Using medieval astrology

by Ben Dykes

This is an exciting time for astrology. The past twenty years have seen the English transla-tion and publication of a number of important ancient and medieval astrological texts, adding to the already justly famous works of the English astrologer William Lilly (1602-1681) and several others. The expository, translation, and teaching work of Robert Zoller, Robert Hand, Robert Schmidt and his team at Hindsight, John Frawley, Deborah Hould-ing, Sue Ward, James H. Holden, David Pingree, Charles Burnett, and others have made it clear that the true Western tradition in astrology is richer and vaster than was previously known. Students and readers of these astrologers and scholars now know that traditional Western astrology (what John Frawley calls “real astrology”) has great sophistication and powerful predictive techniques – much more so, I would argue, than the modern psycho-logical astrology created and handed down in the late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. This compendium is not a course in itself, but an organized collection of and introduction to most practical concepts and techniques for use by modern students of traditional astrol-ogy. In it I draw on the wisdom and experience of many astrologers and scholars from the past and present. Part I introduces universal astrology, the basic concepts and delineation techniques applicable to all areas of astrology. Further Parts will introduce natal astrology and its predictive techniques, mundane astrology, and horary astrology. Each installment will be limited to the true Western tradition in astrology, from Greek antiquity to approxi-mately 1700 (when the tradition began to be neglected). Students of modern astrology should find it an eye-opening introduction to the techniques and notions of the past, all of which may be applied today. All students of astrology should find it a helpful companion and guide to both traditional branches in astrology and those who wish to delve into each area in more detail. Each installment will be filled with example figures to illustrate the complexities and subtleties of medieval astrology. Although I do not practice every branch to the same degree, nor do I use every concept and technique in the normal course of my own practice, I have tried to offer the broadest array of them to interested readers. In this introduction I would like to share my own understanding of what astrology is, and especially how medieval astrology (as I understand it) differs from the modern type. Not every medieval astrologer will agree with every detail of my descriptions, and because I fa- vor medieval astrology, modern astrologers will definitely disagree with me. But I feel I must stand firm in my belief that medieval astrology offers much more to people than modern types: in technical sophistication, accuracy, and intellectual satisfaction.

116 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2005