In signis quidem duorum corporum victoria bona, devictio autem mala, utraque siquidem duplicatur. ("In bicorporeal signs, indeed, victory [is] good, but defeat [is] bad, for either [outcome] is doubled").
This is a difficult aphorism. John Gadbury's translation reveals his attempt to make sense of it: "Whosoever contendeth with another & overcomes when the significators are in signs bicorporeal, gets a great victory; if overcome, loseth much; for then the good or evil is doubled."
The unusual placement of the particle quidem ("indeed") suggests that this aphorism is the surviving fragment of a longer formulation, which probably described the Cardinal and Fixed signs as well. Indeed, there is good reason to believe that the Centiloquium Hermetis is a miscellany which preserves fragments of many lost works, including some of Hellenistic origin.
But what are these "bicorporeal signs," exactly? They are the signs of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. There are two traditional ways of understanding this: the first is that the term "bicorporeal" describes the Sign or Image itself, since Gemini is represented by two twins, Virgo is often portrayed as a maiden with wings, Sagittarius is half-man, half-horse, and Pisces is represented by two fishes. The other way of understanding the term is that the third sign of each of the four Quadrants (corresponding to the four seasons) marks a period of transition from one quadrant to the next one; so that the bicorporeal signs have one foot in each of two quadrants, as it were. In any case, the "bicorporeal signs" are synonymous with the "mutable signs" of modern parlance. Thus, Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricornus are "Tropical" or "Cardinal" Signs (Aries and Libra being "equinoctial," Cancer and Capricornus "solstitial"); Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are "Fixed" or "Solid" Signs; and Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces (as we have just seen) are "Mutable" or "Bicorporeal" Signs.
This scheme corresponds more or less to the three-fold division of the twelve Mundane Houses into Angular Houses (I, IV, VII, X), Succedent Houses (II, V, VIII, XI), and Cadent Houses (III, VI, IX, XII); suggesting a parallel between the Cadent Houses and the Bicorporeal Signs, although the latter are not necessarily unfortunate.
What does this aphorism mean, and how are we to interpret it and apply it? We will start by considering the possible interpretations of the words themselves, along with Gadbury's attempt to elucidate their meaning. Then we will see if it is possible to make a probable reconstruction of the original text in its complete form.
To begin with, it appears that the dual nature of the Bicorporeal Signs is somehow associated with the doubling of the consequences of Victory and Defeat. The question is, what exactly must be in Bicorporeal Signs to bring this about? If we are discussing Electional or Horary charts, the placement of the Moon in a Bicorporeal Sign might fit this formula. Another possibility (supported by the plural expression in signis) is that the present formulation describes the two planets involved in a "hard aspect" (Square or Opposition). This makes sense if we remember that "the nature of an aspect overrides the nature of the aspecting planet." If that is the case, the question of victory or defeat will arise only in square and oppositional figures, and the two planets involved will both be in Tropical, Solid, or Bicorporeal signs. Presumably the planet which enjoys the most Essential and Accidental Dignities gains victory over the other planet; and if we are using a point-system we could double that number in cases where the two planets occupy Bicorporeal signs.
Gadbury's translation reveals yet another interpretation: his reference to "the significators" implies either a Horary or a Directional context. If Gadbury is referring to a Horary chart, the implication is that the Query involves a conflict of some sort and that two planets have been identified as the Significators of the two contending parties (e.g. the Lord of the First House to represent the Querent and the Lord of the Seventh House to represent the Querent's Rival). The relative strengths of the two planets is assessed to predict the outcome of the struggle, according to the elaborate rules of Horary Astrology. The two planets need not be configured to each other, and their relationship is therefore not limited to configuration by square or opposition. This interpretation creates a problem, however, in that it renders the plural in signis less intelligible; but presumably if the prevailing planet is in a Bicorporeal sign, its victory will be doubled (by doubling its point-score); if the vanquished planet is in a Bicorporeal sign, its defeat will be doubled (by cutting its score in half); while if both planets are in Bicorporeal signs, we will reflect this by doubling the points of the victor and halving the points of the vanquished.
If Gadbury had a Directional scenario in mind, it is difficult to see how this aphorism could be applied. Most techniques of Primary Direction involve the direction of planets to positions in mundo, so that their Zodiacal positions do not change. While it is also possible to direct planets in zodiaco, the language of this aphorism seems entirely unrelated to the concerns of Primary Direction.
Now let us see if we can apply this aphorism to our Inception Chart. As we have frequently noted, our chart involves a Partile Square between Mars (in the 30th degree of Gemini) and Mercury (in the 30th degree of Virgo). Both Gemini and Virgo are Bicorporeal Signs, so the aphorism clearly applies! Analyzing the Essential Dignities of both planets, we obtain the following result:
Mercury: 5 points (domicile) + 4 points (exaltation) + 1 point (facies) = 10 points
Mars: [no essential dignities] = -5 points (Peregrine).
If we double both outcomes as previously suggested, Mercury is left with 20 points and Mars with -10 points, a spread of 30 points. This clearly represents a decisive victory of Mercury over Mars. Moreover, Mars is in Mercury's domicile and trigon, so Mars is clearly dominated by Mercury (Mercury happens to be in a trigon co-ruled by Mars, but this has little effect because Reception requires at least two of the minor essential dignities of trigon, term, and facies). Aggression is overcome by the Intellect. Action gives way to Reflection.
Finally, let us make a judicious attempt to reconstruct this formulation in its complete form. Since the word quidem implies a contrast to something immediately preceding, we may probably assume that the present description of planets in Bicorporeal Signs was meant to contrast with (lost) descriptions of planets in Tropical and Solid Signs. Our aphorism states that both Victory and Defeat are doubled when the contending planets are posited in Bicorporeal Signs. We may represent this by the formulation (V x 2, D x2). Each quadrant contains three signs: a Tropical Sign, a Solid Sign, and a Bicorporeal Sign. The present formulation thus describes one of the two extremes. It seems very likely that the Solid Signs in the middle of each quadrant will do nothing to modify either outcome, owing to their Solid or "single" nature. Let us represent this by the formulation (V x 1, D x 1). I am reasonably certain about this; the real question is, what is the effect of the Tropical Signs on victory and defeat? Since the Tropical Signs represent the other extreme, symmetry would suggest a reduction to the severity of both victory and defeat for planets posited in Tropical Signs (V x 1/2, D x 1/2). Alternate reconstructions are of course possible, but if mine is correct, the original form of the aphorism would have been something like this:
In Tropical Signs, neither victory nor defeat is decisive, for both are cut in half; in Solid Signs, there is simple victory and defeat, for there is no modification. In Bicorporeal Signs, however, victory is good but defeat is bad, for either [outcome] is doubled.
Probably our continuing study of the primary sources will bring to light further references to this matter which will be of assistance in either confirming or denying our hypothesis. Like the Superior and Inferior planets, the categorization of the signs as Tropical, Solid, and Bicorporeal is a well-known scheme, but the primary sources contain scant references to specific techniques employing it.
The picture prefixed to this posting is "Suvorov's Army Crossing the Alps in 1799", a painting by Vasiliy Surikov (1899). An apt illustration for our topic, is it not?
OTTAVIO BELTRANO, Astrologus
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