Porphyrius Magus
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Notes on Contributors
Notes on Contributors Giuseppe Bezza teaches the history of science and technology at Ravenna (University of Bologna). He has written a number of essays on the history of astrology. He is the author of Commento al primo libro della Tetrabiblos di Claudio Tolemeo (Milan, 1991), Arcana Mundi. Antologia del pensiero astrologico classico (Milan, 1995) and Précis d’historiographie de l’astrologie: Babylone, Égypte, Grèce (Turnhout, 2003). Joseph Crane studied philosophy at Brandeis and has professional training as a psychotherapist. He has practiced astrology and taught astrological and consulting skills since the late 1980s. He began learning traditional astrology in the early 1990s and since then has brought it into his teaching and consulting practice. He lectures on ancient and modern astrological techniques as well as connecting astrology with works of literature and philosophy. He is the author of Astrological Roots: The Hellenistic Tradition (Bournemouth, 2007), a presentation of Hellenistic astrology to modern astrologers, and A Practical Guide to Traditional Astrology (Reston, VA, 1997/2006). Website: www.astrologyinstitute.com. Susanne Denningmann studied Classics and Philosophy at the University of Münster. From 2000 to 2003 she was a research assistant at the collaborative research centre, Functions of Religion in Ancient Near Eastern Societies, supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), where she focussed on ancient astrology. She received her PhD in Classics and Philosophy in 2004 at the University of Münster. The subject of her thesis was the astrological doctrine of doryphory, published in 2005 as Die astrologische Lehre der Doryphorie. Eine soziomorphe Metapher in der antiken Planetenastrologie (Beiträge zur Altertumskunde, 214). -
What Are Primary Directions? 1
The Basics: What are Primary Directions? 1 1 The Basics: What are Primary Directions? The technique known today as primary directions is one of the most ancient and renowned methods of astrological forecasting. It is also, as I hope to show in this book, one of the most powerful. From classical antiquity throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and even into the twentieth century, all the great names of western astrology have worked with primary directions.1 It was the predictive technique of Dorotheus and Ptolemy, of Māshāʾallāh and Abū Maʿshar, of Regiomontanus and Placidus, of Morin de Villefranche and William Lilly. To understand the traditional astrologers, we must understand primary directions. The primary motion The word primary refers not only to the pre-eminence of the technique, but to the primary motion on which it is based. This is simply the daily rotation of the earth around its axis, appearing to us as the rotation of the sky – complete with planets, stars, and the signs of the zodiac – around our place of observation.2 In approximately 24 hours not only the Sun, but every planet and zodiacal degree will rise in the east, culminate in the south (for an observer in the northern hemisphere), set in the west, and finally travel unseen across its lowest point in the north (the anti-culmination below the horizon) to the place where it will rise again. A planet or point in the zodiac rising at the eastern horizon is said to be conjunct the ascendant. When culminating, it is similarly conjunct the midheaven or medium caeli (MC); when setting, conjunct the descendant; and when anti-culminating, conjunct the lower midheaven or imum caeli (IC). -
John Worsdale and Thomas Oxley
Placidean teachings in early nineteenth-century Britain: John Worsdale and Thomas Oxley Martin Gansten Abstract John Worsdale (1766 – c. 1826) has been described as something of a historical anomaly, perhaps the last representative of a dying astrological tradition, struggling uselessly against the rising tide of modernity. While this may be true with regard to the natural philosophy underpinning his view of how and why astrology works, Worsdale’s actual practices place him rather in the vanguard of an emerging modern astrology characterized by a modified Placideanism. Although the first stirrings of Placidean teachings were felt in Britain towards the end of the 17th century, they gained firm ground only after the subsequent hiatus of judicial astrology spanning most of the 18th. This paper examines the British adoption and transformation of the doctrines of Placidus, particularly as evinced in the writings of John Worsdale and those of his junior contemporary and occasional critic, Thomas Oxley (1789 – 1851). he history of modern astrology arguably begins in Italy, where, in 1650, the T Olivetan monk and professor of mathematics Placido de Titi (better known as Placidus, 1603 – 1668) published his Physiomathematica sive coelestis philosophia, ‘Physiomathematics or celestial philosophy’.1 According to his perhaps most famous statement, Placidus ‘desired no other guides but Ptolemy and Reason’.2 Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos being a most incomplete guide for a practising astrologer, the proportion of Placidus’ own reason in the resulting system was, for better or worse, correspondingly 1 Also known as Quaestionum physiomathematicarum libri tres, ‘Three books on physiomathematical questions’ and first published under the pseudonym Didacus Prittus Pelusiensis – pace Lynn Thorndike, who, in A history of magic and experimental science, vol. -
