Keywords:
Astrology,
Zodiac, Horoscopes, Earth Signs, Eclipse, Calendar, Houses, William Lilly
Body
of the Paper:
II.
Scope and Purpose of the System:
Astrology
arose after astronomers assumed a linkage between movements in the heavens
and events on earth.They believed
that the stars had special qualities that were transmitted down to earth,
thus forming horoscopes and the like.Astrology
was and is still used primarily for predicting future events, but these
predictions vary in focus depending on the specific division in the system.Astrology
serves as a symbolic language and as a universal explanatory system.“When
employed as it [astrology] was by Lilly to interpret the entire design
of life to a society, it became a powerful tool for allowing individuals
to incorporate any belief and experience into the surrounding social, political,
and religious nexus” (Geneva 264).From
horoscopes and nativities to finding missing persons or ships to predicting
or locating death, astrology was a common part of daily life.Initially,
in sixteenth century England, these doctrines were a part of the educated
man’s mind and conception of the universe, but this changed, especially
in the seventeenth century.Although
a deep understanding may have not been had by the uneducated, astrology
permeated all factions of society especially in sixteenth and seventeenth
century England, as it proved strikingly adaptable to the needs of this
social environment, which was different from that in which astrology had
originated (Thomas 284-285).By the
reign of Elizabeth I, “astrological practice was carried on by men [and
in a few cases women] of very different degrees of learning and honesty”
(Thomas 300).
There
were two main kinds of astrology, natural and judicial, which had distinct
implications and results.Natural
astrology concerned itself with astral influences on natural events such
as the weather and agriculture, and on events that affected the entire
nation, such as epidemics or political situations.Alternatively,
judicial astrology focused on predictions or advice concerned with an individual.There
were four main divisions of judicial astrology that form a basis for the
entire system.Nativities were based
on a map of the planets’ positions at the moment of a person’s birth.Horary
questions answered questions, which answers were dependant upon a map of
the planets’ positions at the moment when the question was asked (Curry
8).Judicial astrologers also made
elections, which chose the right moment for the right action for each person.Lastly,
there were general predictions, or inceptions, which based forecasts on
the future movements of the heavens, by taking note of such events as eclipses
and the conjunction of the major planets in one sign of the zodiac (Thomas
286).The zodiac, a main component
of astrology, is an imaginary belt that encircles the heavens on either
side of the ecliptic (Snodgrass 1).
III.
Authority Structure:
IIIa.Astrology
takes a systematic approach (based on science) in its methods of prediction,
and uses natural portents such as the planets, stars, eclipses, comets,
and the like as its sources of knowledge.“Lists
of unusual phenomena had been kept by the Babylonians and later correlated
with events affecting the whole country; theseencompassed
the harvest, floods, wars, and invasions, as well as the ruler’s death
and succession” (Geneva 80).Comets,
or blazing stars, were of supreme interest due to their rare and dramatic
appearance, and were therefore recorded.By
focusing on their location and color, and often shape as well, they were
traditionally linked to pestilences, death of rulers, and political unrest
(Geneva 84-85).Eclipses were also
treated as portents in early texts by examining the colors around an eclipse
as well as the region of the zodiac in which they took place; from this
evidence, like comets, they were associated with the death of kings (Geneva
98-99).As to duration of the eclipse,
the number of hours it went on indicated how long its effects went on,
years in a solar eclipse, months in a lunar (Geneva 99).Planetary
effectswere
considered universal, thus astrology transcended geographic boundaries
and classification by types of government, race of inhabitants, etc.As
a result, in the second century BC, the Stoic Posidonius tradition divided
the earth into climatic zones, each watched over by its own planet, which
determined the characteristics of its inhabitants (Geneva 122-123).
