Let's talk plague, old age, 14th century astrology, and my two favorite* planets, Jupiter and Saturn!

*or least favorite, depending on how the day's writing is going

There was a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in March of 1345. According to the Paris Medical Faculty three years later, this was "the distant and first cause" of the Black Death. (R. Horrox's translation and more of her anthology available at https://web.stanford.edu/class/history13/Readings/Horrox.htm)

Anyhow these planets together cause "a deadly corruption of the air around us," and, according to the Paris Faculty's write-up, Aristotle said* that Jupiter and Saturn together mean you get "mortality of races and the depopulation of kingdoms"

*he did not, sorry guys

cutting this short for now because apparently upgrading Scrivener has caused me to lose the notes that I just reached for, 'scuze me while I scream for a bit

go read this fantastic thread instead https://twitter.com/aaolomi/status/1334201326075580418