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 sign Taurus (by night) / Libra (by day)
Signs of detriment Aries & Scorpio
Exaltation (sign & degree) Pisces - 27°
Fall (sign & degree) Virgo - 27 °
Triplicity rulership Earth triplicity by day
Associated terms
Aries degrees 7 - 14
Taurus degrees 1 - 8
Gemini degrees 15 - 20
Cancer degrees 21 - 27
Leo degrees 14 - 19
Virgo degrees 8 - 13
Libra degrees 7 - 11
Scorpio degrees 15 - 21
Sagittarius degrees 9 - 14
Capricorn degrees 1 - 6
Aquarius degrees 13 - 20
Pisces degrees 1 - 8
Rulership by face (or decanate)
Aries degrees 21 - 30
Cancer degrees 1 - 10
Virgo degrees 11 - 20
Scorpio degrees 21 - 30
Pisces degrees 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:
Angel:
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.
Back to text
2]
Aphrodite: Greek for Venus.
Back to text
3]
Phosophoros: 'Light-bearer', the secular Greek name.
Back to text
4]
Vesperugo: Latin for evening star.
Back to text
5]
Erycina: 'Of Eryx', a name applied to Venus, referring to a city in Sicily with a famous temple.
Back to text
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'.
Back to text
7]
Lucifer: 'bringer of light'.
Back to text
8]
Gamblers
Back to text
9]
A dealer in textiles, fabrics and fine cloth.
Back to text
10]
A person who cuts, polishes, sets or deals in gemstones.
Back to text
11]
Seamstresses.
Back to text
12]
Engravers.
Back to text
13]
Someone who illuminates manuscripts.
Back to text
14]
Womb.
Back to text
15]
Loins (or kidneys).
Back to text
16]
Priapism: prolonged and painful erection of the penis; derived from 'priapus', in classical antiquity the god of male procreative power.
Back to text
17]
Greasily charming.
Back to text
18]
Culpeper says Moon.
Back to text
19]
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
20]
Culpeper says Mercury for Lilly of the valley, the Moon for water lilies.
Back to text
21]
Commonly known as 'lords & ladies'. Culpeper says Mars.
For details, link to
Botanical.com
22]
A fern.
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
23]
Also listed under Jupiter.
Back to text
24]
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
25]
Also listed under Jupiter, to which Culpeper agrees.
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
26]
For an article about the Sycamore in Druidic lore
link to
OBOD Tree Lore
Back to text
27]
Terebrinth.
Back to text
28]
Also listed under Jupiter.
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
29]
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
30]
For details, link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
31]
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
32]
Also listed under the Sun. Culpeper says Jupiter, which Lilly gives to 'balsam', a type of balm.
Back to text
33]
The herb of grace. Also listed under Saturn.
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
34]
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
35]
Also listed under Jupiter.
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
36]
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
37] For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
38]
For details link to
Botanical.com
Back to text
39]
A crystalized mixture of resins from the amber tree. Also listed under the Sun.
For details link to
Botanic.com
Back to text
40]
A tincture made of opium.
Back to text
41]
For details link to
Botanic.com
Back to text
42]
For details link to
Botanic.com
Back to text
43] Culpeper says Venus.
Also listed under Jupiter
Back to text
44]
Furnishings
Back to text
45]
Or Haniel: the name 'behold God' shared by the archangel and angel.
For details link to
Marshall Mint
Back to text
46]
The first and eighth astrological hour of the astrological day, which begins at sunrise, not midnight.
Back to text
47]
Rising before the Sun.
Back to text
48]
Rising after the Sun.
Back to text
49]
Ie. , minds their own business.
Back to text
50]
Vitious: corrupt
Back to text
51]
Flirtation; love-making
Back to text
© Deborah Houlding
http://www.skyscript.co.uk
More on Venus:
Venusian herbs
Wheat
Viola
Rose
Mugwort
Strawberry