Hellenistic Astrology: Second Thoughts
Hellenistic Astrology: Second Thoughts by Bill Wrobel [paper conceived October 4, 2014, 9:42 pm, Los Angeles general area. 13 Gemini 38 Ascendant, 23 Aquarius 54 MC] Roughly 2000 years ago, Hellenistic Astrology was TNBT (The Next Big Thing). After much of its teachings disappeared by the 9th and 10th centuries, Hellenistic Astrology (H.A.) pretty much disappeared (for all intents & purposes). Now in the beginning of the 21st Century, H.A is TNBT once again! : ) In those terms, Hellenistic Astrology is both ancient and new. It is The Name Of The Game currently in terms of astrological focus. The recent revival of H.A. started to gain steam in the mid-1990’s with the arrival of Project Hindsight (founded by Robert Schmidt, with two other principals initially involved). I attended such intensives at that period, and purchased cassette tapes of other lectures I could not attend. Being the innate curious soul that I am (Mercury in Gemini in the 9th, Venus in Gemini ruling my Libra Ascendant in the 8th, etc.) I wanted to get involved in the early stages in TNBT. Of course my background in astrology is firmly established with modern astrology, especially the integrative, humanistic, principles-oriented approach championed by Zipporah Dobyns, my teacher. My second thoughts about Hellenistic Astrology, after my initial enthusiasm when I first studied it 20 years ago and intervening study, is that it tends to be a highly materialistic & deterministic events-oriented approach. My concern is that the present accelerated revival of H.A. now in the second decade of the 21st century might bring back an unquestioning embrace of that limited approach that really should have stayed in the ancient era. -
Elements of the Babylonian Contribution to Hellenistic Astrology
CHAPTER SEVEN ELEMENTS OF THE BABYLONIAN CONTRIBUTION TO HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY In the scientifi c literature of the Hellenistic period, references to “Chaldeans” in connection with astrology and astronomy are numer- ous. The implications of such references, for the history of astrology, however, depend on a closer assessment of the nature and extent of the Babylonian contribution to that branch of Hellenistic science, but an assessment based on cuneiform sources. Three elements which are demonstrably Babylonian in origin yet form basic and integral parts of Greek astrological doctrine provide the focus of discussion here. They are: l) planetary exaltations, 2) the micro-zodiac, and 3) trine aspect. The differences between the Babylonian and Greek use of these three elements are exemplary of the fact that despite the incorporation of Babylonian elements at the inception of Greek astrology, the overall character and rationale of Greek astrology remains entirely a Helle- nistic Greek product. The current general impression that astrology originated in Baby- lonia may be credited to the Greeks of the Hellenistic age who often cited generic ancients, such as “Chaldeans” or “Egyptians” when some authoritative source on astrology or other esoterica was needed.1 Momigliano has evaluated the references to older eastern traditions found in some Greek authors this way: If we have to resort to a generalization about the fortunes of Oriental thought in the Hellenistic world and in its Roman prolongation, we must say that the mass of writings claiming to be translations from Oriental languages were mainly forgeries by writers in Greek. What circulated in Greek under the names of Zoroaster, Hystaspes, Thoth, and even Abra- ham was quite simply faked, though no doubt some of the writings con- tained a modicum of ‘Oriental’ thoughts combined with Greek ideas.2 1 The putative “debts of Greek wisdom to the East” claimed by Greek authors is reviewed in G.E.R. -
Catalog Just Check the Methods You Want
Dear Friends, Thank you for your interest in our software. The Cosmic Patterns Software team is dedicated to developing the highest quality and standard in astrology software. Requests and suggestions from our customers drive our software development. Therefore, you, our clients and customers, are also part of the team. Without your support and participation, the work would not be possible. We are committed to developing software that is beautiful and easy to use. Very often software becomes more difficult to use as it becomes more powerful. However, this is not the case with our software. Each new version is more powerful and flex- ible, and yet easy to use. Astrology has evolved over thousands of years in many cultures and there are a seemingly endless number of techniques, theories, applications, and features that can be added to our programs. If you have any technique in mind that is not in our programs, let me know. Our three main products are Pegasus, Kepler, & Sirius. We also have the World's Best and Largest Collection of Interpretive Reports. These report options are not stand alone programs. They require Kepler, Sirius, or Pegasus to run. We take special pride in providing excellent customer support, and we work very hard to create not only a beautiful, easy to use, thoroughly debugged program at a reasonable price, but also to support every customer as well. Most customers pre- fer to use e-mail to contact us. Our email address is [email protected] We answer e-mail within 1 business day. You can call us during business hours (9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday) at 1-352-373-1504. -
