Three Books of Occult Philosophy/Book 1/Chapter 52

by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

make an impression on the children that are then begotten, of that countenance which they themselves then form, or imagine: So a mild, and cheerfull countenance of a Prince in the City, makes the people joyfull: but fierce, and sad, terrifies them: so the gesture, and countenance of any one lamenting, doth easily move to pitty: So the shape of an amiable person, doth easily excite to love. Thou must know that such like gestures, and figures, as harmonies of the body do expose it no otherwise to the Celestials, then odours, and the spirit of a Medicine, and internall passions do the soul. For as Medicines, and passions of the mind are by certain dispositions of the Heaven increased so also the gesture, and motion of the body do get an efficacy by certain influences of the heavens. For there are gestures resembling Saturne, which are melancholy, and sad, as are beating of the breast, striking of the head: also such as are Religious, as the bowing of the knee, and a fixt look downwards, as of one praying, also weeping, and such like, as are used by an Austere, and Saturnine man, such an one as the Satyrist describes, saying,

With hang'd down head, with eyes fixed to the ground,
His raging words bites in, and muttering sound
He doth express with powting lips -----

A cheerfull, and honest countenance, a worshipfull gesture, clapping of the hands, as of one rejoycing, and praising; also the bending of the knee, with the head lifted up, as of one that is worshiping, are ascribed to Jupiter. A sowre, fierce, cruell, angry, rough countenance, and gesture, are ascribed to Mars. Solary are honourable, and couragious gestures, and countenances: also walkings abroad, bending of the knee, as of one honoring a King with one knee. Venereal, are dances, embraces, laughters, amiable, and cheerfull countenances. Mercuriall are inconstant, quick, variable, and such like gestures, and countenances. Lunary are such as are moveable, poisonfull, and childish, and the like. And as we have spoke of gestures, so also are the shapes of men distinct. For Saturne bespeaks a man to be of a black, and yellowish colour, lean, crooked, of a rough skin, great veines, hairy all over his body, little eyes, of a frowning forehead, of a thin beard, great lips, eyes intent upon the ground, of a heavy gate, striking his feet together as he walks, crafty, witty, a seducer, and murderous. Jupiter signifies a man to be of a pale colour, darkish red, a handsome body, good stature, bold, of great eyes, not black altogether, large pupill, short nostrils, not equall, great teeth before, curld hair, of good disposition, and manners. Mars makes a man red, of a red hair, round face, yellowish eyes, of a terrible, and sharp looks, bold, jocund, proud, crafty. The Sun makes a man of a tauny colour, betwixt yellow and black, dasht with red, of a short stature, yet of a handsome body, without much hair, and curld, of yellow eyes, wise, faithfull, desirous of praise. Venus signifies a man to be tending towards blackness, but more white, with mixture of red, of a handsome body, a fair, and round face, fair hair, fair eyes, the blackness whereof is more intense, of good manners, and honest love, also kind, patient, and jocund; Mercury signifies a man not much white, or black, of a long face, high forehead, fair eyes, not black, to have a streight, and long nose, thin beard, long fingers, to he ingenious, a subtile inquisitor, turn-coat, and subject to many fortunes. The Moon signifies a man to be in colour white, mixed with a little red, of a fair stature, round face, with some marks in it, eyes not fully black, frowning forehead, also kind, gentle, sociable.

The Signes also, and faces of Signes have their figures, and shapes, which he that would know, must seek them out in books of Astrology. Lastly, upon these figures, and gestures, Physiognomy, and Metoposcopy, arts of divination do depend: Also Chyromancy, foretelling future events, not as causes, but as signes through like effects, caused by the same cause. And although these divers kinds of divinations may seem to be done by inferiour, and weak signes, yet the judgements of them are not to be slighted, or condemned, when prognostication is made by them, not out of superstition, but by reason of the harmoniacall correspondency of all the parts of the body. Whosoever therefore doth the more exactly imitate the Celestiall bodies, either in nature, study, action, motion, gesture, countenance, passions of the mind, and opportunity of the season, is so much the more like to the heavenly bodies, and can receive larger gifts from them.

Chapter liii. Of Divination, and its kinds.

There are some other kinds of divinations, depending upon naturall causes, which are known to every one in his art, and experience, to be in divers things; by which Physitians, husbandmen, shepheards, Mariners, and every one of these out of probable signes do Prognosticate. Many of these kinds Aristotle made mention of in his Book of Times. Amongst which Auguria, and Auspicia are the chiefest, which were in former time in such esteem amongst the Romanes, that they would do nothing that did belong to private or publique business without the counsell of the Augures: Cicero also in his Book of Divinations largely declares, that the people of Tuscia would do nothing without this art. Now there are divers kinds of Auspicia's: for some are called Pedestria (i.e.) which are taken from four-footed beasts: Some are called Auguria, which are taken from birds: Some are Celestiall, which are taken from thundrings, and lightnings; some are called Caduca (i.e.) when any fell in the temple, or elsewhere; Some were sacred, which were taken from sacrifices. Some of these were called Piacula, and sad Auspicia, as when a sacrifice escaped from the Altar, or being smitten made a bellowing, or fell upon another part of his body then he should. To these is added Exauguration, viz., when the rod fell out of the hand of the Augure, with which it was the custome to view, and take notice of the Aupicium. Michael Scotus makes mention of twelve kinds of Auguria's, viz. Six on the right hand, the names of which he saith are Fernova, Fervetus, Confert, Emponenthem, Sonnasarnova, Sonnasarvetus: