Chapter 52

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The countenance, however, and gesture, and the motions and postures of the body, and the shapes furthermore assumed by us, contribute to the receiving of heavenly gifts, and expose us to the higher powers, and produce certain effects in us — not otherwise than in hellebore, which indeed, as one gathers that herb, whether one draws the leaf upward or downward, by this very motion one causes it to draw the humors upward, or downward. And that countenance and gesture affect sight, imagination, and the animal spirit, no one is ignorant: thus those coupling for offspring are wont to imprint upon the children to be born, for the most part, the very expressions which they themselves then either display or imagine: thus a prince's mild and cheerful countenance in the city gladdens the people, while a fierce or sorrowful one suddenly terrifies them: thus the gesture and appearance of one mourning easily excites pity; thus the countenance of a lovable person easily excites love [†...] affects with imagination those whom a rigid form keeps at bay.

You should know, moreover, that gestures and shapes of this kind, being as it were harmonies of the body, expose the body itself to the heavens no differently than odors and medicines expose the spirit, and inward passions expose the soul. For just as medicines and passions of the soul coalesce with certain dispositions of the heavens, so too gestures and motions of the body obtain their efficacy from certain celestial influences. Now there are gestures referring to Saturn, which are sad and mournful, such as lamentations, blows to the head; likewise devout ones, such as kneeling with the gaze fixed downward, as of one entreating, blows to the breast, and similar expressions, and those of an austere and Saturnine man, such as the Satirist describes:

'With head bent aside, and eyes fixed on the ground, Gnawing rabid silences along with mutterings to himself, And weighing out his words with lip stretched thin.'

(verse, summarized — see flag)

But cheerful and honest countenances, honorific gestures, the joining of the hands as if applauding, or praising, refer to Jupiter; likewise kneeling with the head raised upward as of one adoring. Sharp, fierce, cruel, wrathful, grim gestures and similar countenances refer to Mars. Solar gestures are spirited and honorific, and similar countenances: likewise walking about, and kneeling on a single knee as one honoring a king. Venereal ones are such as dances, embraces, laughter, lovable and cheerful countenances. Mercurial ones are unstable, brisk, slippery and of this kind, and similar countenances. Lunar ones are changeable, sorcerous, childlike, and of this sort.

And just as we have spoken of gestures, so too are the shapes of men distinguished: for Saturn indicates a man of a color between black and saffron, lean, stooped, with rough skin, prominent veins, a hairy body, small eyes, joined eyebrows, sparse beard, thick lips, gaze sunk to the ground, a heavy gait, rubbing his feet together as he walks, cunning, clever, a seducer, a killer. Jupiter, however, signifies a man of white color, suffused with ruddiness, of handsome body, good stature, bald, having rather large eyes, not entirely black, a wide pupil, short nostrils, not equal, rather large front teeth, a curly beard, of good spirit and good character. Mars makes a man ruddy, with red hair, a round face, saffron-colored eyes, a dreadful and sharp look, bold, festive, proud, cunning.

The Sun signifies a man of dusky color, between saffron and black, with ruddiness spread over it, of shorter stature, yet of handsome body, bald and curly-headed, with saffron-colored eyes, wise, faithful, desirous of praise. Venus signifies a man white, tending toward blackness, yet more white than not, and adorned with ruddiness, of handsome body, handsome and round face, handsome hair, handsome eyes whose blackness is rather intense, of good character, good love, benevolent, patient, and cheerful. Mercury signifies, from these shapes, a man not very white, nor black, with an oblong face, raised forehead, handsome eyes not entirely black, a straight and rather long nose, sparse beard, and having long fingers, clever, a subtle inquirer, shifty, and subject to varied fortunes. The Moon signifies a man of white color mixed with ruddiness, of handsome stature, round face, often marked, eyes not entirely black, joined eyebrows, benevolent, easygoing, and sociable.

The signs, too, and the faces of the signs, have their own shapes, which whoever wishes to know should seek in the books of the astrologers. From these shapes and gestures, finally, depend the arts of divination, physiognomy and metoposcopy: and chiromancy itself likewise, in foretelling future events — not as causes, but as signs through similar effects, caused by the same cause: that is, these kinds of divination seem to prophesy by way of lower and weaker signs, yet their judgments are not therefore to be despised or condemned, since they prognosticate not out of superstition, but from the harmonic correspondence of all the parts of the body. Whoever, then, by nature, by study, by action, by motion, gesture, countenance, by the affections of the mind, and by the opportuneness of the time, better imitates the celestial things, he, being as it were more like those higher beings, can from this receive ampler gifts.

On the divination of auspices, and of auguries.

Modern rendering

Our expressions and gestures — the way we move and hold the body, the shapes we take on — help us receive heavenly influences, expose us to the higher powers, and produce definite effects in us. It works the same way as with hellebore: however you pick that plant, pulling the leaf upward or downward, that very motion draws the plant's own fluids upward or downward. Everyone knows how much expression and gesture affect sight, imagination, and the vital spirit: people conceiving a child tend to stamp onto the child whatever expression they themselves are showing or picturing at that moment. A ruler's calm, cheerful face lifts a city's mood; a fierce or sorrowful one instantly frightens people. A mourner's posture and look easily stirs pity; an attractive person's face easily stirs love [†...], while a rigid, stiff bearing keeps people at a distance.

You should understand that gestures and postures like these are, in effect, harmonies of the body, and expose the body to the heavens exactly the way scents and medicines expose the spirit, and inner feelings expose the soul. Just as medicines and states of mind align with particular arrangements of the heavens, gestures and bodily movements draw their power from particular celestial influences. Saturnine gestures are the sad and mournful ones — beating the breast in grief, striking the head — and also devout ones: kneeling with eyes fixed downward like someone pleading, striking the chest, and similar looks — the bearing of a stern, Saturnine man, the kind the Satirist describes:

(verse, summarized — see flag: a Persius-style sketch of a dour man, head tilted, eyes on the ground, muttering resentfully to himself, weighing his words with pursed lips.)

Cheerful, dignified expressions, honoring gestures, hands joined as if applauding or praising, belong to Jupiter — as does kneeling with the head raised as if in worship. Sharp, fierce, cruel, angry, grim gestures and expressions belong to Mars. Solar gestures are spirited and dignified, with similar expressions — walking about, or kneeling on one knee as if honoring a king. Venus gives dancing, embracing, laughter, and warm, cheerful expressions. Mercury gives restless, brisk, slippery mannerisms and matching looks. The Moon gives changeable, sorcerous, childlike behavior.

Just as with gestures, people's physical builds break down the same way. Saturn marks a man with a color between black and yellow-brown, thin, stooped, rough-skinned, with prominent veins, a hairy body, small eyes, eyebrows that meet, a sparse beard, thick lips, eyes cast down, a heavy walk, feet that rub together as he moves — cunning, clever, seductive, and dangerous. Jupiter marks a man pale with a flush of red, handsome, well-built, bald, with rather large eyes that aren't fully dark, wide pupils, short and uneven nostrils, somewhat large front teeth, a curly beard — good-natured and well-behaved. Mars makes a man ruddy, red-haired, round-faced, with yellow-orange eyes, a fierce, sharp look — bold, high-spirited, proud, and cunning.

The Sun marks a man dusky in color, between yellow and black, with a flush of red, on the shorter side but well-built, bald and curly-haired, with yellow-orange eyes — wise, loyal, and eager for praise. Venus marks a man pale but leaning toward dark (more pale than not), touched with red, handsome and round-faced, with good hair and beautiful, quite dark eyes — good-natured, affectionate, kind, patient, and easygoing. Mercury marks a man neither very pale nor dark, long-faced, high-browed, with handsome eyes that aren't fully dark, a straight, somewhat long nose, sparse beard, and long fingers — clever, a sharp questioner, changeable, and subject to swings of fortune. The Moon marks a man pale with a touch of red, well-built, round-faced and often marked or blemished, with eyes not fully dark and eyebrows that meet — kind, easygoing, and sociable.

The zodiac signs, and the decan-faces of the signs, also have their own physical types, which anyone who wants to know them should look up in the astrologers' books. From these physical types and gestures come the divinatory arts of physiognomy and face-reading — and palmistry too — predicting what's coming not as causes but as signs, produced alongside similar effects by the same underlying cause. In other words, these forms of divination work through lower, weaker signs, but that doesn't mean their readings should be dismissed or condemned, since they're forecasting not out of superstition but from the harmonic correspondence running through every part of the body. And whoever, through nature, effort, action, movement, gesture, expression, state of mind, and good timing, best imitates the heavens, becomes, in a sense, more like those higher beings — and can receive greater gifts because of it.

On the divination of omens, and of auguries.