The Meaning of Fixed Stars

according Girolamo Cardano

in
De iudiciis geniturarum (1547)

Portrait of Girolamo Cardano

Anonymous
Galleria degli Uffizi
Florence, Italy

Stars at the border of Sagittarius, the three ones of third magnitude near or
over the arrow, have a great influence in producing murderers. If they are
well disposed they make heroes, men of war, tribunes, judges, responsible for
other people’s death; if ill disposed, they make wardens, subordinates to
magistrates, executioners, thieves. If they are in conjunction with the Sun, in
genitures of great men they promise kingdoms, but in humbler genitures,
they give lesser dignity. The next position is when they are with the Moon;
the natives having these stars so disposed will die because of an arrow. When

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they are in conjunction with Jupiter, with Venus, with Mars, they have
contradictory effects, and hard, but with Mercury and Saturn they produce
always great misfortunes. This is true for almost all the fixed stars, unless
that for some peculiar reason they are in agreement with a planet, or
incompatible with it.
Greater and brighter stars give honours and dignities; of average magnitude
and brightness, wealth; the smallest ones, if brilliant, intelligence; in fact as a
great light can disturb our studies, so a great star never grants an acute mind.
This point too derives from the nature of wandering planets: in fact to the
Sun we relate the power, to Jupiter wealth, to Mercury, the smallest planet
but very brilliant, the intelligence.
The Dog-star 1 ensures royal power; the place where is Spica of the Virgo, the
17th degree of Libra,2 being there Arcturus of Bootes too,3 gives an
extraordinary flow of wealth. The stars in the mouth of Capricorn give a
wonderful intelligence: in fact they are very small and in great number, and
this makes of them a royal place; moreover they are very brilliant and of
nature of Saturn and Venus.
If they are in conjunction with Mercury, the Dog–Star with the Sun and Spica
with Jupiter, everything will be positive. But if they are with the Sun and the
Dog-Star with Mercury, they give so little lucky that it seems to me they can
harm.
And in the same way the star of third magnitude which is in the 11th degree
of Sagittarius, gives an excellent intellect because it has too the same nature of
Saturn and Venus. 4
Stars of Mercury nature, especially the ones in the feet of Gemini, if with
Venus give grace and pleasantness. 5
If the left arm of the front Twin and the left knee of the rear Twin are with
Venus, they will involve a native in seduction and lust. The lower part of Leo,
with Mercury, makes the native distinguished for his studies; in fact it has
the nature of Venus and Mars.

TRANSLATOR NOTES:
1
Sirius, alpha CMa, the brightest star in the sky.
2
Ptolemy gives Spica at 26.40 Virgo; here Cardano is updating its longitude adding 20 degrees.
3
Before writing his Comment to Tetrabiblos, Cardano computed the conjunction between stars and planets “secundum
gradum”, i.e. according their longitude.
4
I believe it’s Sabik, eta Oph, the star in Serpentarius right knee, of third magnitude. In Ptolemy catalogue it is at 21.10
Scorpio.
5
Cardano gives an example of it in Petrarca’s geniture (De exemplis Centum Geniturarum). He writes that these stars
with Venus in the poet’s birthchart gave him his great elegance and fluency in writing.

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The right shoulder of Orion 6 and right shoulder of the Charioteer 7 with
Jupiter give great success; with the Sun a famous name; with Saturn great
attention and care.

The Vulture, 8 with the Moon, gives great prosperity. The Sun with the neck
of the Leo 9 or with another star of Saturn nature, or Saturn with Spica or
Bootes, give a great misfortune in those fields these planets are adverse: for
example to life if they are hostile to life, to wealth if they are hostile to this
one; in fact Saturn is malefic for its own nature and moreover is hostile to the
Sun.
Powerful stars of nature of Mercury and Venus, like the brilliant of Corona, 10
when they are with the ruler of the Ascendant, threaten a poisoning, and the
same the heart of Scorpio 11 and his tail. 12
The head of Serpentarius 13 with the Moon or the ruler of the Ascendant,
gives a violent death and a wicked and deceitful soul.
Stars of Jupiter/Mars nature with the Sun in a native of obscure birth or the
ones of Venus/Mercury nature in princes’ genitures forecast many damages:
the latter will fall into ruin, the former will face many misfortunes because of
his low inclinations or because involved in debauchery.
Fomalhaut, the brightest star of Aquarius,14 and the other ones behind of it, of
Venus and Mercury nature, give a persistent memory.
The ones in Taurus neck, with Venus or the Sun, grant gentle speech and
grace in composing verses, and increase notability.
Venus with the heart of Scorpio, makes munificent, illustrious and the poets;
the same if with distinguished stars of Jupiter or Mars nature.
Moon with the head of Medusa, sentences a violent death, and the same if
she is with the right side of Perseus, 15 with Orion’s foot 16 or Belt17 or the