The
horoscopes, a main component of astrology, were in connection with these
natural phenomena as well.“The
‘horoscope’ or ‘ascendant’ in an astrological figure was the point at which
the earth’s horizon intersects the ecliptic, the apparent path which the
sun circumscribes around the earth” (Geneva 163).The
planets were situated in two ways: in signs of the ecliptic, or zodiac,
and in houses, which are also divisions of the ecliptic, but were based
on the Earth’s daily rotation (Curry 12).The
Greek horoscopes divided their charts into twelve houses and also each
sign belonged to one of the four Aristotelian elements--earth, air, wind,
or fire.Each house was assigned
a meaning by moving counter-clockwise from the horoscopic point, and these
meanings range from property to children, brothers and sisters, slaves,
marriages, death, travel, friends, dangers, etc.These
Greek classifications at times flowed into seventeenth century English
astrology.The sky was divided into
twelve 30-degree portions, and each contained a constellation-derived zodiacal
sign (Aries to Pisces).Beginning
at midnight, the twelve signs ascended one degree over the earth’s horizon-this
position determined the horoscope at the time of the individual’s birth
(Geneva 163).The planets formed
geometric angles to one another at thirty-degree intervals, conforming
to Pythagorean norms (Geneva 153-154).“Aspects
of 60 degrees and 120 degrees were deemed harmonious because they linked
signs of the same element or gender; the quartile and opposition were considered
disharmonious because they joined opposing signs” (Geneva 154).The
zodiacal signs-Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces- have nothing to do with the
stars, but instead are derived solely from the Sun-Earth relationship (Curry
12).Thus astrology constitutes a
discipline derived from empirical evidence of the effects of scientific
procedures and phenomena and developed through experience, analysis, and
to some extent ‘common sense’, yet some may refer to this sense as a mere
guess.
IIIb.Textual
study and interpretation serve as the primary means for acquiring knowledge
of astrology.Texts were written
that aimed to give grounding in astrology to those who wanted to master
its techniques.These books were
written in both Latin and vernacular languages, which was significant in
regard to its effects in Christian Europe (*Curry 198-199).The
Latin texts were addressed to an elite class that was not affected by linguistic
confines, while the vernacular texts reached a ‘lower’ cultural level in
a certain society (*Curry 199).Both
texts were composed of treatises and other introductions.Almanacs
were another means for deriving an explanation and knowledge on the subject.The
almanac was comprised of three separate items--the Almanac proper, the
Kalendar, and the Prognostication.The
Almanac proper indicated the astronomical events of the coming year such
as eclipses, conjunctions, and movable feasts.The
Kalender showed the days of the week and the months, as well as the fixed
Church festivals.Lastly the Prognostication
outlined the astrological forecast of the notable events of the year.The
almanac also served as a means for the reader to predict the movement of
the planets through the zodiacal signs and foresee future events, such
as forecasts of politics, the weather, and the state of crops.It
also contained a diagram of the Anatomical Man with the different signs
of the Zodiac over different body parts.This
diagram allowed readers to determine the time for taking medicine or getting
medical treatment (Thomas 293).Medieval
almanacs had circulated in texts, but they seem to have been intended predominantly
for students and physicians (Thomas 293).
Developed
definitions and prognosis of previous practitioners of the art were other
methods of inquiry, as new astrologers were able to develop an understanding
of astrology through these means.Three
major categories of prognosis appear in Lilly’s published works, as Lilly
employed three methods of encryptment-substitution, celestial omens, and
conjunctions.Substitution was the
only category developed by Lilly himself, and it helped to view astrology
as a multi-layered symbolic language system.For
example, substitution helped in “predicting the King’s death using the
individual geniture tradition by substituting aspects of the King’s natal
geniture to avoid explicit reference to either his name or his nativity”
(Geneva 176).Celestial omens linked
natural phenomena to sublunar events, specifically to major disturbances
in the government and the death of kings.Conjunctions,
for example, positioned the King’s future defeat and death within large
periodic cycles of time, thus improving the sense of cosmic order and certainty
(Geneva 176).This prognosis is one
example of a breakdown in the astrological tradition that outlines a method
of applying the system.Another,
simpler definition distinguished between hard and soft astrology.Hard
astrology involves a firm determinism so that “sufficient knowledge and
expertise should allow firm predictions to be made of events and actions
which are ‘written in the stars’ and so must happen” (Tester 2).Soft
astrology focused on the moral freedom of man implying the maxim, “the
stars incline, they do not compel” (Tester 2).Astrology
emphasizes causal and law-like determinism, which is expressed in its close
relationship to natural philosophy or early science (Curry 8).
