John Gadbury's Rules Concering Moles, Scars, and Body Marks

Horary astrologers used to use a querent's physical characteristics to validate a horary chart--a useful technique to know when a chart is not shown to be radical by some other means (such as planetary hour and Ascending sign agreement. Following are Gadbury's rules for using the placement of scars and moles to determine a chart's validity.

CHAP. 11

Of Moles, Marks, and Skars, of the Querent and Quesited.

The Knowledge of the Marks, Moles, &c. of each Querent by Art, is a good way for to verifie your Figure, and prove it Radical, as I before shewed: For if the Moles &c. of the Person enquiring, correspond exactly with the Scheam erected, the Artist may safely proceed to judgement. Now the Rules observable herein, are those following.
[what part Querent marked]

  1. Having erected your Figure, consider the sign ascending, and what part or Member in Mans body it Rules; for the Querent hath a Mole, Mark, or Skar in that part of his body. Example: if the Sign ascending be Virgo it is on the belly; if Libra the reins; if Scorpio the Secrets, &c.

  2. Then consider in the next place, in what Sign of the Twelve the Lord of the Ascendant is posited, and say the Querent hath a Mole, &c. in that Member or part of his body represented thereby.

  3. observe the place of the Moon and tell the Querent that he hath another Mole, or Scar, &c. in that part of his body the is represented by that sign she possesses.

  4. Consider the Sign of the 6th, and the Sign wherein the Lord of the 6th is Located; for usually in those Members represented by these Signs, the Querent is also marked.

  5. When Saturn shall signifie the Mark, &c. it is generally an Excrescence of a darkish obscure or black colour. If Jupiter it is usually a purple or blewish Mole, &c. If Mars , 'tis commonly some scar, slash, or cut, chiefly in a fierie Sign; and sometimes a reddish Mole, or spots of Gun-powder. If Sun , generally of an olive or chestnut colour. If Venus , of a honey color. If Mercury, it is sometimes whitish, and other times of a pale lead colour. If the Moon, 'tis often white, yet many times participates of the colour of that planet she is as aspect with.

  6. If the Planet and Sign representing the Mark, Mole, or Scar be Masculine, the Mars &c. is then on the right side of the body; if feminine, judge the contrary.

  7. If the Significator of the Mole &c. be above the Earth, the Mark, Mole, &c. is then visible to the eye, and on the forepart of the body; but, if he be under the Earth, it is then not to be seen, but is on the back part of the body.

  8. If few Degrees of a Sign ascend on the Horoscope, or descend on the 6th house; or if the Lord of the Ascendant, Lord of the 6th, and the Moon be in the beginning of Signs, then say the Mole, Scar, &c. is in the upper part of the Member thereby represented. If they, or any of them shall be in the middle of Signs, then judge the Moles, &c. to be about the middle of the Member. But if they be in later degrees of the Signs, &c. you may be confident that the Mark, &c. is on the lower part of the Member.

  9. Observe, if an infortune be in the Ascendant of any Question, the face of the Querent is usually blemished; for the face is signifyed by the Horoscope, let what sign soever ascend.

  10. These rules will hold true also upon the body of the Quesited, mutatis mutandis ; As, suppose one shall enquire of a sweet-heart, or wife, &c. the 7th house will be her 1st, and the 12th her 6th, &c. and in the Members, those signs signifie she shall have Marks or Moles. And thus much for this Chapter.