6
Betelgeuse, alpha Or.
7
Menkalinan, beta Aur.
8
The Eagle and its alpha star, Altair.
9
Eta, gamma and zeta Leo.
10
Alphecca, alpha CrB.
11
Antares, alpha Sco.
12
Shaula, lambda Sco.
13
Rasalhague has a Saturn/Venus nature, not a Mercury/Venus one.
14
In Almagest Fomalhaut is listed under Piscis Austrini and Aquarius, being “at the beginning of the water ”of
Aquarius.
15
Mirfak, alpha Per.
16
Rigel, beta Or.
17
Delta, epsilon, zeta Or.

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brighter star in the Boreal Scale,18 or with Pegasus leg and back, or in bodily
conjunction with the one following the two ones in the tail of Capricorn. 19
Stars of nature of Mercury or Mars or Moon with the Sun deprive the native
of honours and glory; the ones of Jupiter and Venus nature increase them.
Stars of Mercury nature, or Mercury and Mars, or Mercury and Saturn, when
with Saturn worsen his unfavourable decrees.
Mercury with stars of Saturn/Jupiter nature make the native astute and
thoughtful.
Moon, with the stars in the neck of Capricorn or near his tail heralds a
sudden death. With the brighter star of the Southern Scale,20 death by
bleeding; with the same star at the setting point she causes an haemorrhage.
Moon with the stars of the water of Aquarius, or with the other Saturnian
stars, makes the fools.
Orion’s belt with the Sun hurts an eye, and the same if with the Moon. But if
these planets rule the Ascendant, these stars completely deprive of one of the
eyes.
If extra formam stars of Scorpio or the star in the foot of Serpentarius, 21 are
with the ruler of the Ascendant and this one is with the Sun, the body of the
native will be mangled in public, and the native will be changeable and a
betrayer.
Stars making betrayers are the ones of nature of Mars and Moon or Mars
and Saturn, or Mars and Mercury, or Saturn and Mercury.

FINIS

18
Zubeneschamali, beta Lib.
19
Deneb Algedi, delta Cap.
20
Zuben Elgenubi, alpha Li.
21
Maybe the stars of the left foot, near the Scorpio stars. Their nature is Mars/Moon.

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 PLANETARY NATURE OF SOME MEANINGFUL STARS

Alcyone eta Tauri BE

Praesepe M44 Cancri BE
Aldebaran alpha Tauri E
Pollux beta Geminorum E
Betelgeuse alpha Orionis EC
Scheat beta Pegasi EC
Sirius alpha Canis Maior EF
Regulus alpha Leonis EF
Arcturus alpha Bootes EF
Antares alpha Scorpii EF
Altair alpha Aquilae EF
Hamal alpha Arietis EG
Castor alpha Geminorum C
Procyon alpha Canis Minor CE
Alpheratz alpha Andromedae D
Fomalhaut alpha Piscis Austrini DC
Alphecca alpha Corona Borealis DC
Spica alpha Virginis DC
Vega alpha Lyrae DC
Algedi alpha Capricorni DE
Dabih beta Capricorni DE
Zubeneschamali beta Librae FD
Bellatrix gamma Orionis FG
Rigel beta Orionis FG
Algol beta Persei FG
Vindemiatrix epsilon Virginis GC
Alphard alpha Hydrae GD
Denebola beta Leonis GD
Rasalhague alpha Ophiuchi GD
Zubenelgenubi alpha Librae GE

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