Although
astrology may have related to early science, it did not meet the standards
of modern science.Here a precise
distinction between the different sciences of the stars, astronomy and
astrology, must be made.Astronomy
was the ‘science of the celestial motions’, while astrology was the ‘science
of the judgments of the stars’, giving it a more subjective role (*Curry
167).Drawing distinctly from these
terminology differences, it is obvious that astronomy draws its conclusions
on fact, where astrology, in some sense of the word, draws its conclusions
on judgment, hence opinions.“The
cultural preparation of scientists and historians of our times inclines
them to perceive such obsolete fields of astrology and most occult sciences
of the past as not properly or directly belonging to science, and therefore
neither to the history of science” (*Curry 63).
IIIc.Astrology,
although widespread, does not have any central authority.The
preservation and teaching of its knowledge is organized most often in textbooks.As
demonstrated by William Lilly, each time he discovered new methods or ideas,
he tried to publish them.As astrology’s
credibility waned during the Restoration and thereafter, astrologers had
no hope for developing such prestigious professional structures such as
the Church or a professional organization.Those
that teach astrology trained others by passing on their knowledge of the
art.Astrologers were not held to
many specific standards, but rather were respected and acknowledged based
on their past predictions.
IV.
History:
Sargon
of Agade, an Akkadian king in 2750 BC, possessed charts that predicted
solar eclipses, which proves the existence of a well-developed astrology
by that time.In 1750 BC, the Babylonians
devised a plan to segment time into seven-day weeks and into twelve lunar
months, and added an intercalary month to complete the solar year.This
calendar charted the emergence and disappearance of constellations, based
on the belief that planetary motions were messages sent from gods (Snodgrass
11-12).Babylonians founded horoscopy
around 1500 BC, a comparatively late origin in terms of Mesopotamian astronomical
history.Historically, nativities
were not cast until late in the fifth century BC, and the earliest extant
nativity was cast for a child born on April 29, 410 BC (Geneva 151).It
is said that astrology was developed by the Greeks and Romans, and further
developed by the Arab astrologers of the early Middle Ages (Thomas 283-284).English
astrology flourished in the mid-seventeenth century, but beginning with
the Restoration, a rapid decline commenced (Curry 7).In
the seventeenth century, astrology began to spread, as displayed by William
Lilly.During the sixteenth century,
it was said that astrology had full status as a science (Briggs xii).He
began to study astrology in 1632, though he said that astrology was still
rare in London in 1633 (Briggs 23).In
Lilly’s writings, he mentions many astrologers that he knew, some, like
John Booker, he said had a reputation all over England, indicating that
they were known (Briggs 27).In
September of 1641, Lilly went to London to make astrology his profession
(Briggs 35).He documented many encounters
with the king and parliament, one of which being with King Charles I.Certain
omens surrounded Charles I’s death that occurred in 1649; from the viewpoint
of 1651, Lilly interpreted the prodigies as pointing to the inevitability
of the King’s death (Geneva 204).Lilly
also predicted the King’s defeat at Naseby in 1645 and three years later
at Colchester (Curry 28); both predictions were made in Lilly’s The
Starry Messenger through the use of mock suns as portents (Geneva 231).Lilly
also aimed to legitimate the supremacy of the parliament over the king
through astral designs (Geneva 223).Though
Lilly’s predictions had many social and political implications, Lilly also
provided the fundamental basis for astrology by writing the first English
textbook of astrology (Curry 30).
V.
