Raphael

Of course "Raphael" was a nineteenth century astrologer named Robert Cross Smith (can we express his name as "R+"?) who wrote much about astrology and occultism including John Dee, John Pordage, geomancy etc. And he seemed to be a member of an esoteric group "The Mercurii".

I love the following description of serpentine movement.

"Although it is vey well known to astronomers and learned persons, that the path of the moon through the firmament has, from time immemorial, been symbolized by a dragon or serpent, yet many through whose hands this work may be expected to pass, cannot be sepposed to have any notion of these ancient symbols; it therefore becomes necessary to make mention of them in such a manner as to let every one understand their application. That no emblem could have been fixed upon to symbolize the moon's path, which is really serpentine, and to have done it more appropriately, than a serpent, will become evident to the least learned, by inspection of the following little cut and references.

Suppose the curve line A B to represent a portion of the ecliptic or orbit of the earth, along which let the earth be supposed to be moving from E to F, and from F to G, while at the same time, the moon, keeping nearly an equal distance from the earth, moves along the serpentine described by the body of the dragon, from C to H, from H to I, from I to D: at C, where the moon crosses the line of the earth's orbit from north to south, is the Dragon's Tail, marked in modern astronomy thus XX; and having made the semicircle C H, it ascends, crossing the earth's orbit from south to north, where it bends again in the semicircle H I; and having reached the earth's orbit again, it bend forward in the direction of the curve I D, where, as it is again ascending into the north, I place the Dragon's Head; and thus you see how very appropriatedly the moon's path about the earth may be denoted by a serpent or dragon. For the sake of showing the application of the emblem the more perfectly, it is here continued to four points of the ecliptic; but let it be understood, that in every descent of the  moon from north to south, she is in the tail, and in every ascent from south to north, in the head of the dragon. The most improtant astrological significations are attached to the head and tail of this emblematic dragon; and hence it was deemed by the Babylonian priesthood a fit object to promote superstition, and to effect the purposed of that sort of imposture which it was their desire to accomplish in those oriental nation." (from The Astrologer of the Ninetheen Century)