A Paper and a Series of Articles by Geoffrey Cornelius:

Astrology and Divination (The Oslo Paper) March 8, 1982

The Moment of Astrology: The Quarterly Series 1983-86

Introduction by Kirk Little:

Intellectual revolutions, no less than political ones are seldom properly acknowledged, much less
understood in their early phases. Geoffrey Cornelius’ attempt to overthrow the Ptolemaic model of
astrology in the late 1970’s was not recognized as a serious threat to the existing order of the
astrologer’s universe, for the good reason that it wasn’t, at least not yet. The publication of his “Anti-
Astrology Signature” article in the fall of 1978 provided a powerful critique of the conceptual
foundations of western astrology by demonstrating that the moment of astrology may be revealed
in the interpretation of non-natal or even seemingly random horoscopes. (See my introduction to
that article elsewhere on this website.) Despite the compelling symbolism of the “Anti-Astrology”
horoscope, as well as Cornelius’ dramatic demonstration of that map’s symbolically fitting timing
measures, it is unlikely he convinced many of his readers that his heterodox views had any validity.
Paradoxically, his appeal to the power of astrological symbolism to explain his unorthodox stance
may have sowed more emotional confusion than intellectual clarity among his Lodge readers, all
adherents—whether they knew it or not---to astrology’s Ptolemaic model of causation. 1 Why rock
the boat? Astrology seemed to work well enough, didn’t it?

Indeed, as Thomas Kuhn has demonstrated, paradigm shifts in thought occur not because the
proponents of the new views convince their colleagues of the superiority of their explanatory model
through intellectual arguments. Instead, a younger generation of thinkers, less emotionally attached
to the current paradigm jump ship and embrace the new model. 2 If by the second decade of the
21st century, increasing numbers of astrologers now broadly support the view that astrology is a
form of divination 3, in the late 1970’s few astrologers endorsed that notion; many still held out hope
that astrology’s Ptolemaic foundations would ultimately be vindicated by continuing scientific
research, such as the seemingly relevant statistical studies of the Gauquelins, or more improbably
by discoveries in the “new physics” made popular by the likes of Fritjof Capra. 4

Cornelius’ critique of the causal model of astrology was not without precedent. Whether the ‘stars’
were signs or causes may be traced to at least the third century Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus 5, if

1
This raises the issue of a significant distinction between what astrologers say they do and what they actually
do. For experienced practitioners, they may rationalize their practice in terms of a Ptolemaic model, but
actually adhere to a practice model, aspects of which contradict that theory.
2
Thomas S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1962)
3
See Nicholas Campion’s Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West: Prophecy, Cosmology and the
New Age Movement, (Ashgate, Surrey, 2012) p. 178 This is not to say that they have embraced Cornelius’
singular views; his Moment of Astrology book may have deconstructed the simplistic cosmology most
astrologers had unthinkingly adopted, but there has been no widespread adoption of his practice orientation,
the increasing prevalence of horary notwithstanding.
4
Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics, (Random House, New York, 1975) Lest anyone think the case for scientific
astrology is dead, see: http://www.thekeplerconference.com/kepler-conf-speakers;
http://astrologynewsservice.com/
5
Nicholas Campion, A History of Western Astrology: The Medieval and Modern Worlds, (Continuum, London,
2009) p. 90

i
not earlier. During the Renaissance, Marsilio Ficino stated “’the notions of divine beings are made
clear by the disposition of the heavens, as if through letters…through signs rather than causes’ (per
signa potius quam per causas).” 6 More recently, in 1936 Dane Rudhyar had dismissed the notion
that astrology needed to become scientific with these words: “We trust it will be apparent to
everyone after some clear thinking on the matter that attempts at making astrology an exact
empirical science by basing it on measurements of actual influences and rays are, if not doomed to
failure, at least bound to explain or prove only a fragment of the entire body of ideas which
constitutes and has always constituted astrology.” 7 More than thirty years later, he added

Astrology is primarily a method for the interpretation, at several levels, of the

relationship between causally unrelated sets of phenomena. This simply means that
astrology ‘interprets’ the observable concurrence between celestial phenomena and
more or less definite changes in the lives of individuals or groups, but it is not
concerned with the scientific study of the cause of such concurrence, except on a
purely philosophical or metaphysical basis. Such a scientific study could be
attempted and some astrologers are making such an attempt on rather slim
foundations… 8

Shortly after writing those words, Rudhyar rebranded his model Humanistic Astrology to align it with
Abraham Maslow’s Humanistic Psychology; both were rejecting the scientific branches of their
disciplines in favor of more purposive, person-centered approaches. 9

While Cornelius no doubt appreciated Rudhyar’s desire to shed astrology’s search for scientific
verification, he perceived a lingering adherence to aspects of the Ptolemaic model in Rudhyar’s
writing. In any event, if Cornelius’ model of divinatory astrology was going to draw new adherents, it
would take more than one article, no matter how fine, to change some minds. In the five years
between the publication of his “Anti-Astrology Signature” article in autumn 1978 and his series of
“Moment of Astrology” articles beginning in autumn 1983, Cornelius and his astrological colleagues
at the Lodge published a number of articles and book reviews which supported the still inchoate
divinatory perspective. A shift in Lodge politics enabled them to have greater freedom in voicing
their unique views in both meetings and in print. 10 As the chief theoretician, if not also the chief
practitioner for this new perspective, Cornelius perceived the need to more formally distinguish his
emerging model from its historical predecessor. Somewhat intriguingly, his first proper formulation
of astrology as divination was delivered not to Lodge members, but to a foreign audience over seven
hundred miles away.

6
Eugenio Garin, Astrology in the Renaissance: The Zodiac of Life, (Arkana/Penguin, London, 1990) p. 69
7
Dane Rudhyar, The Astrology of Personality, (Lucis Publishing Company, New York, 1936), p. 45 In an
interview with this writer in May 2002, Cornelius acknowledged the importance of this book on his early
thinking about the nature of astrology.
8
Dane Rudhyar, The Practice of Astrology, (Penguin Books, New York, 1968) p.11
9
Rudhyar founded the International Committee for Humanistic Astrology on February 26, 1969 because he
sensed that “many individuals, especially the younger generations, while fascinated by astrology, actually were
asking for something that the ‘scientific’ analytic approach could not give them.” See his Person Centered
Astrology, (Aurora Press, New York, 1976) p. 8
10
See Geoffrey Cornelius, “The Astrological Lodge from Alan Leo to the Present Day: An Interpretation of
History and Purpose”, Astrologers’ Quarterly, Vol. 60, No. 1, Spring 1986 pp. 38-40

ii
The Oslo Paper 1982: Early Formulations

On March 8th, 1982, Cornelius was in Oslo, Norway delivering a paper simply entitled “Astrology and
Divination”. I should note that this important historic paper has been inaccessible until now. 11 I
received my copy from the author on a visit to Herne Bay in May 2002. The handwritten footnote
numerals and end notes were apparently added by the author, I presume because he did not have
access to a word processor. Why it has never been published remains unclear. Certainly, it deserves
to be more widely known, since the Olso paper appears to be Cornelius’ first formal attempt to
provide some sort of intellectual scaffolding for his developing views on astrology’s epistemological
status. Describing astrology as “a phenomenon of experience rather than the experience of an
objective phenomenon”, Cornelius compared astrology’s current “crisis” as analogous to “the
separation of chemistry from alchemy by the 17th century. The consequences of such a split may be
serious. When did you last meet an alchemist?” 12 More to the point, he stated that “the scientific
revolution has revealed the greater part of astrology as pseudoscience…modern astrology survives in
a state of limbo, awaiting dismemberment into its component parts.” 13

Cornelius called for a return to astrology’s earliest sources to recover “an understanding of astrology
as divination.” However, he noted that divination cannot exist “in the world-view of a theoretically
objective observer who has arrayed before him a domain of neutral, value-free facts and laws of
nature…except in disguise.” 14 Therefore, in order for the researcher to properly understand the
phenomenon of divination, they must recover a “divinatory attitude”. Quoting from his recent book
review of Marie von Franz’s Jungian lectures published as On Divination and Synchronicity, Cornelius
acknowledged this meant a return to more “primitive” modes of understanding: “One cannot make
head nor tail of a chaotic pattern; one is bewildered and that moment of bewilderment brings up the
intuition from the unconscious”, which in turn leads to the “‘abaissement du niveau mentale’
(dropping of the mental level) stated by Jung to be characteristically associated with synchronistic
phenomena.” 15 He quoted approvingly from von Franz’ “scathing” views on “the use of statistical
methods in parapsychology, such as the experiments into ESP conducted by Rhine” where she noted
“He tries to prove with the very means which eliminates the single case, something which is only
valid in the single case.” 16 This focus on the singular, idiosyncratic expression of divinatory
phenomena would become central to Cornelius’ critique of scientific astrology and more
importantly, to how divination expresses itself in astrology as the “unique case”. 17

The Oslo lecture clearly demonstrates that by early 1982, a number of salient themes which would
remain part of the divinatory “argument” were already present in Cornelius’ thoughts, at least in
embryo: an appeal to anthropology to understand the prescientific mentality of mythopoeic man; a
critique of western astrology’s scientism; astrology’s congruence with the I Ching and other
divinatory practices; the importance of the “symbolic attitude” as found in Jung’s archetypal
psychology, and an embrace of phenomenological philosophies. Another important element to
Cornelius’ conceptual reframing of western judicial astrology continued to be his recourse to the
practice of horary astrology, which he had used so effectively in his interpretation of the “Anti-

11
Patrick Curry lists it in his bibliography to Astrology, Science and Culture: Drawing Down the Moon, (Berg,
Oxford, 2004) p. 154, but does not quote from it.
12
Astrology and Divination, unpublished paper, p. 1
13
Ibid., p. 1
14
Ibid. all, quotes from p. 1
15
Ibid. p. 3.
16
Ibid. p.3
17
I owe this insight into the connection between von Franz’ views and Cornelius’ unique case principle to Garry
Phillipson.

iii
Astrology” horoscope. In retrospect, it is clear that “Astrology and Divination” was an appetizer
served as the main course was being prepared. As this lecture’s organization suggests, Cornelius
was still feeling his way toward a more fully articulated stance. Eighteen months later, his rapidly
evolving views coalesced into the first of a series of articles which addressed his fundamental
concerns about the status of western astrology in modern thought.

The Quarterly Series 1983-86: Towards a Philosophy of Divination

Sometimes good things arise out of adversity. During the summer of 1983, Cornelius felt obligated
to spend the summer at his aunt’s house in London. The reasons for this move concerned his aunt’s
failing health and his desire to protect her property from a rather malevolent tenant, who had
become the sole occupier of the house, after the aunt had been placed in a nursing home. With the
tenant refusing to move, the house couldn’t reasonably be sold. On the advice of legal counsel,
Cornelius moved in and his aunt was brought back to the house several times a week to maintain the
legal fiction that she still lived there. In addition to providing the context for a marvelous horary
horoscope 18, this forced isolation provided Cornelius with the solitude he needed to begin writing a
series of articles on astrology as divination, which would appear in the Astrologers’ Quarterly over
the next several years. This series, entitled “The Moment of Astrology” eventually became the basis
for his book, published a decade later.

Cornelius was not working alone; by the late 1970’s, he had gathered about him an influential group
of practicing astrologers, including Maggie Hyde, Gordon Watson and Vernon Wells. As he noted
later, “They were generating a way of talking about their practice that was rooted in and returned to
their practice. It is appropriate to use the term ‘praxis’, theory-of-practice, for this orientation.” 19
Others began to take note, including Patrick Curry and Martin Budd, two members of the Radical
Astrology Group, an eclectic group of thinkers who used the tools and concepts of sociology,
psychoanalysis, phenomenology, semiotics, structuralism, hermeneutics, and the writings of post-
modern thinkers such as Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida to examine and explain the thriving
astrology scene in London. The publication of their privately circulated Radical Astrology Papers in
June 1983 20 indicates at least a few people were acknowledging the unique perspective that
Cornelius and his colleagues were developing. 21 Two of RA’s papers explicitly acknowledged the
emerging divinatory perspective. Martin Budd’s second paper “Astrology/History/Foucault” had a
lengthy discussion of astrology as divination, where he noted “Geoffrey Cornelius has thus found
hermeneutics useful in arriving at correct and appropriate methods, and believes a comprehensive
phenomenological description of astrology as effectively practiced by astrologers is needed as a first
step stage in developing any theory of astrology.” 22 Budd was clearly aware of Lodge politics and the

18
See Moment of Astrology (The Wessex Astrologer, Bournemouth, 2003) pp. 152-163
19
“Astrology as Divination: a Survey of the Contemporary Debate”, a lecture delivered at UAC in May 2012
20
Radical Astrology: A Set of Discussion Papers: Astrology and Theory, by Martin Budd, Graham Douglas,
Bernie Jaye, Patrick Curry, (Published by Radical Astrology Group, London, 1983), not paginated. All references
will use the Section numbers as given in the publication.
21
“The aims of the Radical Astrology Group are to provoke discussion rather than promote a particular point of
view…All members believe that a critical approach of some kind is needed, particularly of the implicit theories
in which astrology is thought and written about…” RA, Op. cit. Budd, Section 1.1
22
RA, Op. cit., section 2.9

iv
radical implications of Cornelius’ approach. Similarly, Patrick Curry’s “An Aporia 23 for Astrology”
paper, written in May 1983, described the divinatory perspective as “Hermeneutic Astrology” (HA)
which is grounded in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger and H. G. Gadamer. 24 Curry’s lengthy
discussion of the philosophical tenets of this “school” made clear its acute differences with the
psychological astrology of Liz Greene or the scientific astrology of the recently departed John Addey
and his beloved Astrological Association. Curry closed his assessment of Hermeneutic Astrology with
these words: “I would even accept that the philosophy of HA, as discussed above, is harmless
enough when indulged privately, as an art of (sic) hobby. But that is not how it is presented by its
advocates. Rather HA is presented in the form of sweeping, dark and ‘deep’ terms—a cosmological
principle, a Way of Life.” 25

There is nothing “dark” about Cornelius’ survey of the Ptolemaic landscape of modern
astrology in his The Moment of Astrology series, though it is both deeply analytic and
sweeping in its indictment of modern forms of judicial astrology. Certainly the subtitle for
Part 1 “Recovering the Divinatory Attitude” suggests a poor fit between the cosmology of
modern science and the practice of horoscope reading; but nothing in his entire series
indicates Cornelius was leading his followers to a new “Way of Life”. Rather, it is a call for
astrologers to rethink the philosophical basis for their practice. In short, his series does not
present his readers with another new “discovery” or technique which will transform their
practice, but something more fundamental. Before anyone is going to recover a “divinatory
attitude” they will need to wait until Cornelius systematically undermines the philosophical
premises of all forms of contemporary practice by asking the disarmingly simple question
“At what moment does the astrological effect come to pass?” While acknowledging “we
lack an adequate phenomenology of divination itself”, he proposes to provide an “attempt
at a provisional description of the moment of augury, or divination through symbols”. His
readers are warned that by revealing astrology as a form of divination, Cornelius will be
raising “a host of difficult questions, philosophical, religious, and ethical.” 26

The significance of the Moment series lies in Cornelius’ capacity for posing and answering those
“difficult questions” about the nature of astrology. Viewed as a whole, the Moment series is an
extended polemic in which he first carefully explains the Ptolemaic model and then examines its
‘doctrine of origins’ with its causal model based on Aristotelian physics. Like any good polemicist,
Cornelius fully understood what he is seeking to undermine; he also knows the power of that model:

It takes effort of thought and imagination before the full power of Ptolemy’s
conceptual structure is recognized. The two doctrines, of origin and continuous
moment, together with the explanatory hypothesis, forms an exquisitely integrated
model, since the moment of origins is a special instant drawn out of a continuous
series of potentially significant moments. The integrity of this structure can be
discerned in the durability of its principal components, and in the fact that

23
Curry provided this quote from 1657: “Aporia is a figure whereby the speaker sheweth that he doubteth,
either where to begin for the multitude of the matter, or what to do or say in some strange or ambiguous
thing.” RA, Op. cit., Section 5.1
24
RA Op. cit., sections 5.2 and 5.3; in his article “‘Takes’ –Superman-“published in the Astrologer’s Quarterly,
(Summer 1983. Vol. 57, No.2) issue, Vernon Wells referenced Gadamer’s Philosophical Hermeneutics in his first
footnote to explain the nature of astrological interpretations.
25
Ibid. section 5.4
26
“The Moment of Astrology: Recovering the Divinatory Attitude”, The Astrologers’ Quarterly, Vol. 57 No. 3,
Autumn 1983, all quotes p. 2

v
 astrologers of all philosophical complexions use it naturally and easily to justify natal
astrology. 27

He had not only read Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, but had carefully studied it and could demonstrate how
its causal model, with its twin doctrines of origin and continuous moment, underlies every form of
contemporary astrological theory and practice, from Rudhyar’s Humanistic astrology, to John
Addey’s Harmonics, to Gauquelin’s painstaking attempt to validate at least a small portion of the
tradition with his massive statistical studies. While Cornelius excels at describing those models, the
power of his analysis lies in his capacity to look past their vastly different external expressions of
astrology to see what unites them and ultimately leaves them wanting as explanatory metaphors for
the power of judicial astrology.

Whether Cornelius knew that his radical rethink of modern astrology would require six
installments totaling over 70 pages is not clear; thankfully, at the outset, he provides the
reader with an overview of the scope of his project. 28 Their publication over the two-plus
year period from autumn 1983 to winter 1985-6 coincides with several significant
developments within the Astrological Lodge, which had been Cornelius’ home within the
world of UK astrology since 1971. These include: the fracturing of that organization into The
Astrological Lodge of London (ALL) and the Astrological Lodge of the Theosophical Society
(ALTS) 29; the formation of the Company of Astrologers in November 1983, first as a teaching
body for the ALL and then as an independent carrier for Cornelius’ views; the retirement of
Ron Davison as the Quarterly’s editor after twenty-five years and Cornelius’ appointment as
his successor in the spring of 1984; and Davison’s death in January 1985. Cornelius noted his
death “marks the close of a distinctive era in our astrology.” 30 The guard had changed and as
the new Quarterly editor, Cornelius was able to ensure that increasing space would be
allocated to the Company’s unique views. While his tenure as editor was relatively brief, by
the time he relinquished the reins, the major outlines of his unique views had already been
laid down. Naturally, along with this higher profile came more widespread formal resistance
to divinatory astrology. 31

27
Astrologers’ Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 15-16
28
An announced seventh installment never appeared. Intriguingly entitled “The Divinatory Recension of
Astrology”, it was supposed to be published in the Vol. 60 No. 1 issue of the Quarterly; its non-appearance has
never been explained. The most obvious explanation may lie in Cornelius’ decision to resign as Editor of the
Quarterly in the spring of 1986, announced in that same issue. There he noted “On important aspects of our
work, including editorial policy, I have a different view to that of the Lodge Officers, and the declared aim of
the Committee that its members should all be involved in the Editorial decisions has led to difficulty.” (p. 1)
29
In the first issue of The Company of Astrologers Bulletin, No. 1, dated Summer 1987, Cornelius noted
“Undoubtedly the most significant recent event in UK astrology has been the splitting of the Astrological Lodge
of London into its constituent elements…This change was no less important than the breakaway of the
Astrological Association from the Lodge in 1958, but is likely to become somewhat more problematic…The two
Lodges are, it seems to me, beginning to dance a merciless jig.” p. 2 The ALL claimed the mantle of the
organization Alan Leo founded in 1915; it also retained the bulk of the Lodge’s material assets, most notably
the Quarterly itself.
30
Astrologers’ Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 1 p. 5
31
In a brief essay entitled “Astrology as Divination”, Nick Campion attempted to summarize the strains of
resistance to Cornelius’s theories by acknowledging Addey’s last published work, Charles Harvey’s successful
mundane predictions, Bernard Eccles’s view that “astrology is not necessarily divination but aspires to be
divination”, and Campion’s own theory that there are four types of astrology based on the four elements, with
the conclusion that “astrology is quite simply astrology—sometimes it appears to be scientific, sometimes
divinatory, at times completely natural, at others magical”, which would appear to be a watered-down version
of Curry’s taxonomy. Campion added “Nevertheless some survey of astrologer’s attitudes not just in the

vi
1985 also marks the publication of two books on horary astrology strongly stamped by the
Company and its associates: William Lilly’s Christian Astrology and Derek Appleby’s Horary
Astrology: The art of astrological divination. 32 The former was a facsimile edition of Lilly’s
1647 classic, and was the first complete republication of this book in over three hundred
years. Christian Astrology contains two post scripted commentaries by Patrick Curry and
Geoffrey Cornelius. While the former places Lilly’s work in historical context, the latter
supports and promotes Cornelius’ divinatory views. In his “A Modern Astrological
Perspective”, after noting “the showings of astrology are to be understood more as Signs
than as Causes”, he adds “A religious and divinatory perception is fundamental for Lilly, yet
it would seem that he does not intend the student to wander into speculation before he has
discovered the craft.” 33 Cornelius once again acknowledges the importance of Lilly’s “Fish
Stolen” judgment as one marking a divinatory mentality:

This is in no sense the reading of an ‘objective fate’ to which we are subject. It is a

symbolic possibility within which the astrologer may wish to participate. Thus,
despite the extraordinary predictive detail, the outcome depends on the ‘symbolic
participation’ of the astrologer, and the stars are NON COGUNT. This understanding
takes us right back to the ancestor of horary in Greek astrology: the katarche, or
astrology of initiatives. The relationship with a magical attitude should be
apparent. 34

These themes: symbolic and participatory significance, a magical attitude, attention to craft,
and a focus on the importance of initiatives or katarche, are all taken up in his Moment
series and remain central to his revisioning of astrology. Similarly, the publication of
Appleby’s book promotes a method and style of practice with horary techniques consistent
with Cornelius’ views on divination. Of course, Appleby was a founding member of the
Company as well as their leading horary practitioner. 35 His book’s opening sentence: “Quite
simply, horary astrology is the art of astrological divination” supports the Company’s view
that astrology is an art, not a science, where “Each horary case is a unique challenge.” 36

In the introduction to his Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination, Cornelius reflected on

“these years, 1978 to 1986”, that is, from the publication of his “Anti-Astrology” article until
the completion of the Moment series, as “significant in marking out the development of a
new way of approach to the description of astrology.” 37 By the following year, Cornelius and
his colleagues at the Company had issued their first Bulletin, in essence, replacing the

Lodge, but in the country as a whole would be interesting.” AQ Vol. 60, No. 1 pp. 44-46. Interesting perhaps,
but beside the point if one subscribes to Cornelius’ perception of astrology as a unique phenomenon
irreducible to surveys.
32
Christian Astrology, Modestly Treated of in Three Books, (Regulus, London, 1985), Horary Astrology, (The
Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, 1985), republished by (The Astrology Center of America, Astrology Classics,
Bel Air, MD, 2005)
33
Christian Astrology, op. cit., pp. 867-8
34
Ibid. p. 870, non cogunt translates as ‘not compelling’, see p. 867
35
I discuss Appleby and his influence on Cornelius’ thinking in my Defining the Moment: Geoffrey Cornelius
and the Development of the Divinatory Perspective elsewhere on this website.
36
Appleby, Horary, 2005 edition, op. cit. p. 9. Cornelius has always expressed admiration for Appleby’s sense
of craft; similarly, he acknowledges his influence on his own growth as an astrologer. See his Foreword to the
reissued edition, where he writes “I well remember the impact, early on in my own study of astrology, of
seeing him in action. I had already come across horary, but I now know that before this time, like many others,
I never truly ‘saw’ it.” Horary Astrology, (The Astrology Center of America, Bel Air, MD, 2005), p. 2
37
Moment of Astrology, op. cit., p. xxii

vii
Quarterly as the main venue for their views. 38 More than twenty years after Moment was
published as a book and thirty years since the sixth installment was issued, as I write this,
Cornelius’ Moment series still stands as a testament to his unique perceptions about the
state of modern astrology. It is at once a philosophical and historical reimagining of
astrology’s enduring appeal. Significantly, he achieved this long before most astrologers
showed any interest in reclaiming their history, much less the philosophical basis for their
craft, through the translation of old texts or through the revival of long forgotten
techniques. 39 In other words, in order to understand astrology’s origins in Mesopotamian
divinatory practices, Cornelius was forced to depend upon the labors of an earlier
generation of scholars—Franz Cumont and A. Bouche-Leclercq among others---whose
massive works combined classical learning with unmixed hostility to their subject matter. It
is very easy to miss the significance of that achievement. Leaping over the centuries,
Cornelius forged connections between astrology’s earliest expressions and the astrological
practices of fellow Lodge members in the 1970’s.

For those unfamiliar with the development of Cornelius’ divinatory perspective, the Olso
Paper and the Moment series provide a tough-minded, yet appealing introduction to his
ideas. Much of what he diagnosed then still continues to ail modern astrology. This much
remains true: all ‘students’ of astrology need to reckon with Cornelius’ radical reformation.

Kirk Little, March 3, 2016

Note: The six ‘Moment’ articles were published in Astrology – the Astrologers’ Quarterly as follows:

Part 1: Vol. 57 No. 3 – Autumn 1983

Part 2: Vol. 57 No. 4 – Winter 1983/4

Part 3: Vol. 58 No. 1 – Spring 1984

Part 4: Vol. 58 No. 2 – Summer 1984

Part 5: Vol. 59 No. 1 – Spring 1985

Part 6: Vol. 59 No. 4 – Winter 1985/6

Thanks to the Astrological Lodge of London - http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/ - for permission to reproduce this
text directly from the Quarterly.

