54 Wallenstein
lady as was described, although Kepler’s timing was seven years out.^5
On the other hand the prediction that he would be involved in severe
disturbances in or about the year 1613 came to nothing, while the other
prognostications were at best a mixed bag, even given that Delphic
wording allowed the maximum of scope for the subject to fit his
experiences to them.
The remainder of the horoscope is principally a character sketch,
the first part of which is a general summary of how many young men
would like to see themselves – alert, energetic, enthusiastic, restless,
impatient of conventional behaviour, ever looking for new ways, and
with more going on in the mind than is externally apparent. Saturn
in the ascendant at the moment of birth is then cited as the source
of a contemplative, melancholy nature and of unfounded fears – easy
neither to confirm nor to contradict – but also of two traits which were
clearly incorrect. Even his enemies never accused Wallenstein of being
inclined towards alchemy, magic or links to the supernatural, while
against the subject’s supposed iconoclastic attitude to the works of
God and man, accompanied by a disdain for all religions, must be set
Wallenstein himself, pillar of the establishment, prop to the Empire,
and after his conversion a lifelong Catholic and generous benefactor of
the church. Worse followed. Because of the unfavourable aspect of the
moon the subject would be cold, merciless, lacking in filial or conjugal
love, harsh, covetous, deceitful, usually silent but also often argumenta-
tive or violent, as well as capricious and self-centred. Quite apart from
being so one-sided as to be almost a caricature, this disparaging portrait
does not at all resemble the man Zierotin described at around the same
time as ‘full of fine and laudable qualities’ and with ‘good manners’,
the man who could win over a rich and independent young widow,
and the man who was and for years continued to be a gentleman of
the royal chamber, a post for which being amenable, likeable and
good company were among the main qualifications. However here,
as throughout the horoscope, Kepler hedged his bets, noting that as
Jupiter followed Saturn there was reason to hope that all these faults
would pass with maturity.
The horoscope was summarised by the flattering observation that it
was very similar to those of Queen Elizabeth of England and the former
chancellor of Poland, both of whom had died in recent years. By impli-
cation the subject had the potential to achieve greatness, and Kepler
specifically noted that he would have aspirations to honour, rank and
power, although warning that the pursuit of these would make him
powerful enemies. Nevertheless with a careful regard for the ways of