The Tetrabiblos
This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com %s. jArA. 600003887W s ♦ ( CUAEPEAJr TERMST) T »|n 2E SI m -n_ Til / Vf .eras X ,8 ¥ 8JT? 8 i 8 %8 $ 8 »! c? 8 U 8 9 8 17? £ 8 9 7 u ?2 it 7 9 7 1?„ *1 It' 9 7 T?76 ?x U7 *S V? <* 6 9.6 6 5 v76 cf 6 9 6 *8 ?? A$6 0 5 »2 rf 5 U5 ni * a <* 5 \b 6** *l <? 5 U*6* <* 4 M 94 ?* <J 4 U4 9 *j? tic? 4 U4 9 4 9" \ ______ - Of the double Figures . the -first is the Day term.. the secontl.theNioht. * Solar Semicircle.-. A TiJ ^= tx\ / Vf lunar Df 03 1 8 t K « U Hot & Moist. Commanding T S IL S Jl nj i...Hot icDrv. Obeying ^ n\ / vf-=X %...HotSc Dry Moderately Masculine Diurnal. .TH A^/at %... Moist StWarnv. Feminine Nocturnal. B S Trj tit. Vf X y.. Indifferent . long Ascension Q «n«j^5=Tr^/ ~}..- Moist rather Warm.. ifibvl Z».* vy set X T W H I* ? k J . Benetic •-. Fixed tf «a TH. sas 1? <? Malefic. Bicorporeal _H ttj / X 0 y.... Indifferent.. Tropical °3 Vf \l J* iQMasculine. Equinoctial T ^i= ^ ^ Feminine . Fruitful d n\ X y Indifferent . Beholding icof..\ H & <5|/ &Vf I> \%Dj.. Diurnal. Equal Fewer. ...) 7* -rrK]=fi=-x ^J- 4 % } .Nocturnal . The Aspects 8 A D *^n{)'. -
A Golden Thread: the Transmission of Western Astrology Though Cultures by Demetra George
A Golden Thread: The Transmission of Western Astrology Though Cultures By Demetra George Most contemporary practitioners and adherents of astrology assume that the kind of astrology that is generally taught and practiced today is the way it has always been done. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The discipline of western astrology has gone through many transformations in its four thousand year recorded history as it has passed though the cultures of the Babylonia, India, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Islam, Medieval and Renaissance Europe, Seventeenth century through Victorian England, and twentieth century America. At each stage, these various cultures adapted the doctrines of astrology to the world views of their own societies and philosophies, and, in the process, mistranslated, misunderstood, and deleted, while sometimes innovating and improving upon what was inherited from their predecessors. Let us take a brief journey through time and follow the track of this ancient wisdom that refuses to be denied and forgotten. Mesopotamian Origins Just as the fourth millennium Tigris-Euphrates river valley is generally accepted as the cradle of civilization with the invention of writing, so among the earliest cuneiform texts are the astrological omens, the seedbed of the western astrological tradition. Throughout the Babylonian and Assyrian (second and first millenniums B.C.E.) cultures, the planets were considered to be one of the manifestations of their gods, and their movements and appearances were thought to reveal the intentions of the gods. Astrologer-priests meticulously observed and recorded the omens of the planetary gods and conveyed this information to the kings so that they might rule the land in accordance with divine intention. -
'Astronomy' Or 'Astrology'
‘Astronomy’ or ‘Astrology’ a brief history of an apparent confusion A.Losev Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 11 G.Bonchev str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria Abstract The modern usage of the words astronomy and astrology is traced back to distinctions, largely ignored in recent scholarship. Three interpretations of celestial phenomena (in a geometrical, a substantialist and a prognostic form) coexisted during the Hellenistic period. From Plato to Isidore of Seville, the semiotic contrast is evidenced and its later developments are sketched. The concept of astronomy is found to be rather constant and distinct from changing views about astrology. The contemporary cultural context allows to easily distinguish between astronomy and astrology. When needed, some discourse on physics is wedged between the two and it contrasts them, bringing support for the first but not for the second. This strategy turns out to be problematic in earlier times as an inverted situation appears there: physics founds astrology while astronomy is taken to be purely hypothetical. Language considerations point that today’s astrology has appropriated the name of its founding knowledge. A statement that before the Modern Times no clear difference was made between astronomy and astrology is perhaps trivial but its explicitation is not really straightforward. Three conceptualisations of the celestial realm are found under the two names, which breeds complications and confusions. In ancient texts sometimes one (or the other) word is used for both disciplines but no evidence appears for any inversion of the two names. This suggests that our word usage is not a convention but rather the outcome of an unstated tradition and the alleged indistinction might be only lexical. -