Downloaded from Cosmocritic.com

38
In their inaugural Bulletin, under the caption “What is the Company line?” Cornelius candidly acknowledged
“We do not have it all sorted out” and added “Since the experience of astrology is more peculiar, deceitful and
irrational than the woolly sentiments of astrological theorists would have us believe, our stance with respect
to much current thinking in the subject is of necessity critical and, in the modern jargon, ‘deconstructive’. Part
of our work is the development of a descriptive method in order to talk about the phenomena which are not
consistently acknowledged in other schools. This involves a terminology begged and borrowed over a number
of years—locating significance, signatures, takes, katarche, self-referencing and symbolic participation,
divinatory craft and (in medical astrology) divinatory diagnosis. Much of the Company’s purpose will be
fulfilled if this phenomenology seeds itself in the metaphor of astrology.” Company of Astrologers Bulletin No.
1, Summer 1987, pp. 1-2
39
Project Hindsight and the Archive for the Retrieval of Historical Astrological Texts (ARHAT) did not come
about until the 1990’s; the Traditional Revival of the 1980’s, in which Cornelius and Hyde played a significant
role was a product of the Lodge’s increased involvement with horary, not a contributing factor to Cornelius’
historical reconstruction. See Nick Campion, “The Traditional Revival in Modern Thought: A Preliminary
History”, Astrologers’ Quarterly, Vol. 74, No. 1 Winter 2003

viii
 ASTROLOGY and DIVINA TIO 9
To the extent that Astrology is a form of divination, astrological reality is
inaccessible to the modern mode of thought, based upon a rational and objective
construct of the Universe, and which we may broadly term 'scientific'. The fact
of this inaccessibility does not make astrology any less real.
-_ Astrological reality is annulled in the presence of science wherever this has
over stepped its domain and become 1 scientism 1 , or a belief that the objective-
empirical methods at the core of the classical sciences can encompass all questions
of human purpose and meaning.
In the West, astrology has fallen prey to modern thought. Yet for the greater part
of two millenia, its survival as a major cultural form is attributable to its remarkable
ability to adapt in accord -with the prototypes of modern thought. Early on astrology
disguised its divinatory foundation. By the time of Ptolemy's ''Tetrabiblos" (2nd
century AD), it was interwoven with an Aristotelian cosmology within which it could
lay claim to being the rational science of the physical influences of the stars upon the
Earth CD. In the shadow realm behind this facade survived the symbols of astrology,
the old gods, self-born and uncreated.
Now the scientific revolution has revealed the greater part of astrology as pseudo-
science; it has pulled down the ·facade and blown the gods away. Modern astrology
survives in a state of limbo, awaiting dismemberment into its component parts; it
is struggling with its historical framework, truthful . enough in its own time but
outworn now, t_he Aristotelian world-view of Ptolemaic judicial astrology.
Where it survives with any integrity, astrology will face the option of accepting
an assimilation by scientific thought- in effect the separating out of a cosmobiology
of empirically verifiable elements, and an abandonment of the remainder ~r of
making the courageous step of a return to the source of its tradition. Already -Y!e
detect in the astrological community the beginnings of a split along the li res of these
two options, comparable to the separation of chemistry from alchemy by the 17th
century. The consequences of such a split may be serious. When did you last meet
an alchemist?
To return to the source requires a radical reassessment of astrology as "symbolic
attitude" (Jung) arising amongst those who enter its shared language and the ' tradition
of astrological interpretation. We then realise that astrology is a phenomenon of
experience .rather than the experience of an objective phenomenon. 'Astrology is not
a science whose en:pi.rical orjsins have been forgotten but a ritualistic form whose
heart and purpose 1s 1gnored 1(3J - -
An essential part of astrology's return to source is the recovery of an understanding
of astrology as divination. The meaning of this word has suffered and diminished in
our culture in equal measure as the belief in oracles has doclined; this decline was
noted by classical authors from before the time of Christ'i> We now _ tend to reduce
the word to mean only the attaining of information by non-rational means; the
information so attained is then considered to be logically in the same category as
that obtained by rational methods of observation or inference. But this is to transplant
the word into a world-view in which it cannot belong: the world-view of a theoretically
objective observer who has arrayed before him a domain of neutral, value-free facts
and 'laws of nature'. Divination cannot exist in such a domain except in disguise.
Where its power is revealed -to an individual it challenges the 'modern attitude' to
the core. In talking of the experience of the divinatory power of the Chinese oracle
book, "I Ching", Jung remarks that '· •• we have touched here an Archimedean point
from which our Western attitude of mind could be shaken to its foundations•®.
The delineation of a 'phenomenology of divination 1 which would then serve as
a ground fvr o~r under standing of astrology 1 poses a formidable task. Our guides
are uncertain, the path is obscure. One requires to experience divination before one
can talk about it. However, a few observations can be made that serve as a starting
point. An essential feature of the 1divinatory attitude' would seem to be the
u~derstanding that there is an 1active participation' between man and his \\Qrld, to
th·e extent that the two may not be finally differentiated. Hence the act of divination
is an act of creation, and not the passive receipt of information. Further, if we are
to be guided by the teachings of the I Ching, the power of divination is related to the
1m oral IFr..v-' er 1 of the one making divipation. Motive determines the quality of the

knowledge attained. We begin to recognise that divination may only indirectly give
what we might call 'objective' information, since its direct concern is the attitude and
 conduct of the subject of divination. By our actions we create good and evil
fortune. Divination is then a mode by which the individual participates in the
creation of his own destiny:
1
The great man accords in his character with heaven and earth;
in his light with the sun and moon; in his consistency, with the
four seasons; in the good and evil fortune that he creates, with
gods and spirits. When he acts in advance of heaven, heaven does
not contradict him. When he follows heaven, he adapts himself to
the time of heaven. If heaven itself does not resist him, how much
less do men, gods, and spirits~
I Ching: Wen Yen commentary
on the Ch 1ien {Creative) hexagram,
nine in the fifth place. (f)

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ § § §

The following passages have been selected as having direct bearing on the ques-tion
of astrology as divination. The first is an abstract from the intra duction to
11
Before Philosophy 11 {Frankfort et al. published by Pelican Books 1949~ This
distinguishes the mode of thought of ancient man within which astrology arose.
It may be suggested that to 11 think 11 astrologically .we must think like 1mythopeic
man 1• ®

ANCIENT, PRIMITIVE, Mythopeic Man MODERN, 'Scientific' Man

1) Natural phenomena conceived of in
terms of human experience, which in
turn was conceived of in terms of
cosmic events eg. Astrological maps
2) The phenomenal world is a THOU
eg. conversation
3) Ancient man learned of his world
by an essentially passive mode of
cognition, where a live 11 presence 11
r .... vealed itself in a direct and
emotional relationship which often
remained inarticulate.
4) Experience of events unique,
unprecedented, unparalleled,
unpredictable, with the character
of an individual. ,
5) Myth reveals man 1 s relationship
with nature; a story of man 1 s
involvement in existence. Myth is a
significant unverifiable truth, not
universal, but unassailable in its
validity. Demands recognition by the
faithful but does not pretend to
justification b'efore the critical.
6) In Ancient Man we find a
multip -.icity of interpretations of the
same phenomena. Although these are
·often inconsistent they are not
mutually exclusive. The multiplicity
·o f interpretations expresses the
concrete and the irrational by
admitting several avenues of
approach.
1) Nature distinctly separate from man,
where 11 Nature is put on the rack". Uses
different models of under standing and
explanation when considering nature, man,
society or cosmos.
2) The phenomenal world is primarily
seen as an · IT.
3) Modern man attempts to under stand or
explain the' world by indirect means which
are highly articulate, and where he attempts
to remain emotionally indifferent.
4) Events are seen as related to other
events and are understood as part of a
series. These are ruled by universal laws
which makes them predictable under certain
conditions eg. statistical probability
"5) Scientific thought based upon an
analytical procedure which reduces individual
phenomena to typical events subject to
universal laws. In this way it attempts a
detached intellectual explanation. Causality
is the impersonal mechanism which creates
order from the chaos of perceptions.
6) Science understands phenomena by their
manifestation of General Laws, and not by
unique particularity. This creates an
increasingly wide gulf between our
perceptions and conceptions of phenomena.
Modern man is inclined to take the
explanation more seriously than the
phenomena they claim to explain.
 The practice of astrology, as of all forms of divination, may not be relegated to the
realm of the 'merely subjective' as soon as it reveals itself as penetrating tangible
and objective situations of life, and allowing the possibility of an exact understanding
of those situations. As soon as astrology drops the illusion of a causal mechanism,
its phenomena, like 'those of the more obviously divinatory practices such as reading
Tarot cards and tealeaves, take on a distinctly 'paranormal' quality. Jung 1 s concept
of Synchronicity, (meaningful coincidence where there is no causal connection), may
provide us with a key to the description of astrological phenomena9>.The following
extract is taken from a review of published lectures "On Divination and Synchronicity"
by a leading proponent of Jung 1 s view, Marie-Louise von Franz; the review is
particularly concerned to relate this view to the question of astrology.
(extract from review):
1
Seeing astrology as essentially divinatory, von Franz would find it on a continuum
with practices that at first glance appear quite unrelated. Primitive methods of
divination w. ork by breaking up our imprisoning conscious attitude: "one cannot make
head or tail of a chaotic pattern; one is bewildered an·d that moment of bewilderment
brings up the intuition from the unconscious". This is the 1abaissement du niveau
mental' (dropping of the mental level) stated by Jung to be characteristically associated
w ith synchronistic phenomena. But what can our. divine science {astrology), a supreme
rational construct, have in common with reading tealeaves, palmistry, or gazing at
cracks in dried mud paths? The connection is mad~ by ,observing that out of the most
primitive oracles of purely random pattern, emerge oracles of "random pattern
coordinated with a certain order ••• only when the order pattern is combined with a
ra:.1dom pattern do they apply a theory, saying if this is so, then it means that, and if
it is this, it means this". Ast:r-:>logy is a highly sophisticated product of this process,
applying pattern and theory to an essentially random occurrence such as the moment of
birth, and relating two causally unconnected and incommensurable orders through this
moment.
What then :qappens where there is correct astrological judgment and prediction?
Following Jung, von Franz will argue that this is the constellating of an archetypal
structure, a matrix of the collective unconscious breaking through the usual conscious
attitude to manifest as a meaningful pattern, tying together elements of both psychic
and physical worlds. In order to be faithful to the original formulation of synchronicity,
it is necessary to understand that its phenomena are a function of the psyche. If we
then approach astrology as divination we are moving in .an utterly different way to the
approach that seeks an objective, 1 subject-free 1 , pattern of the physical world. The
synchronistic phenomena underlying divination are the province of parapsychology, and
since they involve a unique participation of psychic and physical phenomena, unique to
the divinatory situation in which they occur, the method of proceeding which may be
appropriate to objective physical phenomena may be entirely inappropriate here.
Von Franz is scathing about the use of statistical methods in parapsychology, such as
the experiments into ESP conducted by Rhine:
" Even he was foolish enough to believe that if he wanted to sell parapsychological
phenomena to the scientific world then he must prove them statistically or with
the concept of probability and-what a fool-he ended up by that in enemy territory
••• He tries to prove with the very means which eliminates the single case,
something which is only valid in the single case. That is why I do not believe in
that whole investigation. 11
If we accept the synchronistic hypothesis in astrology, then the extension of our
author's criticis.m would challenge the whole apparatus of statistical research, the
edifices built upon Gauquelin 1 s work. That is why 8 if the J1,1ngians are correct, it
matters very much to astrology whether or not we see its phenomena as synchronistic.
The future direction of the subject depends upon our decision here.
: On the difficult question of the synchronistic coming together of elements of the
physical and psychic worlds, I believe von Franz makes a significant contribution to the
Jungian approach. She takes up Jung 1 s discussion of the mandala as a symbol of the
1urms mundus ', the single psycho-physical reality which 'completely transcends our

conscious gr~sp 1 , showing that the divinatory mandala is the symbol of an alchemical
union of opposites ' that actually occurs in a successful divination. Where this occurs,
"the psyche behaves as if it were matter and matter behaves as if it belonged to an
individual psyche. So there is a sort of ·1'coniunctio 1 of matter and psyche and at the
same time an exchange of attributes 3• 1
®
It s ee.m s to me that the basis of astrology lies in a domain of divination which
shares an obscure territory with Frankfort's 1mythopeic man 1 and Jung 1 s
.symbolic attitude, even though thes·e two are not simply interchangeable, and
furthermore allowing that they may not completely define the prerequisite
conditions for divination. Given the deep-rooted philosophical divide of subject
and object, the medium by which the domain is united across this split (as the
1unus mundus 1 ) will then be synchronicity, or a concept of similar lineage.

Successful divination and truthful astrology necessarily dis solve this divide and
challenge modern notions of intellectual and scientific objectivity. This is why
divination will always tend to be repressed or emasculated. As a result of this,
elements in astrology which can less successfully disguise their divinatory
nature have come near to extinction: J-brary Astrology is an especially clear example.
The powerful intellectual tradition which has stayed within the secure confines
laid down by Ptolemy has often tried to purge the dangerous aberration of Horary®.
The most fundamental challenge within the present structure of astrology is
concerned with the question of Time. This is because the single most potent element
that has given astrology the facade of physical causality has been the unquestioned
acceptance of the correlation of objective heavens and objective event in 'objective
time 1 , the time of the public clocks and of the ephemerides®. The undoubted power
of natal astrology has misplaced the gaze of the astrologer upon the objective
heavens - or, sadly, upon the reduction of the heavens in the ephemeris. His gaze
has been seduced away from the centre, : wf..icJ-. ,·, . a mythic participation -tJ..Z)t
determine.~ the heavens at ·birth as the ceremonial focus of astrological
divination.

Geoffrey Cornelius
March 8th 1982
Oslo

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 THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY
Recovering the D i v i n a t o r y A t t i t u d e

Geoffrey Cornelius

Introduction

The p u r p o s e o f t h i s e s s a y i s t o r e v i e w a f u n d a m e n t a l
question about a s t r o l o g y , and through this question to
o f f e r a way o f d i s c u s s i n g a s t r o l o g y ' s e s s e n t i a l nature.
The q u e s t i o n t o be r e v i e w e d s e e m s s o o b v i o u s , simple
t o answer from s t o c k p o s i t i o n s d i s c o v e r e d l o n g ago, t h a t
i t i s commonly n e g l e c t e d . The q u e s t i o n , p u t p r o v i s i o n a l l y
and a t f i r s t a s k i n g , i s : a t w h a t moment d o e s t h e a s t r o -
l o g i c a l e f f e c t come t o p a s s ?

This i s not a t a l l obvious. The o r d i n a r y phrases

adopted t o d i s c u s s a s t r o l o g y r e s t upon u n d i s c l o s e d im-
plicit assumptions. Unless acknowledged, such a priori
notions t r a p t h i n k i n g e x a c t l y as they determine the next
s t e p i n l o g i c . They a l s o d i c t a t e t h e form o f a s t r o l o g i c a l
e x p e r i e n c e , s e t t i n g b o u n d s t o v;hat i s i m a g i n e d as pos-
s i b l e . The q u e s t i o n b r i s t l e s w i t h s u c h t r a p s . L e t u s s i d e -
s t e p f o r t h e p r e s e n t t h e w o r d 'moment', and f u r t h e r a l l o w
t h a t t h e r e i s some g e n u i n e e x p e r i e n c e t h a t we name a s t r o -
l o g y - a n d t h i s i s by no means s o d e m o n s t r a b l e a s we w o u l d
o f t e n l i k e t o b e l i e v e . T h e r e s h o u l d s t i l l be a p a u s e a t
t h e i d e a o f an ' e f f e c t ' , since this implies a 'cause'.
Even a t t h i s f i r s t s t e p d i s c u s s i o n c o u l d f a l l prey t o t h e
positivistic mode t h a t seeks l o g i c a l c h a i n s o f demons-
trable cause and e f f e c t i n order t o e x p l a i n , or even
a c c e p t , phenomena. W h a t e v e r t h e m e r i t s o f t h i s mode i n
o t h e r a r e a s o f human e n d e a v o u r , t h e r e i s l i t t l e evidence
t h a t i t i s f r u i t f u l i n a s t r o l o g y . Many a s t r o l o g e r s i n t u i t
t h a t i t misses the p o i n t . S i n c e v a r i o u s of the humanities
h a v e f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s on t h e d e f e n s i v e a g a i n s t a p o s i t -
ivist r e d u c t i o n o f t h e w h o l e r a n g e o f human e x p e r i e n c e ,
it i s w e l l t o be w a r y b e f o r e w e l c o m i n g i t s t e n e t s i n t o
a s t r o l o g y . F o r t h i s r e a s o n , I w i l l move one s t e p p r i o r t o
c a u s e - e f f e c t l o g i c , p r i o r t o ' e x p l a n a t i o n ' a n d t h e o r y . The
q u e s t i o n t h e n becomes a r e q u e s t f o r a d e q u a t e d e s c r i p t i o n :
what i s t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y ?
Our principal concern i s the Western t r a d i t i o n of
horoscopy: a s t r o l o g i c a l judgment and p r e d i c t i o n , c e n t r e d
on the casting and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of horoscopes. This
tradition developed out of a Greek s y s t e m a t i s a t i o n of
p r i n c i p a l l y C h a l d e a n o r i g i n s , a n d was t r a n s m i t t e d t h r o u g h
Roman a n d t h e n I s l a m i c c u l t u r e i n t o m e d i a e v a l E u r o p e . I t
is an unbroken l i n e a g e of p r a c t i c e and t h e o r y right
t h r o u g h t o t h e modern r e v i v a l a t t h e t u r n o f t h i s c e n t u r y .

97
 The f i r s t s t e p i s t o e s t a b l i s h how t h e moment o f a s t -
r o l o g y h a s b e e n d e f i n e d a n d d e s c r i b e d by a s t r o l o g e r s . T h e I T h e Moment of Astrology i n the Ptolemaic Tradition
d e s c r i p t i o n i s u s u a l l y compounded w i t h , a n d j u s t i f i e d b y ,
explanatory t h e o r i e s : 1 w i l l s e p a r a t e t h e s e t h e o r i e s from I t was t h e g i f t o f P t o l e m y t o f o r m u l a t e t h e fundamen-
t h e c o r e d e s c r i p t i o n . T h e common d e s c r i p t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y t a l l i n e s along which has developed t h e g r e a t e r part of
developed w i t h i n the conceptual framework e s t a b l i s h e d i n our a s t r o l o g y . A r e t u r n t o h i s f o r m u l a t i o n w i l l r e v e a l t h e
the l a t e H e l l e n i s t i c p e r i o d , with t h e i n t e r p e n e t r a t i o n o f c a r d i n a l point of reference f o r l a t e r treatments of 'the
Greek and M i d d l e E a s t e r n c u l t u r e s i n t h e f i r s t c e n t u r i e s moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' .
b e f o r e C h r i s t . The d e f i n i t i v e e x p o s i t i o n o f t h i s framework For Ptolemy, and f o r t h e t r a d i t i o n t h a t h a s been h i s
i s Ptolemy's ' T e t r a b i b l o s ' , w r i t t e n i n t h e second century h e i r , t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y i s com-
of our e r a ; f o r t h i s reason a l l l a t e r developments w i t h i n pounded w i t h t h e e x p l a n a t i o n o f how a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t s
this conceptual s t r u c t u r e c a n be t e r m e d 'the Ptolemaic come t o p a s s . I n order t o d i s c e r n h i s answer t o our
t r a d i t i o n ' . From t h e v i e w p o i n t o f o u r f u n d a m e n t a l q u e s t i o n qui^stion, 'what i s t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y ? ' , we n e e d t o
i t w i l l be s e e n t h a t t h e g r e a t e r p a r t o f h o r o s c o p i c ast- follow the explanation he o f f e r s a s t o how astrology
rology, e v e n i n i t s most s o p h i s t i c a t e d modern g u i s e s , i s works.
u l t i m a t e l y grounded i n Ptolemy's statement of t h e i s s u e . Ptolemy p o s t u l a t e s an 'ambient', o r e t h e r , suffused
E f f e c t i v e though t h i s statement i s , i t i s not adequate t h r o u g h t h e h e a v e n s and n a t u r e . Changes i n t h e ambient
t o c o v e r a l l t h e phenomena i n v o l v e d . H o r a r y a s t r o l o g y w i l l a f f e c t t h e e l e m e n t s , f i r e and a i r f i r s t , t h e n e a r t h and
be b r o u g h t f o r w a r d a s e v i d e n c e o f a m a j o r t r a d i t i o n t h a t water. The Sun's influence p r e v a i l s i n producing the
i s both incompatible w i t h , and o b s c u r e d by, t h e P t o l e m a i c g e n e r a l q u a l i t y o f t h e ambient , through both t h e s e a s o n a l
a t t i t u d e . I n t r a c i n g back t o t h e o r i g i n s o f horary, t h e and d i u r n a l c y c l e s . The s o l a r i n f l u e n c e i s m o d i f i e d by
e a r l i e s t s u b s t r a t u m o f a s t r o l o g y w i l l be r e v e a l e d , p r i o r separate i n f l u e n c e s o f t h e Moon, t h e o t h e r p l a n e t s , a n d
to t h e r a t i o n a l Greek o v e r l a y . I n t h i s s u b s t r a t u m i s d i s - the f i x e d s t a r s . Through t h e m e d i a t i n g ambient, a l l t h i n g s
covered a very d i f f e r e n t stance i n the 'katarche', the u n d e r t h e s k y a r e a f f e c t e d by t h e h e a v e n l y bodies.
forerunner of horary. Katarchic astrology reveals the Two o r d e r s o f e f f e c t upon t h e w o r l d a r e c a r e f u l l y d i s -
origin of horoscopy i n the reading of auspices, and t i n g u i s h e d . The more p o w e r f u l o r d e r i s t h e u n i v e r s a l , o r
c a r r i e s i n i t s e l f a quite d i f f e r e n t i m p l i c i t notion of the g e n e r a l , a c t i n g upon " w h o l e r a c e s , c o u n t r i e s , a n d c i t i e s " ,
moment o f a s t r o l o g y . and "periodic conditions, such a s wars, famines, pes-
Correlate with this historical examination i s the t i l e n c e s , earthquakes, deluges". A f u r t h e r s u b d i v i s i o n of
question of t h e phenomenology o f a s t r o l o g y , t h e form o f t h i s u n i v e r s a l e f f e c t concerns o c c a s i o n a l conditions such
the experience o f i t s p r a c t i c e . T h i s w i l l be u n d e r t a k e n as " v a r i a t i o n s of the i n t e n s i t y of storms, heat, and
by d e s c r i b i n g t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y a l o n g t h e l i n e s o f w i n d s , o r o f good a n d b a d c r o p s , a n d s o o n " - T e t r a b i b l o s
d i v i n a t i o n , a s t h i s i s u n d e r s t o o d i n modern t i m e s . How- I I . 1 p.119-121 ( s e e note 1 a t end o f t h i s s e c t i o n ) .
e v e r , t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s o m e t i m e s made, o f a s t r o l o g y a n d What i s t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y for this order of
d i v i n a t i o n , i s v a g u e a n d a p p r o x i m a t e : we l a c k a n a d e q u a t e universal influence?
phenomenology o f d i v i n a t i o n i t s e l f . T h e r e f o r e there will
f i r s t be a n a t t e m p t a t a p r o v i s i o n a l d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e " I n t h e c a s e o f u n i v e r s a l s we h a v e t o t a k e many
moment o f a u g u r y , o r d i v i n a t i o n t h r o u g h s y m b o l s . O n l y t h e n s t a r t i n g - p o i n t s , s i n c e we h a v e no s i n g l e o n e f o r
will t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y be f u l l y identified as a t h e u n i v e r s e . . . " - I I I . l p.221. ( 2 )
moment o f t h e a c t o f d i v i n a t i o n . I t i s c l e a r t h a t by t h e t e r m t r a n s l a t e d a s ' s t a r t i n g -
The s t u d y c o n c l u d e s w i t h a n o u t l i n e o f s e v e r a l i m p l i c - point', Ptolemy also intends t h e meaning of 'causal
a t i o n s of t h i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n . A p r o t e c t i v e mantle has f o r o r i g i n ' . Such s t a r t i n g p o i n t s of t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t
long disguised astrology: t h i s cloak i s drawn a s i d e t o are v a r i o u s c e l e s t i a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n s , but e s p e c i a l l y "the
r e v e a l t h e h o r i z o n o f d i v i n a t i o n . Such a r e v e l a t i o n opens more c o m p l e t e e c l i p s e s a n d t h e s i g n i f i c a n t p a s s a g e s o f t h e
to view a host o f d i f f i c u l t q u e s t i o n s , p h i l o s o p h i c a l , r e l - planets".
i g i o u s , a n d e t h i c a l . T h e s e demand o u r i n v o l v e m e n t i f a s t - Knowledge o f t h e w o r k i n g of t h i s u n i v e r s a l o r d e r o f
r o l o g y i s t o be s u s t a i n e d a m o n g s t t h e A r t s o f m a n k i n d . I t astrological influence allows the p o s s i b i l i t y of pre-
i s t h e moment f o r s u c h q u e s t i o n s a b o u t a s t r o l o g y . d i c t i o n s on a w i d e s c a l e , b u t d o e s n o t l e a d t o p r e d i c t i o n
at t h e i n d i v i d u a l l e v e l . D i f f e r e n t i n d i v i d u a l s w i l l s u f f e r
widely d i f f e r e n t circumstances, w h a t e v e r f a t e may b e f a l l
t h e w h o l e s p e c i e s o r community o f w h i c h t h e y are part.
S p e c i f i c p r e d i c t i o n a t t h e l e v e l o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l i s how-

98
99
 Through h i s second o r d e r of the a s t r o l o g i c a l i n f l u e n c e
e v e r p o s s i b l e from knowledge of the s e c o n d o r d e r of a s t r o -
Ptolemy has established this instant of origin as a
logical effect, t h e p a r t i c u l a r . The h e a v e n s , w h i l e con-
'moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' . I n t h i s way he c a n justify the
tinually and universally affecting a l l things, carry
interpretation of a conception horoscope as yielding
e s p e c i a l power t o s t a m p t h e i r i m p r e s s i o n on t h e critical
meaningful p r e d i c t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g the f a t e of the e n t i t y .
a n d i n i t i a l f o r m a t i o n o f p l a n t s , a n i m a l s , o r man. Ptolemy
F o r man, as f o r other living c r e a t u r e s , the prime
states:
origin i s the i n s t a n t of f e r t i l i s a t i o n of the seed, a t
c o n c e p t i o n : " i n c a s e s i n which the v e r y time of c o n c e p t i o n
"...not only must t h i n g s a l r e a d y compounded be
is known e i t h e r by c h a n c e o r by o b s e r v a t i o n , i t i s more
affected i n some way by the motions of these
fitting that we should follow i t i n determining the
heavenly b o d i e s , but l i k e w i s e the g e r m i n a t i o n and s p e c i a l n a t u r e o f body a n d s o u l " . - I I I . l p 2 2 4 - 5 .
f r u i t i o n o f t h e s e e d must be m o u l d e d and c o n f o r m e d
However, P t o l e m y ' s g r e a t c o n c e r n , the whole project
to t h e q u a l i t y p r o p e r t o t h e h e a v e n s a t t h e t i m e . "
o f t h e t h i r d and f o u r t h b o o k s o f t h e T e t r a b i b l o s , i s t h e
- 1.2 p9 h o r o s c o p e of b i r t h , and not t h e h o r o s c o p e of c o n c e p t i o n .
T h i s i s s o e v e n t h o u g h when b i r t h i s c o m p a r e d w i t h c o n c e p -
I n t h i s way t h e h e a v e n l y c o n f i g u r a t i o n h a s a p o w e r f u l t i o n " i t s importance i n t i m e i s s e c o n d a r y " , and i t i s "not
e f f e c t a t t h e s e e d ' s u n i q u e l y i m p r e s s i o n a b l e moment, t h e . . . c a u s a t i v e i n the f u l l sense" - I I I . l pp225 & 227-
instant of fertilisation. This effect i s by t h e local
H i s j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e b u i l d s on t h e
a s p e c t o f t h e s k y , t h a t i s by t h e p l a c e on t h e e a r t h ' s
foundations a l r e a d y e s t a b l i s h e d f o r the horoscope of con-
s u r f a c e . The heavenly c o n f i g u r a t i o n m o u l d s and conforms
ception. He makes t h i s justification by combining two
t h e s e e d , and t h u s d e t e r m i n e s p a r t i c u l a r i n d i v i d u a l c h a r -
logically distinct arguments. In his first argument,
a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e e n t i t y i n t o w h i c h t h e s e e d w i l l grow,
Ptolemy suggests that birth i s 'even more p e r f e c t in
w i t h i n t h e l i m i t s o f t h e g e n e t i c and e n v i r o n m e n t a l pos-
p o t e n t i a l i t y ' than conception:
s i b i l i t i e s for that entity.
The i n s t a n t of f e r t i l i s a t i o n i s t a k e n as the o r i g i n ,
" F o r t h e c h i l d a t b i r t h and h i s b o d i l y f o r m t a k e •
causal and temporal, of the e n t i t y . T h i s moment i s s o
on many a d d i t i o n a l a t t r i b u t e s w h i c h he d i d not
decisive i n forming the a s t r o l o g i c a l c h a r a c t e r that a l l
h a v e b e f o r e , when he was i n t h e womb, t h o s e v e r y
f u r t h e r changes i n the ambient f o l l o w i n g the i n s t a n t of
o n e s i n d e e d w h i c h b e l o n g t o human n a t u r e a l o n e . "
o r i g i n c a n h a v e o n l y an i n d i r e c t i n f l u e n c e on individual
- I I I . l p225
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , w o r k i n g on t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l i m p r i n t e s t -
a b l i s h e d at f e r t i l i s a t i o n . Therefore, at the individual T h i s p i v o t a l a s s e r t i o n , on w h i c h s o much i s made t o
l e v e l o f t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t , a l l o t h e r moments a r e depend, i s not i l l u s t r a t e d or a m p l i f i e d . I t i s i n f e r r e d
m e d i a t e d by t h e moment o f o r i g i n , and a l l o t h e r horoscopes t h a t b i r t h i s t h e o r i g i n o f t r u l y human e x i s t e n c e , a s c o n -
a r e m e d i a t e d by t h e h o r o s c o p e o f o r i g i n . trasted with the merely biological existence of the
Ptolemy, and the t r a d i t i o n of h o r o s c o p i c astrology f o e t u s . F u r t h e r , i t i s the v e r y i n s t a n t of b i r t h t h a t i s
t h a t f o l l o w s him, g i v e s absolute primacy to the temporal r e f e r r e d t o , and Ptolemy w i l l go on t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e
b e g i n n i n g , t h e moment o f o r i g i n : r e a d i n g o f t h e h o r o s c o p e o f t h a t i n s t a n t , t h e n a t u s . The
a s s e r t i o n o f b i r t h a s an ' o r i g i n ' o f human n a t u r e i s j u x -
"For t o t h e s e e d i s g i v e n once and f o r a l l a t t h e t a p o s e d w i t h t h e e a r l i e r d i s c u s s i o n of t h e impact of the
b e g i n n i n g s u c h a n d s u c h q u a l i t i e s by t h e endowment h e a v e n s a t t h e i n s t a n t of f e r t i l i s a t i o n of a s e e d . I n t h i s
o f t h e a m b i e n t ; a n d e v e n t h o u g h i t may change as way, P t o l e m y i n d u c e s h i s r e a d e r t o make an a n a l o g y b e t w e e n
the body subsequently grows, since by natural the i n s t a n t of f e r t i l i s a t i o n and the i n s t a n t of birth.
p r o c e s s i t m i n g l e s w i t h i t s e l f i n the p r o c e s s of B i r t h i s t h e n the 'seed' of independent human e x i s t e n c e .
growth only matter which i s a k i n to i t s e l f , thus B u t t h i s a n a l o g y i s h i g h l y p r o b l e m a t i c . I t may be e a s y t o
it resembles e v e n more c l o s e l y t h e t y p e o f i t s envisage Ptolemy's second, 'particular' order of the
initial quality." . - I I I . l p225 a s t r o l o g i c a l i n f l u e n c e p h y s i c a l l y i m p r e s s e d upon a l i t t l e
s e e d . But a baby a t b i r t h i s a complex c r e a t u r e ' a l r e a d y
The p a t t e r n g i v e n t o t h e s e e d i s s e e n a s t h e t y p e t o compounded', a n d i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o i m a g i n e an a c t u a l s e e d
w h i c h t h e i n d i v i d u a l g r o w s , and t o w a r d s w h i c h a l l l a t e r o f 'human n a t u r e a l o n e ' e x c e p t a s a p o e t i c m e t a p h o r . The
c h a n g e s t e n d : an i d e a w h i c h , a p p l i e d to the n a t a l horo- analogy carries over a physical and literal statement
s c o p e , i s e n c o u n t e r e d i n t h e most modern h u m a n i s t i c a s t r o - a b o u t s e e d s , a p p r o p r i a t e t o f a r m i n g and h u s b a n d r y , t o a
logy.

100 101
beginning of a q u i t e d i f f e r e n t order. T h i s e n t a i l s a con- origin.
s i d e r a b l e l o g i c a l jump. The hypothesis of seeds, supported i n the case of
Many a s t r o l o g e r s r e c o g n i s e p o e t i c m e t a p h o r a s t h e v e r y n a t i v i t i e s by a s e c o n d a r y a r g u m e n t o f s i m i l a r i t i e s b e t w e e n
s u b s t a n c e o f t h e i r a r t . They w i l l n o t be d i s c o m f i t e d by c o n c e p t i o n and b i r t h , i s i n t u r n i n s e p a r a b l e from a t o t a l
s u c h an i m a g i n a t i v e l e a p , i n d e e d t h e y w i l l welcome i t . B u t structure of a s t r o l o g i c a l causation at the universal
the s c i e n t i s t i n Ptolemy, t h e demonstrator o f cause and level. The a s t r o l o g i c a l influence i s necessarily under-
e f f e c t , apears embarrassed by t h i s l o g i c a l h i a t u s . B e f o r e s t o o d t o be i m p r e s s i n g a l l s e e d s w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n , by t h e
he a l l o w s t h i s f i r s t l i n e o f r e a s o n i n g t o d e v e l o p he i m - c o n t i n u o u s a n d u n i v e r s a l power o f t h e h e a v e n s .
mediately supports i t with a different argument. The 1 b e l i e v e that the c a r e f u l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n of the p a r t s
second justification for the natal horoscope i s that, of t h e P t o l e m a i c model, and e s p e c i a l l y t h e d i s t i n c t i o n
w h a t e v e r may be i t s s e p a r a t e s t a t u s a s a moment o f o r i g i n , between t h e ' d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n ' and t h e h y p o t h e s i s o r
i n a n y c a s e t h e moment o f b i r t h w i l l show a s t r o l o g i c a l metaphor o f s e e d s , i s e s s e n t i a l t o an adequate study of
correspondence w i t h t h e moment o f c o n c e p t i o n , t h e l a t e r d e v e l o p m e n t o f h o r o s c o p y . Our t r a d i t i o n i s em-
bedded i n t h e P t o l e m a i c a t t i t u d e .
" s i n c e n a t u r e , a f t e r t h e c h i l d i s p e r f e c t l y formed, How does this theoretical structure relate to the
g i v e s t h e impulse t o i t s b i r t h under a c o n f i g u r - r u l e s o f h o r o s c o p e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , and t h e p r o f o u n d l a n -
ation of s i m i l a r type to t h a t which governed t h e guage o f symbol w h i c h seems t o have s u c h a l i f e o f i t s
child's formation in detail i n the f i r s t place" own? T h i s t o o i s what we know a s a s t r o l o g y . T h i s l a r g e
- I I I . l p227 t o p i c c a n n o t be t r e a t e d h e r e . I t s u f f i c e s f o r t h e p r e s e n t
purpose t o remark t h a t t h e t h e o r e t i c a l e x p l a n a t o r y models
Although Ptolemy s a y s nothing further to i l l u s t r a t e adopted f r e q u e n t l y modify interpretation and symbolism.
t h i s second a s s e r t i o n , he may h a v e i n m i n d t h e ' T r u t i n e The reader interested i n following this further i n the
of Hermes'. T h i s d o c t r i n e , a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e E g y p t i a n s , c a s e o f P t o l e m y i s recommended t o r e f e r t o t h e d i s c u s s i o n
p o s t u l a t e s a n i n t e r c h a n g e o f Moon a n d A s c e n d a n t p o s i t i o n s of 'Ptolemaic Astrology' i n N i c h o l a s de V o r e ' s "Encyc-
between t h e h o r o s c o p e s of c o n c e p t i o n and b i r t h . The f a c t lopedia of A s t r o l o g y " ( 3 ) .
that such a connection i s crucial t o one p a r t o f t h e
Despite the influence of the explanatory m o d e l on
Ptolemaic justification for natal astrology has lent
d e t a i l s of symbolism, t h e canons of i n t e r p r e t a t i o n f o r t h e
weight to t h i s d o c t r i n e over t h e c e n t u r i e s .
life a n d f a t e o f a n i n d i v i d u a l do n o t h a v e a n e c e s s a r y
Having followed P t o l e m y ' s c a r e f u l l y woven a r g u m e n t s d e p e n d e n c e upon t h e e x p l a n a t i o n o f how t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l
t o a c o n c l u s i o n , i t w i l l be p o s s i b l e t o s e p a r a t e h i s e x p - effect comes t o p a s s a t c o n c e p t i o n or b i r t h . Rules of
l a n a t i o n o f how a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t s a r e i m p r e s s e d a t t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n c a n a n d do e x i s t w i t h o u t a n y r a t i o n a l e x p -
individual level f r o m h i s d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e moment o f l a n a t i o n t o s u p p o r t them; t h i s i s a s t r u e f o r t h e T e t r a -
a s t r o l o g y . He p o s i t s t h e i n s t a n t o f t h e f e r t i l i s a t i o n o f b i b l o s a s f o r any o t h e r a s t r o l o g i c a l t e x t b o o k . Consider
t h e s e e d a s a moment o f a s t r o l o g y . H e n c e , f r o m t h e h o r o - the ' d o c t r i n e of n a t i v i t i e s ' as t r a d i t i o n a l l y understood.
scope of that i n s t a n t , astrological i n f e r e n c e s c a n be I t i s e s s e n t i a l l y t h e ' d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n ' d e f i n e d above,
drawn f o r t h e f a t e o f t h e e n t i t y i n t o w h i c h t h e s e e d w i l l applied to birth, together w i t h a l l t h e p a r t i c u l a r and
grow. B o t h c o n c e p t i o n a n d b i r t h a r e g i v e n p r e - e m i n e n c e a s c o n t i n u a l l y changing r u l e s of i n t e r p r e t a t i o n which allow
b e g i n n i n g s i n t i m e , o r moments o f c a u s a l o r i g i n . meaningful inferences with respect to the l i f e of the
P t o l e m y ' s p o s i t i o n may be d e f i n e d a s t h e ' d o c t r i n e o f n a t i v e . These r u l e s a r e a r t i c u l a t i o n s or e x p r e s s i o n s of
o r i g i n ' . T h i s i s the p o s i t i n g of the i n s t a n t of o r i g i n of t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n - t h e y do n o t e x p l a i n i t . An a s t -
an e n t i t y a s a moment o f a s t r o l o g y , f o r w h i c h a h o r o s c o p e r o l o g e r c a n f o l l o w t h e m e t h o d w h e t h e r o r n o t he c a n g i v e
may v a l i d l y be d e l i n e a t e d w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h a t e n t i t y . a rational justification f o r i t s working, and whether o r
Ptolemy a l s o seeks t o e x p l a i n how t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l not he accepts some metaphorical approximation to
effect operates a t t h e moment o f o r i g i n . To do t h i s he Ptolemy's 'hypothesis of seeds'.
establishes a causal explanation i n line with the Aris- We s h o u l d be c a r e f u l n o t t o o v e r e s t i m a t e t h e v a l u e o f
totelian physics of h i s day. P a r t l y literally, partly the explanatory models i n astrology. I doubt whether
m e t a p h o r i c a l l y , he b r i n g s b e f o r e u s t h e i d e a o f s e e d s , a n d Ptolemy s t a r t e d w i t h h i s s p e c u l a t i o n s about i n f l u e n c e s and
their postulated receptivity to c e l e s t i a l influences. This s e e d s a n d t h e n w o r k e d up t o f o r m u l a t e a p r a c t i c e o f h o r o -
explanation, t h e 'how' o f t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l effect, we s c o p y , j u s t a s I d o u b t w h e t h e r he s a t i s f i e d h i m s e l f f i r s t
s h a l l terra t h e ' h y p o t h e s i s o f s e e d s ' . Ptolemy u s e s this with the v a l i d i t y of t h e conception h o r o s c o p e and t h e n
hypothesis to j u s t i f y acceptance of the doctrine of p r o c e e d e d t o n a t i v i t i e s . I t i s more l i k e l y , a l t h o u g h o f

102
103
course not demonstrable, that l i k e m o s t a s t r o l o g e r s he a n c e o f a s t r o l o g y . J u d g m e n t on t h e moment o f o r i g i n h a s
first encountered a s t r o l o g i c a l symbolism a n d came t o been an u n b r o k e n s t r e a m , t h e c e n t r a l c u r r e n t o f h o r o s c o p i c
' b e l i e v e i n ' n a t a l h o r o s c o p y . Only t h e n would b e g i n t h e practice. , j
i n t e l l e c t u a l p r o c e s s o f r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n and j u s t i f i c a t i o n
in terms of the p r i n c i p l e s of metaphysical a n a l y s i s gain- With t h e r e v i v a l of Western a s t r o l o g y over t h e l a s t
ing ascendancy i n h i s e r a . H i s guide i n t h i s i s t h e genius c e n t u r y h a s come t h e g r o w t h o f f o r m s w h i c h a p p e a r t o move
of A r i s t o t l e . Even i f Ptolemy d i d n o t p e r s o n a l l y proceed beyond t h e P t o l e m a i c vision. This appearance i s l a r g e l y
i n t h i s way, t h a t h a s b e e n t h e e f f e c t a n d c o n t r i b u t i o n o f i l l u s o r y . T h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e moment o f
h i s w o r k : t o s u s t a i n a n d j u s t i f y an e x i s t i n g b e l i e f . U n t i l astrology will be r e v i e w e d i n t h r e e significant refor-
v e r y r e c e n t t i m e s , a s t r o l o g e r s h a v e been a l m o s t u n i v e r s a l l y mulations. These are Humanistic astrology, and more
content to allow h i s r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n to stand, more o r b r i e f l y . H a r m o n i c s , and ' n e o - A s t r o l o g y ' - t h i s l a t t e r i s
less intact, s i n c e i t secured the positon of horoscopic t h e r e c e n t s c i e n t i f i c r e s e a r c h programme b a s e d on s t a t i s -
a s t r o l o g y amongst t h e m e d i a e v a l s c i e n c e s . tical m e t h o d a n d p i o n e e r e d by M i c h e l G a u q u e l i n . T h e t a s k
here i s limited to i l l u s t r a t i n g the d u r a b i l i t y of the
It i s not s u r p r i s i n g t h a t t h e T e t r a b i b l o s h a s been e s s e n t i a l components o f t h e P t o l e m a i c t r a d i t i o n . T h i s w i l l
o f t e n c a l l e d t h e B i b l e of a s t r o l o g y . Whatever d i f f i c u l t i e s necessarily l e a v e out of t h e d i s c u s s i o n t h e s i g n i f i c a n t
may e x i s t i n i t s s c h e m a , i t s a u t h o r ' s v i e w s b o t h on t h e interpretative contributions offered by t h e s e develop-
doctrine of o r i g i n a n d on t h e n a t u r e of a s t r o l o g i c a l ments .
c a u s a t i o n became a c c e p t e d a s b a s i c t e n e t s . T h e b r o a d theme
The m a j o r movement w h i c h i s b r o a d l y t e r m e d 'humanis-
o f h i s a r g u m e n t h a s become s o d e e p l y r o o t e d that i t i s
tic' d r a w s on s e v e r a l s o u r c e s . I t b u i l d s on t h e e a r l i e r
hard to imagine any r a d i c a l l y d i f f e r e n t d e s c r i p t i o n or
work o f A l a n Leo i n moving n a t a l a s t r o l o g y towards a
explanation o f t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y . Few a s t r o l o g e r s
richer d e s c r i p t i o n of c h a r a c t e r , i n l i n e with t h i s cen-
have r e w o r k e d h i s ground w i t h any d e g r e e o f t h o r o u g h n e s s ;
t u r y ' s i n t e r e s t i n psychology. Through H u m a n i s t i c a s t r o -
his v i e w s a r e g e n e r a l l y imbibed a t an u n t h i n k i n g level,
logy's outstanding c o n t r i b u t o r , Dane R u d h y a r , i t t a p s a n
implicit and u n s t a t e d , t h e supposed stock-in-trade of
occult philosophy derived from R e n a i s s a n c e Hermetism and
ancient astrology.
modern T h e o s o p h y . I n t h i s a l s o i t d e v e l o p s a g e n e r a l a t -
In t h e v a s t span o f l a t e r p r a c t i c e t h e r e have a r i s e n t i t u d e a l r e a d y f o u n d i n A l a n L e o . D r a w i n g on a p a r a l l e l
c o n f l i c t i n g opinions t h a t would seek t o modify t h i s or movement i n p s y c h o l o g y , i t s e e k s t o l i f t t h e s t u d y o f man
t h a t p a r t of t h e P t o l e m a i c s t r u c t u r e . T h e r e have been sub- beyond t h e bounds o f m a t e r i a l i s t i c reductionism. Astro-
s t a n t i a l changes i n t h e d e t a i l e d i n t e r p r e t a t i v e methods, l o g e r s i n t h i s v e i n t u r n away from a t r a d i t i o n w h i c h t h e y
although there remains a consistency i n t h e most basic see a s l i m i t i n g c o n s i d e r a t i o n of d e s t i n y t o t a n g i b l e e v i d -
s y m b o l i s m s . Modern p s y c h o l o g i c a l a s t r o l o g y h a s t e n d e d t o ence o f e v e n t s . They s e e k i n s t e a d a c e l e s t i a l symbol o f
r e s t r i c t the extent of d e t a i l t o which a s t r o l o g i c a l s i g - the i n n e r , p s y c h i c , l i f e . T h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e b e c o m e s an
n i f i c a t i o n s can v a l i d l y r e f e r , by l i m i t i n g i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s t o i n e x h a u s t i b l e matrix of p o t e n t i a l s a w a i t i n g t h e awakening
a s u b j e c t i v e realm and t h e r e b y removing t h e i r d i r e c t c l a i m o f t h e human c r e a t i v i t y w h i c h may f u l l y r e a l i s e t h e m . T h e
upon ' o u t e r ' e v e n t s o f l i f e . great goal of n a t a l astrology i s to a s s i s t the i n d i v i d u a l
F u r t h e r , under t h e p r e s s u r e of d i f f e r i n g p h i l o s o p h i e s , on t h e p a t h t o w a r d s t h i s a w a k e n i n g . I n t h i s s c h o o l a s t r o -
r e v i s i o n s h a v e b e e n made t o t h e e x p l a n a t o r y part of the l o g y e x p r e s s e s some o f i t s most n o b l e p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
structure, the 'hypothesis of seeds'. Such changes, R u d h y a r ' s f i r s t book, 'The A s t r o l o g y of Personality',
coupled with amendments i n d e t a i l e d m e t h o d , h a v e served l a y s out t h e groundplan f o r Humanistic a s t r o l o g y . He r e -
to redecorate t h e t r a d i t i o n a l e d i f i c e t o a l l o w i t t o ex- j e c t s t h e n o t i o n t h a t we c a n d e v e l o p a meaningful a s t r o -
p r e s s t o k e n s of p h i l o s o p h i c a l p o s i t i o n s f a r d i f f e r e n t from l o g y by u s i n g s c i e n t i f i c m e t h o d o l o g y t o search out 'rays'
A r i s t o t l e o r P t o l e m y . However, v i e w e d i n t h e c o n t e x t o f or ' w a v e s ' o f c e l e s t i a l i n f l u e n c e . He sees astrology as
the o r i g i n a l question concerning ' t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' a f o r m a l o r s y m b o l i c s y s t e m , an ' a l g e b r a of l i f e ' :
m o s t o f t h e amendments a r e e n t i r e l y i n e s s e n t i a l . T h e y a r e
i n e s s e n t i a l because they accept without question t h e i n - "The r e v o l u t i o n s o f c e l e s t i a l b o d i e s c o n s t i t u t e i n
j u n c t i o n of the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n , which i s t o t r e a t t h e t h e i r t o t a l i t y a v a s t and complex symbol w h i c h , o f
moment o f o r i g i n a s t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y . T h i s great itself, i s made up s o l e l y o f c y c l i c a l l y c h a n g i n g
d o c t r i n e , p r o t e c t e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e l a t e r t r a d i t i o n by t h e patterns of r e l a t i o n s h i p "
explanatory hypothesis of seeds, o r a r e l a t e d metaphor
evoking that hypothesis, has allowed a powerful continu- - Astrology of P e r s o n a l i t y c h . l p51(4)

104 105
J u s t a s ' a m e a s u r i n g rod does not i n f l u e n c e t h a t w h i c h i t However, t h e t h r e a d of the Ptolemaic treatment of the
m e a s u r e s , so t h e s y m b o l i s w i t h o u t s u b s t a n c e , y e t i t w i l l moment o f a s t r o l o g y i s u n d e n i a b l e , s i n c e the individual
serve to c o r r e l a t e , order and i l l u m i n e any living ex- has s t i l l been ' f a t e d ' w i t h a p a r t i c u l a r p a t t e r n of t h e s e
p e r i e n c e o n t o w h i c h i t i s mapped. The e n t i t y m e a s u r e d by p o t e n t i a l s at the i n s t a n t of b i r t h .
the n a t a l horoscope i s nothing l e s s than the t o t a l poten- Jung's psychology has deeply i n f l u e n c e d Rudhyar, and
t i a l i n d i v i d u a l l i f e - m e a n i n g . Our m e a s u r e m e n t b e g i n s w i t h t h r o u g h him has p r o v i d e d t h e r e c e n t ' p s y c h o l o g i c a l a s t r o -
" t h e f i r s t p o i n t o f i n d e p e n d e n t e x i s t e n c e ; i n t h e c a s e of l o g y ' w i t h a ready-made i n t e r p r e t a t i v e s t r u c t u r e . J u n g ' s
human d e s t i n y , t h e f i r s t b r e a t h " - I b i d c h . l p53- The i d e a c o n c e p t o f s y n c h r o n i c i t y , an a c a u s a l c o n n e c t i n g p r i n c i p l e ,
of the horoscope as a b l u e p r i n t of p o s s i b i l i t i e s , p r e s e n - h a s e n t e r e d t h e common p a r l a n c e o f a s t r o l o g e r s , a n d has
ted at the moment of birth, has remained c e n t r a l to become one o f t h e s t a n d a r d e x p l a n a t o r y m a n o u e v r e s by w h i c h
R u d h y a r ' s t h o u g h t . I n 1975 he s t a t e s : t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e i s j u s t i f i e d . I n 'The
A s t r o l o g y of P e r s o n a l i t y ' , Rudhyar q u o t e s e x t e n s i v e l y from
the o r i g i n a l ( 1 9 3 0 ) p r e s e n t a t i o n o f s y n c h r o n i c i t y . The
"(the human b e i n g ) i s b o r n a t a p a r t i c u l a r time
following phrase has become a set-piece formulation,
and in a particular location because the a l l -
r e p e a t e d i n c o u n t l e s s l e c t u r e s a n d g r a c i n g e v e n t h e most
e n c o m p a s s i n g Harmony o f t h e u n i v e r s e d i c t a t e d t h a t
humdrum o f t e x t b o o k s :
s u c h an a r c h e t y p a l s o l u t i o n t o a p a r t i c u l a r n e e d
i n the t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l w o r l d of p h y s i c a l e x i s -
t e n c e s h o u l d t a k e f o r m a s a human o r g a n i s m . T h i s " w h a t e v e r i s b o r n o r done a t t h i s moment o f t i m e ,
a r c h e t y p a l s o l u t i o n i s 'coded' i n t h e l a n g u a g e of h a s t h e q u a l i t i e s o f t h i s moment i n t i m e " ( 6 )
the sky as the b i r t h - c h a r t of a p a r t i c u l a r p e r s o n " - ( 5 )
The o c c u l t q u a l i t y o f t h e time-moment i s u n d e r s t o o d t o be
A l t h o u g h t h e l a n g u a g e o f R u d h y a r i s a b s t r a c t and m e t a - e x p r e s s e d i n b o t h t h e n a t u r e o f an i n d i v i d u a l b o r n a t t h a t
p h y s i c a l , t h e r e i s an e s s e n t i a l c o n s i s t e n c y w i t h P t o l e m y ' s moment, and t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e h e a v e n s o f t h e same i n s -
f o r m u l a t i o n . Where P t o l e m y s e e s a u n i v e r s a l o r d e r o f t h e t a n t . I n t h i s way, t h e h e a v e n s no l o n g e r i n i t i a t e a s t r o -
a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t w o r k i n g c o n t i n u o u s l y , R u d h y a r s e e s an l o g i c a l ' e f f e c t s ' , w h i c h a t f i r s t g l a n c e i s a c o m p l e t e de-
' a l l - e n c o m p a s s i n g Harmony o f t h e u n i v e r s e ' , e q u a l l y c e a s e - p a r t u r e from the P t o l e m a i c e x p l a n a t i o n .
less and absolute. Ptolemy s t e p s the a s t r o l o g i c a l inf- The concept of s y n c h r o n i c i t y has m a t e r i a l l y helped
l u e n c e down t o t h e o r d e r o f p a r t i c u l a r e f f e c t s s p e c i f i c t o h u m a n i s t i c and p s y c h o l o g i c a l a s t r o l o g y j e t t i s o n any lin-
the individual through the impression of the heavens g e r i n g concern with c a u s a t i o n , w h i l e r e t a i n i n g i n t a c t the
m o u l d e d upon t h e s e e d a t t h e i n s t a n t o f c o n c e p t i o n , and t r a d i t i o n a l d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n . The i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e
secondarily at b i r t h . Rudyhar t r a n s l a t e s the universal concept i n a s t r o l o g y has however r e m a i n e d s h a l l o w , p a r t l y
harmony down t o t h e l e v e l o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l by a l l o w i n g i t b e c a u s e o f J u n g ' s own u n r e s o l v e d d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h s y n c h -
to ' d i c t a t e ' an ' a r c h e t y p a l s o l u t i o n ' , shown i n t h e a s t r o - ronicity, and his vacillation on the question of the
l o g i c a l code a t t h e i n s t a n t of b i r t h . I n both f o r m u l a t i o n s n a t u r e o f a s t r o l o g y . Few a s t r o l o g e r s who r e p e a t t h e p h r a s e
t h e p r o c e s s i s a m a t t e r of i n e v i t a b l e c o s m i c law, w o r k i n g q u o t e d a b o v e seem a w a r e t h a t t a k e n o u t o f c o n t e x t and
without exception at the o r i g i n of a l l i n d i v i d u a l organ- a p p l i e d to the t r a d i t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e i t m i s r e p r e s e n t s syn-
isms. Rudhyar thus adheres closely to the Ptolemaic chronicity, and substitutes for i t a predictable and
t r a d i t i o n i n i t s most f u n d a m e n t a l t e n e t s : t h e c o r e d e s c - apparently o b j e c t i v e 'synchronism' of the h e a v e n l y cycles
r i p t i o n o f t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n , and t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f and human e x p e r i e n c e . I t m a k e s no d i f f e r e n c e t o t h e m i s -
o r i g i n s to the r e a l m of the u n i v e r s a l . r e p r e s e n t a t i o n w h e t h e r human e x p e r i e n c e i s i n t e r p r e t e d f o r
the ' i n n e r ' r e a l m of t h e p s y c h e or t h e 'outer' r e a l m of
Although the Ptolemaic foundation has been l e f t un-
e v e n t s . L e f t i n t h i s form, t h e r e i s l i t t l e u s e f u l d i s t i n -
touched, h u m a n i s t i c a s t r o l o g y has t a k e n Rudhyar's l e a d i n
c t i o n between ' q u a l i t a t i v e time' and Ptolemy's ambient.
t r a n s f o r m i n g the whole s u p e r s t r u c t u r e of a s t r o l o g y , e s -
J u n g s t r u g g l e d on t h i s p o i n t , a n d i s by no means c o n s i s -
p e c i a l l y the i n t e r p r e t a t i v e p a r t of the d o c t r i n e of n a t i v -
t e n t , b u t he l a t e r r e j e c t e d t h i s p a r t i c u l a r e x p r e s s i o n a s
ities. The new 'person-centred a s t r o l o g y ' has r e a l i g n e d
inadequate.(7)
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n onto the s u b j e c t i v e , the e x p e r i e n t i a l and
t h e s p i r i t u a l , t a k i n g i t away f r o m t h e p r e d i c t i o n o f 'ex- P r o p e r l y developed, the concept of s y n c h r o n i c i t y would
t e r n a l ' e v e n t s . Through t h i s , h u m a n i s t i c a s t r o l o g y s l i p s imply a r a d i c a l r e d e s c r i p t i o n of the whole s t r u c t u r e of
p a s t t h e h o a r y o l d p r o b l e m s o f f a t e and f r e e - w i l l , s i n c e a s t r o l o g y , i n c l u d i n g t h e 'moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' . I t i s c a p -
t h e b l u e - p r i n t a t b i r t h shows a p o t e n t i a l f o r e x p e r i e n c e , a b l e of i l l u m i n a t i n g a path of e n q u i r y s i m i l a r to t h a t
but does not d e l i m i t t h e m a n i f e s t a t i o n of t h a t e x p e r i e n c e . a t t e m p t e d i n t h i s s t u d y . L i k e w i s e , I hope t h a t t h e d i s -

106 107
cussion of astrology undertaken here might ultimately
a s s i s t i n such a r e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of a s t r o l o g i c a l synch- "The major harmonic patterns, being relatively
r o n i c i t y . I t i s however beyond the scope of t h i s c u r r e n t slow-forming, determine the approximate time of
e s s a y t o do j u s t i c e t o t h e c o n c e p t , r e q u i r i n g a s i t d o e s birth; the higher frequency harmonics indicate
t h e c o n t e x t o f J u n g i a n t h o u g h t . I am h e r e c o n c e r n e d only p o s s i b l e a p p r o p r i a t e moments o f b i r t h o f s h o r t e r
w i t h what modern a s t r o l o g e r s h a v e made o f s y n c h r o n i c i t y , d u r a t i o n b u t w h i c h o c c u r more o f t e h . . . T h u s one
w h i c h , on t h e w h o l e , i s l i t t l e indeed. a f t e r another t h e wards of a complex combination
Since humanistic a s t r o l o g y i s not under p r e s s u r e to l o c k c a n e n g a g e , a s i t w e r e , t o y i e l d a moment o f
provide a l i t e r a l e x p l a n a t i o n f o r the a s t r o l o g i c a l e f f e c t , birth which corresponds symbolically with the
it i s f r e e to choose v a r i o u s m e t a p h o r s . I t does not have p a t t e r n o f l i f e t o be b o r n . " (8)
to convince us about the i m p r e s s i o n a b i l i t y of little
s e e d s , w h i c h i s a n e c e s s a r y s t e p f o r P t o l e m y . However, t h e The i m a g e o f s e e d s h a s h e r e d i s a p p e a r e d i n f a v o u r o f
ubiquitous 'hypothesis of seeds' lives on amongst the the unusual metaphor of l o c k i n g or u n l o c k i n g . Further,
favoured metaphors, q u i e t l y fulfilling i t s r o l e of jus- t h e r e i s now no d i s c o n t i n u i t y b e t w e e n t h e u n i v e r s a l and
t i f y i n g t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n . As a b r i e f b u t charac- the particular orders of the astrological effect
t e r i s t i c i l l u s t r a t i o n , i t i s worth n o t i n g i t s a s s o c i a t i o n i n s t e a d t h e r e i s a continuous spectrum of harmonic pat-
w i t h t h e p h i l o s o p h y o f c y c l i c t i m e , d e v e l o p e d i n 'The As- t e r n s f r o m low t o h i g h f r e q u e n c y . However, a s w i t h t h e
t r o l o g y of P e r s o n a l i t y ' . A p a r t i c u l a r l i f e , from f i r s t t o h u m a n i s t i c s c h o o l , an a l l - e m b r a c i n g u n i v e r s a l h a r m o n y i s
l a s t b r e a t h , i s one s u c h t e m p o r a l c y c l e . R u d h y a r d e s c r i b e s invoked, the ancient conception o f C o s m o s . By v i r t u e o f
t h e p o i n t s o f commencement o f c y c l e s a s " s e e d moments" this, the h e a v e n s a b o v e a n d man b e l o w move i n t o c o n -
( c h . I I l p l 2 3 ) . He g o e s on t o d e s c r i b e t h e d i v i s i o n s o f t h e cordance at the moment o f birth, answering some non-
cycle, and d e s c r i b e s the 'Beginning' i n the following m a t e r i a l a n d a b s o l u t e n e c e s s i t y . As w i t h t h e humanistic
terms: s c h o o l and many o t h e r m o d e r n e x p r e s s i o n s o f a s t r o l o g y ,
t h e i n v a r i a b l e v a l i d i t y o f t h e moment o f b i r t h h a s b e e n
"The b e g i n n i n g o f e v e r y c y c l e i s a One: a monad... ;
t r e a t e d a s o b v i o u s and u n p r o b l e m a t i c , which l e a v e s i n t a c t
i t i s the germinating seed, or t h a t p o i n t w i t h i n
t h e c o r e of the P t o l e m a i c t r a d i t i o n .
t h e s e e d whence a r i s e r o o t a n d s t e m . . . "
The success of the work of Michel and Francoise
'J. ch.III pl2S Gauquelin has r e v i v e d the f l a g g i n g s p i r i t of p o s i t i v i s m
i n t h e body o f a s t r o l o g y . The p o s s i b i l i t y o f a s t r i c t l y
More r e c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t s h a v e f u r t h e r e d d i s c u s s i o n on s c i e n t i f i c a s t r o l o g y b a s e d on s t a t i s t i c a l m e t h o d h a s b e e n
how a s t r o l o g y m i g h t work, w i t h o u t r e v e a l i n g a s a d i s t i n c t c o n c l u s i v e l y e s t a b l i s h e d . Up t o now t h e work h a s d e a l t
q u e s t i o n t h e moment o f t h a t s u p p o s e d w o r k i n g . J o h n A d d e y ' s entirely with moments of birth. In effect, the old
approach, expressed through the vehicle of Harmonics, t r a d i t i o n o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y h a s b e e n t a k e n up, and a
draws deeply on some o f t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l s o u r c e s w h i c h number o f i t s c l a i m s h a v e b e e n p u t t h r o u g h t h e statis-
have nurtured humanistic a s t r o l o g y . T h i s work has moved i n the t i c a l m i n c e r . A l t h o u g h n e a r l y e v e r y t h i n g we u s e d t o know
d i r e c t i o n of a u n i f i c a t i o n of a l l a s t r o l o g i c a l symbolism as a s t r o l o g y has d i s a p p e a r e d i n the p r o c e s s , the a c h i e v e -
and t e c h n i q u e i n terms of the rhythms, or h a r m o n i c s , of ment o f s i g n i f i c a n t r e s u l t s h a s l e d t h e G a u q u e l i n s t o t h e
cosmic c y c l e s . The p r o j e c t h a s h o p e s o f f o r m i n g a b r i d g e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e r e i s an e m p i r i c a l c o r e t o n a t a l a s t -
t o modern s c i e n c e , s i n c e t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y c a n r o l o g y . D i s g u i s e d under the r u b b i s h of c e n t u r i e s of e r r o r
be rendered i n t o a q u a n t i f i a b l e and more mathematically and s u p e r s t i t i o n r e s i d e s a p r e - s c i e n t i f i c p e r c e p t i o n of
p l e a s i n g f o r m t h a n t h e a r b i t r a r y and i n e x p l i c a b l e h o d g e - a c o r r e l a t i o n between t h e h e a v e n s a t b i r t h and t h e l a t e r
podge of p l a n e t s . S i g n s , a s p e c t s and h o u s e s . J o h n Addey c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the n a t i v e .
h a s a t t e m p t e d t o d e m o n s t r a t e some o f t h e c a p a b i l i t i e s o f W i t h i n t h e l i m i t e d t e r m s of t h e i r method, t h e y have
his method by reinterpreting the hard data of the established an astrological effect at the moment of
Gauquelins i n terms of harmonics. A more d i s t a n t goal birth. A major concern n e c e s s a r i l y b e c o m e s one of of-
b e c k o n s , t h e u n i t i n g p o i n t of a l l ways of knowledge i n t h e f e r i n g t o t h e i r f e l l o w s c i e n t i s t s a h y p o t h e s i s as to how
number harmony o f t h e U n i v e r s e . H a r m o n i c s a l l o w J o h n Addey
those correlations could occur. The explanation the
to give the following suggestion a s t o how the astro-
Gauquelins h a v e p r e f e r r e d i s an i n v e r s i o n o f t h e P t o l e -
l o g i c a l e f f e c t comes t o p a s s a t b i r t h :
maic h y p o t h e s i s . They s u g g e s t t h a t t h e unborn c h i l d may
' s e l e c t ' the a p p r o p r i a t e hour of b i r t h :

108
109
 "The c h i l d m i g h t h a v e a p r e d i s p o s i t o n t o come i n - t i t u d e t o t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y . From t h i s i t i s c l e a r
to the world under c e r t a i n cosmic conditions t h a t the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n r e f e r s only to the p a r t i c u l a r
which corresponded to his biological cons- or i n d i v i d u a l order of the astrological effect. This
*' t i t u t i o n " . (9) r e v i e w h a s n o t f u l l y c o v e r e d t h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e 'moment
of a s t r o l o g y ' i n the P t o l e m a i c t r a d i t i o n . For the sake of
The b i o l o g i c a l c o n s t i t u t i o n may be h e r e d i t a r y , h e n c e completeness, the u n i v e r s a l order of e f f e c t r e q u i r e s f u r -
ther brief consideration.
the importance Michel Gauquelin a t t a c h e s to demonstrating
Iplanetary h e r e d i t a r y ' , the c o r r e s p o n d e n c e between plan-
e t a r y p o s i t i o n s i n t h e h o r o s c o p e s o f p a r e n t s and c h i l d r e n . R e t u r n i n g t o P t o l e m y , i t i s s e e n t h a t he c o n c e i v e s of
G a u q u e l i n r e f e r s t o h i s h y p o t h e s i s as t h e 'theory of mid- a continuous process of c e l e s t i a l i n f l u e n c e , p l a y i n g a t
w i f e p l a n e t s ' ( 1 0 ) . The e x a c t m e c h a n i s m o f t h i s m i d w i f e r y all i n s t a n t s upon t e r r e s t r i a l a f f a i r s . The influence i s
is r e f e r r e d to as the ' t r i g g e r e f f e c t ' , as a planetary e s p e c i a l l y e f f e c t i v e a t a moment o f o r i g i n , w h i c h provides
p o s i t i o n i n the d i u r n a l c i r c l e might c o n t r i b u t e signif- the foundation for the individual effects manifested
i c a n t l y to the c o n d i t i o n s which t r i g g e r the foetus into through the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n . L a t e r a s t r o l o g y has never
being born. The effect appears to be obliterated by f o r g o t t e n i t s f o u n d i n g i n t h e i d e a o f a u n i v e r s a l and c o n -
methods of a r t i f i c i a l l y i n d u c i n g b i r t h . t i n u o u s r e l a t i o n s h i p o f m a c r o c o s m and m i c r o c o s m - h e a v e n s
a b o v e , e a r t h and man below. S e v e r a l a p p l i c a t i o n s of a s t -
I t i s reasonable to expect t h a t t h i s s c h o o l of a s t r o -
r o l o g y work d i r e c t l y f r o m a ' c o n t i n u o u s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e ' ,
l o g y w i l l e v e n t u a l l y be b o u n d t o g r a p p l e w i t h t h e question
w i t h o u t t h e m e d i a t i o n o f a moment o f o r i g i n , and i n t h i s
of p l a n e t a r y c o r r e l a t i o n s at the i n s t a n t of conception,
f o l l o w P t o l e m y ' s a p p r o a c h , a s d i s c u s s e d i n t h e s e c o n d book
although the m e t h o d o l o g i c a l problems are c o n s i d e r a b l e . I f
of the T e t r a b i b l o s .
and when t h i s s t e p i s t a k e n , t h e c u r r e n t form of s c i e n -
C o n t i n u o u s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e i m p l i e s a ' c o n t i n u o u s moment
t i f i c a s t r o l o g y w i l l have r e v e a l e d i t s e l f as i n d i s s o l u b l y
o f a s t r o l o g y ' . A p u r e i l l u s t r a t i o n o f t h i s c a n be f o u n d i n
a t t a c h e d to the P t o l e m a i c d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n .
a s t r o - m e t e o r o l o g y , which i n t e r p r e t s c u r r e n t change i n the
As i t i s , t h e t r a d i t i o n t h a t t h e G a u q u e l i n s h a v e t e s -
ambient d i r e c t l y for c u r r e n t weather conditons. Mundane
t e d has taken the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n f o r g r a n t e d . Since
a s t r o l o g y a l s o e m b o d i e s a ' c o n t i n u o u s moment' w i t h a p o t -
the Gauquelins have demonstrated c o r r e l a t i o n s c o n s i s t e n t
e n t i a l l y continuous i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ; examples are the broad
w i t h t h i s d o c t r i n e , t h e y h a v e no r e a s o n t o q u e s t i o n i t ;
c u l t u r a l e f f e c t s o f t h e p l a n e t a r y c y c l e s , and o f t h e p r e -
the problem of t h e mechanism of t h e e f f e c t becomes t h e
c e s s i o n a l a g e s . S u c h i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s do n o t r e q u i r e the
critical focus of theory and speculation. I t therefore
horoscope of o r i g i n as the fulcrum of method, although
s e e m s most u n l i k e l y t h a t t h e r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m m e s w h i c h a r e
mundane work d o e s a l s o e x t e n d t o t h e s t u d y o f h o r o s c o p e s
now d e v e l o p i n g a l o n g t h e s e l i n e s w i l l h a v e c a u s e t o r e v e a l
o f n a t i o n s and o f l e a d e r s - P t o l e m y t e l l s u s t o consider
the separate i d e n t i t y of the q u e s t i o n o f t h e moment o f
the f o u n d i n g h o r o s c o p e of a c i t y ( I I . 5 p l 6 3 ) .
astrology.
I t s h o u l d be c l e a r f r o m a l l t h a t h a s b e e n s a i d t h a t
What i s t h e l i k e l y e f f e c t o f t h i s s u b s i d i a r y d e v e l o p -
t h e i d e a of c o n t i n u o u s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e i s not a s u f f i c i e n t
ment o f ' s c i e n t i f i c a s t r o l o g y ' u p o n t h e m a i n body o f a s t -
explanatory basis for 'transits'. Although this method
r o l o g i c a l p r a c t i c e ? T h e r e may be a c o r r o s i o n o f horoscopic
a l l o w s the t h e o r e t i c a l p o s s i b i l i t y of a c o n t i n u o u s i n t e r -
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , s i n c e t h e r e i s l i t t l e hope o f u s i n g t h i s
p r e t a t i o n o f t h e a c t u a l s t a t e o f t h e h e a v e n s a t any t i m e ,
r e s e a r c h t o j u s t i f y and r a t i o n a l i s e more t h a n a f r a g m e n t
t h a t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s r e f e r r e d b a c k t o , and g r o u n d e d i n ,
of t r a d i t i o n a l methods. I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t G a u q u e l i n
a p a r t i c u l a r horoscope - u s u a l l y a horoscope of o r i g i n .
s p e c i f i c a l l y a t t a c k s h o r o s c o p y ( 1 1 ) . However, t h e general
Transits as o r d i n a r i l y employed are therefore an exp-
a t t i t u d e o f t h e m a i n body o f a s t r o l o g e r s , e v e n t h o s e who
r e s s i o n of the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n . ,
ordinarily reject scientific method a s irrelevant to
a s t r o l o g y , i s a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y g o i n g t o be s t r e n g t h e n e d in I t t a k e s e f f o r t o f t h o u g h t and i m a g i n a t i o n b e f o r e the
i t s c o m p l e t e a c c e p t a n c e of the d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n , b e c a u s e full power o f Ptolemy's conceptual structure i s recog-
Gauquelin's r e s u l t s are e a s i l y i n t e r p r e t e d as a s c i e n t i f i c n i s e d . The two d o c t r i n e s , o f o r i g i n and c o n t i n u o u s moment,
d e m o n s t r a t i o n of i t s v a l i d i t y . They cement t h e o l d doc- together with the explanatory hypothesis, f o r m an ex-
t r i n e e v e n more f i r m l y i n t o p l a c e . , q u i s i t e l y i n t e g r a t e d m o d e l , s i n c e t h e moment o f o r i g i n i s
a special i n s t a n t drawn out of a c o n t i n u o u s s e r i e s of
Several current r e p r e s e n t a t i v e forms i n the Western potentially significant moments. The integrity of this
t r a d i t i o n h a v e now been r e v i e w e d to determine t h e i r a t - s t r u c t u r e c a n be d i s c e r n e d i n t h e d u r a b i l i t y o f i t s p r i n -

110 111
c i p a l c o m p o n e n t s , and i n t h e f a c t t h a t a s t r o l o g e r s o f a l l
p h i l o s o p h i c a l c o m p l e x i o n s u s e i t n a t u r a l l y and e a s i l y t o
j u s t i f y natal astrology. This structure i s in turn integ-
r a l w i t h P t o l e m y ' s p e r f e c t i o n of a cosmology d e r i v e d from
E u d o x u s and A r i s t o t l e , w h i c h c l o t h e d t h e h e a v e n s f o r f o u r -
t e e n c e n t u r i e s . Through t h i s , a s t r o l o g y was indivisible
f r o m what we now know a s a s t r o n o m y , and was a s s u r e d an
abode i n t h e scheme of r a t i o n a l k n o w l e d g e .
The r a t i o n a l f o r m u l a t i o n o f h o r o s c o p y a c h i e v e d by t h e
G r e e k a s t r o l o g e r s r e a c h e s i t s summit t h r o u g h P t o l e m y . I t
p r o v i d e s t h e deep form f o r our e x p e r i e n c e of n a t a l a s t r o l -
ogy. I t g o e s s o d e e p t h a t i t i s a c q u i r e d by e a c h succeed-
ing generation a s a h a b i t , h a r d l y w o r t h a moment's r e -
flection. The modern s c h o o l s t h a t i m a g i n e t h e m s e l v e s so
far from t h e old a s t r o l o g e r s are perched on Ptolemy's
broad shoulders.
Through the whole range of l a t e r horoscopy, develop-
ment h a s b e e n l i m i t e d t o r e - e x p r e s s i o n o f s y m b o l i s m , and
the changing fashions of interpretation. What little
p h i l o s o p h i c a l e n q u i r y t h e r e has been has t i n k e r e d w i t h t h e
l e s s e r p a r t of the 'Ptolemaic s t r u c t u r e ' , t h e e x p l a n a t o r y
hypothesis. I t has not f u r t h e r revealed the fundamental
d e s c r i p t i o n , t h e w h a t o f t h e phenomena w h i c h t h i s h y p o -
t h e s i s s e e k s t o e x p l a i n . We w i l l now t u r n t o q u e s t i o n t h e
adequacy of t h e c e n t r a l column of t h e P t o l e m a i c s t r u c t u r e :
i t s d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y .

Notes;

1. Ptolemy " T e t r a h i h l o s " F . E . R n b b l n s t r a n s l a t i o n , i n t h e Loeb C l a s s i c a l L i b r a r y no. 435 ( H a r v a r d

U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , & Heinemann 1 9 8 0 ) . R o b b i n s ' t r a n s l a t i o n h a s been f o l l o w e d t h r o u g h o u t .

2. Aslimand t r a n s l a t e s t h i s pas.sage a s f o l l o w s ; ' I n r e g a r d t o g e n e r a l e v e n t s , t h e d a t e s o f o r i g i n

and crnntnencement a r e many and v a r i o u s ; f o r a l l g e n e r a l e v e n t s c a n n o t be t r a c e d t o one o r i g i n . . '
p 7 l of t h e .I.Ashmand t r a n s l a t i o n , new e f l i t i o n p u b l i s h e d by W.Foulsham date?
3. N i c h o l a s de Vore "F.ncyclopedia o f A s t r o l o g y " . F i r s t p u b l i s h e d by t h e P h i l o s o p h i c a l L i b r a r y , New
York IQ47.
4. Dane Rudhyar "The A s t r o l o g y o f P e r s o n a l i t y " . Page n o s . from t h e f i r s t edition, Lucis Publishing
Co. New York 1936.

5. Dane Rudltyar "From Hivnanist.ic t o T r a n s p e r s o n a l A s t r o l o g y " . The Seed Center, P a l o A l t o , Ca. 1975

6. C a r l J u n g ' I n Memory of R i c h a r d W i l h e l m ' memorial a d d r e s s May l O t h 1930, Munich. G i v e n a s an

a p p e n d i x t o "The S e c r e t o f t h e G o l d e n F l o w e r " t r a n s . R.Wilhelm, F o r e w o r d & conmentary by Jung.
R e v i s e d edn. p u b l i s h e d R o u t l e d g e A Kegan P a u l 1962; p l 4 2 . The a d d r e s s i s a l s o i n J u n g ' s " C o l l -
e c t e d Works" - V o l . 15. I b i s m a t e r i a l i s e x t e n s i v e l y quoted i n c h a p t e r I I o f R u d h y a r ' s 'The
Astrology of P e r s o n a l i t y ' .

7. C a r l Jung ' L e t t e r t« Andr^ B a r b a u l t ' May 26 1954. See " L e t t e r s V o l 2 1951-61" p u b l . R o u t l e d g e

& Kegan Paul London 1976. H i e F r e n c h a s t r o l o g e r had s e n t J u n g a l i s t o f q u e s t i o n s on a s t r o l o g y ,
i n , 4 t i c h he m e n t i o n s ' q u a l i t a t i v e t i m e * .
8. John Addey "Harmonics i n A s t r o l o g y " L.N.Fowler « Co. 1976. .See p 2 3 4 .

9. Michel Gauquelin "Astrology and Science" Mayflower e d i t i o n 1972 pl56.

10. Michel Gauquelin "The Truth About Astrology" Basil B l a c k w e l l , Oxford 1983. See ch.8, pl46.
11. t^uquelin ibid, particularly chapter 7 ('The Horoscope F a l l s Down').

* » * * » -1

112
 THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY Part I I According t o t r a d i t i o n a l methods f o r the judgment o f
t h e f t , t h e t h i e f may be s h o w n by a p e r e g r i n e p l a n e t i n an
Geoffrey Cornelius angle, e s p e c i a l l y the Descendant. L i l l y f i n d s J u p i t e r i n
S c o r p i o on t h e D e s c e n d a n t ; J u p i t e r i s p e r e g r i n e - t h a t i s ,
The Question Raised by Horary Astrology h a v i n g no d i g n i t y by I t s z o d i a c a l p l a c i n g . I t s d i s p o s i t o r
Mars, Lord o f the V l l t h , i s i n S c o r p i o i n the V l l t h , thus
Lilly f i n d s t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e t h i e f , " o f Mars and
Many p a r t s a n d p r a c t i c e s o f a s t r o l o g y a r e 1 1 1 a t e a s e Jupiter h i s n a t u r e " . The preponderance of Water Signs,
In the Ptolemaic f r a m e w o r k , y e t do n o t c o n t r a s t w i t h i t t o g e t h e r w i t h c o m m o n - s e n s e , i n f o r m s L i l l y t h a t h i s man has
sufficiently t o be recognisably distinct. However, one c l o s e a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h w a t e r . By a n e x q u i s i t e m o v e m e n t o f
m a j o r d i m e n s i o n o f h o r o s c o p y m a n i f e s t l y h a s no p l a c e i n s y m b o l i s m , he sees t h a t Mars, a b o u t t o change S i g n to
t h e scheme. T h i s i s t h e t r a d i t i o n o f H o r a r y A s t r o l o g y , t h e Sagittarius, shows h i m one about t o move h o u s e . Lilly
art o f j u d g m e n t o f a h o r o s c o p e f o r t h e moment a q u e s t i o n makes some l o c a l i n q u i r i e s , a n d " s u c h a one I d i s c o v e r e d " ,
Is p o s e d t o o r b y a n a s t r o l o g e r . The c o n t r a s t between f i t t i n g t h e d e s c r i p t i o n g i v e n : "much s u s p e c t e d o f t h i e v e r y
... a F i s h e r m a n , o f g o o d s t a t u r e , t h i c k a n d full-bodied,
H o r a r y and the usual d e s c r i p t i o n of n a t a l a s t r o l o g y w i l l
f a i r e of complexion, a red or y e l l o w i s h h a i r e " . Further,
a l l o w a more e x a c t u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e l i m i t a t i o n s o f t h e
L i l l y c a n d e s c r i b e f r o m t h e map the c o n d i t i o n of the f i s h
Ptolemaic a t t i t u d e , since horary places i n c r i t i c a l focus
i n a m o i s t p l a c e o r l o w r o o m . He a l s o s e e s t h a t he will
t h e w h o l e p r o b l e m o f t h e 'moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' .
c e r t a i n l y g a i n news o f t h e f i s h : Moon a p p l i e s s e x t i l e t o
I n F e b r u a r y o f 1638, William L i l l y cast a horary map Mercury Lord of the I l n d - h i s goods - i n P i s c e s , the
for t h e moment o f h e a r i n g o f h i s ' F i s h S t o l e n ' : " I t o o k Fishes. The likelihood that L i l l y will obtain at least
t h e e x a c t t i m e when I f i r s t h e a r d t h e r e p o r t , and e r e c t e d some news o f h i s f i s h I s o b v i o u s from t h i s symbolism to
the f i g u r e a c c o r d i n g l y , endeavouring to give myself satis- astrologers with only the briefest acquaintance with
f a c t i o n w h a t became o f my g o o d s , a n d , i f p o s s i b l e , t o r e - h o r a r y m e t h o d . On the s t r e n g t h of t h i s symbolism Lilly
cover p a r t o r a l l o f them" ( 1 2 ) . procured a W a r r a n t f r o m a J u s t i c e o f t h e P e a c e . On the
S u n d a y o f t h e f o l l o w i n g w e e k , a c c o m p a n i e d by a c o n s t a b l e
a n d a b a r g e - m a n , he w e n t s t r a i g h t t o t h e c u l p r i t a n d the
f i s h : " p a r t e a t e n , p a r t n o t consumed, a l l c o n f e s s e d " .
Lilly's judgment c a r r i e s t h e mark o f h i s m a s t e r y , y e t
the circumstances a r e n o t more r e m a r k a b l e t h a n c o u n t l e s s
similar experiences recorded by horary a s t r o l o g e r s . To
a r r i v e a t such a judgment r e q u i r e s o n l y the horoscope of
t h e moment o f t h e q u e s t i o n , w i t h o u t r e f e r e n c e t o a n a t i v -
i t y . Where a n a t u s , o r any o t h e r h o r o s c o p e o f o r i g i n , i s
occasionally brought into consideration, i t s role is
commonly l i m i t e d t o p r o v i d i n g s e c o n d a r y t e s t i m o n y t o t h e
i n d i c a t i o n s of the horary map.
I f h o r a r y i s n o t a m e t h o d a p p l i e d t o some o t h e r moment
of origin, i t i s reasonable t o ask w h e t h e r t h e horary
moment i s i n I t s e l f s u c h a n o r i g i n . By some a u t h o r s the
h o r a r y moment i s s p o k e n o f as t h e ' b i r t h ' o f a n i d e a , o r
of a q u e s t i o n . I v y Goldstein-Jacobson f o l l o w s the maternal
instinct through from natal practice to provide this
description:
"Sometimes a p r o b l e m i s m u l l e d o v e r f o r weeks & needs ,
time to develop, l i k e a g e s t a t i o n - p e r i o d , before the
planetary p o s i t i o n s are in line t o answer: circum-
stances will u n e r r i n g l y take care of that, & the
q u e s t i o n w i l l be b o r n a t t h e r i g h t t i m e f o r i t t o be
g i v e n i t s answer."
- ' S i m p l i f i e d Horary A s t r o l o g y ' (13)
This metaphor dissolves the sharp distinction between
h o r a r y and t h e conventional d e s c r i p t i o n of natal astrology.

141
I n t h i s way h o r a r y m i g h t seem t o t a k e o n a l i t t l e o f t h e w o r l d , t o h o l d t h e s e moment by moment i n p e r f e c t c o n c o r d -
plausibility so carefully e s t a b l i s h e d i n the Ptolemaic a n c e w i t h t h e c e l e s t i a l p a t t e r n . The c o n c o r d a n c e i s F a t e ,
t r a d i t i o n on t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e ' h y p o t h e s i s o f s e e d s ' . a m a t t e r o f i n e v i t a b l e n e c e s s i t y : ' i t c o u l d n o t have been
However, t h e metaphor o f the ' b i r t h o f a q u e s t i o n ' i s other than t h i s ' . I n the l a s t a n a l y s i s , n o t h i n g of any
o p e n t o d o u b t , s i n c e i t may o b s c u r e t h e d i s t i n c t i v e n a t u r e human s i g n i f i c a n c e i s s e e n as a m a t t e r o f c o n t i n g e n c y or
of h o r a r y . I t i s c e r t a i n l y t r u e t h a t t h e moment a n i d e a mere ' c h a n c e ' , s i n c e a p r e - o r d a i n e d u n i v e r s a l p a t t e r n o r
d i v i n e Providence i s c e a s e l e s s l y at work.
p o p s i n t o m i n d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e may w e l l y i e l d a p o t e n t
map - b u t t h i s i s o n l y one o f h o r a r y ' s p o s s i b i l i t i e s . A I t t a k e s o n l y a l i t t l e r e f l e c t i o n on t h e phenomenon t o
question w i l l f r e q u e n t l y arise i n f u l l s i g n i f i c a n c e long d i s p e l t h e h a z y n o t i o n o f ' c o n t i n u o u s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e ' as
b e f o r e i t i s f o r m a l l y p o s e d t o an a s t r o l o g e r . F u r t h e r , t h e the basis of horary. Continuous correspondence w i t h the
h o r a r y moment m o s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y o c c u r s i n t h e m i d d l e r e a l m o f p a r t i c u l a r s may i n d e e d h a v e i t s t r u e p l a c e as a
o f t h e a c t i o n t o w h i c h i t r e f e r s , and n o t a t t h e b e g i n n i n g m y s t i c a l i n t u i t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y . However, t o s t a t e a v e r y
of t h a t a c t i o n . I n the case o f L i l l y ' s m i s s i n g f i s h , the obvious p o i n t , t h e r e has n e v e r y e t d e v e l o p e d a c r a f t of
h o r o s c o p y c a p a b l e o f d e m o n s t r a t i n g i n r a t i o n a l a n d commun-
h o r a r y c a n n o t be c o n s i d e r e d a s i g n i f i c a n t o r i g i n o f t h e
i c a b l e m e t h o d s , t h a t t h e movement o f t h e h e a v e n s c o n t i n -
a f f a i r : t h a t s t a t u s s h o u l d be r e s e r v e d f o r t h e i n s t a n t o f
u o u s l y matches p o i n t f o r p o i n t the myriad d i v e r s e c i r c u m -
t h e t h e f t , and n o t t h e i n s t a n t o f i t s r e p o r t a g e .
stances below, at the l e v e l of d e t a i l found i n the usual
I t may be c o n s i d e r e d f r u i t f u l to envisage the horary
h o r a r y . T h e r e w o u l d a p p e a r t o be s o m e t h i n g s p e c i a l a b o u t
moment as an a s t r o l o g i c a l o r i g i n , i n the sense t h a t i t
the horary moment w h i c h e n a b l e s a n interpretation for
usually o r i g i n a t e s the a s t r o l o g e r ' s involvement i n the p a r t i c u l a r s , j u s t as f o r t h e P t o l e m a i c t r a d i t i o n there i s
affair. T h u s t h e o u t c o m e o f a m a t t e r may be decisively something s p e c i a l about t h e moments o f c o n c e p t i o n and
i n f l u e n c e d by t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l j u d g m e n t , as i n t h e m a t t e r birth.
of Lilly's a s t u t e d e t e c t i v e work. However, q u i t e a p a r t
f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t h o r a r y a s t r o l o g e r s h a v e n o t t o my k n o w - The horary moment stretches to breaking point the
l e d g e made e x p l i c i t t h i s v i e w o f h o r a r y ' o r i g i n s ' , i t i s reasonable a t t e m p t t o ' e x p l a i n ' h o r o s c o p y a d o p t e d by t h e
c l e a r that a d e s c r i p t i o n i n v o l v i n g the p a r t i c i p a t i o n of Ptolemaic t r a d i t i o n . I t was e a r l i e r suggested t h a t there
the a s t r o l o g e r would step right outside the Ptolemaic i s a l o g i c a l h i a t u s i n t h e way P t o l e m y c a r r i e s o v e r t o t h e
frame. This p a r t i c i p a t i o n i s Indeed a definitive feature moment o f b i r t h t h e same way o f t a l k i n g a b o u t I n f l u e n c e s
that seems so plausible f o r conception. This I s but a
o f h o r a r y , as w i l l be made c l e a r f u r t h e r o n . H o w e v e r , t h e
s m a l l m a t t e r c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e chasm o f b e l i e f t h a t opens
common d e s c r i p t i o n o f a s t r o l o g i c a l o r i g i n s treats these
when t h e l i t e r a l t a l k a p p r o p r i a t e t o t h e ' h y p o t h e s i s of
as o c c u r r i n g as a fact of n a t u r e . Independent of the
seeds' I s s t r e t c h e d t o cover t h e h o r a r y m o m e n t . How can
a s t r o l o g e r . From P t o l e m y ' s p o i n t o f v i e w , the c h a r a c t e r
t h e p a r t i c u l a r d e t a i l t o w h i c h h o r a r y r e f e r s be so e x a c t l y
determined at t h e moment o f b i r t h i s not dependent on
determined by t h e h e a v e n s , s i m p l y i n a t r a n s i e n t horary
w h e t h e r o r n o t an a s t r o l o g e r c a s t s t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e . moment? T h i s w o u l d no l o n g e r be a c e l e s t i a l p a t t e r n i n g o f
T h u s i t i s t o be c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e h o r a r y moment i s n o t the seed, or 'seed-moment', which may determine or
r e d u c i b l e t o a s t r o l o g i c a l o r i g i n s as t h e s e a r e c o n v e n t i o n - signify lines o f d e v e l o p m e n t o f an entity. The horary
ally understood within P t o l e m y ' s scheme. S i n c e i n t h i s a s t r o l o g e r works w i t h a d e t a i l e d c e l e s t i a l correspondence
scheme t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n i s t h e l o g i c a l foundation w i t h the p a r t i c u l a r forms of f u l l y - d e v e l o p e d e n t i t i e s , at
for horoscopy, t h i s gives the e s s e n t i a l i n s i g h t i n t o the t h e i n s t a n t o f a s k i n g a q u e s t i o n . The m e c h a n i s m I m p l i e d
problematic status of horary a s t r o l o g y . in the hypothesis o f seeds, however a r t f u l l y described,
Horary ignores the limit e s t a b l i s h e d by Ptolemy as becomes i n c o n c e i v a b l e a n d absurd.
inherent i n the structure of a s t r o l o g y . I t works w i t h
moments t h a t a r e n o t o r i g i n s i n any o r d i n a r y s e n s e o f t h e The fact that there e x i s t s another class of a s t r o l o g -
word, y e t i t I n t e r p r e t s the heavens i n a p o t n t - f o r - p o i n t i c a l 'moment', n o t i t s e l f o b v i o u s l y r e d u c i b l e t o o r i g i n s ,
correspondence w i t h exact and particular details of a yet capable of i n t e r p r e t a t i o n f o r p a r t i c u l a r s , throws the
transitory situation. Does this imply a 'continuous Ptolemaic model I n t o d i s a r r a y . At t h e l e a s t , t h a t model
Is dethroned f r o m s u p r e m a c y as a c o m p l e t e d e s c r i p t i o n o f
moment' o f a s t r o l o g y c a p a b l e o f c o n t i n u o u s interpretation
astrological reality. Beyond t h i s lies the possibility
i n t h e r e a l m o f t h e p a r t i c u l a r , and n o t s i m p l y l i m i t e d t o
t h a t i n s e e k i n g a d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e moment o f h o r a r y , a
t h e r e a l m o f u n l v e r s a l s a f t e r t h e manner o f Ptolemy? At
more f u n d a m e n t a l t r e a t m e n t o f a l l o f h o r o s c o p y , i n c l u d i n g
f i r s t g l a n c e , h o r a r y may seem t o d e p e n d o n s u c h a n I d e a .
n a t i v i t i e s , w i l l be r e q u i r e d .
When I v y G o l d s t e i n - J a c o b s o n says " c i r c u m s t a n c e s will un-
erringly take care o f " the exact alignment of planetary For t h e s e reasons i t I s n o t s u r p r i s i n g t h a t throughout
p o s i t i o n s r e q u i r e d t o a l l o w an a n s w e r a t t h e moment o f a our tradition horary has encountered resistance from
h o r a r y , the idea i s suggested of a grand design p e n e t r a t - e x p o n e n t s o f t h e P t o l e m a i c a t t i t u d e . Ptolemy h i m s e l f does
not allow horary, or anything l i k e i t , i n t o the 'Tetra-
i n g t h e t i n i e s t d e t a i l s o f human b e h a v i o u r a n d t h e n a t u r a l

