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Traditional Rulerships of the Planets
saturn Saturn
jupiter Jupiter
mars Mars
the sun Sun
venus Venus
mercury Mercury
the moon Moon


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Venus

Of the planet VENUS, and her several Significations


Adapted from William Lilly's 17th century text Christian Astrology, pp.65-68



Adapted and annotated by Deborah Houlding
References in the footnotes include explanatory remarks
and modern translations of Lilly's terms

Names:
Cytherea, [1] Aphrodite, [2] Phosphoros,[3] Vesperugo,[4] Ericina.[5] She is well known amongst the vulgar by the name of the Evening Star or Hesperus; [6] and that is when she appears after the Sun is set: common people call her the Morning Star, and the learned Lucifer, [7] when she is seen long before the rising of the Sun.

Dignities:
Rulerships by signTaurus (by night) / Libra (by day)
Signs of detrimentAries & Scorpio
Exaltation (sign & degree)Pisces - 27°
Fall (sign & degree)Virgo - 27 °
Triplicity rulershipEarth triplicity by day
Associated terms
Ariesdegrees 7 - 14
Taurusdegrees 1 - 8
Geminidegrees 15 - 20
Cancerdegrees 21 - 27
Leodegrees 14 - 19
Virgodegrees 8 - 13
Libradegrees 7 - 11
Scorpiodegrees 15 - 21
Sagittariusdegrees 9 - 14
Capricorndegrees 1 - 6
Aquariusdegrees 13 - 20
Piscesdegrees 1 - 8
Rulership by face (or decanate)
Ariesdegrees 21 - 30
Cancerdegrees 1 - 10
Virgodegrees 11 - 20
Scorpiodegrees 21 - 30
Piscesdegrees 1 - 10

Nature:
Feminine, nocturnal, temperately cold and moist; the Lesser Fortune, author of mirth and jollity.

People Signified:
Musicians, gamesters, [8] silk-men, mercers, [9] linen-drapers, painters, jewellers, players, lapidaries, [10] embroiderers, women-tailors, wives, mothers, virgins, choristers, fiddlers, pipers, when joined with Moon, singers, perfumers, semsters, [11] picture-drawers, gravers, [12] upholsterers, limners, [13] glovers, all as sell those commodities which adorn women either in body (as clothes) or in face, (as complexion-waters.)

Anatomy and Illnesses:
Diseases signified by Venus are principally in the matrix [14] and members of generation; in the reins, [15] belly, back, navel and those parts; the gonorrhoea or running of the reins, French or Spanish pox; any disease arising by inordinate lust. Priapismes, [16] impotency in generation, hernias, etc, the diabetes or pissing disease.

Colours and savours:
In colours she signifies white, or milky sky-colour mixed with brown, or a little green. In savours she delights in that which is pleasant and toothsome; usually in moist and sweet, or what is very delectable; in smells what is unctuous [17] and aromatical, and incites to wantonness.

Herbs, Plants and Trees:
Myrtle always green; all the herbs she governs have a sweet flavour, a pleasant smell; a white flower. They are of a gentle humour, whose leaves are smooth and not jagged. She governs the lily, [18] white and yellow, and the lily of the valley, [19] and of the water. [20] The satyrion or cuckoopint, [21] maidenhair, [22] violet, [23] the white and yellow daffodil. [24] In trees and plants she rules Sweet apples, the white rose, the fig, [25] the white sycamore; [26] wild ash, turpentine-tree, [27] olive, [28] sweet oranges, mugwort, [29] ladies mantle [30] , sanicle, [31] balm, [32] vervain, [33] walnuts, [34] almonds, [35] millet, [36] valerian, [37] thyme, [38] amber, [39] laudanum, [40] civet or musk, [41] coriander, [42] French wheat, peaches, apricots, plums, raisins. [43]

Places:
Gardens, fountains, bridal-chambers, fair lodgings, beds, hangings,[44] dancing schools, wardrobes.

Minerals & Stones:
Copper, especially the Corinthian and white; brass, all lattenware. Stones include Cornelian, the sky-coloured sapphire, white and red coral, marcasite, alabaster, lapis lazuli (because it expels melancholy), the beryl, chrysolite.

Attributed orb:
7 degrees

Angel:
Anael [45]

Day of the Week:
Friday, and the first and eighth hour of that day [46]

Physical descriptions offered:
Venus represents a man of fair, but not tall stature, his complexion being white, tending to a little darkness, which makes him more lovely; very fair lovely eyes, and a little black; a round face and not large, fair hair, smooth, and plenty of it, and it usually of a light brown colour; a lovely mouth and cherry lips, the face pretty fleshy, a rolling wandering eye, a body very delightful, lovely and exceedingly well shaped, one desirous of trimming and making himself neat and complete both in clothes and body, a love dimple in his cheeks, a steadfast eye, and full of amorous enticements.
When Venus is oriental, [47] the body inclines to tallness; or a kind of upright straightness in person, not corpulent or very tall, but neatly composed. A right venerian person, is such as we say, a pretty, complete, handsome man or woman.
When Venus is occidental [48] the man is of a shorter stature, yet very decent and comely in shape and form, well liked of all.

Manners when well dignified:
Venus signifies a quiet man, not given to law, [49] quarrel or wrangling, not vitious, [50] pleasant, neat and spruce, loving mirth in his words and actions, clean in apparel, rather drinking much than gluttonous, prone to venery, [51] often entangled in love-matters, zealous in their affections, musical, delighting in baths and all honest merry meetings, or masks and stage-plays; easy of belief, and not given to labour or taking any pains, a company-keeper, cheerful, nothing mistrustful, a right virtuous man or woman, often had in some jealousy, yet no cause for it.

Manners when badly placed:
When Venus is ill-placed, then the man is riotous, expensive, wholly given to looseness and lewd companies of women, not regarding his reputation, coveting unlawful beds, incestuous, an adulterer; fanatical, a mere skip-jack, of no faith, no repute, no credit; spending his means in alehouses, taverns, and amongst scandalous, loose people; a mean lazy companion, not careful of the things of this life or anything religious; a mere atheist and natural man.


Notes & References:

  1] Venus Cythereia: 'Of Cythera', a name applied to Aphrodite, referring to either a city in Crete or to an island off the Peloponese, both cults centres of the goddess.
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  2] Aphrodite: Greek for Venus.
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  3] Phosophoros: 'Light-bearer', the secular Greek name.
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  4] Vesperugo: Latin for evening star.
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  5] Erycina: 'Of Eryx', a name applied to Venus, referring to a city in Sicily with a famous temple.
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  6] Hesperus, or Vesper, was the God or Goddess of the evening star. As the morning star Venus was known as Phosphorus, or Eosphorus, which is latin for Lucifer, 'the bringer of light'.
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  7] Lucifer: 'bringer of light'.
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  8] Gamblers
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  9] A dealer in textiles, fabrics and fine cloth.
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  10] A person who cuts, polishes, sets or deals in gemstones.
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  11] Seamstresses.
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  12] Engravers.
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  13] Someone who illuminates manuscripts.
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  14] Womb.
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  15] Loins (or kidneys).
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  16] Priapism: prolonged and painful erection of the penis; derived from 'priapus', in classical antiquity the god of male procreative power.
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  17] Greasily charming.
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  18] Culpeper says Moon.
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  19] For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  20] Culpeper says Mercury for Lilly of the valley, the Moon for water lilies.
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  21] Commonly known as 'lords & ladies'. Culpeper says Mars. For details, link to Botanical.com external link
  22] A fern. For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  23] Also listed under Jupiter.
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  24] For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  25] Also listed under Jupiter, to which Culpeper agrees. For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  26] For an article about the Sycamore in Druidic lore link to OBOD Tree Lore external link
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  27] Terebrinth.
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  28] Also listed under Jupiter. For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  29] For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  30] For details, link to Botanical.com external link
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  31] For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  32] Also listed under the Sun. Culpeper says Jupiter, which Lilly gives to 'balsam', a type of balm.
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  33] The herb of grace. Also listed under Saturn. For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  34] For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  35] Also listed under Jupiter. For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  36] For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  37] For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  38] For details link to Botanical.com external link
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  39] A crystalized mixture of resins from the amber tree. Also listed under the Sun. For details link to Botanic.com external link
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  40] A tincture made of opium.
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  41] For details link to Botanic.com external link
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  42] For details link to Botanic.com external link
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  43] Culpeper says Venus. Also listed under Jupiter
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  44] Furnishings
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  45] Or Haniel: the name 'behold God' shared by the archangel and angel. For details link to Marshall Mint external link
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  46] The first and eighth astrological hour of the astrological day, which begins at sunrise, not midnight.
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  47] Rising before the Sun.
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  48] Rising after the Sun.
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  49] Ie., minds their own business.
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  50] Vitious: corrupt
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  51] Flirtation; love-making
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© Deborah Houlding
http://www.skyscript.co.uk

Venus


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