Lord Ilderich: Astrologer to the Stars

[Silver Pegasus]

7 Socotsu 372

When the dragon embraced the sun, a comet burst from its mouth. No compass is required to navigate this portent.

When there is dancing at the house of tears, three cocks will howl and a dog will crow.

One young moon lines clouds with silver. Another advises searching purses.

In winter, lions starve, bears sleep, geese fly south.

It is difficult to see when three moons are new.

 

[Ravana]

You just had to call yourself "Astrologer to the Stars," didn't you?

For the record, Ilderich's title is "Imperial Astrologer." (Well, the short version, anyway: the full "official" version is about a foot long.)

 

[Silver Pegasus]

24 Socostu 372

Mice see shadows of wings, see wings in shadows.

Ask the fountain what wrought the ripple. The wind?

Four in three. New water emerges, then leaves.

Raven steals a crown, but not all that glitters is gold.

The third charm is time.

 

[Ravana]

"What astrologer predicts his own death?" —Evrefritz, Archduke of Eszerthagn

 

[Silver Pegasus]

He who laughs last still has his head attached.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

3 Mers 372

The bugle call alerts the cat that the mouse has learned a tune.

Beyond the garden wall the raccoon eats what he can find.

Behind the throne of the fiery Baron, lizards prepare to spit.

A lease of hawks trumps a murder of crows, yet only one can be trained to a lure. Which is cuckoo, which cuckold?

When the Eye is in conjunction with itself, no one will rejoice in eating cheese.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

6 Mers 372

By day, the sun; by night, the moon. Which lights the true path?

When the wine sours in the glass, the bread will laugh into its crust.

The thief snatches another crown, but cannot make good his feat. It falls in a furrow. Predators circle, waiting to see if the plow pauses at the sight of this strange seed.

In the river’s shining waves, only the frogs can hear you croak.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

29 Mers 372

Feet support the head; the head, the crown; the crown, all.

Sandals make poor horseshoes.

If the candle is blowing against the wind, beware dragons.

Bear, bull, lion. One shall stir, another sleep; the third holds the key. But which?

The Tear falls from the Hawk, is taken up by the Bear; Raven winks at the Beggar as both pass him. The Mirror of Desire shows the true nature of the Crown.

Should Fountain look to Compass on the morrow, it shall open a window; if no, opportunity will be lost.

Old brothers seek the gathering storm.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

31 Mers 372

Through the great window, you will see the owl wink at the ox’s tears. In that moment, a life will change.

What is hidden in your pocket? Depending on your direction, it will show itself as gravel or gold.

A tree’s limbs may reach to the heavens, but only the fish has scales.

 

[Ravana]

Hmm. Far be it from me to question the Imperial Astrologer on things having to do with the heavens, but I'm fairly certain his authority doesn't extend to adding days to the calendar. Unless there was some major celestial event I overlooked… oops?

 

[Silver Pegasus]

When the eye is not yet open, it sees more than it permits to be seen.

Those who strive to plow a new field may find that the old forest is not yet ready to cede defeat.

The hawk narrows his eyes as he seeks his prey, then opens them wide when he finds the morsel.

The wise man keeps his gold in his pocket when the messenger speaks in the town square.

When the sky rains coins, only a fool stays indoors.

What strange fish is this, that leaps from the pond to breast the sky?

 

[Silver Pegasus]

12 Adomru 372

You may wait in the dark for the light to shine, but it will do you no good if you do not recognize it when it dawns upon you.

You will hear the cheers and run hard, but this is not your time to win the bright prize. Yet even when you lose the race and do not understand why, you must plan and wait for the next runner to come along.

Waiting in the corner for the moment to strike will not keep you safe from it.

Sharp secrets hidden in corners will lose their edge if you hone them with gentleness and patience.

The Keeper of Wisdom has hidden the time, but has revealed the strength.

The beggar’s cup holds only a stone. Resolution deferred; seek new directions.

After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting.

 

[Ravana]

For those who might be wondering just what it is Lord Ilderich is interpreting (and how much he might be just plain making up), the foregoing was produced based on the astronomical configuration that will be current on Adomru 17—the final day of Midwinter Court. (The one before it was for Adomru 10, in case anyone’s curious. Previous ones were based on individual interesting events, not whole-sky charts for a given day.)

When I set up the astronomy, I randomized the positions of the moons and planets, so as not to “predetermine†anything. While the positions for the 15th might seem more relevant to the roleplaying contest, in constructing the ephemeris I realized that there was a fantastic double conjunction that would occur two days later… so I went with that one instead. After all, the election of a new emperor isn’t the end of history—all it means is a return to politics as usual.

Here’s what I send Lord Ilderich to work with:

Sun: Hawk 10º
Silvernight: Hawk 13º; phase: new
Shadownight: Hawk 12º; phase: new
• these three are also in the Great Triangle
Raven’s Eye: Swan 26º; phase: full
• also in the Great Square
Dancer: south of zodiac after transiting Sun
Herald: High Crown 9º
Beggar’s Pebble: Compass 32º
Warrior’s Tear: Bear 12º
Ice Maiden: High Crown 8.5º
House: Words

Allowing for the movement of the various bodies (the faster-moving ones cover several degrees per night), this creates the following aspects:

Sun, Silvernight, and Shadownight are in conjunction
Herald and Ice Maiden are in conjunction
• these two conjunctions are biquintile one another (three full signs apart)
Beggar’s Pebble is square (90º apart, a quarter of the sky) to the first conjunction, trine (120º apart, a third of the sky) to the second one
Raven’s Eye is quintile Beggar’s Pebble (two full signs apart)
Raven’s Eye is trine Warrior’s Tear

What does all that mean? Ask an astrologer.…

…though perhaps not Ilderich, seeing as he appears to be channeling Vulcans in his spare time.