Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter LIV — Of Divers Certain Animals, and Other Things, Which Have a Signification in Auguries
§ About this work
Agrippa opens by positing a three-fold World—Elementary, Celestial, Intellectual—ascended toward the First cause (I), then defines Magic as the chief Science comprehending Natural, Mathematical, and Theological Philosophy (II). He treats the four Elements, their qualities, orders, and the properties of Fire and Earth, Water and Air, their compounded bodies, and their presence in all things up to God (III–VIII). He distinguishes elementary, secondary, and occult virtues, tracing the latter to Ideas, the Soul of the World, and celestial situation (IX–XIV), then how virtues move to their like, infuse likeness, form friendships and enmities, and reside in species, individuals, whole substances, parts, and life or death (XV–XXI). He assigns things to Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, planetary governments, kingdoms, Signs, stars, and Characters (XXII–XXXIII), then shows how virtues are drawn down through conformable things, mixtions, prepared matter, correspondence of Worlds, and animated Images (XXXIV–XXXVIII). Turning operative, he treats raising spirits (XXXIX), bindings, sorceries, catamenia, suffumigations and their recipes, collyries and unguents, alligations, rings, and virtues of places (XL–XLVIII). He describes light, fascination, wonder-working acts, and gestures and bodily figures (XLIX–LII), then divinations—Auguria and Auspicia, birds and beasts, lightnings and prodigies, and the four elemental divinations (LIII–LVII)—and reviving of bodies (LVIII). He treats dreams and prophetic madness (LIX–LX), then man's body, senses, mind, and passions, how the phantasy alters one's own and another's body, and how passions gain power through Heaven, faith, and the stars' minds (LXI–LXVIII). He closes with the power of words, proper names, sentences, enchantments, writing, and the Hebrew letters ordered to Signs, Planets, and Elements, ending the first book (LXIX–LXXIV).
Chapter LIV states that auspices occurring at the beginning of any enterprise are to be noted. If rats have gnawn one's garments, or one stumbles at the threshold, one should desist or forbear. Ill omens counsel postponement until a fortunate hour. Many animals are prophetical: the cock announces hours and chases the lion; birds and flies foretell rain; dolphins warn of tempests. The Phrygians, Cilicians, Arabians, Umbrians, Tuscians and others learned auguries from birds. Arus Apollo's Hieroglyphics is cited on daws and marriage; a single daw signifies a single life, as does a black hen pigeon. Crows are significant; Epictetus judged a croaking crow betokens evil. Swans presage happy events; the eagle nullifies other birds' predictions and portends victory by blood—examples include the Locresians, Hiero, Alexander of Macedonia, and Lucias Tarquinius Priscus. Vultures, phœnix, pelican, painted bird (Pictavia), heron, stork, cranes, cacupha, hippopotamus, origis, pie, albanellus, screech owl and horn owl are each assigned meanings; Dido and Æneas are cited. Almadel speaks on owls, night-ravens, and fighting birds. Melampus the Augure conjectured slaughter of Greeks. Swallows, bat, sparrow, bees, flies, and cocks follow; Livia and Cicero are cited. Beasts follow: weasel, hare, mule, hog, horse (Anchises in Virgil), ass (Marius escaping Silla), wolf (Hiero of Sicilia), lion, lioness, sheep, goats, oxen, dog (Cyrus, Tobit), castor, mice, locust, grasshopper, spider, ants (Tiberius Cæsar), snake (Tiberius, Sempronius Gracchus), viper, eel. Man is the most potent omen; Tully is cited. Rome's founding, Brutus and Cassius, and monks close the chapter.
Chapter LIV, Section 1aChapter LIV, Section 1bChapter LIV, Section 1cChapter LIV, Section 1dChapter LIV, Section 1e