142 143
b i b l o s ' . S i n c e he d o e s n o t m e n t i o n i t b y name, h i s r e j e c t - When t h e P t o l e m a i c attitude I s most c l e a r l y adopted,
i o n h a s t o be d e d u c e d f r o m a s t u d y o f h i s m o d e l o f a s t r o - then t h e r e p r e s s i o n o f horary f o l l o w s , n o t from exper-
l o g y . The s i t u a t i o n i s c o m p l i c a t e d b y t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h e i e n c e , b u t as a m a t t e r o f l o g i c a l n e c e s s i t y . T h i s d o e s n o t
'Centiloquy', commonly appended t o h i s work. Horary appear t o r e l a t e t o t h e s k i l l o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r : an a r r a y
a p h o r i s m s a r e i n c l u d e d amongst o t h e r d i v e r s e m a t e r i a l . The of talents c a n be f o u n d t o accompany P l a c i d u s . I tis
w o r k as a w h o l e i s I n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e T e t r a b i b l o s , a n d s u f f i c i e n t t o c i t e t h e r e j e c t i o n by m a s t e r s o f t h e c a l i b r e
i s now g e n e r a l l y a c c e p t e d a s h a v i n g u n k n o w n a u t h o r s h i p . o f A l - B l r u n i , commonly a c k n o w l e d g e d as t h e most o u t s t a n d -
i n g o f t h e A r a b a s t r o l o g e r s , a n d M o r l n de V i l l e f r a n c h e ,
There i s an i n t r i g u i n g passage i n t h e T e t r a b i b l o s i n
L i l l y ' s i l l u s t r i o u s contemporary (15).
w h i c h Ptolemy rounds on t h e m a j o r i t y o f h i s contempor-
aries calling t h e m s e l v e s a s t r o l o g e r s . They a r e c e n s u r e d I t i s b u t a s h o r t s t e p from t h e d e s i g n a t i o n o f what i s
f o r adopting d i v i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e s which cannot p r o p e r l y 'natural' to the imputation that success i n h o r a r y i s
t a k e t h e name o f ' a s t r o l o g y ' : a t t r i b u t a b l e t o s u p e r n a t u r a l agency, p r o b a b l y beyond t h e
lawful bounds of Islam or C h r i s t i a n i t y . So Al-Blrunl,
c a t e g o r i s i n g t h e d i v i s i o n s o f a s t r o l o g y , f i n d s t h a t beyond
" ..Most, f o r t h e sake o f g a i n , c l a i m c r e d e n c e f o r
those which a r e acceptable - which i n c l u d e t h e study o f
a n o t h e r a r t i n t h e name o f t h i s ( a s t r o l o g y ) , a n d d e -
particular 'beginnings or origins' - lies one further
c e i v e t h e v u l g a r , because t h e y a r e r e p u t e d t o f o r e t e l l
possibility:
many t h i n g s , e v e n t h o s e t h a t c a n n o t n a t u r a l l y be k n o w n
beforehand." _ pi3f
" Beyond t h e s e t h e r e i s a f i f t h d i v i s i o n where such
P t o l e m y a d d s t h a t t h e e f f e c t o f t h i s d e c e p t i o n i s t o make o r i g i n s a r e e n t i r e l y unknown. Here a s t r o l o g y t h r e a t e n s
t h o u g h t f u l o b s e r v e r s r e j e c t even " t h e n a t u r a l s u b j e c t s o f to transgress i t sproper l i m i t s , where problems a r e
prophecy". I t i s probable t h a t h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y was t h e s u b m i t t e d w h i c h i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o s o l v e f o r t h e most
m a j o r h o r o s c o p i c p r a c t i c e o f t h e d a y t o o f f e n d P t o l e m y as p a r t , and where t h e m a t t e r l e a v e s t h e s o l i d b a s i s o f
unnatural. u n i v e r s a l s f o r o n e o f p a r t i c u l a r s . When t h i s b o u n d a r y
The i n s i s t e n c e upon what i s ' n a t u r a l l y ' p o s s i b l e i s i s p a s s e d , where t h e a s t r o l o g e r i s on one s i d e and t h e
crucial, and r e c u r s throughout the tradition. From t h e s o r c e r e r o n t h e o t h e r , y o u e n t e r a f i e l d o f omens a n d
17th Century, Placidus, one o f P t o l e m y ' s most loyal divinations w h i c h has n o t h i n g t o do w i t h a s t r o l o g y
a d v o c a t e s , makes c l e a r t h e l o g i c a l g r o u n d o n w h i c h h i s although t h e s t a r s may be r e f e r r e d t o i n c o n n e c t i o n
r e j e c t i o n of horary 'interrogations' resides: w i t h them. " {16)

" The s t a r s c a n n o t be t h e s i g n s o f e f f e c t s , unless I t i s a task o f t h i s study t o disagree w i t h t h i s remark-

they are also t h e causes; wherefore interrogations,
i n t h e m a n n e r o f t h e a n c i e n t s , h a v e no p l a c e i n n a t u r e . "
(14)
For t h e P t o l e m a i c a s t r o l o g e r s p e c i f i c s i g n i f i c a t i o n s , such
as t h o s e g i v e n b y L i l l y t o J u p i t e r i n h i s ' F i s h S t o l e n ' ,
c o u l d be a t t r i b u t e d o n l y t o a p l a n e t a c t i n g a t t h e t i m e
o f t h e h o r a r y by t r a n s i t upon an a p p r o p r i a t e 'promissor'
i n the natus. This p o s s i b i l i t y i s taken t o include a c t i o n
u p o n some d i r e c t e d o r p r o g r e s s e d p o s i t i o n produced w i t h i n
the natus. Unless t h e mediation o f a horoscope o f o r i g i n
can be s h o w n , t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f J u p i t e r ' s m o m e n t a r y
e f f e c t i s v a l i d o n l y a t t h e u n i v e r s a l l e v e l , and n o t a t
t h e l e v e l o f t h e p a r t i c u l a r . I n p r a c t i c e , i f we w e r e t o
limit the v a l i d i t y of horary t o u n l v e r s a l s , we could
i n t e r p r e t o n l y " e m i n e n t e f f e c t s i n w h i c h t h e s t a r s move
the approximate cause o f n a t u r a l e f f e c t s " . P l a c i d u s c i t e s
t h e e x a m p l e o f t h e u n i v e r s a l n a t u r a l e f f e c t p r o d u c e d by
t h e Sun, w h i c h i n d i s c r i m i n a t e l y " m e l t s wax, d r i e s up t h e
mud, w h i t e n s i t , b l a c k e n s t h e human s k i n " . B u t i n n o s u c h
way can J u p i t e r , c o l n c i d e n t a l l y s e t t i n g a t t h e hour o f
L i l l y ' s q u e s t i o n , a p p r o x i m a t e l y cause t h e p h y s i c a l appear-
ance and m o r a l n a t u r e o f a f i s h e r m a n i n W a l t o n .
a b l e s c h o l a r , by t u r n i n g h i s c a t e g o r i s a t i o n on i t s head.
I t w i l l be s u g g e s t e d t h a t a s t r o l o g y , i n a l l i t s p a r t s , h a s
e v e r y t h i n g t o d o w i t h 'a f i e l d o f omens a n d d i v i n a t i o n s ' .
E c h o e s o f A l - B l r u n i ' s a s s e r t i o n w i l l be f o u n d a t a l l
e p o c h s . A p a l l i d m o d e r n r e f l e c t i o n o n t h e same t h e m e w o u l d
p u t s u c c e s s i n h o r a r y down t o p s y c h i c g i f t s o r i n t u i t i o n ,
as i f rational Interpretation following t h e canons o f
h o r a r y method has n o t h i n g t o do w i t h i t . The r e p r e s s i o n
of horary b y a s t r o l o g e r s w i t h some c l a i m t o a u t h o r i t y
c o n t i n u e s i n t o t h e p r e s e n t . J e f f Mayo d o e s n o t r e q u i r e t h e
precision of Placidus or the breadth of l e a r n i n g of A l -
Biruni to rally t h e modern a s s a u l t - s i m p l e g u s t o will
suffice:
" I n my o p i n i o n t h i s i s n o t a s t r o l o g y . E a c h moment i n
t i m e may p o s s e s s a d i s t i n c t q u a l i t y a n d be t h e l i n k
between p a s t and p r e s e n t , b u t t h i s i s sheer nonsense..
H o r a r y a s t r o l o g y makes a m o c k e r y o f a s e r i o u s s u b j e c t . "
M o d e r n a s t r o l o g e r s o f a l l s c h o o l s who a r e e x p o n e n t s o f
the Ptolemaic a t t i t u d e - whether o r n o t they r e a l i s e t h i s
- r a r e l y d e c i d e a g a i n s t h o r a r y i n such an uncompromising

144 145
manner. However, i t i s n o t d i f f i c u l t t o d i s c e r n t h e i r d i s - s p a t i a l - t e m p o r a l l o c a t i o n . Further, the a s t r o l o g e r i s free
comfort i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f h o r a r y . I t c a n n o t be 'taken t o s e t t h i s c o n v e n t i o n a s i d e : i f t h e map so p r o d u c e d d o e s
s e r i o u s l y ' , i t h a s no r e a l g r o u n d , no r a t i o n a l justific- not appear v a l i d i n i t s symbolism, then the a s t r o l o g e r i s
a t i o n . H o r a r y a p p e a r s a r b i t r a r y , s u b j e c t i v e , and lacking at liberty t o t a k e t h e c u s p s f o r h i s own location. The
clear boundaries. Further, few horary astrologers are test i s what 'makes s e n s e ' , n o t a c r i t e r i o n d r a w n f r o m
likely to o f f e r any intellectually s a t i s f a c t o r y way of g e o g r a p h y . Above a l l , what i s d e m o n s t r a t e d here i s t h a t
describing their practice - the c u r r e n t philosophy of the h o r a r y depends f o r i t s f i n a l f o r m on t h e a s t r o l o g e r .
a s t r o l o g y does n o t p r o v i d e even t h e r u d i m e n t s o f such a T h i s i s a f e a t u r e o f c r u c i a l i m p o r t a n c e . The w h a t o f
description. Horary has t o be l e f t a matter of faith, the h o r a r y moment i s n o t s i m p l y t h e p o s i n g o f a s i g n i f i c -
e x p e r i e n c e , a n d c u n n i n g . The h o r a r y a s t r o l o g e r t h u s f i n d s ant q u e s t i o n . I t i s the posing of a s i g n i f i c a n t q u e s t i o n
himself i n a d i f f e r e n t position to his colleagues i n natal t o a n a s t r o l o g e r . T h i s c a n be c o n c l u d e d from the example
a s t r o l o g y , who imagine t h e y have a t l e a s t t h e beginnings a l r e a d y d i s c u s s e d , o f t h e i n q u i r y f r o m A u s t r a l i a . But i t
of a r e a s o n a b l e e x p l a n a t i o n b e h i n d them - such i s t h e g i f t i s more f u n d a m e n t a l l y r e v e a l e d i n t h e n a t u r e o f horary
of P t o l e m y . I t i s o d d l y f i t t i n g t h a t h o r a r y commonly p l a y s method i t s e l f , which d i r e c t l y I n d i c a t e s the Involvement
o u t a p e r v e r s e r e c i p r o c a t i o n o f d o u b t s t h a t emanate f r o m of t h e a s t r o l o g e r g i v i n g j u d g m e n t on t h e q u e s t i o n . T h i s
the P t o l e m a i c v i e w , by d e f i a n t l y d e m o n s t r a t i n g t h e a b s u r d is not simply a p e r i p h e r a l p o s s i b i l i t y of i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
and the trivial, as i f to p u l l down t h e f a c a d e of a or a d d i t i o n a l c o l d u r : i t i s a fundamental concern of the
'serious subject'. m e t h o d . The ' S t r i c t u r e s a g a i n s t Judgment' are signific-
ations warning t h e a s t r o l o g e r n o t t o o f f e r j u d g m e n t : one
I t i s a p p a r e n t w i t h h o r a r y , more I m m e d i a t e l y t h a n w i t h of these, relating to Saturn and the V l l t h House, i s
o t h e r branches of horoscopy, t h a t the a p r i o r i p h i l o s o p h - e x p l i c i t l y a b o u t t h e r o l e o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r . The f a c t t h a t
ical conception dictates experience. F o r many c e n t u r i e s the a s t r o l o g e r g i v i n g the answer i s symbolised ' i n ' the
the w h o l e o f o u r t r a d i t i o n has d e p e n d e d I m p l i c i t l y o n t h e h o r o s c o p e makes i t c l e a r t h a t the d e f i n i t i o n of horary
e x p l a n a t i o n o f f e r e d by P t o l e m y t o j u s t i f y n a t a l a s t r o l o g y . d e p e n d s u p o n a n a s t r o l o g e r b e i n g t h e r e t o make a j u d g m e n t .
T h i s makes a s t r o l o g y p l a u s i b l e , a n d h a s t h u s c o n t r i b u t e d A h o r a r y w i t h o u t an a s t r o l o g e r i s m e a n i n g l e s s . T h i s seems
substantially to i t s widespread continuance. There has remote from the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c attitude i n natal work,
been a p r i c e : t h e r e p r e s s i o n o f e x p e r i e n c e t h a t does n o t w h e r e t h e a s t r o l o g e r d o e s n o t l o o k t o see h i s r o l e i n t h e
fit. Such experience, i f a c k n o w l e d g e d a t a l l , becomes matter, and the horoscope Is treated as i f i t is an
I n e x p l i c a b l e , non-sense. 'objective' basis f o r deductions, apparently independent
T h i s comes b a c k t o a f u n d a m e n t a l theme o f t h i s s t u d y : o f any a s t r o l o g e r .
the how o f a s t r o l o g y i s by no means t h e same q u e s t i o n as
t h a t o f t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y . A t t e m p t s a t e x p l a n a t i o n I t d o e s n o t d e n y h o r a r y i f t h e q u e r e n t , t h e one a s k i n g
are always i n danger of c o n f u s i n g the e n t i r e endeavour of the q u e s t i o n , d o e s n o t i n t e n d t h a t t h e q u e s t i o n be p u t i n
d e s c r i b i n g t h e phenomena w i t h w h i c h we are faced - the t h i s way: i t i s s u f f i c i e n t f o r the a s t r o l o g e r t o 'take i t
ambivalent and Illuminating experience of astrology. u p ' as a h o r a r y . He w i l l s o o n f i n d f r o m t h e p e r t i n e n c e o r
A s t r o l o g y i s b e t t e r l e f t i n e x p l i c a b l e I f i n e x p l a i n i n g we o t h e r w i s e o f t h e s y m b o l i s m w h e t h e r he has made a f r u i t f u l
lose i t . d e c i s i o n . Because o f t h i s , t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f h o r a r y must
move f u r t h e r s t i l l towards acknowledgement of the a c t i v e
What c a n be i n f e r r e d from horary p r a c t i c e about i t s p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r . The h o r a r y moment i s t h e
moment o f a s t r o l o g y ? Once t h e d i s t r a c t i o n s o f t h e P t o l e m - p o s i n g o f a q u e s t i o n t h a t w i l l be t a k e n up by t h e a s t r o -
aic schema h a v e b e e n p u l l e d a s i d e , a r e a l m o f u n c e r t a i n t y l o g e r . I t does n o t ' e x i s t ' as a h o r a r y u n t i l i t i s so
i s e n t e r e d . The bringing to l i g h t of i m p l i c i t notions i s t a k e n up. Whether o r not the whole e x e r c i s e i s f i n a l l y
an uncertain project since nothing of the nature of g o i n g t o w o r k i s t h e n t h e f u n c t i o n o f an i n t a n g i b l e : t h e
explicit p h i l o s o p h i c a l d i s c u s s i o n has passed down the state of the a s t r o l o g e r , and whether he i s at that
h o r a r y t r a d i t i o n . H o r a r y has h a d m i g h t y c r a f t s m e n , b u t no juncture capable of the creative expression of his
Ptolemy to p r o v i d e i t w i t h t h e o r y . traditional craft.
A d e t a i l e d study of horary p r a c t i c e w i l l f i n a l l y d i s p e l A horary i s not like a n a t u r a l creature born at a
any l i n g e r i n g n o t i o n o f P t o l e m a i c ' o r i g i n s ' . A c o n v e n t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r t i m e and p l a c e . N e i t h e r i s i t a 'significant
at l e a s t o f modern p r a c t i c e , l o c a t e s t h e h o r o s c o p e f o r t h e q u e s t i o n ' f l o a t i n g a r o u n d w i t h o u t an a s t r o l o g e r t o a n s w e r
place of the querent, but at the time of the r e c e i p t of It. The whole p r o j e c t depends upon t h e a s t r o l o g e r . I t
the i n q u i r y by t h e a s t r o l o g e r . So, I f a l e t t e r comes f r o m therefore constitutes a s p e c i a l and uncommon form of
A u s t r a l i a , the a s t r o l o g e r i s j u s t i f i e d i n c a s t i n g the map I n q u i r y , strongly suggestive of d i v i n a t i o n . I n d i v i n a t i o n
w i t h A s c e n d a n t and o t h e r c u s p s f o r t h e p l a c e i n A u s t r a l i a , as t h i s i s c o m m o n l y r e c o g n i s e d , a d i v i n e r p u t s a s p e c i f i c
b u t a t t h e t i m e he r e a d s t h e l e t t e r . The horoscope i s q u e s t i o n t o an o r a c l e - s y s t e m , s u c h as t h a t o f t h e T a r o t
therefore not now for a unique 'origin' at a single cards, or the I C h i n g . Sometimes t h e d i v i n e r p u t s the

146
q u e s t i o n on b e h a l f o f an i n q u i r e r , and i n t e r p r e t s t h e from t h e evidence o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n a t t r i b u t e d t o Palchus
o r a c l e ' s r e s p o n s e . I n h o r a r y , t h e o r a c l e may be s e e n as (20). I n this collection a r e s u c h t y p i c a l h o r a r l e s as
the heavens t h e m s e l v e s , t h e a s t r o l o g e r i n t e r p r e t i n g their 'Concerning t h e l o s t l i n e n o f a slave g i r l ' (Taurus Asc.
response on b e h a l f o f t h e querent. I t i s therefore not w i t h V e n u s i n V i r g o ) , a n d 'A L i t t l e L i o n : w h e t h e r h e w i l l
s u r p r i s i n g t h a t h o r a r y has e a r n e d t h e a p p e l l a t i o n ' d i v i n - be tamed' ( 2 Leo r i s e s ) . This latter i s n o t termed a
atory a s t r o l o g y '. k a t a r c h e , b u t t h e q u e s t i o n o n t h e l i n e n i s so d e s c r i b e d :
For h o r a r y i t i s m a n i f e s t t h a t t h e c r e a t i v e i n t e r v e n t - 'Katarche, concerning the lost linen of a slave girl'.
ion of the astrologer I s decisive I n determining the This i s also mentioned as a n 'inquiry' i n the text.
moment o f a s t r o l o g y . To have established the active A n o t h e r k a t a r c h e i s f o r t h e moment o f r e c e i p t o f d i s t r e s s -
p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r i n even one b r a n c h o f t h e ing l e t t e r s , w h i c h i s w i t h i n t h e scope o f modern h o r a r y
art may h a v e c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r e v e r y o t h e r p a r t o f a s t r o l - method. Yet another j u d g m e n t w h i c h w o u l d be a h o r a r y b y
ogy: this i s y e t another reason f o r the uncomfortable modern c r i t e r i a j u x t a p o s e s t h e terms k a t a r c h e and i n q u i r y :
r e c e p t i o n s o m e t i m e s g i v e n t o h o r a r y . The d e s i r e t o t r e a t ' I n q u i r y about a katarche concerning fear f o r a journey
It as a d i s t i n c t beast disguises t h e u n e a s e o f many to Athens'.
a s t r o l o g e r s a t t h e d i l e m m a s i t r a i s e s . To d e f i n e h o r a r y Apart f r o m i t s usage t o d e s c r i b e h o r a r i e s , t h e t e r m
as h a v i n g a d i s t i n c t s t a t u s w o u l d a l s o be t h e p r e l u d e t o katarche i s d i s t i n c t i v e l y a p p l i e d t o t h e moment o f t h e
excising i t a l t o g e t h e r from t h e canon o f a s t r o l o g i c a l b e g i n n i n g o f some e n t e r p r i s e . P a l c h u s g i v e s a j u d g m e n t o n
p r a c t i c e , i f i t became e m b a r r a s s i n g t o o u r a s p i r a t i o n s f o r the moment when T h e o d o r e s , Prefect o f Egypt, entered
academic r e s p e c t a b i l i t y . Out o f t h e s e c o n s i d e r a t i o n s I do A l e x a n d r i a ( 1 7 t h M a r c h 4 8 6 AD, a b o u t 7.30 a m ) . The s i g n i f -
n o t f o l l o w Marc Edmund J o n e s i n c a l l i n g h o r a r y 'divinatory i c a t i o n f o rTheodoros' r a p i d d i s g r a c e i s demonstrated from
astrology' ( 1 8 ) , even t h o u g h t h i s p h r a s e p u t s us i n t h e t h e h o r o s c o p e . T h e k a t a r c h e t h u s d e s c r i b e s w h a t w o u l d now
r i g h t way o f a p p r o a c h i n g i t , b e c a u s e t h i s i m p l i e s t h a t t h e be t e r m e d ' i n c e p t i o n a l ' a s t r o l o g y . F r o m t h e m o d e r n p o i n t
rest of astrology i s not divinatory. of view, t h e e x t e n s i o n o f t h i s method t o t h e a c t i v e c h o i c e
R a t h e r t h a n t r e a t h o r a r y as s o m e t h i n g q u i t e d i s t i n c t , or 'election' o f a f a v o u r a b l e moment seems t o f o l l o w
I w i l l adopt t h e a l t e r n a t i v e s t r a t e g y . This i s t o suggest n a t u r a l l y . And i n d e e d , i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n i s t h e h o r o s c o p e
t h a t t h e d o c t r i n e o f h o r a r y opens up phenomena i n h e r e n t of t h e moment e l e c t e d f o r t h e c r o w n i n g of Leontius a t
in a l l a s t r o l o g i c a l p r a c t i c e , which are nevertheless not Antloch. Leontius attempted to establish himself as
a r t i c u l a t e d by t h e r a t i o n a l model g i v e n t h r o u g h P t o l e m y . E a s t e r n E m p e r o r o f t h e Roman E m p i r e : " t h i s p e r s o n t a k i n g
T h i s m o d e l i s t h e n r e c o g n i s e d t o be I n a d e q u a t e t o d e s c r i b e a katarche f r o m t w o a s t r o l o g e r s was c r o w n e d a n d i m m e d -
a n d d e f i n e t h e w h o l e p r o j e c t o f h o r o s c o p i c a s t r o l o g y . The iately expelled from kingship and f o r t u n e " . The term
question raised by h o r a r y challenges the traditional katarche I s u s e d t o d e s c r i b e t h e moment e l e c t e d f o r t h e
framework a t i t s p h i l o s o p h i c a l r o o t s . c o r o n a t i o n ( 1 8 t h J u l y 484, 6 am).
There i s a p a t i n a o f a m b i g u i t y on t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e
The question i s further revealed i n the h i s t o r i c a l a s t r o l o g i c a l k a t a r c h e . I t seems o d d t h a t i n c e p t i o n a l a n d
development o f a s t r o l o g y , and i n p a r t i c u l a r the early e l e c t i o n a l methods, which w e l l f i t t h e n o t i o n o f 'init-
s e p a r a t i o n o f h o r a r y and P t o l e m a i c traditions. i a t i v e s ' , s h o u l d be c o m b i n e d u n d e r o n e common h e a d i n g w i t h
P r i o r t o P t o l e m y , h o r a r y c a n be t r a c e d i n t h e w o r k o f horary i n q u i r i e s . I n d e s c r i b i n g modern h o r a r y practice,
Serapio o f Alexandria (first c e n t u r y AD o r f i r s t century i t h a s a l r e a d y b e e n s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e h o r a r y moment i s
BC) a n d D o r o t h e u s o f S i d o n ( f l . a r o u n d 5 0 A D ) . Although c o m m o n l y n o t a ' b e g i n n i n g ' , a n d t h e same p r o b l e m a r i s e s
many f e a t u r e s o f e a r l y h o r o s c o p y b e a r l i t t l e relationship here q u i t e c l e a r l y w i t h t h e slave g i r l ' s l i n e n . Perhaps
to modern p r a c t i c e , t h e r e a r e n o n e t h e l e s s som.e r e m a r k a b l e the horary leads t o the ' i n i t i a t i n g ' o f a c t i o n , b u t t h i s
c o n s i s t e n c i e s o f major p r i n c i p l e s o f I n t e r p r e t a t i o n . Pre- I n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s no m o r e o b v i o u s i n Palchus than i t i s
d a t i n g by one and a h a l f m i l l e n l a t h e i d e n t i c a l method i n t h e d i s c u s s i o n s o f modern a u t h o r s .
emoloyed by Lilly i n his 'Fish Stolen', Dorotheus W h a t e v e r may be i n f e r r e d f r o m P a l c h u s , t h e r e i s a m o r e
d e s c r i b e s t h e p l a n e t i n t h e D e s c e n d a n t as d e t e r m i n i n g t h e convincing indication that the katarche h a d become a n
c h a r a c t e r o f t h e t h i e f i n j u d g m e n t s o n s t o l e n a r t i c l e s (19). u n s a t i s f a c t o r y d e s c r i p t i o n . The t e r m has n o t s u r v i v e d , o r
I n t h e e a r l y a u t h o r s , h o r a r y i n q u i r i e s a r e named by t h e been translated, into later astrological practice.
Greek term ' k a t a r c h e ' . A l i t e r a l t r a n s l a t i o n o f t h i s word I n c e p t i o n a l a n d e l e c t i o n a l a s t r o l o g y , w h i c h c a n e a s i l y be
is ' b e g i n n i n g ' , w h i c h seems t o p r e s e n t a n o t h e r facet of subsumed w i t h i n t h e P t o l e m a i c a t t i t u d e , have gone their
the a l l - p e r v a s i v e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n . A rendering that i s own way, and a r e f r e q u e n t l y t r e a t e d I n d e p e n d e n t l y of
more f a i t h f u l t o t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l u s a g e i s ' i n i t i a t i v e ' . h o r a r y . So M o r i n r e j e c t e d h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y , y e t w r o t e o n
This a c c u r a t e l y conveys the idea o f human a c t i o n a n d the d o c t r i n e of e l e c t i o n s .
p u r p o s e , as c o n t r a s t e d w i t h a n a t u r a l o r i g i n . In t h i s ambiguity i s t h e clue t h a t t h e term katarche
The t e r m was i n u s e as l a t e as t h e f i f t h c e n t u r y AD, had a l r e a d y decayed by t h e t i m e o f t h e t e x t s attributed

148
to P a l c h u s , t h a t I t h a d become t h e h u s k o f a n e a r l i e r
understanding. P e r h a p s t h e r e was m o r e t o t h i s than t h e
gathering o f disparate non-natal a p p l i c a t i o n s . The t a s k
w i l l be t o t r a c e t h e k a t a r c h e b a c k t h r o u g h t h e o r i g i n s o f
horary. This attempt will lead on a c i r c u i t o u s path
t h r o u g h l i t t l e marked t e r r i t o r y , t o t h e a n c i e n t p r a c t i c e
of d i v i n a t i o n . I t i s t h i s which forms t h e substratum o u t
of w h i c h has i s s u e d t h e p r o j e c t o f h o r o s c o p y . Only then
w i l l t h e q u e s t i o n p o s e d b y h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y be c a p a b l e o f
a fundamental r e s o l u t i o n .

