produces those in the aforesaid callings as well as dealers in feminine finery. If Jupiter testifies, he produces lawyers, supervisors of counting houses, public officers, teachers of children, and leaders of the populace.
Mercury and Mars
If Mercury and Mars together assume the lordship of action, they produce sculptors, armourers, makers of sacred monuments, modellers, wrestlers, physicians, surgeons, accusers, adulterers, evil-doers, and forgers. If Saturn testifies to them, they produce murderers, sneak-thieves, burglars, pirates, cattle thieves, and villains. If Jupiter testifies, they produce men-at-arms, duellists, energetic and clever persons, and busybodies who meddle in others' affairs and thereby gain their living.
Venus and Mars
If Venus and Mars together dominate action, they produce dyers, perfumers, workers in tin, lead, gold, and silver, farmers, dancers in armour, druggists, and physicians who employ drugs in their treatments. If Saturn testifies to them, they produce attendants of sacred animals, those who bury men, mourners, pipers at funerals, and fanatics who resort to wherever there are mysteries, laments, and bloody rites. If Jupiter testifies, they produce frequenters of temples, interpreters of omens, bearers of the sacred instruments, supervisors of women, and interpreters of marriages and matches, making their living by such occupations while at the same time being devoted to pleasure and reckless.
The Role of the Signs
The specific natures of the signs in which the rulers of action are located also contribute to the variety of the action. Anthropomorphic signs assist all scientific pursuits or those useful to man; quadrupedal signs assist in matters concerning mines, commerce, building, and carpentry; solstitial and equinoctial signs assist those that are interpretative, involve barter, or concern measuring, agriculture, and religion; terrestrial and aquatic signs assist activities in or with liquids, or those that are botanical, or concern shipbuilding, and furthermore burial, pickling, or salting.
The Moon in the Place of Action
In a special way, if the Moon holds the place of action and is moving away from conjunction together with Mercury, the results vary by sign. In Taurus, Capricorn, and Cancer, she produces soothsayers, makers of sacrifices, and adepts in lekanomancy; in Sagittarius and Pisces, necromancers and those who can arouse daemons; in Virgo and Scorpio, magicians, astrologers, prophets, and those who have second sight; in Libra, Aries, and Leo, persons inspired by the gods, interpreters of dreams, and exorcists.
Amplitude and Success of Action
The particular species of action must be conjectured through such combinations, while its amplitude is discovered from the power of the dominating planets. When they are rising or angular, the actions they cause are independent; if they are setting or declining from the angles, subordinate. When beneficent planets overcome them, the actions are great, glorious, profitable, unerring, and gracious; but if maleficent planets overcome them, they are mean, inglorious, profitless, and fallible. With Saturn in opposition, they bring cold and mixtures of colours; with Mars, temerity and notoriety; with both together, utter ruin of action. In general, the period of increase or diminution is calculated by means of the position, from time to time, of the planets responsible for the effect relative to the eastern and western angles.
