Part 27

This is the eighth instalment of “A Horoscope of the Months.” The first was printed in the March issue of THE SCRAP BOOK. In subsequent numbers we will give the sign for the month of issue and explain its significance to those whose birth-month it may happen to indicate. Watch for your month and note whether the characteristics given will apply to yourself and to your friends.—The Editor.

LIBRA: THE SCALES.

SEPTEMBER 23d to OCTOBER 23d. CUSP: RUNS SEPTEMBER 23d to 29th.

The constellation Libra—the seventh sign of the zodiac, and the middle one of the Air Triplicity—is a cardinal, sanguine, diurnal, airy, masculine sign, governing the loins. The higher attributes are inspiration and perception.

A person born during the cusp, when the sun is on the edge of the sign, does not receive the full benefits of the individuality of either Virgo or Libra, but partakes of the characteristics of both.

There is a greater variety of disposition among the Libra people than among those of any other sign. They are energetic, ambitious, and inspired. The inner nature is receptive, intuitional, sensitive, and poetical. They always finish things in a careful, competent, and conclusive manner. They keenly feel and can closely imitate the acts and sentiments of others, and can thus readily learn from example.

Their strong emotions and great imitative ability make them well adapted for the dramatic profession. When angry, they leave nothing unsaid. Their nature responds to all forms of ideality. As students, they are fond of philosophical and ethical and especially of mystical literature, Many good linguists are found in this sign.

The Libra people have remarkable foresight, and in the decision of most matters they are correctly guided by their intuitive faculty. This is especially so in the buying or selling of commodities, in which they can rarely be defrauded.

When overtaken by disaster they recover quickly and go to work again with redoubled vigor. The Libra women are kind, constant, and merciful.

The other type of Libra people is to be found more among the men, who are cunning in their business dealings and inconstant in their affections.

In physical appearance Libra subjects are usually tall, slender, and well-formed, with oval face, or languid expression of countenance, and beautiful eyes. The physical temperament will be sanguine-bilious in Southern latitudes, and nervous-bilious in Northern climates.

Their most congenial friends will be found among the Fire people (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius); next, with those born under their own sign, and, third, with those born under Aquarius.

Libra people take things from a material and literal standpoint; and though their intuitive nature will often show them the true side of the question, they prefer to accept the conclusions of human logic.

Impatience is one of their chief faults. They are prodigal of their strength and talents, and scatter their forces in all directions. They suffer through anger and jealousy.

When a Libra and a Sagittarius person are united, the children will be very talented. Children of Libra and Aquarius will be stronger physically, and will possess a keen intellect. These children are quick to perceive the truth in anything, and will make determined efforts to improve. They have a natural genius for invention, having a marked mechanical ability over all the other signs. They should be permitted to have their own way when not entirely wrong. To circumscribe a Libra child is to destroy its genius.

The governing planet is Venus, and the gems are the diamond and the opal. The astral colors are black, crimson, and light blue. The flower is the violet.

August and December are the most favorable months, and Wednesday is the lucky day in this sign.

October, the eighth month of the old Roman year, originally began in spring. By the Julian arrangement it became the tenth month, and had thirty-one days assigned to it. By the Slavs this is called “yellow month” from the fading of the leaf; to the Anglo-Saxons it was known as the Wyn-Monat (wine month), because it was the month in which they pressed grapes, also as Winter-fylleth, because at this full moon (fylleth) winter was supposed to begin. It corresponds partly with the Vendémiaire and partly to the Brumaire of the first French Republic.

In some of the very old Saxon calendars October is characterized by the figure of a husbandman carrying a sack on his shoulders and sowing of corn. In others, less ancient, hawking is the emblem of the month; and yet in more modern times it has been represented as a man clothed in a garment of the color of decaying leaves, with a coronal of oak-branches and acorns on his head, holding in his left hand a basket of chestnuts, medlars, etc., and in his right, Scorpio—_i.e._, the sign of the zodiac which the sun enters on the twenty-third of October.

The principal ecclesiastical feasts are those of St. Luke, on the 18th; and St. Simon and St. Jude, on the 28th.

The late Senator Mark A. Hanna and Mrs. Annie Besant were born under this sign. Bernhardt, Modjeska, and Peg Woffington are excellent illustrations of the dramatic genius of the Libra people.

THE ZODIACAL SIGNS.