Notes:

12. Uillinm L i l l y " C h r l i f I a n A s t r o l n g y " 1^51 «ln. l o n d o n p197. / . x f k l p r ? , i b r i d g « l and amended e d i t i o n

r e p r i n t r d hv Npv^-.istle h j b l K h i t i R Co. I n c . . H o l l v w o d , O i . \972 p2iO.
n. I w n o l d s t P i n - . l a c o b s o n • N l n i p l t f i e d Horary A s t r o l o g y " Pa-^aiieivi L i t h o R r a p h p r s . Pasadena. Ca. I9f^n p i .
P l a c i d i i s He L i t i s "Prirrnn ^ ^ l b i I e " : .Tohn Cooper's t r a n s l a t i o n (181^1: P i e s i s 6 p3.
RepoMlslied bv ISCWA. Bromley. Kent l i a i .
15. Mnrin's a t t l t i r l e t o h n r . i r y : w i t h t K i n k s t o Denis i a h m i r f f o r t i l l s d e t a i l , ^ ^ ) r i n can be locate<l w i t h i n
the 'Ptolemaic t r a d i t i o n ' by v i r t u e o t t h e hmdamentai an.alysis i n d e r t a k e n I n t h i s
study. I n less fundamental concerns n f I n t p r p r e t a t i r m r t i r i n I s a c r i t i c o f Ptolpmy,
16. A l - F ^ i n n i "Elements o f A s t r o l o g y " R.R,amsav Wright t r a n s i a t i o n . lAjzac & Co.. IjOixion 193^ p 3 I 7 - 9 ,
cfif>tefi e x t e n s i v e l y i n "An I n t r o d u c t i o n t o I s L i m i c Cosmologlcal D o c t r i n e s " by Sewed
t k i s e i n Nasr, Ihames S, Hi.lson, ioiidnn 1178 p l W . A l - f t i r u n i llve<l from <m - 1051 C I
17. I p f f Mayo "Teach Y o u r s e l f A s t r o l o p y " E n g l i s h U n i v e r s i t i e s Press 196.^. ch 15 p l % .
la. Hare rdmmd Jones "Horary A s t r o l o g y " SHarnhbala h j b l i c a t i o n s I n c . . Berkeley, Ca., 1971. ' 7' '
I h i s was developed from " D i v i n a t o r y A s t r o l o g y " mimeographed lessons 19T0-1. ^
ILtls Irrpressive i.ork o f f e r s the OT>I y s u b s t a n t i a l t h e o r e t i c a l d i s c u s s i o n on l i o r a r y
and i s wnrth r l o s e s t i r i y . From the v l e i . ^ i i n t adopted h e r e , M.E..Jones does not
b r i n g Forward the Issue o f d i v i n a t i o n . .
19. I>.rotheiis and Serapio: d e t a i l s from 'Tbe Vavana iStaka o f S p l m j l d h n v a " Vol I I e d i t e d , t r a n s l a t e d
4 cnmwntpd on by David Plngree. H a r v a H U n i v e r s i t y Press 1978. Cambridge. ^V^ss.
i lyjndon. pp379-S(l. '•,
20. Paichtis: f r r m •'Creek Horoscopes" O.Netjgehauer & H.B.van Hoesen. Published by the Anwrlcan ^
n i l l o s o p h t c a l S o c i e t y , H i i l a d e l p h l a 1959 (see nos. L ^76 ^ L 6R7). According t o
Filigree ( r e f . n o t e 19 above. p^37) ' "Palcbus" I s not a c o r p l l e r o f c500, hut
Vt^-; • ••" • I s the mask behlnti which E l e u t h e r l u s Eleus h i d I n 1388; the n,iTC "Palchus" i s a .1
Creek t r a n s l a t i o n o f the A r a b i c a l - 8 a l k i i T - t h e r e s i d e n t o f Balkb'. EleutherliLS t
has however g a t h e r e d g e n u i n e l y a n c i e n t fragments. •
F r r a t i i n I n Part 1 p i 10 l i n e 7: ' p l a n e t a r y h e r e d i t a r y ' should re.ad 'planetary heredity'. '' ^
(To he c o n t i n u e d l

,h
* -.'- * * -

A BIRTH CHARTS / GIFT CARDS *^

* D e s i g n e d t o combine t h e s t a n d a r d B i r t h
C h a r t Form w i t h a G i f t Card. P r i n t e d on h i g h
q u a l i t y parchment and s u i t a b l e f o r f r i e n d s ,
r e l a t i v e s , and c l i e n t s .
* The c a r d c o v e r d e p i c t s & d e s c r i b e s t h e Sun S i g n s
of t h e Z o d i a c w i t h d a t e s . G l y p h s & R u l i n g P l a n e t s .
* F o l d e d s i z e : 51; i n . x 8k I n .
* P r i c e ( i n c l u d i n g e n v e l o p e s ) : A5p e a c h , £4 p e r 1 0 ,
£8.75 p e r 25, £15 p e r 50.
P l e a s e add 20p p & p p e r o r d e r .
S. YOUNG 42 C h u r c h C l o s e , L o c k s h e a t h , S o t o n S03 6LR.

150
I
 on the astrological katarche? I t might appear t h a t any
THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY Part I I I c o n n e c t i o n between a s t r o l o g i c a l b e g i n n i n g s or initiatives,
Katarche and s a c r e d r i t e s , i s l i t t l e more t h a n an i n c o n s e q u e n t i a l
p l a y o f l a n g u a g e . However, t h e s e m a n t i c p a t t e r n o f two L a t i n
Geoffrey Cornelius words of related meaning suggests that the connection
d i s c u s s e d i s e s s e n t i a l . The L a t i n w o r d s a r e more a c c e s s i b l e
H e l l e n i s t i c a s t r o l o g y c a n n o t be u n d e r s t o o d a p a r t f r o m t o u s , s i n c e t h e y h a v e p a s s e d i n t o E n g l i s h as ' a u s p i c e ' and
t h e immense movement i n a t t i t u d e t h a t i s f i r s t c h a r a c t e r i s e d 'augury'. The parallel quality of a l l three terms is
and e x p r e s s e d i n the Greek p h i l o s o p h i c a l s c h o o l s . Horoscopy i l l u s t r a t e d i n the f o l l o w i n g a b s t r a c t of p r i n c i p a l meanings:
d e v e l o p e d i n an e r a i n w h i c h t h e p e r c e p t i o n s and t h e b e l i e f s
of a n t i q u i t y were u n d e r g o i n g p r o f o u n d c h a n g e . Even b e f o r e
Three terras f r o m Greek & L a t i n ,
the ascendancy of C h r i s t i a n i t y , which s u c c e s s f u l l y a s s i m i l -
w i t h d e r i v a t i v e s and c o n n e c t e d u s a g e s
a t e d G r e e k t h o u g h t i n t o i t s s y s t e m , t h e o l d g o d s had been
rendered absurd. I t would be surprising indeed i f the
p r e s s u r e o f t h e s e c h a n g e s had n o t a f f e c t e d t h e p r a c t i c e o f
a s t r o l o g y , and t h e d e s c r i p t i o n s o f f e r e d by I t s p r a c t i t i o n e r s .
It i s the i n t e n t i o n i n t h i s p a r t t o t r a c e the o u t l i n e ,
and e v o k e t h e e s s e n t i a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c , o f a n a r c h a i c d l v i n -
katarche ausplclum augurlum
a t o r y a t t i t u d e w h i c h was e v e n t u a l l y u n d e r m i n e d and super-
s e d e d i n t h e e v o l u t i o n o f G r e e k t h o u g h t . The e a r l i e s t a s t r o -
l o g y a r o s e i n c o n f o r m i t y w i t h t h i s a r c h a i c a t t i t u d e , and i s - a beginning - to b e g i n or - to b e g i n J
an expression of i t . Further, there I s good r e a s o n to undertake a
to make
suppose t h a t this attitude continued t o be a t l e a s t a business
a beginning (m)
partial i n f l u e n c e i n t h e p e r c e p t i o n and description of
astrology late into the Hellenistic development. The
v e h i c l e s o f i t s o v e r t e x p r e s s i o n were d e s t i n e d t o a t r o p h y , part of - to s e e k - divination
u n d e r t h e p r e s s u r e o f change towards a r a t i o n a l model. Yet (sacrificial) from omens
conjecture
its trace lingered on i n those branches of a s t r o l o g y , victim f i r s t
surmise
notably horary, which gathered t o g e t h e r under t h e name offered
'katarche '.
to b e g i n the
This p r o j e c t leads f a r from the apparent concerns of the
r i t e s of s a c r i f i c e (m)
p r e s e n t d a y . H o w e v e r , t h e w i d e r a i m o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l exam-
i n a t i o n w i l l be t o s u p p o r t t h e f o l l o w i n g t h e s i s : t h a t t h e hence:
' k a t a r c h i c a t t i t u d e ' d i s c l o s e s a ground of a l l a s t r o l o g i c a l
- to c o n s e c r a t e to c o n s e c r a t e , ;
practice, ancient and modern. An understanding of i t s
for sacrifice dedicate
h i s t o r i c a l o b s c u r a t i o n w i l l a s s i s t i n the d i f f i c u l t task of
- to s a c r i f i c e , s l a y
r e c o v e r i n g t h a t same g r o u n d i n m o d e r n a s t r o l o g y .
- to c e l e b r a t e , l e a d
I t i s common f o r w o r d s o f w i d e c u r r e n c y t o t a k e on a dance i n honour o f . . .
s p e c i f i c t e c h n i c a l meaning w i t h i n a p a r t i c u l a r d i s c i p l i n e .
The s p e c i f i c m e a n i n g f r e q u e n t l y has a c l o s e s e m a n t i c re-
- primacy, - l e a d i n g or
l a t i o n s h i p w i t h the o t h e r n o n - t e c h n i c a l uses. I n a s t r o l o g y ,
such words as 'election' and 'rulership' are typical authority, p r i n c i p a l person
i n s t a n c e s . The same i s t r u e o f t h e w o r d ' k a t a r c h e when basis government,
e m p l o y e d as a t e c h n i c a l t e r m i n e a r l y G r e e k a s t r o l o g y . authority
- t o r u l e , govern
Apart from the specifically astrological meaning of
" f o r e c a s t of u n d e r t a k i n g , voyage, e t c . " , the term c a r r i e s • ' r e f e r e n c e s : note 22
several other meanings depending on context. The most (m) r e f e r s to 'middle v o i c e ' i n Greek.
general of these i s "beginning". I t may also refer to:
"primacy, s o v e r e i g n t y , and b a s i s " ; " t h e p a r t o f t h e s a c r i - I t r e m a i n s t o be added t h a t ' a u s p i c l u m ' i s , by t h e u s a g e
f i c i a l v i c t i m f i r s t o f f e r e d " ; and, " t o b e g i n t h e r i t e s o f o f a t l e a s t one m o d e r n a u t h o r i t y , a v a l i d t r a n s l a t i o n f o r
s a c r i f i c e " . T h i s l a s t u s a g e a p p e a r s t o be t h e m o s t a n c i e n t , the a s t r o l o g i c a l ' k a t a r c h e ' ( 2 3 ) . I have n o t seen evidence
d a t i n g b a c k t o Homer ( 2 1 ) . t o i n d i c a t e how e a r l y a u t h o r s w o u l d d e c i d e t h e t r a n s l a t i o n .
The word 'katarche' thus c a r r i e s a semantic thread of For t h e L a t i n t e r m s , " b e g i n n i n g " i s a m e t a p h o r i c a l d e r i v -
s a c r a l primacy and a u t h o r i t y . Does t h i s h a v e any bearing a t i v e r a t h e r t h a n a p r i m a r y sense (hence t h e b r a c k e t s i n t h e

15"
table). However, this derived usage was q u i t e common, D i v i n a t i o n i s h e r e t o be u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e l a t e r p e r i o d o f t h e Roman E m p i r e . W h a t e v e r of t h e w i l l o f t h e gods, as t h e L a t i n r o o t o f t h i s w o r d ,
d i s t i n c t i o n s m i g h t be made b e t w e e n p r i m a r y a n d m e t a p h o r i c a l 'divinus', suggests. The g o d s c o m m u n i c a t e t h e i r w i l l i n
meanings, a l l t h r e e words share an o v e r a l l semantic pattern, v a r i o u s w a y s . They m i g h t w o r k d i r e c t l y t h r o u g h i n s p i r a t i o n .
l i n k i n g r i t u a l o b s e r v a n c e a n d human i n i t i a t i v e . T h i s p a t t e r n They m i g h t a p p e a r i n d r e a m s a n d v i s i o n s , d i r e c t l y o r i n d i s -
r e f l e c t s t h e g r a d u a l c h a n g e i n a t t i t u d e s as t h e p r a c t i c e s o f g u i s e , o r show t h e m s e l v e s i n t h e s y m b o l i s m o f s i g n s a n d
d i v i n a t i o n decayed. For t h e c u l t u r e s o f t h e a n c i e n t near omens, t h e r e m a r k a b l e occurrences of the natural world. A
East, few matters o f g r e a t consequence would be b e g u n r e s p o n s e c o u l d be s o u g h t a t t h e famous o r a c l e s , s u c h a s t h a t
without i n v o c a t i o n o f t h e gods and t h e c o n s u l t a t i o n o f o f A p o l l o a t D e l p h i , o n one o f t h e h o l y d a y s a s s i g n e d f o r
a u s p i c e s . The u s e o f d i v i n a t i o n ' a u t h o r i s e d ' a course o f t h e p u r p o s e . A t D e l p h i t h e s u p p l i c a n t made a n a n i m a l s a c r i -
a c t i o n a t i t s i n c e p t i o n , by g i v i n g i t t h e s a n c t i o n o f t h e f i c e , and t h e g o d , e n t e r i n g t h e p r i e s t e s s , would answer i n
g o d s . To t a k e a n a u s p i c e , o r t o d e t e r m i n e a n omen o f good o r h e r e c s t a t i c u t t e r a n c e . These o r a c u l a r r e s p o n s e s , f r e q u e n t l y
bad f o r t u n e , was a t one a n d t h e same t i m e t o u n d e r t a k e human in riddles,carried prophetic status.
i n i t i a t i v e u n d e r t h e g u i d a n c e o f t h e g o d s . As t h e n e c e s s i t y There i s from t h e L a t i n a u s e f u l d i s t i n c t i o n between
f o r sacred d i a l o g u e d e c l i n e d w i t h changed p e r c e p t i o n and t h e u n b i d d e n omens ( o m l n a o b l a t l v a ) , a n d b i d d e n omens ( o m i n a
e r o s i o n o f b e l i e f , t h e w o r d s came t o a p p l y s i m p l y t o t h e i m p e t r a t l v a ) . U n b i d d e n omens a r e t h e s h o w i n g o f t h e g o d i n
i n c e p t i o n o f human i n i t i a t i v e . an u n e x p e c t e d d r a m a t i c e v e n t , s u c h as a p r o d i g i o u s b i r t h .
The identical semantic p a t t e r n c a n be t r a c e d i n t h e B i d d e n omens a r e t h o s e w h e r e t h e g o d ' s r e s p o n s e i s a c t i v e l y
E n g l i s h u s a g e o f t h e s e t e r m s . The v e r b ' t o i n a u g u r a t e ' i n a sought.
strict sense suggests the r i t u a l i n c e p t i o n o f a major There i s e a r l y evidence of the r i t u a l impetration of
matter. The w o r d i s now commonly u s e d apart from i t s omens i n Mesopotamia. I n the third m l l l e n i u m BC there
o r i g i n a l meaning, s i m p l y t o i n d i c a t e an I m p o r t a n t b e g i n n i n g , e x i s t e d t h e p r a c t i c e o f examining t h e e n t r a i l s o f t h e s a c r i -
u s u a l l y o f p u b l i c c o n c e r n . I t i s w o r t h r e f l e c t i n g t h a t even ficial animal t o determine t h e w i l l o f t h e god i n v o k e d .
i n o u r i r r e l i g i o u s age t h e word n e v e r e n t i r e l y l o s e s i t s D e t a i l e d examples o f t h e a r t o f r e a d i n g t h e s i g n s on t h e
r i t u a l c o n n o t a t i o n ; how much more r e s o n a n t , t h e r e f o r e , w i l l l i v e r h a v e b e e n f o u n d f r o m a r o u n d 1 9 0 0 BC. From t h i s t i m e
h a v e been t h a t same c o n n o t a t i o n i n t h e d a y s o f t h e Roman l i v e r r e a d i n g becomes i n c r e a s i n g l y c o d i f i e d , a n d a n e x t e n s -
Empire. ive aphoristic literature develops, together with the
'Auspice' i s similarly r e v e a l i n g . As t h e r e a d e r may c a r e f u l r e c o r d i n g o f a c t u a l cases ( 2 4 ) .
c o n f i r m by t u r n i n g t o t h e f r o n t c o v e r , t h i s l i t t l e journal Other t r u s t e d forms o f d i v i n a t i o n I n c l u d e d t h e watching
i s " i s s u e d u n d e r t h e a u s p i c e s o f ' t h e A s t r o l o g i c a l Lodge o f o f omens, b i d d e n o r u n b i d d e n , f r o m t h e b e h a v i o u r o f b i r d s .
L o n d o n " . T h i s w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d t o mean t h a t t h e j o u r n a l T h i s , t o g e t h e r w i t h l i v e r - d l v l n a t i o n , was t r a n s m i t t e d t o t h e
has t h e p a t r o n a g e o f t h a t a u g u s t b o d y , a n d was o r i g i n a t e d Etruscans of central Italy. From t h i s p e o p l e , t h e a r t o f
u n d e r i t s a u t h o r i t y . The w o r d h a s moved i t s w e i g h t o v e r t o livers and t h e wisdom o f t h e b i r d s passed i n t o t h e ob-
these meanings: t h e o l d d i v l n a t o r y sense has passed i n t o t h e s e r v a n c e s o f t h e Roman C o l l e g e o f A u g u r s .
shadows. The a t t i t u d e p r o f e s s e d t o i n Roman s t a t e a u g u r y e x e m p l -
I t I s t h e m a i n t a s k h e r e t o a s s e s s how f a r t h i s a r c h a i c i f i e s a fundamental c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f ancient d i v i n a t i o n :
divinatory attitude found expression i n early horoscopy. " The a u g u r a l a r t never provided an answer t o t h e
Before t h i s i s p o s s i b l e , i t i s necessary t o attempt t o b r i n g question 'what i s g o i n g t o h a p p e n ? ' b u t o n l y t o t h a t
to l i g h t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f ancient d i v i n a t i o n , considered much more r e l i g i o u s o n e , ' a r e t h e d e i t i e s w i l l i n g t h a t
at f i r s t independently o f t h e q u e s t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y . we s h o u l d d o t h i s o r t h a t ? " - p.^^r ^25)
* * * D i v i n a t i o n was u n d e r s t o o d t o r e s i d e i n t h e s a c r e d . A l t h o u g h
The s a c r i f i c e o f a n a n i m a l t o p r a i s e a g o d o r t o g a i n h i s i n developed s y s t e m s t h e omens m i g h t b e a r a t many p o i n t s o n
blessing: this was a widespread practice i n ancient d e t a i l s o f t h e mundane w o r l d , t h e e f f e c t o f d i v i n a t i o n was
c u l t u r e s , n o t s i m p l y c o n f i n e d t o t h e Mesopotamian o r i g i n - to b r i n g t h e matters i n q u i r e d about, t h e v i t a l concerns o f
a t o r s o f a s t r o l o g y . Who a r e t h e g o d s ? T h e y may be d e s c r i b e d man, w i t h i n t h e g u i d a n c e o f t h e s a c r e d . A p r e d i c t i o n t h r o u g h
as a u t o n o m o u s o r p a r t i a l l y a u t o n o m o u s e n t i t i e s , i m b u e d w i t h d i v i n a t i o n was none o t h e r t h a n t h e r e v e l a t i o n o f w h a t t h e
volition, a n d c o n s t i t u t i n g a n u m i n o u s r e a l m b e y o n d man's gods w i l l e d t o come t o p a s s .
immediate knowledge o r c o n t r o l . Although t h i s realm lies It should n o t be i n f e r r e d that ancient divination i s
' b e y o n d ' , a t t h e same t i m e i t i n t e r p e n e t r a t e s t h e c o s m o s , c o m p l e t e l y d e s c r i b e d as r e l i g i o u s o b s e r v a n c e . S e l f - i n t e r e s t
n a t u r e , a n d man h i m s e l f , a n d l i e s a t t h e d e e p e s t c o r e o f h i s seeks g a i n i n t h e m a n i p u l a t i o n s o f p r e d i c t i o n , and t h e ' w i l l
concerns. This Interpenetration i s both sustained and of t h e gods' i s capable o f f l e x i b l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a l o n g t h e
expressed i n the celebration of r i t u a l , worship - and lines of prevailing political exigencies. However, t h e
divination. e s s e n t i a l l y s a c r a l process d e s c r i b e d above w i l l have been

16 17 .
perpetually affirmed by t h e w h o l e Interwoven fabric of I t i s I n f e r r e d h e r e t h a t t h i s way o f t h o u g h t c o l o u r e d t h e
b e l i e f and p r i e s t l y a u t h o r i t y w i t h i n w h i c h d i v i n a t i o n was a s t r o l o g i c a l k a t a r c h e . B e f o r e t h i s i n f l u e n c e c a n be e x a c t l y
s o c i a l l y acceptable. I trequired a general decline i n b e l i e f assessed, i t i s necessary t o d e l i n e a t e t h e general form o f
in t h e gods t o d i v o r c e t h e o u t w a r d f o r m s o f d i v i n a t i o n , t h e 'moment o f d i v i n a t i o n ' i m p l i c i t i n a n c i e n t p r a c t i c e s .
i n c l u d i n g a s t r o l o g y , from the realm o f t h e sacred. I n w h a t t i m e and p l a c e i s d i v i n a t i o n ? On w h a t g r o u n d d o e s
I t requires a real step of imagination t o recover the the d i v i n e r r e f e r omen t o e v e n t ? He d o e s so w i t h i n t h e
i m p o r t o f t h e ' d i a l o g u e w i t h t h e gods'. T h i s a t t i t u d e i s ' t e m p l u m ' , t h e s a c r e d s p a c e c r e a t e d i n r i t u a l . The s a c r e d
opaque t o modern t h o u g h t . I n c o n v e y i n g s o m e t h i n g o f i t s s p a c e I s t h a t w h e r e i n a g o d may be p r e s e n t . W i t h i n t h e
q u a l i t y , t h e f o l l o w i n g e x a m p l e r e c o r d e d by t h e G r e e k h i s t o r - r i t u a l i s b r o u g h t f o r w a r d man's c o n c e r n , t h e w o r l d l y m a t t e r s
ian Herodotus will s e r v e b e t t e r t h a n many p a r a g r a p h s o f p a s t , p r e s e n t , o r f u t u r e , i n w h i c h w i l l be d i s c e r n e d t h e
a b s t r a c t d i s c u s s i o n . The c i r c u m s t a n c e i s t h e v i c t o r y o f t h e t h e w o r k i n g o f t h e s a c r e d . The g o d ' s r e s p o n s e o c c u r s w i t h i n
awkward a l l i a n c e o f Greek s t a t e s . I n c l u d i n g t h e Tegeans and the sacred space of r i t u a l , spontaneously blessing or
t h e S p a r t a n s , o v e r t h e P e r s i a n s and t h e i r Greek a l l i e s , i n t o u c h i n g t h a t w h i c h h a s b e e n r l t u a l l y p r e s e n t e d . The ' t i m e '
479 BC. T h i s v i c t o r y d e c i s i v e l y g u a r a n t e e d t h e f u t u r e i n d e p - does n o t b e l o n g t o t h e l i t e r a l e v e n t , b u t t o t h e s a c r e d
e n d e n c e o f t h e G r e e k s . The P e r s i a n s w e r e l e d by M a r d o n i u s , moment when a n omen i s b i d d e n w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e e v e n t .
t h e i n d e p e n d e n t G r e e k s t a t e s w e r e u n d e r P a u s a n l a s . The o u t - Where t h e omen comes u n b i d d e n , t h e g o d s p e a k s i n a s p a c e
come o f t h i s c o n f l i c t h a d a l r e a d y b e e n p r o p h e s i e d a t D e l p h i , of h i s choosing, blessing o r touching events present w i t h
but t h e a m b i g u i t y o f t h e o r a c l e a l l o w e d Mardonius t o I g n o r e t h e omen. S u c h omens a r e commonly b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r w i t h
o r m i s u n d e r s t a n d i t . Both s i d e s were e m p l o y i n g s i m i l a r r i t e s e v e n t s by t i m e , i n t h a t t h e y o c c u r contemporaneously.
o f s a c r i f i c i a l d i v i n a t i o n . N e i t h e r h a d r e c e i v e d g o o d omens C o n t e m p o r a n e i t y i s an e x p r e s s i o n o f a c t u a l p e r c e p t i o n and
for an a l l - o u t attack, but Mardonius with the stronger n o t o f some a b s t r a c t e d a n d t h e o r e t i c a l ' o b j e c t i v e ' n e x u s o f
f o r c e s d e c i d e d t o i g n o r e h i s d i v i n e r ' s a d v i c e . Now comes t h e s p a c e a n d t i m e . S i g n i f i c a n c e i s n o t f i r s t and f o r e m o s t a n
critical moment, the decisive juncture of fate, f o r e v e n t o f p h y s i c a l n a t u r e , b u t i s a human q u a l i t y , whether
Pausanlas and t h e I n d e p e n d e n t G r e e k s : i n d i v i d u a l o r s o c i a l , a n d d e p e n d s u p o n t h e human k n o w e r .
Whatever i s s i g n i f i c a n t l y ' i n mind', whatever i s c l o u d i n g
" Once more as t h e y w e r e a b o u t t o e n g a g e w i t h Mardonius the h o r i z o n , t h e dominant u n c e r t a i n t y o f p r e s e n t a t t e n t i o n :
and h i s men, t h e y p e r f o r m e d t h e r i t u a l o f s a c r i f i c e . The it i s this that will spontaneously associate with the
omens w e r e n o t f a v o u r a b l e , a n d m e a n w h i l e many o f t h e i r a p p e a r a n c e o f a n omen. So when omens h a v e n o t been b i d d e n
men w e r e k i l l e d , a n d many more w o u n d e d , f o r t h e P e r s i a n s y e t o n e makes i t s s h o w i n g , t h e n t h e c u r r e n t m a i n c o n c e r n i s
had made a b a r r i c a d e o f t h e i r w i c k e r s h i e l d s a n d f r o m the l i k e l y l o c u s o f r e f e r e n c e . I f an e c l i p s e i s observed
the protection o f i t were s h o o t i n g arrows i n such w h i l e t h e k i n g i s on an e x p e d i t i o n , t h e n p r i m a f a c i e t h e
numbers that the Spartan troops were i n serious k i n g ' s e x p e d i t i o n i s t h e dominant current uncertainty to
d i s t r e s s ; t h i s , added t o t h e u n f a v o u r a b l e r e s u l t s o f t h e w h i c h t h e omen r e f e r s . I f t h e r e i s no o b v i o u s a s s o c i a t i o n
s a c r i f i c e , a t l a s t caused Pausanias t o t u r n h i s eyes t o f o r some r e m a r k a b l e e v e n t r e c o g n i s e d as a n omen, t h e n t h a t
t h e t e m p l e o f Hera and t o c a l l upon t h e goddess f o r h e r omen i t s e l f becomes t h e c e n t r e o f c u r r e n t u n c e r t a i n t y . T h e r e
a i d , p r a y i n g h e r n o t t o a l l o w t h e G r e e k s t o be r o b b e d o f w i l l t h e n be a n e x p e c t a t i o n f o r t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e , some-
t h e i r hope o f v i c t o r y . T h e n , w h i l e t h e w o r d s w e r e s t i l l t h i n g u n k n o w n b u t ' j u s t a r o u n d t h e c o r n e r ' , t o be s p e c u l a t e d
upon h i s l i p s , t h e Tegeans s p r a n g f o r w a r d t o l e a d t h e upon by t h e d i v i n e r s . I n t h i s case t h e ' f u t u r e ' and i t s s i g n
attack, and a moment later the s a c r i f i c i a l victims becomes a m a t t e r o f p r e s e n t c o n c e r n , d e m a n d i n g human u n d e r -
promised success. At t h i s , t h e Spartans, t o o , a t l a s t s t a n d i n g and r i t u a l response.
moved f o r w a r d a g a i n s t t h e enemy..." In developed traditions of divination, there i s fine
- Herodotus d i s c r i m i n a t i o n o f d e t a i l o f t h e omen, by a n a l o g y , s i m i l i t u d e
s >^ ^ ' H i s t o r i e s ' Book I X ( 2 6 ) o r h i s t o r i c a l p r e c e d e n t . Thus a p a r t i c u l a r p a r t o f c u r r e n t
Who g i v e s t h e G r e e k s t h e i r v i c t o r y ? N o t i c e t h e c h a n g e o f c o n c e r n may become t h e l o c u s o f a s s o c i a t i o n . A l t e r n a t i v e l y
heart attending t h e appeal t o Hera, followed by t h e t h e d i v i n e r c a n s e e k a s p e c i f i c l o c u s , and i n t h e p r o c e s s
immediate reversal o f omens. D e s p i t e t h e i n e x o r a b l e , i f improve, c o n f i r m , o r d i s c o n f l r m , h i s o r i g i n a l understanding,
p a r a d o x i c a l , f u l f i l m e n t o f major prophecies, n e v e r t h e l e s s i n by t h e b i d d i n g o f a f u r t h e r omen i n r i t u a l d i v i n a t i o n . T h i s
the p a r t i c u l a r circumstance I n w h i c h men f i n d themselves p r o c e s s c a n be d i s c e r n e d t h r o u g h o u t d i v l n a t o r y p r a c t i c e . An
t h e r e c a n be no g u a r a n t e e d o r a b s o l u t e d e s t i n y b e y o n d human u n s p e c i f i e d ' s o l a r s i g n ' seen a t t h e s t a r t o f t h e m i l i t a r y
i n f l u e n c e , o r independent o f man's p a r t i c i p a t i o n . I t may e x p e d i t i o n o f k i n g M u r s i l i s I I , a r o u n d 1330 BC, l e d t o f e a r s
c h a n g e f r o m moment t o moment, f r o m omen t o omen. Men f i n d f o r b o t h k i n g a n d e x p e d i t i o n . F u r t h e r c o n s u l t a t i o n by d i v i n -
courage and i n v o k e t h e gods: d e s t i n y i s n e g o t i a b l e . A t r u e a t i o n r e l o c a t e d t h e omen as c o n c e r n i n g h i s q u e e n ( 2 4 ) .
a t t i t u d e i n r i t u a l a n d i n d i v i n a t i o n may I n d e e d be p a r t o f S i n c e a n omen I s o n l y a n omen i f i t i s r e c o g n i s e d as
that i n i t i a t i v e . j i >•/ ;:i s s. i . \. < such, i t i s c l e a r t h a t i t s s i g n i f i c a n c e i s dependent on t h e

