HOUSE, in astrology, denotes the twelfth part of the heavens. The division of the heavens into houses is founded up on the pretended influence of the stars, when meeting in them, on all sublunary bodies. These influences are supposed to be good or bad, and to each of these houses particular virtues are assigned, on which astrologers prepare and form a judgment of their. horoscopes. The ho rizon and meridian are two circles of the celestial houses, which divide the heav ens into four equal parts, each containing three houses ; six of which are above the horizon, and six below it : and six of these are called eastern, and six western houses. A scheme or figure of the heavens is composed of twelve triangles, also called houses, in which is marked the stars, signs and planets, so included in each of these circles. Every planet has likewise two particular houses, in which it is pre tended that they exert their influence in the strongest manner ; but the sun and moon have each of them only one, the house of the former being Leo, and that of the latter Cancer. The houses in as
trology have also names given them ac cording to their qualities ; the first is the house of life ; this is the ascendant, which extends five degrees above the horizon, and the rest below it : the second is the house of riches ; the third the house of brothers : the fourth, in the lowest part of the heavens, is the house of relations, and the angle of the earth : the fifth, the house of children : the sixth, the house of health ; the seventh, the house of mar-. riage, and the angle of the west : the eighth, the house of death : the ninth, the house of piety ; the tenth, the house of offices: the eleventh, the house of friends : and the twelfth, the house of enemies.
We have given this and other brief ac counts of the most absurd of all pretend ed sciences, in order to shew the folly of those, who were, in former times, weak enough to give any degree of credit to it,