William Lilly, the famed 17th century English astrologer,
wrote the most complete explication in English of medieval and Renaissance horary astrology,
Christian Astrology, first published in 1647. Here are excerpts from Lilly's rules for
bewitchment questions from pages 464-5 of Christian Astrology reprinted
by Regulus Publishing, 1985.
If the Lord of the twelfth be in the sixth, or
the Lord of the sixth in the twelfth, or the Lord of the ascendant in
the twelfth, or the Lord of the twelfth in the ascendant, or the Lord of
the eighth in the ascendant, or the Lord of the ascendant in the eighth,
in a Question where suspition of Witchcraft is, it is probable; otherwise not so:
But the Judgment succeeding I have found more certaine.
It's a received, generall Rule amongst those
Artists that know the Cabalisticall Key of Astrologie,
that if one Planet be Lord
of the ascendant and twelfth house, that then the Sicknesse is more
then naturall: when Saturn is Lord of the ascendant and twelfth,
and in the twelfth Retrograde, or in the 7th or eighth house in the
same condition, and the Moon being Lady of the sixth, apply to
Saturn, we constantly judge the party enquiring is Bewitched or Fore-spoken,
or that an evill Spirit hath power over him, and that the Infirm will be sore
oppressed and disturbed in his Fancy, if not distracted.
If the Lord of the ascendant be Combust,
or infortunate in the twelfth, or joyned to the Lord of the twelfth,
there may be great feare, that the party enquiring or enquired for is
Inchanted or Bewitched, or else some evill Spirits doe hant him.
If the Lord of the ascendant be Lord of the twelfth, and Combust,
you must observe of what house the Sun is Lord, and in what Signe
and quarter of Heaven he and the Lord of the ascendant are, and judge
the Witch liveth that way; describe the Sun Sign as he is, and
it represents the person.
If the Lord of the ascendant be Lord of the twelfth, Combust, or
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unfortunate by the Lord of the third, it's a Neignbour hath procured some
Witch to doe this act, or one of the Kindred; see in what house the
Lord of the ascendant fals to be in, and in what house the Lord of the third
is in, and infortunates him, you may judge the cause of the malice to proceed
from something of the nature of that house; as if either of them be in the sixth,
it's for Pastorage of Cattle, or some difference about small Cattle, or for one
hiring the others Servants, &c. and in like manner consider all twelve houses.
If the Lord of the ascendant be infortunate, as aforesaid,
by the Lord of the fifth, it's some Ale-wife, Nurse, or some drunken companion
that occasions it, or hath procured this Witchery.
If the Lord of the tenth afflict the Lord
of the ascendant in the twelfth, it's doubtlesse the hand of God,
or by some supernaturall power or cause.
If the Lord of the ascendant be an unfortunate Planet,
as Mars or Saturn, and be in the twelfth house, Combust and infortunated by the
Lord of the twelfth, it imports the man is bewitched by a common Witch.
If the Lord of the twelfth be in the ascendant it
argues Witchcraft, or that some evill Spirit doth molest the party, or that
some that are neer him or about him have evill tongues, or in plaine tearmes,
have bewitched him.
In places where people are troubled with Witches,
as in many places of this Kingdome they are, these Rules will hold: as also,
if the Moon be in the twelfth, in Opposition to the Lord of the ascendant or
twelfth. If people suspect their Cattle Bewitched, if they be great Cattle,
make the twelfth house their ascendant, and the eleventh their twelfth house,
and vary your Rules with Judgment.