Bill Clinton - Significators of Manners
We looked at Bill Clinton's Mind yesterday, today is the turn of his 'Manners' and indeed some other significators as well.
Lilly says that we need to look first for planets in the Ascendant, In Bill's case we have three - Mars, Venus and Jupiter. All three of them will at some time or other be his principle significator. Lilly says that the most 'durable' of these will be the one which is most dignified - in this case, Venus. How the others will show will be determined through examining the primary directions.
As well as the three above planets, we would also consider the planets with dignity in the positions occupied by the principle significators. We already have Venus by rulership, but Saturn would have dignity because it has exaltation and triplicity rulership in Libra. So Saturn will participate. We could also consider Mercury as it sextiles both the Ascendant and Mars (one of the principle significators).
Notice that neither the Sun or Moon is mentioned. Lilly says that, 'in the horoscope' (first house) they 'effect no great matters but in a general way, unless they be wonderfully strongly fortified'. That statement would cause consternation to the Sun Sign fans. It might well be argued that the Sun is 'wonderfully strongly fortified' - The Sun is in fall in Libra, so that lets it out.
I'm not going to spend pages trying to sort out the balance of the above now, but I will give Lilly's interpretation for each of them:
Principle significators,
Venus - well disposed (which this Venus is) 'Pleasant, cheerful and fair conditioned....decent in their apparel (well dressed) good, bountiful, merciful..prone to their delights,given to be cleanly and take pleasure in sports and pastimes, subtle, elegant, poetical' Clearly someone who is personable and makes a very good impression.
Jupter - is not particularly strong at all, barely just dignity by Face. Well dignified we would have 'honest, just liberal, Governors and eminent men. Performing high matters, sober, grave , with a kind of moderation, prudent, living virtuously and orderly. Ill dignified 'lovers of themselves, much of the manners as for well dignified but a little more obscure and imperfect. Negligent, dissembling, prodigal. With his Jupiter, we have something in between the two readings for Jupiter. Jupiter is conjunct two fixed stars, Arcturus and Spica. Lilly doesn't mention Arcturus but Bernadette Brady links it to 'a different approach'. Lilly links Spica to a 'sweet disposition' diligent in attaining Arts and sciences, Spica is pushing Jupiter towards the well dignified readidng.
Mars - Mars is by some distance the worst dignified. So we look at the 'ill dignified reading - 'quarrelsome, rash and headstrong, bloody minded, unshamefaced, impudent is provoking but timerous when it comes to action, an author of dissension, tumults and sedition.
Lilly says that according to the ancients with the significators in Libra we get 'one inconstant, crafty, conceited of his own parts (things he does). He does not comment on that so we can't be sure he agrees.
Like all other Astrologers of his time Lilly tries to identify the physical characteristics from the horoscope. Liily is aware that this won't work universally - he recognises ethnic characteristics will make readings different from person to person. However in Lilly's time in England, it wasn't the problem that it would be today. So how far Lilly would modify his views I'm not sure.
For the Libra Ascendant he identifies a person of moderate to tall stature - Venus gives a man of fair but not tall stature, white , large fair hair, lovely light brown eyes, , lovely mouth, dimple in his cheek and full of amorous enticements. This will be modified by Mars, which would add a little more yellow to the hair, perhaps a slightly larger frame than for Venus' large sharp and piercing eyes, It perhaps lightens his eye colour, towards grey, the face is a bit more oval than for Venus. Occidental Jupiter (rising after the Sun) inclines the hair to a dark flaxen.
Now Lilly read corporature and looks day in day out so he would be a lot better than me at identifying the balance here, but hopefully you get the idea.