Robert Zoller's Medieval Astrology
GVIDONIS BONATI ON THE ARABIC PARTS translated from the original Latin text by: b Robert Zoller. www.new-library.com/zoller © Copyright 2000 New Library Limited All rights reserved BONATTI ON THE ARABIC PARTS Copyright © 1980, revised 2000 by Robert Zoller All Rights Reserved INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION The following is an extract of the work of Guido Bonatti translated from Latin into English from Guidonis Bonati Forliviensis Mathematici de Astronomia Tractatus X universum quod iudiciariam rationem nativitatum, aeris tempestatum attinet, comprehendentes. Adiectus est Cl. Ptolemaei liber Fructus, cum utilissimis Georgii Trapezuntii Published in 1550, Basel. The translation is of the second part of Bonatti’s treatment of Revolutions of the Year of the World, which is the fourth part of the work and covers columns 626 – 664. The work seems to have been written for delivery as a series of lecturers. This gives it a rather disjointed continuum and requires careful reading. Special attention should be given to the beginning where Bonatti intermeshes Albumassar’s view with his own. This is again done with Alchabitius at the end. Minimal editing and standardising of the English has been undertaken so as to allow the thinking and practice of the medieval astrologer to shine through the translation. The work examines the ancient doctrine of Arabic parts. For a proper understanding of them the reader should have a working knowledge of natal chart erection and interpretation as well as a basic knowledge of horary and electional astrology. Greater detail on these areas and a fuller understanding of the parts as well as other important aspects such as profections and the revolutions of the nativities is to be found in the [Foundation Course on Medieval Astrology] (for the beginner) and the [Diploma Course on Medieval Astrology] as well as in other materials found on this website [Tools and Techniques]. -
Origins of the Tājika System of Astrological Aspects and Dignities
History of Science in South Asia A journal for the history of all forms of scientific thought and action, ancient and modern, in all regions of South Asia Origins of the Tājika System of Astrological Aspects and Dignities Martin Gansten Lund University MLA style citation form: Martin Gansten. “Origins of the Tājika System of Astrological Aspects and Dignities.” History of Science in South Asia, 6 (2018): 162–199. doi: 10.18732/hssa.v6i0.34. Online version available at: http://hssa-journal.org HISTORY OF SCIENCE IN SOUTH ASIA A journal for the history of all forms of scientific thought and action, ancient and modern, inall regions of South Asia, published online at http://hssa-journal.org ISSN 2369-775X Editorial Board: • Dominik Wujastyk, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada • Kim Plofker, Union College, Schenectady, United States • Dhruv Raina, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India • Sreeramula Rajeswara Sarma, formerly Aligarh Muslim University, Düsseldorf, Germany • Fabrizio Speziale, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – CNRS, Paris, France • Michio Yano, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan Publisher: History of Science in South Asia Principal Contact: Dominik Wujastyk, Editor, University of Alberta Email: ⟨[email protected]⟩ Mailing Address: History of Science in South Asia, Department of History and Classics, 2–81 HM Tory Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4 Canada This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Copyrights of all the articles rest with the respective authors and published under the provisions of Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. -
Hellenistic Astrology As a Case Study of „Cultural Translation‟
HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY AS A CASE STUDY OF „CULTURAL TRANSLATION‟ By MOONIKA OLL A dissertation submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of MPhil(B) in Classics and Ancient History Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham September 2010 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This dissertation approaches Hellenistic astrology as a case study for 'Cultural translation' in the Greco-Roman world. 'Cultural translation' denotes here the transition of ideas and knowledge from one culture to another, making them available in the recipient culture by the „translation‟ in its broader sense, using recipient‟s own already familiar intellectual and cultural concepts. The spread of Greek culture and the adoption of non-Greek elements into it during the Hellenistic times resulted in new hybrid Hellenistic culture based at Alexandria. Around the middle of the 2nd century BC astrology in its Hellenized form appeared there as a fully developed set of doctrines that Classical authors argued to have been the discoveries of the Chaldeans. Astrology, however, was not taken over from Babylonia per se, but was an assimilation and invention at the same time.