Representation:
William
Lilly perhaps most completely envelops the system of knowledge referring
to astrology.Through his complete
study of the heavenly bodies, particularly comets and eclipses, Lilly was
able to make predictions under a structural basis, allowing astrology to
appear the plausible. He acquired
knowledge through textbooks and teachers.His
first teacher Evans, agreed to teach Lilly astrology in 1632 after Lilly
had became interested in the Art subsequent to seeing an almanac (Briggs
21).He also learned from other astrologers
and through individual study of numerous texts.In
1640 Lilly himself instructed John Humphrey in the Art, indicating the
tradition of passing down the knowledge (Briggs 33).Lilly
began to write texts such as Anglicus in 1644.It
made use of the King’s nativity and gave an unlucky judgment predicting
his defeat.This work angered many
Protestants, which ultimately led to Lilly’s imprisonment on July 10, 1654
(Briggs 68-69).Another famous work
by Lilly was The Starry Messenger, an interpretation of the three
suns’ effects, which predicted the defeat and death of King Charles I (Briggs
43).William Lilly built up a reputation
for his accurate predictions, and therefore, many prominent persons called
upon him to foretell events, particularly in politics.His
death in 1681 marked an end to an era of flourishing astrology, as the
Reformation soon followed.In conflict
with religion and modern science, astrology’s credit waned, particularly
with the discoveries of Galileo.Its
failure to meet seventeenth century scientific advancements did not result
in astrology’s death, but only its absence from intellectually elite circles
(Geneva 282).
VI. Using
a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest, I will compare different
aspects of the system.Referring
to astrology’s emphasis on traditional authority or the testimony of experience,
I would give it a six.Aspects of
astrology, such as horoscopes, have been passed down, even to the present
day; therefore, I give it a six for its stress of traditional authority,
but in relation to the testimony of experience, the rank would not be as
high.In relation to centralization
of authority, astrology ranks low, possibly a three.Almost
anyone can learn astrology, and almost anyone did, regardless of their
class, through textual and almanac study or through the observance of others.Astrology
put a strong emphasis on heavenly realities, but not invisible ones.It
did, though, place much importance on material and earthly realities, and
therefore, I would give it a nine.All
predictions focused on earthly events.I
would also give astrology a ten for its concentration on pragmatic aims
relating to prediction, as this aspect was the primary intention of the
system.In regard to whether or not
most power was reserved for a divine being or realizable in individuals,
astrology definitely focused on its power attainable through the individual.Therefore,
astrology receives an eight, as its predictions most often affected the
individual or society, not a divine being.
I.
Primary Sources
Briggs,
Katharine.The Last of the Astrologers.London:the
Folklore Society, 1974.
This
book contained the writings of William Lilly on his life.Although
they were interesting, I did not feel they were that informative for the
most part.I could have gotten most
of the information I used from secondary sources.
II.
Secondary Sources
Curry,
Patrick.Prophesy and Power.Princeton,
New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1989.
This
book was very informative, and I used it in my paper frequently.I
used the introduction under the
“Astrological Theory and Terminology” section
to explain judicial astrology and information about the planets.I
also used this book to elaborate on William Lilly.I
would recommend this book, especially if you want greater details.
*Curry,
Patrick.Astrology, Science and
Society: Historical Essays.Wolfeboro,
New Hampshire: The Boydell Press, 1987.
Personally
I did not find this book very helpful, but others might.It
was a collection of historical essays, which I did not realize at first.It
did provide a good explanation of the texts; it offered a concise distinction
between astronomy and astrology and, therefore, gave astrology’s position
in relation to modern science.
Geneva,
Ann.Astrology and the Seventeenth
Century Mind.New York, New York:Manchester
University Press, 1995.
This
book was by far my most useful, especially with its focus on William Lilly.It
also went into detail on the effects of comets and eclipses on astrological
findings, which I found useful.It
also defined horoscopes in relation to natural portents and other more
astronomical details.
Snodgrass,
Mary Ellen.Signs of the zodiac:
a reference guide to historical, mythological, and cultural associations.Westport,
Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1997.
This
book was not useful for me, but if you wanted details on the twelve signs
of the zodiac, this book would be perfect.I
only used it in my paper for its historical foundation information.
Tester,
S.J.A History of Western Astrology.Wolfeboro,
New Hampshire: The Boydell Press, 1987.
This
book was not helpful for me.I only
used it for its definitions of hard versus soft astrology.It
may help if you needed to breakdown astrology into specific time periods.
Thomas,
Keith.Religion and the Decline
of Magic.New York: Oxford University
Press, 1997.
This
book is great if you want simple but concise information on astrology.It
gave a broad overview of the subject with some details.If
you were looking for a general breakdown of the subject, this text would
be useful.