The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-17
INsw Haren Coz. s. y. sun.l

detailed as professor OF military science at
Yale university. has Just completed his
course of instruction and is now engaged
in delivering a special series OF lectures to
the students in civil engineering. In an
article recently published in New York
periodical. Prof. Totten made several start
ling assertions, which seemed to indicate
his belief in astrological indications, aud
in reference to this subject reporter OF
the Sun called on the professor yesterday
and obtained the following interview:
"Proiessor, your last set of articles in
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly seems to
have rather an astrological leaning. Do
geu believe in astroiogy ?"
I'm proper sense. yes, for else l would
have to reject the story OF the Magi and
much else in the bible. Daniel, for in
stance, was q finished astro!ogist; so was
Joseph"
IF such is the case, you certainly ought
10 see something important in the coniig-
nrations OF the heavens this year, which
you make to be such an important one"
"And l do; the heavens are full Of
signs and they will succeed each other
10 the very end of the century. You can
see beautiful and most significant sign
any night by looking in the west an hour
after sundown-the present conjunction OF
Jupiter and Venus. | believe it is one of
The signs of the approaching advent"
But, professor. have not similar con-
functions often occurred before ?"
Eyes and no. As a phenomenon, such
z close conjunction is certainly q rarity.
Those of Jupiter and Venus, however,
naye been more frequent than any others.
Since the DAYS of Luther some twenty-one
such planetary groupings, within a very
omitted area OF the heavens. have occurred.
The most remarkable Of ali were in Luz
sher's own lifetime 1907, 15ll, 1924, and
1874 A. d., when Mars and Saturn, and
once Mercury. were also within noticeable
proximity. There is no exception to the
TACT that these events have always syn
chronized with terrestrial matters of his
tOrlcal Importance, and / believe they al
ways will. They were originally set in
the sky for signs and for seasons, and have
been true to their mission ever since the
DAYS of Adam. But understand me here
while we cannot predict in advance what
they signify we can most always look back
and point out what they synchronized
II. record
we possess of an occurrence of this kind is
of Chinese origin. 1t is related that a con-
junction OF Mars, jupiter, Saturn, and
Mercury, IN the constellation Of Shi, was
assumed as an epoch by the Emperor
Chuenhlo, and 1t has been found by NM.
Desvignoles and kirch that such con-
Junction actually did take place on Feb.
rs, 2446 b. e., between 10 and Is degrees
OF Pisces. This year, upon the true chro-
nology, was 1858 4. NJ, or the year in
which Shem was born The moon also
came into the group, and all of its ele-
ments were within an arc of u degrees.
] believe that the Chinese era dates from
,Shem, who was the son of FOhi. or their
Noah.
Take another instance: At the au-
tumnal equinox of 1856 4. d.. Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were in
conjunction between the Wheatear of
Virgo and Libra. The Waldensian perse-
cution was then just at its hight This
was the real beginning OF the reformation.
Their persecution began IN 1I79 a. D..
Thence a lunar year of years forward
1854 years. brings Us 10 1855 and finds
Luther with the little book unsealed.
His bible, translated, was published the
next year 1854 \. D., and thence forward
solar wear of years 600 years. brings
US 70 1899 A. ID.
THE important thing in all of these
conlunctiOns Is the place e., the celes-
tial locality-where they occur. These
were anciently called the houses, but are
now the signs Of the zodiac. For instance.
a conjunction in The constellation OF Pisces
Is fOrerunner of spring and has always
been looked upon rs a premOnitiOn rather
than hamburger of events to follow. The
disrepute of astrOlOgy has arisen out of a
misunderstanding. The school presided
over by Daniel never pretended to tell for
tunes or TO cast horoscopes, but / am sat
listed that il could read tendencies as read
lily as phrenologists or psychologists do.
The present Injunction of Venus and
Jupiter takes place in right ascension %
hours "a minutes, or nearly at the equi-
noctlal point; it occurs in the consteila-
ton of Aquarius where it overlaps the
original constellation of Pisces. in fact.
peculiarly in both by this overlap 1t will
be on meridian passing through the con-
stellations OF Cassiopla. Andromeda.
Cepheus, and Pegasus in the north, and
Phoenix In the south, all of them signif-
cant in fable, and of deep biblical import
IN such an astrological sense as Daniel and
Joseph understood, but which is now
practically lost science.
Take, for instance, Cassiopia. MANY
OF US are expecting the temperance OF
the so-called Star of Bethlehem in this
constellation or on its cOlure. II is the
most splendid celestial body ever recorded.
and may now shine forth at any moment.
il was seen by Leovitius in g45 A. D..
again by Jean in 1864 A. d., and finally by
Tycho Brahe In 1872 4. ID. 1t is believed
TO reappear In alternate periods OF about
306 and 3l9years, and consequently NAV be
looked for from now on. When it begins
10 shine it will become brighter than J u
piter in the course of a few weeks. Tvcho
Brahe was one of the most eminent
astronomers of bis day, and describes the
last appearance OF this star as very sudden
He says that on returning home on the
evening of Nov. IL, 1872. he was surprised
10 find a group of country people gazing
at a star which he was sure did not exist
half an hour previously. II was then az
bright as Sirius, which is the largest stal
IN the heavens, and could be seen during
the day. IL continued to increase II
brightness until it surpassed the plane
Jupiter. Its brilliancy did not Diminish
until December, and so continued unit
March, 1914, when it wholly disappeared
AS 10 had no sensible parallax, il mus
have been far more distant than Neptune
It's light was at first white, decreased II
yellow, became rudy, and finally a liviC
white. It's temperance may be looked