18 19.
p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h o s e f o r whom i t i s p r e s e n t . I t s v a l i d i t y What l i t t l e i s known o f t h e e a r l y a s t r o l o g e r s b e a r s o u t
d o e s n o t d e p e n d i n a n y way o n some g e n e r a l o r t h e o r e t i c a l the v i e w t h a t augury and a s t r o l o g y were i n t i m a t e companions.
law governing the production o f omens. I t s p o w e r comes A C h a l d e a n , S o u d l n e s , who a c t e d as a d v i s o r t o A t t a l o s o f
p r e c i s e l y f r o m i t s u n i q u e a p p e a r a n c e ' f o r u s , h e r e , now'. Pergamon a r o u n d 240 BC, was a n a u t h o r i t y on d i v i n a t i o n -
F o r t h i s r e a s o n , t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e d e r i v e d f r o m omens and including liver-reading - a n d an a s t r o l o g e r . H i s l u n a r
e m b o d i e d i n a n c i e n t d i v i n a t i o n may be c a l l e d p a r t i c i p a t o r y t a b l e s w e r e s t i l l u s e d by G r e e k a s t r o l o g e r s s e v e r a l cent-
s i g n i f i c a n c e . I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t f o r someone who p e r c e i v e s i t uries l a t e r . Posldonlus, s k i l l e d i n various d i v i n a t o r y a r t s ,
as s i g n i f i c a n t . T h i s n o t i o n w i l l h e l p us r e c o g n i s e t h e g r e a t including astrology, pre-eminently represents the fusion of
divide between a r c h a i c a n d m o d e r n modes o f t h o u g h t . I t of these practices with Stoic philosophy i n the f i r s t
s t a n d s i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e modern n o n - d i v l n a t o r y attitude c e n t u r y BC. A c o n t e m p o r a r y , N i g i d l u s F i g u l u s , was i n t h e
which assigns an a p p a r e n t l y n o n - p a r t i c i p a t o r y t h e o r e t i c a l first generation of native Roman astrologers. He was
s i g n i f i c a n c e t o events: immersed i n t h e E t r u s c a n t r a d i t i o n , and amongst h i s w r i t i n g s
were e s s a y s on thunder-omens and e n t r a i l s - d i v i n a t i o n .
" We understand phenomena, n o t b y w h a t makes them According t o Bouchi-Leclercq, this period i n Roman
peculiar, b u t b y w h a t makes t h e m m a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f c u l t u r e saw a c o m p e t i t i o n f o r b e l i e f , o n a p p r o x i m a t e l y equal
g e n e r a l l a w s . But a g e n e r a l l a w c a n n o t do j u s t i c e t o t h e terms, between t h e a n c i e n t a r t o f h a r u s p i c y (which covers
i n d i v i d u a l c h a r a c t e r o f e a c h e v e n t . And t h e i n d i v i d u a l several o l d forms o f omen-watching, i n c l u d i n g e n t r a i l s -
character o f t h e event i s p r e c i s e l y w h a t e a r l y man d i v i n a t i o n ) , and a s t r o l o g y :
e x p e r i e n c e s most s t r o n g l y . " _ p^g^kfort et a l .
" T h e r e was i n Rome c o n t a c t , r i v a l r y , a n d r e c i p r o c a l
•Before Philosophy' (27)
a d u l t e r a t i o n between E t r u s c a n d i v i n a t i o n and a s t r o l o g y ,
The o b s e r v a t i o n o f m e t e o r o l o g i c a l a n d c e l e s t i a l omens r a n b u t we c a n n o t t e l l t o w h a t e x t e n t t h e y r e a c t e d , o n e u p o n
parallel with t h e development of liver-divination and the o t h e r . " _ L ' A s t r o l o g l e Grecque (31)
e m e r g e d f r o m t h e same m a t r i x o f ' p a r t i c i p a t o r y ' understand-
ing. Without r e d u c i n g a s t r o l o g y t o b e i n g an e x t e n s i o n o f Out o f t h i s o b s c u r e p i c t u r e , c e r t a i n i n f e r e n c e s may be
liver-reading, nevertheless points o f contact a r e t o be t e n t a t i v e l y d r a w n . I t seems l i k e l y t h a t f o r many o f t h e s e
e x p e c t e d . Regions o f t h e sky were i d e n t i f i e d w i t h a r e a s o f early astrologers, at least part of their astrological
t h e l i v e r ( 2 8 ) . L i k e t h e marks i n t h e e n t r a i l s o f t h e s a c r i - experience will have been recognised as h a v i n g direct
f i c i a l a n i m a l , c e l e s t i a l omens w e r e s e e n w i t h i n t h e r e a l m o f a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h a u g u r y : t h i s a s s o c i a t i o n w i l l h a v e been t h e
t h e s a c r e d , and t h e y r e q u i r e d r i t u a l r e s p o n s e . A s t r o l o g i c a l legacy of both Etruscan a n d M e s o p o t a m i a n a t t i t u d e s . Hence
omens w e r e t h e s u b s t a n c e o f d i v i n a t i o n . Hence t h e y c o u l d be t h e l i k e l i h o o d o f ' r e c i p r o c a l a d u l t e r a t i o n ' . The m a t r i x o f
r e f e r r e d t o o t h e r f o r m s o f d i v i n a t i o n , as i s e v i d e n t i n t h e understanding which allows augury w i l l thus have served
case o f t h e H i t t i t e k i n g a l r e a d y mentioned. I n v e r y e a r l y equally as justification f o r elements of astrological
t i m e s t h e l i v e r seems t o h a v e b e e n t h e f i n a l a r b i t e r i n a n y practice.
case o f a m b i g u i t y . Greek a s t r o l o g y developed o u t o f a complex r e c i p r o c a l
The passage into Greek thought eventually overlaid interaction of various ancient strands, which Include
participatory significance with theoretical understanding. Egyptian cosmology and calendar science together with
It thus rendered problematic the o r i g i n a l foundation of M e s o p o t a m i a n a s t r o n o m y and a s t r a l r e l i g i o n . By t h e t i m e o f
a s t r o l o g y . H o w e v e r , v e s t i g e s o f t h e o l d e r way o f u n d e r - Ptolemy, t h e development o f t h e ' d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n ' (out-
standing r e m a i n e d f o r l o n g a t w o r k i n t h e s p i r i t u a l and l i n e d i n p a r t I o f t h i s s t u d y ) had e f f e c t i v e l y e c l i p s e d a l l
i n t e l l e c t u a l ferment. Delphi retained traces of i t s author- other p o s s i b l e j u s t i f i c a t i o n s f o r horoscopy. I n the P t o l -
i t y a f t e r t h e t i m e o f C h r i s t . The p r i e s t l y p r a c t i c e o f l i v e r emaic d e f i n i t i o n , t h e o l d e r p a r t i c i p a t o r y s i g n i f i c a n c e has
d i v i n a t i o n s u r v i v e d t h e r u i n o f B a b y l o n , and i s r e c o r d e d a t been r e p l a c e d b y t h e t h e o r e t i c a l s t r u c t u r e o f A r i s t o t l e . I t
l e a s t down t o t h e f i f t h c e n t u r y AD ( 2 9 ) . follows that the l a t e r , Ptolemaic, r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n w i l l be
The t w o d i f f e r e n t modes o f t h o u g h t , a n c i e n t and m o d e r n , an i n c o m p l e t e a n d u n r e l i a b l e I n d i c a t o r o f f o r m a t i v e a t t i t u d e s
c a n be t r a c e d i n t h e a s t r o l o g y o f t h i s p e r i o d : of t h e e a r l i e r p e r i o d .
R e a d i n g B o u c h e - L e c l e r c q o n t h e s u b j e c t , one i s l e d t o a
" I n t h e t e m p l e s o f O r i e n t a l gods a s t r o l o g y a s s u m e d , o r v i e w o f e a r l y h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y as s o m e t h i n g o f a c o r r u p t i o n ,
r a t h e r maintained, a very d i f f e r e n t c h a r a c t e r from t h a t arising as an u n s c r u p u l o u s o r weak-minded response t o
under which i t presented itself i n t h e schools or c o m p e t i t i o n f r o m o t h e r f o r m s o f d i v i n a t i o n . The c o r r u p t i o n
observatories..." „ ror.» i s s e e n as r e s i d i n g i n t h e a p p a r e n t l y a r b i t r a r y n a t u r e o f
- Cumont ( 3 0 ) the 'moment' chosen by t h e a s t r o l o g e r t o provide the
Cumont c o n t r a s t s t h e o l d e r r e l i g i o u s a t t i t u d e w i t h t h a t o f p e r t i n e n t h o r o s c o p e . Such c e n s u r e I s v a l i d o n l y f r o m t h e
'a d i d a c t i c t r e a t i s e l i k e t h e T e t r a b i b l o s o f P t o l e m y , w h e r e v a n t a g e - p o i n t • o f P t o l e m a i c o r t h o d o x y , and m i s s e s t h e e s s e n t -
the e f f e c t s o f t h e p l a n e t s are t r a c e d t o p h y s i c a l causes'. ial fact that early horoscopy i s i n significant part

20
ii
grounded I n d i v i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e , and t e n d s t o express a an a s t r o l o g i c a l omen t o I n d i c a t e t h e w i l l o f t h e g o d s - and
d i v i n a t o r y l o g i c . This logic determined the character of the t h u s t h e o u t c o m e i n t e r m s o f good o r i l l f o r t u n e - w i t h
k a t a r c h i c 'moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' , a n d t h r o u g h t h i s i n f l u e n c e d r e s p e c t t o human I n i t i a t i v e b r o u g h t b e f o r e t h o s e g o d s . The
the i n t e r p r e t i v e f o u n d a t i o n o f t h a t most c o m p l e x o f omens, horary c h a r t i s t h e e q u i v a l e n t o f t h e bidden response i n
the horoscope. ritual d i v i n a t i o n : t o make h o r a r y i s as i f ' t o b e g i n t h e
I t i s p o s s i b l e t o remove t h e f r a m e w o r k o f t h e P t o l e m a i c rites of sacrifice'.
r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n , and t o r e v i e w e a r l y h o r o s c o p l c p r a c t i c e s I t was b r o u g h t f o r w a r d e a r l i e r I n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e
w i t h i n t h e l i g h t o f augury. This r e v e a l s t h e u n i t i n g thread r i t u a l act of divination, that the act i t s e l f creates the
of the diverse collection gathered under t h e name o f s a c r e d s p a c e , t h e ' t e m p l u m ' w h e r e i n a n omen may a p p e a r . The
katarche. U n l i k e t h e most u s u a l understanding of natal omen b e l o n g s to this s p a c e , and I s n o t an 'objective'
a s t r o l o g y , w h e r e a f a t e a p p e a r s t o be d e t e r m i n e d a t b i r t h , p r o p e r t y o f t h e event i n t h e w o r l d w i t h which i t i s spont-
these k a t a r c h i c p r a c t i c e s share w i t h augury a quality of aneously associated. Translating this into a residual
human p a r t i c i p a t i o n . When N i g i d i u s F i g u l u s j u d g e s a k a t a r c h e I n s t i n c t t h a t may be d i s c e r n e d e v e n i n m o d e r n h o r a r y , t h e
f o r t h e i n c e p t i o n o f c i v i l w a r b e t w e e n C a e s a r and Pompey, h o r a r y moment i s s i g n i f i c a n t p r e c i s e l y a n d o n l y b e c a u s e i t
i s t h e moment t h a t someone h a s p o s e d a h o r a r y q u e s t i o n . The
l i k e t h e o t h e r o m e n - r e a d e r s he s e e k s n o t o n l y a p r e d i c t i o n
d e c i s i o n t h a t t h i s w i l l be t a k e n as a h o r a r y moment r e s t s
o f o u t c o m e , b u t more f u n d a m e n t a l l y a j u d g m e n t o n t h e l e g a l -
w i t h t h e a s t r o l o g e r . To a p p l y t h e l a n g u a g e o f a u g u r y , i t i s
ity or divine accord o f Caesar's a c t i o n : that i s , the
t h e a s t r o l o g e r who h a s t h e a u t h o r i t y o f t h e t e m p l u m .
r e s p o n s e o f t h e g o d s t o t h i s f r e e l y t a k e n human i n i t i a t i v e
(32). Despite t h e Immeasurable a u t h o r i t y o f t h e numinous The p r i m e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e k a t a r c h i c moment i s t h a t
r e a l m c a l l e d u p o n by d i v i n a t i o n , t h e q u e s t i o n o f d e s t i n y i s it presents Itself with the matter under inquiry, the
i n e f f e c t a f l u i d a n d o p e n p r o j e c t - t h e gods may be p r o p i t - 'dominant u n c e r t a i n t y i n present attention'. I t s signif-
iated, t h e sacred may be a p p r o a c h e d . Unlike the fixed i c a n c e i s p a r t i c i p a t o r y - t h a t i s , i t i s dependent on t h e
indication attributed to a natal horoscope - o r t o an p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r , o r o f t h e one who w i l l
i n c e p t i o n a l h o r o s c o p e t r e a t e d a f t e r t h e manner o f a n a t i v i t y p r e s s a n I n q u i r y u p o n t h e a s t r o l o g e r . The moment i s t h u s
- t h e omens o f t h e k a t a r c h e c a n n o t be g u a r a n t e e d , t h e y do a s s o c i a t e d w i t h w h a t moves someone, w h a t makes a n i m p a c t i n
n o t c o n s t i t u t e an u n a l t e r a b l e o r d e r o f t h i n g s . L i k e t h e t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e . The k a t a r c h e , u n l i k e t h e n a t a l moment as
a u g u r i e s o f P a u s a n l a s , t h e y a r e o p e n t o c h a n g e as I n i t i a t i v e ordinarily understood, does not require a theoretical
changes. s t r u c t u r e t o s u p p o r t i t . I t h a s no n e e d o f a l a w o f a s t r o -
As w i t h I n c e p t i o n a l a s t r o l o g y , t h e e a r l y f o r m s o f e l e c t - logical Influences or signatures 'objectively existing'
l o n a l and h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y come f o r w a r d I n a new l i g h t when Independent o f t h e a s t r o l o g e r ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n . Since i t i s
c o n s i d e r e d w i t h i n t h e k a t a r c h i c a t t i t u d e . An e l e c t i o n t a k e s not h e l d w i t h i n t h e boundary o f t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n ,
on t h e q u a l i t y o f s e e k i n g o f a b l e s s i n g , t h e a u t h o r i s a t i o n where a l i t e r a l b e g i n n i n g i s t h e d e f i n i t i v e 'theoretical'
by t h e a s t r o l o g i c a l d i v i n i t i e s e l e c t e d . C h o o s i n g t h e d a y o r r e q u i r e m e n t , t h e k a t a r c h e f i n d s e x p r e s s i o n t h r o u g h a range
the hour o f t h e god, choosing t h e time o f h i s b e n e f i c e n t of p o s s i b l e moments f o r w h i c h a h o r o s c o p e may be j u d g e d .
c o n f i g u r a t i o n w i t h r e s p e c t t o o n e ' s own w i s h - s u c h a n a c t T h i s r a n g e n a t u r a l l y i n c l u d e s b e g i n n i n g s as a pre-eminent
of election i s consistent with, and e x p r e s s i v e o f , an possibility. However, w h i c h moment i s t a k e n up i n e a c h
a r c h a i c r e l i g i o u s a t t i t u d e . T h a t same a t t i t u d e w i l l e q u a l l y p a r t i c u l a r c a s e d e p e n d s e n t i r e l y o n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e and t h e
f i n d e x p r e s s i o n i n more a c t i v e f o r m s : t h e d e d i c a t i o n o f p r a y e r a s t r o l o g e r . I t c a n n o t be p r e d e t e r m i n e d by a n y f i x e d r u l e ,
or r i t u a l t o t h e g o d , o r t h e c r e a t i o n o f emblems o r t a l i s - u n l e s s t h e a s t r o l o g e r h i m s e l f has e l e c t e d s u c h a ' r u l e ' as
mans t o e v o k e t h e g o d ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n . I t i s s u g g e s t e d here part of the r i t u a l of practice of astrology.
that this attitude i s the active p r i n c i p l e shaping the Although a n y moment a t a l l c o u l d s u g g e s t Itself, in
e a r l i e s t experience of katarchic a s t r o l o g y . p r a c t i c e t h e moments ' s i g n i f i c a n t l y p r e s e n t e d ' a n d t h e r e f o r e
I t i s a d i s t i n c t feature of astrological election that i t 'spontaneously a s s o c i a t e d ' commonly f a l l i n t o o n e o r o t h e r
d o e s n o t a l l o w w i t h i n i t s e l f a way o f r e p l y by t h e g o d s , o f a f e w s e l f - e v i d e n t c a t e g o r i e s . The e x a m p l e s q u o t e d f r o m
s i n c e i t has n o t l e f t i t s m a j o r s y m b o l i s m ' t o chance'. I t P a l c h u s i n P a r t 11 w i l l i l l u s t r a t e these.
therefore reflects t h e p r a c t i c e o f i n v o c a t i o n o f a god, Since celestial c o n f i g u r a t i o n s d e f i n e t h e passage o f
w i t h o u t seeking t o determine a response through the s a c r i - t i m e , a s t r o l o g y o f i t s n a t u r e t r e a t s t i m e as I t s d i v i n a t o r y
f i c e . This p a t t e r n o f s a c r a l a u t h o r i s a t i o n o f conduct w i t h - field. I n t h e k a t a r c h e , any i n i t i a t i v e o r event that i s
o u t t h e s p e c i f i c b i d d i n g o f a n omen i n r e s p o n s e i s q u i t e d e c i s i v e l y m a r k e d o u t by a c r i t i c a l i n s t a n t w i l l be a s s o c -
common i n a n t i q u i t y , f o r e x a m p l e i n t h e G r e e k r i t u a l s as i a t e d w i t h t h e t i m e - and hence t h e c e l e s t i a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n
r e c o r d e d by Homer, p r i o r t o t h e c o n t a c t w i t h M e s o p o t a m i a n - o f t h a t I n s t a n t . One moment i s n o t ' t h e o r e t i c a l l y ' more
divination. Important t h a n a n y o t h e r - i t i s t h e moment t h a t comes
Seen i n t h e same light, horary astrology perfectly forward i n the p a r t i c u l a r circumstance t h a t c o u n t s . When
r e f l e c t s ancient d i v i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e . I t i s the seeking o f P a l c h u s j u d g e s t h e k a t a r c h e f o r t h e moment o f r e c e i p t o f

22 23
l e t t e r s , t h i s I s n o t a s e c o n d a r y moment r e f l e c t i n g some more
p r i m a l o r i g i n , s u c h as t h e u n k n o w n moment o f t h e i r b e i n g
w r i t t e n . Had t h a t moment b e e n a v a i l a b l e , a n d n o t t h e moment
o f r e c e i p t , t h e n d o u b t l e s s I t t o o would have s e r v e d f o r t h e
k a t a r c h e . The v e r y f a c t t h a t t h i s e a r l i e r moment I s n o t
' p r e s e n t e d ' removes I t e n t i r e l y f r o m p a r t i c i p a t o r y signif-
icance .
The question of the status and c o n t r i b u t i o n of the
katarche i n early horoscopy i s much c l a r i f i e d when i t s
essential relationship with ancient d i v i n a t i o n i s revealed.
The d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n t h e P t o l e m a i c r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n a n d
t h e p r a c t i c e s o f t h e k a t a r c h e go f a r d e e p e r t h a n q u e s t i o n s
of technique, o r o f d i f f e r e n t a r e a s o f a p p l i c a t i o n . The
k a t a r c h e embodies a c e r t a i n s t a n c e , one w h i c h a l l o w s t h e
a s t r o l o g e r t h e freedom - and t h e u n c e r t a i n t y - o f s i g n i f -
i c a n c e i n w h i c h he d i r e c t l y p a r t i c i p a t e s . The t r a n s m i s s i o n
o f t h i s a n c i e n t a t t i t u d e i n t o l a t e r h o r a r y p r a c t i c e i s easy
t o r e c o g n i s e . I n p a r t I I o f t h i s s t u d y , i t was I n d i c a t e d
t h a t t h e m o d e r n a r t o f h o r a r y c a n n o t be a d e q u a t e l y d e -
scribed without including the p a r t i c i p a t i o n of the a s t r o l -
o g e r i n t h a t d e s c r i p t i o n . We come b a c k t o t h e ' p a r t i c i p a t o r y
s i g n i f i c a n c e ' o f a n c i e n t t h o u g h t , and p r o b a b l y o f d i v i n a t i o n
as a w h o l e .
This leaves u n r e s o l v e d t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e development o f
n a t a l a s t r o l o g y , w h i c h f r o m v e r y e a r l y t i m e s a p p e a r s t o have
moved away f r o m t h e ' k a t a r c h i c a t t i t u d e ' . The n e x t p a r t o f
this study w i l l b r i n g i n t o f o c u s t h i s c r u c i a l change o f
emphasis i n t h e v a s t p r o j e c t o f a s t r o l o g y .

Notes: - 'f

21. Katarche i n Homer: O d y s s e y III.445

22. Dictionaries consulted: see especially the 'Greek-English' Lexicon, Liddell & Scott,
in both f u l l & a b r i d g e d forms (Oxford U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ) , and f o r t h e L a t i n , Lewis &
S h o r t , and A i n s w o r t h .

23. L a t i n f o r k a t a r c h e : I h a v e t a k e n r e f e r e n c e g i v e n i n P i n g r e e ( o p . c i t . n o t e 1 9 ) pXV,
t o A . L u d w i c h " M a x i m i e t Ammonis c a r m i n u m de a c t i o n u m auspiciis reliquiae". Phrase
underlined translates 'katarche'.

24. M e s o p o t a n i a n d i v i n a t i o n : e s s a y by O . R . G u r n e y i n ' D i v i n a t i o n A O r a c l e s ' e d . M.Loewe

4 C . B l a c k e r ( A l l e n i Unwln 1 9 8 1 ) . E a r l y l i v e r - r e a d i n g p 148; ' S o l a r s i g n ' p 161.

25. Roman A u g u r y : q u o t a t i o n f r o m W.Warde F o w l e r " T h e R e l i g i o u s E x p e r i e n c e o f t h e Roman

P e o p l e " M a c m i l l a n 4 Co. London ( 1 9 1 1 ) . L e c t u r e X I I I p 2 9 8 .

26. Herodotus: Book I X , 61-2. I have used the l i v e l y translation o f Aubrey de Selincourt
(Penguin Classics L34, p 576).

27. ' B e f o r e P h i l o s o p h y ' by H . A . F r a n k f o r t e t a l . P u b l i s h e d i n P e l i c a n A198 ( 1 9 4 9 ) . O r i g -

i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d by U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o P r e s s a s 'The I n t e l l e c t u a l A d v e n t u r e o f
^ A n c i e n t Man'. Q u o t e i s f r o m p 2 4 - 5 o f P e l i c a n e d n . E s p e c i a l l y i n t h e f i r s t c h a p t e r
on 'Myth a n d R e a l i t y ' , t h i s w o r k g i v e s a r e m a r k a b l e a n d l u c i d i n s i g h t i n t o t h e l o g i c
o f a r c h a i c ' m y t h o p e i c ' t h o u g h t , from w h i c h a s t r o l o g y u l t i m a t e l y d e r i v e s .

28. 'Origins o f Astrology' Jack Lindsay publ. Muller, London (1971) p l 8 . A v a l u a b l e and

extensive compilation from scholarly sources.

29. 5th century h a r u s p i c y : Warde F o w l e r op o i t n o t e 25. Lecture X I I I p 309.

30. F r a n z C u m o n t : " A s t r o l o g y 4 R e l i g i o n Among the Greeks 4 Romans" ( 1 9 1 2 ) , R e p u b l i s h e d

by D o v e r , New Y o r k ( 1 9 6 0 ) . L e c t u r e V p 8 7 . , , TO » ^
( n o t e s 31,32: s e e next p a r t )

24
 THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY Part IV
The Metaphysical Coup d ' E t a t by N a t a l Astrology
Geoffrey Cornelius
It i s h a r d l y p o s s i b l e t o discuss horoscopy w i t h o u t the
n a t a l h o r o s c o p e c o m i n g f o r w a r d as t h e t y p i c a l and p r e e m i n e n t
e x a m p l e . Even i n t h o s e b r a n c h e s o f a s t r o l o g y w i t h no o b v i o u s
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e d o c t r i n e o f n a t i v i t i e s , images d e r i v e d
f r o m t h a t d o c t r i n e a r e c o n t i n u a l l y e v o k e d . So a s t r o l o g e r s
t a l k o f t h e ' b i r t h o f a q u e s t i o n ' and t h e ' b i r t h o f a
n a t i o n ' . I t has a l r e a d y been s u g g e s t e d ( i n P a r t I I ) t h a t t h e
use o f t h i s m e t a p h o r t e n d s t o o b s c u r e r a t h e r t h a n e n l i g h t e n
c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e h o r a r y moment a n d h o r a r y m e t h o d . I f
indeed the l i g h t o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y h a s p u t i n t o shadow
o t h e r ways o f p r a c t i c e , t h e q u e s t i o n a r i s e s o f how t h i s has
h a p p e n e d . The q u e s t i o n i s not simply a matter o f past
h i s t o r y . I t i s n e c e s s a r i l y o f Immediate s i g n i f i c a n c e , since
i t r a i s e s t h e i s s u e o f t h e models a s t r o l o g e r s have chosen,
and c o n t i n u e t o c h o o s e , t o e x p l a i n t h e i r a s t r o l o g y .
The purpose o f t h i s p a r t i s t o d i s e n t a n g l e t h e main
elements which c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e e a r l y ascendancy o f n a t a l
astrology. These elements will be t r e a t e d u n d e r three
h e a d i n g s . Of f i r s t importance i s the Inherent authority
i n v e s t e d i n t h e n a t a l moment. The s e c o n d c o n s i d e r a t i o n i s
the impact o f mankind's i n c r e a s i n g a b i l i t y t o p r e d i c t t h e
m o t i o n s o f t h e h e a v e n s , and t h e e f f e c t t h i s had i n e v e n t -
u a l l y weakening t h e ' p a r t i c i p a t o r y ' q u a l i t y o f a s t r o l o g y .
T h i r d l y , a g a i n s t t h i s background, t h e Ptolemaic p r o j e c t can
be l o c a t e d as p r o v i d i n g a t h o r o u g h d e f i n i t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y ,
together w i t h a j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r the n a t a l horoscope, i n
terms o f t h e r a t i o n a l model t h a t i s t h e l a s t i n g a c h i e v e m e n t
of Greek p h i l o s o p h y . ;
* * iV

The d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e k a t a r c h e a l r e a d y u n d e r t a k e n i n P a r t
I I I l o c a t e d i t s f u n d a m e n t a l l o g i c as a n a c t o f ' s p o n t a n e o u s
a s s o c i a t i o n ' o f some e v e n t o r i s s u e w i t h an i n s t a n t o f t i m e
- and hence t h e c e l e s t i a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n d e f i n i t i v e o f , o r
n o t e w o r t h y w i t h i n , t h a t same i n s t a n t . The i n s t a n t o f t i m e i s
n a t u r a l l y and u s u a l l y contemporaneous w i t h t h e i s s u e w i t h
w h i c h i t i s i d e n t i f i e d . However, 'same-timeness' i s n o t a
d e f i n i t i v e r e q u i r e m e n t , as c e r t a i n p r a c t i c e s o f h o r a r y w i l l
r e m i n d u s . The h o r a r y moment, l i k e i t s k a t a r c h l c f o r e r u n n e r .
I s commonly t h e i n s t a n t o f i n q u i r y , r a t h e r t h a n t h e t i m e o f
t h e i s s u e u n d e r I n q u i r y . B u t i t may e q u a l l y w e l l be o f f s e t
o n t o some o t h e r moment e n t i r e l y , I f t h a t moment comes f o r -
w a r d as s i g n i f i c a n t .
The l o g i c o f t h i s s p o n t a n e o u s a s s o c i a t i o n f o r m s t h e b a s i s
for ' m a g i c a l c a u s a l i t y ' , l o n g d e b a t e d i n a n t h r o p o l o g y as a
category o f p r i m i t i v e m e n t a l i t y . Diverse elements o f percep-
t i o n become i d e n t i f i e d on t h e g r o u n d s o f t h e i r c o - o c c u r r e n c e
o r t h e i r r e s e m b l a n c e . The man i s i d e n t i f i e d w i t h h i s shadow