1. Aries The Ram. Reigns from March 21 to April 19. 2. Taurus The Bull. Reigns from April 20 to May 19. 3. Gemini The Twins. Reigns from May 20 to June 18. 4. Cancer The Crab. Reigns from June 19 to July 23. 5. Leo The Lion. Reigns from July 24 to August 23. 6. Virgo The Virgin. Reigns from August 24 to September 21. 7. Libra The Scales. Reigns from September 22 to October 21. 8. Scorpio The Scorpion. Reigns from October 22 to November 20. 9. Sagittarius The Archer. Reigns from November 21 to December 20. 10. Capricorn The Sea-Goat. Reigns from December 21 to January 19. 11. Aquarius The Water Reigns from January 20 to February 18. Bearer. 12. Pisces The Fishes. Reigns from February 19 to March 20.

WHAT FOREIGN JOHN SMITHS ARE CALLED.

Nearly Every Nation Has a Peculiar Manner of Spelling His Name—In Poland He is Ivan Schmittiweiski, and in Turkey Yoo Seef.

Of all the families of the earth probably there is none more numerous than that of Smith, and of all the Smiths in the world it seems that at least fifty per cent have been christened John. If the name were not so common we should probably admire it and see it through a glamour, as we do many other names that are not half as solid and substantial.

As it is, plain John Smith is not very high-sounding; it does not suggest aristocracy. It is not the name of any hero in die-away novels; yet it is good and honest. Transferred to other languages it seems to climb the ladder of respectability.

Thus in Latin it is Johannes Smithus; the Italian smoothes it off into Giovanni Smithi; the Spaniards render it Juan Smithus; the German adopts it as Hans Schmidt; the French flatten it out into Jean Smeets; the Russian turns it into Jonloff Smitowski; the Icelanders say he is Jahnne Smithson. Among the Tuscaroras he becomes Tam Qua Smittia; in Poland he is known as Ivan Schmittiweiski; among the Welsh mountains they call him Jihom Schmidt; in Mexico his name is written Jontli F’Smitri; in Greece he turns to I’on Sinikton; in Turkey he is almost disguised as Yoo Seef.

MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES.

“Magic Squares” Were Held in Veneration by the Egyptians and Pythagoreans, and They Constitute the Oldest Numerical Problems Known to Man—Bewildering Results Obtained by Simple Methods.

The art of arranging numbers in the form of squares, so that the sum of the various rows—vertical, horizontal, and diagonal—would in each case be the same, is, without question, the oldest of mathematical puzzles.

The Egyptians and Pythagoreans held them in the greatest veneration—especially the latter, who dedicated them to the then known seven planets.

The magic 34 square was probably the strangest freak of figures known at this time.

┌──┬──┬──┬──┐ │16│ 3│ 2│13│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┤ │ 5│10│11│ 8│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┤ │ 9│ 6│ 7│12│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┤ │ 4│15│14│ 1│ └──┴──┴──┴──┘

This strange freak may be found in Dürer’s “Melancholia,” engraved on copper in 1514, being included in the series of symbolical engravings of “The Death of the Devil,” “The Knight on Horseback,” etc.

The aim in this instance, as shown by ancient writings, was not only to obtain the same total (34) in the ten rows of four, but to discover as many symmetrical combinations as possible giving the same result. According to the ancients, “symmetrical combinations which no man could number” were to be found in this arrangement of the numbers from 1 to 16, inclusive. As an example, take 16, 3, 5, and 10, or 2, 8, 9, and 15, or 1, 9, 16, and 8, and so on indefinitely. The result is the same.

Another unique example is the following:

┌──┬──┬──┬──┬──┐ │ 3│20│ 7│24│11│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤ │16│ 8│25│12│ 4│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤ │ 9│21│13│ 5│17│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤ │22│14│ 1│18│10│ ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤ │15│ 2│19│ 6│23│ └──┴──┴──┴──┴──┘

In this case the sum is 65, and can be reached in an almost endless variety of combinations. However, there is one feature to be remembered in dealing with this problem, and that is that the central number (13) must be added to each combination except in the straight and diagonal lines. Thus: 20, 24, 2, 6, and 13, or 8, 12, 14, 18, and 13, etc., each make the magic sum 65.

The well-known “15 puzzle” is another illustration of the surprising feats which figures are sometimes made to play. The problem being to arrange in a square of three rows, three figures in each row, the numerals, 1 to 9 inclusive, in such a manner that each row—vertical, horizontal, or diagonal—will total 15. This is more difficult than appears at first glance, unless you have the key, which is: place 5 in the center, and let the four corners be 2, 4, 6, and 8. The rest is easy.

┌──┬──┬──┐ │ 2│ 9│ 4│ ├──┼──┼──┤ │ 7│ 5│ 3│ ├──┼──┼──┤ │ 6│ 1│ 8│ └──┴──┴──┘

This form differs from the 65 and 34 in that it can only be added diagonally, horizontally, and vertically.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. 4. Enclosed bold font in =equals=.