85
and h i s f o o t p r i n t , w i t h t h e t r e e t h a t he p l a n t s , w i t h t h e the c l a s s i c a l development o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y : t h a t o f pre-
b i r d t h a t f i l e s p a s t on t h e day o f h i s d e a t h , and w i t h t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n . The p o s s i b i l i t y o f f o r e t e l l i n g e v e n t s o f t h e
god o f t h e d a y o f h i s b i r t h . From t h e m o d e r n p o i n t o f v i e w l i f e t h r o u g h t o t h e day o f d e a t h suggests a f a t e d n e s s , an
which r e j e c t s d i v i n a t i o n , elements o f p e r c e p t i o n brought Immutable o r d e r l a i d down i n a d v a n c e . I n w h a t d o e s this
t o g e t h e r i n t h i s way h a v e no n e c e s s a r y i n h e r e n t c o n n e c t i o n ; r e s i d e ? I t m i g h t a p p e a r o n t h e s u r f a c e t o be t h e i n e v i t a b l e
i t i s c e r t a i n l y n o t enough t o e s t a b l i s h ' o b j e c t i v e ' s i g n i f i - p r o d u c t o f b e l i e f i n t h e powers o f t h e gods, c o u p l e d with
c a n c e f o r them t o be p e r c e i v e d t o g e t h e r , i f t h e y h a v e come a sacred calendar through which they manifest t h e i r will.
t o g e t h e r m e r e l y 'by c h a n c e ' . But this i s n o t a n a d e q u a t e e x p l a n a t i o n . The k a t a r c h i c
T h e r e i s no r e a s o n t o d o u b t t h a t t h e o r i g i n a l signifi- t h r e a d i n a s t r o l o g y d e m o n s t r a t e s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f human
c a n c e o f t h e n a t a l moment was r o o t e d i n t h i s same a r c h a i c c h o i c e i n e l e c t i n g t h e c o n f i g u r a t i o n o r t h e h o u r o f t h e god
l o g i c . Thus t h e c e l e s t i a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n o b s e r v e d o n t h e d a y who w i l l c a r r y f o r w a r d o n e ' s i n i t i a t i v e s . D i v i n a t i o n o f t h e
o f b i r t h , l i k e a n y o t h e r omen, t a k e s o n a n I d e n t i t y w i t h t h e k a t a r c h i c form suggests a f r e e p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n d e s t i n y , not
f a c t o f t h e b i r t h , and i n t u r n r e v e a l s an I n t e r p r e t a t i o n f o r a passive receipt of f a t e .
the l i f e t h a t ensues. The predetermined q u a l i t y o f d i v i n a t i o n from t h e n a t a l
To r e a c h t h e r o u t i n e e x p e c t a t i o n o f c e l e s t i a l signific- moment i s n o t t h e r e f o r e i n h e r e n t i n t h e i d e a o f s a c r e d t i m e .
ance a t b i r t h r e q u i r e s a s t e p o f s o p h i s t i c a t i o n i n d i v i n a - Its foundation lies i n the a t t i t u d e t o b i r t h i t s e l f . Birth
t o r y m e t h o d . T h i s i s an o b j e c t i f i c a t i o n , a s t e p b e y o n d t h e I s u n i q u e a m o n g s t t h e e v e n t s o f human l i f e , s i n c e i t i s t h e
direct observation of a celestial omen w h i c h announces one e v e n t o f a p e r s o n ' s l i f e w h i c h he n e v e r h a d a n y p o s s i b -
Itself as s i g n i f i c a n t and becomes a s s o c i a t e d w i t h co- i l i t y o f i n f l u e n c i n g . One's own s t o r y b e g i n s h e r e . I t l i e s
o c c u r r e n t e v e n t s o f human i m p o r t a n c e . back and b e h i n d a l l o t h e r happenings and m e m o r i e s , i t
I t appears t h a t an I m p o r t a n t I n t e r m e d i a r y r o l e i n t h e 'stands f o r ' t h e o r i g i n o f them a l l . I t has a l w a y s a l r e a d y
development o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y was p l a y e d b y a s t r o l o g y ' s h a p p e n e d . S i n c e we f i n d o u r s e l v e s n o t o f o u r c h o o s i n g thrown
blood brother, chronocratlc d i v i n a t i o n - d i v i n a t i o n through i n t o b e i n g , t h i s moment shows I t s e l f as a n I m m u t a b l e f a t e
the c a l e n d a r and t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f u n i t s o f t i m e . C a l e n d a r beyond o u r a p p e a l .
d i v i n a t i o n i s f o u n d e d i n t h e c o n c e p t o f ' s a c r e d t i m e ' . The Now i f o n e ' s own s t o r y b e g i n s a t b i r t h , t h i s i s e q u a l l y
n e o - P l a t o n l s t P r o c l u s ( 5 t h c e n t u r y AD) s t a t e s : true i n observing the births of others. Birth i s the defin-
" G e n e r a l o p i n i o n makes t h e H o u r s g o d d e s s e s a n d t h e i t i v e temporal marker f o r t h e i r b e i n g - i n - t h e - w o r l d ; before
Month a g o d , and t h e i r w o r s h i p has been handed on t o u s : t h a t t h e y a r e n o t . O n l y t h e moment o f d e a t h , t h e u l t i m a t e
we s a y a l s o t h a t t h e Day a n d N i g h t a r e d e i t i e s , a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y ahead o f each m o r t a l , matches t h i s i n e m o t i o n a l
g o d s t h e m s e l v e s h a v e t a u g h t u s how t o c a l l o n t h e m . " ( 3 3 ) s i g n i f i c a n c e f o r t h e community o f mankind. B i r t h stands f o r
the Past, Death stands f o r t h e F u t u r e . Together they bear
I n t h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e r e may r e s i d e a g e n u i n e l y E g y p t i a n the m y s t e r y o f Being ( 3 6 ) .
l e g a c y , f o r i t was t h i s p e o p l e who e x c e l l e d i n t h e s c i e n c e In examining the foundations of natal practice, i t i s
o f c a l e n d a r c o n s t r u c t i o n , a s c i e n c e w h i c h was i n t e g r a l w i t h important that the pattern of d l v i n a t o r y association i s not
t h e i r s a c r e d c o s m o l o g y . E g y p t i a n c e l e s t i a l o b s e r v a t i o n was reversed. Natal a s t r o l o g y w i l l tend t o c a r r y a q u a l i t y o f
t u r n e d t o t h i s p u r p o s e r a t h e r t h a n t o t h e end o f a s t r a l omen unfreedom, fate, i n s _ p f a r as_ t h l s _ l_s_ _ p e r c e i v e d _ i i i J b l r t h
w a t c h i n g w h i c h more f u l l y o c c u p i e d t h e M e s o p o t a m l a n s . i t s e l f . The p r o f o u n d s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e e v e n t o f b i r t h , t h e
Personal divination i s close on t h e h e e l s of this comlng-lnto-being, invests i t s divlnatory associations with
conception o f sacred time. Herodotus records t h a t 'the i t s own q u a l i t y . The b i r t h o f C h r i s t g i v e s s i g n i f i c a n c e t o
E g y p t i a n s were t h e f i r s t t o a s s i g n each month and each day Christmas Day a n d t h e s t a r o f B e t h l e h e m , n o t t h e o t h e r way
to a p a r t i c u l a r d e i t y , and t o f o r e t e l l by t h e d a t e o f a around.
man's b i r t h h i s c h a r a c t e r , h i s f o r t u n e s , a n d t h e d a y o f h i s Since b i r t h i s a d e f i n i t i v e temporal marker f o r the l i f e
death - a discovery which Greek poets have turned t o of a man, t h e n a t a l moment i s n e c e s s a r i l y i n v e s t e d w i t h a
a c c o u n t ' ( 3 4 ) . The E g y p t i a n s w e r e n o t h o w e v e r a l o n e i n t h i s ; definitive possibility of description of that man, h i s
a Babylonian t e x t f r o m b e f o r e 1000 BC i n d i c a t e s p e r s o n a l c h a r a c t e r a n d h i s d e s t i n y . The n a t a l h o r o s c o p e has f r o m
p r e d i c t i o n s based on t h e month o f b i r t h ( 3 5 ) , and t h e usage e a r l i e s t times demonstrated i t s p o s s i b i l i t i e s as a v e h i c l e
of s a c r e d t i m e , l u c k y a n d u n l u c k y d a y s , i s t o be f o u n d i n for d i v i n a t i o n with respect t o the e t e r n a l l y fascinating
all cultures. s p e c u l a t i o n s o n c h a r a c t e r t y p o l o g y . S i m i l a r l y , when i n q u i r y
C a l e n d a r d i v i n a t i o n based on t h e day o f b i r t h employs t h e turns t o the notion of the individual's place i n some
d l v i n a t o r y l o g i c which u n d e r l i e s a l l omen-watching. I t also g r e a t e r scheme o f t h i n g s , t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e i r r e s i s t i b l y
s e t s t h e s t a g e f o r t h e more s o p h i s t i c a t e d s t e p o f a s s o c i a t - suggests Itself.
ion w i t h t h e c e l e s t i a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n p a r t i c u l a r t o t h e day The theme w i t h w h i c h t h e b i r t h moment i s s p o n t a n e o u s l y
or hour o f b i r t h . a s s o c i a t e d - t h e whole l i f e o f t h e man - i n i t s s c o p e
The comments b y H e r o d o t u s f o r e s h a d o w a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f subsumes a n y p a r t i c u l a r i n i t i a t i v e p r o c e e d i n g f r o m t h e man.

86 87
The k a t a r c h e - t h e moment o f i n i t i a t i v e - promises ever
t h e d i s t a n t f u t u r e , a l l o w s o f no d e f l e c t i o n . I t i s a m a t h e -
f u r t h e r p o s s i b i l i t i e s a n d a n u n f i x e d p a t t e r n o f omens; no
matical law which determines t h e movements o f t h e gods
o r d i n a r y k a t a r c h i c moment c a n o f f e r the f i n a l i t y of the
t h e m s e l v e s . I t i s b e y o n d e v e n t h e i r p o w e r t o command.
moment o f b i r t h , w h i c h , i n t h e c e l e s t i a l p a t t e r n d e f i n i n g
T h i s c o n c e p t i o n , l i k e t h e a b s t r a c t i o n o f t h e g o d s , goes
i t , becomes a p r e g i v e n and a b s o l u t e omen. G i v e n t h e u n i q u e
t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e w i d e n i n g g e o g r a p h i c a l I m a g i n a t i o n o f man,
s t a t u s o f b i r t h , t h e r e f o r e , i t becomes u n d e r s t a n d a b l e that
as he p e r c e i v e s t r i b e s , r a c e s and n a t i o n s f a r b e y o n d h i s
natal a s t r o l o g y should develop an attitude and method
own, a l l o f whom a r e c o v e r e d by one g r e a t s k y . Seen i n t h i s
d i s t i n c t and a p p r o p r i a t e t o I t s e l f .
p e r s p e c t i v e , a s t r o l o g y goes b e y o n d t h e l o c a l g o d s , i t s omens
I n G r e e k and Roman a s t r o l o g y i t seems t o h a v e b e e n p o s s i b l e cannot be j u s t ' f o r u s , h e r e , now'. By i t s g r e a t n e s s and
for k a t a r c h i c a n d n a t a l m e t h o d s t o be p r a c t i s e d s i d e by u n e r r i n g i n e v i t a b i l i t y , t h e m a c h i n e g r i n d s t o d u s t any hope
s i d e . Whether t h i s m i x i s a l e g a c y f r o m B a b y l o n r e m a i n s an of direct Intervention I n I t s decree, u n l e s s man might
u n e x p l o r e d q u e s t i o n , w h i c h a w a i t s f u r t h e r w o r k by t h e t r a n s - attain t h e h i g h e s t and m o s t t r a n s c e n d e n t union with I t s
l a t o r s o f c u n e i f o r m t e x t s . H o w e v e r , t h e r e i s no r e a s o n t o remote C r e a t o r .
s u p p o s e t h a t t h e t w o f o r m s w e r e g e n e r a l l y s e e n as m u t u a l l y From i t s e a r l i e s t p a s s a g e i n t o G r e e k t h o u g h t , a s t r o l o g y
e x c l u s i v e . L i f e i t s e l f i s commonly p e r c e i v e d as a p a r a d o x i c - i s b e i n g wound i n t o t h e M a c h i n e o f D e s t i n y . The p r o f o u n d
a l m i x o f f a t e d and f r e e e l e m e n t s , a n d t h e s e conflicting Platonic concepts, which permeated l a t e r a s t r o l o g y , are
attitudes will find different expressions o f t h e same r e v e a l i n g i n t h i s m a t t e r . I n t h e 'Tlmaeus' P l a t o e x p r e s s e s
r e l i g i o n t o s u p p o r t them. E a r l y c r i t i c s o f a s t r a l d i v i n a t i o n the a t t i t u d e which severs t h e u m b i l i c a l c o r d between Greek
were q u i c k t o p o i n t o u t t h e ' i l l o g i c a l ' b e h a v i o u r o f b o t h a s t r o l o g y and a r c h a i c d i v i n a t i o n ( 3 8 ) :
astrologers and t h e common p e o p l e , who would seek o u t
p r o p i t i a t i o n and m a g i c a l o r s p i r i t u a l a l l e v l a t i v e s a t t h e " To t e l l w h i c h o f t h e g o d s come i n t o l i n e w i t h a n o t h e r
same t i m e as t h e y a c c e p t e d t h e n o t i o n o f f a t e ( 3 7 ) . a t t h e i r c o n j u n c t i o n s , a n d w h i c h i n o p p o s i t i o n . . . . and
I f t h i s mix o f methods i s p o s s i b l e , i t suggests t h a t t h e a t what p e r i o d s o f t i m e t h e y a r e s e v e r a l l y h i d d e n f r o m
preceding a n a l y s i s o f the i n n a t e preeminence of the n a t a l o u r v i e w and a g a i n r e a p p e a r i n g s e n d p a n i c f e a r s and
moment has n o t gone f a r e n o u g h t o e x p l a i n t h e d i s i n t e g r a t i o n omens o f t h e f u t u r e t o men who a r e u n a b l e t o c a l c u l a t e " .
of the katarche. Why could the katarche not survive,
integral and self-sufficient, into Arabic and European 'Men who a r e u n a b l e t o c a l c u l a t e ' . . . for later astrology,
astrology? the term ' m a t h e m a t i c i i ' was t o become synonomous with
The a n s w e r l i e s i n a g r e a t c h a n g e i n t h o u g h t a n d b e l i e f 'astrologers'. Men who can calculate may determine in
which m a n i f e s t s I n two r e l a t e d a s p e c t s . F i r s t o f these I s advance t h e dance o f t h e gods; t h e y a r e masters o f a s u b l i m e
t h e r i s e o f G r e e k s c i e n c e - a new and o r d e r l y c o n c e p t o f t h e v i s i o n o f t h e o r d e r o f t h e w h o l e cosmos. I t i s c l e a r t h a t
cosmos r e v e a l e d by r a t i o n a l i n q u i r y . Hand i n h a n d w i t h t h i s P l a t o d o w n g r a d e s a d i r e c t r e s p o n s e t o a c e l e s t i a l omen i f I t
i s t h e w i t h d r a w a l o f t h e gods, t h e d i v i n e w o r l d i n t e r t w i n e d has n o t been b r o u g h t w i t h i n a framework o f mathematical
with man, intimately responsive to his propitiation. o r d e r : ' p a n i c f e a r s and omens'. The c o n t e x t o f t h e p a s s a g e
B e g i n n i n g w i t h t h e e a r l y G r e e k s c h o o l s , t h e r e i s a move t o quoted a b o v e I s a l s o r e v e a l i n g : P l a t o has b e f o r e h i m an
locate the action of the divine i n a realm of a b s t r a c t armlllary sphere, 'a v i s i b l e model o f t h e s e movements'.
principles, and away from the anthropomorphic Homeric From t h i s e r a o n , p h i l o s o p h y c a n c l a i m f o r i t s e l f a model o f
p a n t h e o n . The Zeus o f t h e p h i l o s o p h e r becomes a d i f f e r e n t the c o s m o s , o p e n t o i n s p e c t i o n , m e a s u r e and i n q u i r y , w h e r e
c r e a t u r e t o t h e Zeus o f p o p u l a r b e l i e f . the most f u n d a m e n t a l m o t i o n - t h e d i u r n a l movement o f t h e
The c o m b i n a t i o n o f a n o r d e r e d cosmos t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e Prlmum M o b i l e - i s i t s e l f t h e abode o f R e a s o n .
abstraction o f t h e gods p r o v e d destructive f o r archaic Such p h i l o s o p h y i s i n d e e d a d i v i n e v i s i o n , a n d my r e m a r k s
d i v i n a t o r y b e l i e f b o t h w i t h i n and w i t h o u t a s t r o l o g y . W i t h i n h e r e s h o u l d n o t be u n d e r s t o o d as s t a n d i n g I n o p p o s i t i o n t o
a s t r o l o g y , t h e f i n a l c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h i s d e v e l o p m e n t was t h e t h i s most p o w e r f u l f o r m u l a t i o n . However, i n t e r m s o f t h e
s u n d e r i n g o f a l l a p p a r e n t c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n h o r o s c o p y and p r i n c i p a l theme o f t h i s s t u d y , t h e c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h e t o t a l
divination. I t s p r e p a r a t o r y s t a g e was a t w o r k f r o m b e f o r e t h e and u n q u e s t i o n e d a c c e p t a n c e o f t h i s v i s i o n s h o u l d be b o r n e
o r i g i n o f h o r o s c o p y , and may i n d e e d h a v e I n d u c e d I t s d e v e l - i n m i n d . The o l d gods become, i n P l a t o ' s w o r d s , ' i n s t r u m e n t s
opment. T h i s f i r s t s t a g e I s t h e i n e x o r a b l e p r e s s u r e towards of t i m e ' , s u b j e c t t o a v a s t and i m p e r s o n a l p a t t e r n . ITme
a c o n c e p t o f a s t r o l o g y t h a t may b e s t be d e s c r i b e d as ' t h e i t s e l f becomes ' t h e m o v i n g i m a g e o f E t e r n i t y ' . The c h a o t i c ,
Machine o f D e s t i n y ' . e m o t i o n a l and I n t i m a t e q u a l i t y o f p r i m i t i v e and a n i m i s t i c
The 'Machine of Destiny' i s the understanding that d l v i n a t o r y a s s o c i a t i o n n e c e s s a r i l y d i s s o l v e s i n the face of
m a n k i n d ' s f a t e , c o l l e c t i v e l y and i n d i v i d u a l l y , i s p r e d e t e r - this brilliant i n t e l l e c t u a l form, a form which appeals t o
m i n e d w i t h a s i m i l a r o r d e r a n d p r e c i s i o n as i s m a n i f e s t e d i n t h e f u n d a m e n t a l I n s t i n c t f o r o r d e r and h a r m o n y .
t h e o b s e r v e d c y c l e s o f t h e p l a n e t s . The s t a t e l y o r d e r o f t h e The r a t i o n a l o r d e r o b s e r v e d i n t h e h e a v e n s s t i r r e d G r e e k
heavens, i n p r i n c i p l e c a l c u l a b l e from remote a n t i q u i t y t o science and p h i l o s o p h y ; t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h i s vast

89
88
theme f o r t h e d e s t i n y o f man i n s p i r e d Greek a s t r o l o g y . been e s t a b l i s h e d f r o m the beginning of time". (40)
A l t h o u g h t h e c l a s s i c a l model o f a s t r o l o g y w h i c h r e s u l t s f r o m
this bears t h e mark o f Greek g e n i u s , nevertheless the I f a s t r o l o g y speaks of a d i v i n e o r d e r e s t a b l i s h e d f o r a l l
M a c h i n e o f D e s t i n y m u s t be t r a c e d t o a p r e - G r e e k o r i g i n . t i m e , t h e n w h a t use i s i t f o r man t o imagine that his
From v e r y e a r l y t i m e s t h e M e s o p o t a m i a n a s t r o l o g e r s h a d b e e n p r o p i t i a t i o n s c o u l d a l t e r t h i s , t h a t he c o u l d bend t h e f a t e
faithfully collecting records of c e l e s t i a l phenomena, as already determined f o r h i m ? The g o d s w i l l n o t l i s t e n . Even
part of t h e i r general i n q u i r y i n t o the correspondence of i f t h e y d i d , t h e y c a n n o t a s s i s t , f o r t h e y t o o a r e bound i n
omens and e v e n t s . The s i m p l e s t c y c l e s , t h e d a y , t h e m o n t h , the a g e l e s s l a w . D e s t i n y i s no l o n g e r n e g o t i a b l e .
and t h e y e a r , must be p r e s u m e d t o h a v e b e e n u n d e r s t o o d from A c e n t u r y and a h a l f e a r l i e r M a n i l i u s d e c l a r e d t h e same
the dawn o f h u m a n i t y . They f o r m t h e o r i g i n o f t h e c y c l i c message i n h i s b e a u t i f u l poem:
conception of sacred t i m e . However, i t I s l a t e i n the
h i s t o r y of a s t r o l o g y t h a t the f u l l e x t e n t of the p e r i o d i c " F a t e r u l e s t h e w o r l d , a l l t h i n g s s t a n d f i x e d by i t s
n a t u r e o f h e a v e n l y phenomena became o b v i o u s . I m m u t a b l e l a w s , and t h e l o n g a g e s a r e a s s i g n e d a p r e -
The a b i l i t y t o p r e d i c t awesome e c l i p s e s and t h e a p p e a r - d e s t i n e d c o u r s e o f e v e n t s . At b i r t h o u r d e a t h i s s e a l e d ,
a n c e s and d i s a p p e a r a n c e s o f t h e g r e a t g o d s : t h i s m u s t h a v e and o u r end i s c o n s e q u e n t u p o n o u r b e g i n n i n g . . . . no man
p r o d u c e d an e x a l t a t i o n a m o n g s t t h e a s t r o l o g e r s who a t t a i n e d by p r a y e r may s e i z e f o r t u n e i f i t d e m u r , o r e s c a p e i f i t
t o t h i s k n o w l e d g e . Cumont s u g g e s t s t h a t ' i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o d r a w n i g h : e a c h one m u s t b e a r h i s a p p o i n t e d l o t " .
exaggerate the religious Importance which an eminently
Manilius: 'Astronomica' 4:14 on (41)
s u p e r s t i t i o u s people a t t a c h e d t o t h e s e d i s c o v e r i e s ....by
establishing the unchangeable c h a r a c t e r of the celestial The a s t r o l o g y o f M a n i l i u s i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e p h i l o -
r e v o l u t i o n s the Chaldeans Imagined t h a t they understood the s o p h y o f S t o i c i s m , w h i c h had a t t a i n e d p r e s t i g e i n Rome i n
m e c h a n i s m o f t h e U n i v e r s e , and had d i s c o v e r e d t h e a c t u a l his d a y . Amongst t h e G r e e k s c h o o l s , t h e S t o i c s w e r e , w i t h a
l a w s o f l i f e ' ( 3 9 ) . The C h a l d e a n s had n o t a b s t r a c t e d t h e i r few e x c e p t i o n s , d e f e n d e r s of o l d p r a c t i c e s of d i v i n a t i o n .
g o d s , and t h e p h y s i c a l p l a n e t s w e r e t h e r e f o r e n o t s e p a r a b l e Astrology in particular seems to have caught their
f r o m t h o s e g o d s . The d e v e l o p i n g p r e d i c t i v e c e r t a i n t y o f t h e attention. The fragments of Stoic philosophy which have
a s t r o n o m i c a l c y c l e s c a r r i e d o v e r , by a p o t e n t i m a g i n a t i v e s u r v i v e d s u g g e s t t h a t t h e i r v i s i o n o f f a t e was completely
a s s o c i a t i o n , i n t o a c a l c u l a b l e c e r t a i n t y of the order of modelled a l o n g t h e l i n e s o f t h e Machine o f D e s t i n y . D i v i n -
fate itself. This p o s s i b i l i t y gave a s t r a l divination an a t i o n worked because o f t h e a b s o l u t e harmony w h i c h e x i s t e d
ascendancy over a l l o t h e r forms - i n c l u d i n g l i v e r - r e a d i n g - throughout t h e c o s m o s , w h e r e an omen was predestined to
well before the spread of a s t r o l o g y i n the Hellenistic i n d i c a t e t h a t which i t presaged. Although t h i s fatalistic
period. a t t i t u d e permitted practices of d i v i n a t i o n to continue, i t
Modern s c h o l a r s s u g g e s t t h a t t h e a s t r o l o g e r s o f B a b y l o n i s a t r o o t i n c o m p a t i b l e w i t h t h e k a t a r c h e . From t h e S t o i c
did not achieve a r e l i a b l e chronology, the f o u n d a t i o n of a p o i n t o f v i e w , man must b e a r h i s a p p o i n t e d l o t w i t h p h i l o -
s c i e n t i f i c astronomy, u n t i l the era o f Nabonassar i n the 8 t h s o p h i c a l s e r e n i t y : hence t h e meaning o f t h e word 'stoic'
century BC. The record of ancient e c l i p s e s u t i l i s e d by t h a t s u r v i v e s i n t o modern usage.
Ptolemy s t a r t s i n t h i s p e r i o d w i t h the e c l i p s e of March S t o i c i s m found a f i t t i n g expression i n the fatalistic
721 BC. Accurate monthly ephemerldes, computed i n advance, I n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e , and i t s m o t i f s r e c u r
d a t e f r o m t h e 6 t h c e n t u r y BC. The t e c h n i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t i n t h r o u g h o u t l a t e r a s t r o l o g y . I t e v e n t u a l l y y i e l d e d t o a more
the n e x t few c e n t u r i e s a p p e a r s t o have been c o n t i n u o u s l y f l e x i b l e c o n c e p t i o n d e r i v e d f r o m A r i s t o t l e , and c a r r i e d i n t o
s u s t a i n e d up t o end o f t h e 2nd c e n t u r y BC, by w h i c h time a s t r o l o g y by P t o l e m y . T h i s a l l o w s more p r a c t i c a l f r e e d o m t o
p e r p e t u a l e p h e m e r l d e s had b e e n c o n s t r u c t e d . man than does the Stoic position. For the Aristotelian
The extraordinary technical capacity to construct an a s t r o l o g e r , t h e ' i n e v i t a b l e ' p a t t e r n o f t h e heavens does not
e p h e m e r l s i n a d v a n c e , s o m e t h i n g t h a t t h e modern a s t r o l o g e r work d i r e c t l y on every tiny chance d e t a i l of creation.
r a r e l y pauses t o c o n s i d e r s i g n i f i c a n t , i s thus Integrally Contingent circumstances can h i n d e r o r f u r t h e r t h e g e n e r a l
l i n k e d w i t h a p o t e n t p h i l o s o p h i c a l a t t i t u d e u n d e r l y i n g much d i r e c t i o n p r o d u c e d by t h e p r i m a r y c a u s a t i o n : i t i s i n t h i s
a s t r o l o g i c a l p r a c t i c e : the understanding t h a t ' d e s t i n y runs f o r m u l a t i o n t h a t we c a n s a y , ' t h e s t a r s i n c l i n e , t h e y do n o t
in orderly, p e r i o d i c and - 'in principle' - calculable c o m p e l ' . T h e r e a r e , t h e r e f o r e , some i m p o r t a n t d i f f e r e n c e s I n
cycles. a p p r o a c h t o t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e d e p e n d i n g on a S t o i c o r
The d e s t r u c t i o n of the i n n e r coherence of the astro- Aristotelian persuasion. However, on one anti-katarchic
l o g i c a l katarche f o l l o w s I n e v i t a b l y from the f u l l acceptance theme t h e v a r i o u s s c h o o l s will be found u n i t e d . Whether
of such a conception. V e t t i u s Valens (2nd century AD) P l a t o n i c , A r i s t o t e l i a n or S t o i c , they are l i k e l y to find
records the matter s u c c i n c t l y : a b s u r d any p r a c t i c e w h i c h s u g g e s t e d t h a t man's own conduct
might I n f l u e n c e the cosmic p a t t e r n o f p r i m a r y c a u s a t i o n .
" I t i s impossible to defeat by sacrifice that which has K a t a r c h i c a s t r o l o g y o f f e r e d d i v l n a t o r y p r a c t i c e but no

90 91
t h e o r y t o a s s i s t t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f G r e e k h o r o s c o p y . By t h e p r e s e n t day. M o d e r n a s t r o l o g e r s r a r e l y do any b e t t e r t h a n
simple I n e r t i a of t r a d i t i o n , sustained w i t h i n r e l i g i o u s or N i g i d i u s i n c o n v i n c i n g the c r i t i c s .
magical attitudes. Its practices lingered on. However The question of the horoscopes of twins i s a d e c i s i v e
I m p o r t a n t t h e k a t a r c h i c a t t i t u d e m i g h t once have been, i t i s t e s t o f a t t i t u d e s t o t h e moment o f a s t r o l o g y , and w i l l be
a p p a r e n t t h a t nowhere i n Greek o r G r e e k - i n f u e n c e d t h o u g h t t a k e n up l a t e r i n t h i s s t u d y . F o r t h e p r e s e n t d i s c u s s i o n . I t
does t h i s attain articulate philosophical expression. If is sufficient to underline t h e model o f n a t a l astrology
s u c h an e x p r e s s i o n was somewhere a c h i e v e d , t h e n i t has not a d o p t e d by classical astrologers. Nigldlus i s i n no way
survived into the l a t e r p r a c t i c e of horoscopy. Adequate considering t h e n a t a l h o r o s c o p e as i f i t w e r e an o c c a s i o n -
development of this p r o b l e m w o u l d , as p a r t o f i t s t a s k , ally o b s e r v e d omen a s s o c i a t e d w i t h b i r t h . He s e e s i t as
i n v o l v e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e e v o l u t i o n o f G r e e k t h o u g h t on n e c e s s a r i l y and i n a l l p o s s i b l e c a s e s o p e r a t i v e . He i s t h e n
t h e i s s u e o f d i v i n a t i o n . T h i s goes beyond t h e scope o f the bound t o o f f e r a t h e o r e t i c a l v i e w o f a c o n t i n u o u s p a t t e r n o f
current study, although a fuller understanding of the celestial correspondences universally operative, and he
o r i g i n s of c l a s s i c a l a s t r o l o g y w i l l sometime r e q u i r e this t a k e s as a m o d e l f o r t h i s t h e c o n t i n u o u s t u r n i n g o f the
undertaking. p o t t e r ' s w h e e l , the analogue o f the Machine o f Destiny.
Compared w i t h the s p o n t a n e o u s and chaotic q u a l i t y of
a s t r a l o m e n - w a t c h i n g , t h e c o n c e p t i o n I n d u c e d by t h e M a c h i n e R e f l e c t i n g the impressive discovery of the p e r i o d i c i t y of
o f D e s t i n y e n c o u r a g e s a more c o n t e m p l a t i v e and 'objective' a l l p l a n e t a r y m o t i o n s , t h e M a c h i n e o f D e s t i n y moved t o t h e
attitude. Above a l l , i t i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a model, the heart of a s t r o l o g i c a l b e l i e f . Katarchic p r a c t i c e s could not
p h y s i c a l m o d e l o f t h e h e a v e n s , c o n c e i v a b l e i n t h e m i n d ' s eye o f f e r any I n d e p e n d e n t c o n c e p t i o n , and w e r e t h e r e f o r e i n an
and c a p a b l e o f v i s u a l d e m o n s t r a t i o n . I t s e r v e s as t h e b a s i s ambiguous p o s i t i o n . W i t h the g e n e r a l d e c l i n e i n b e l i e f i n
of theory. The p a r t i c i p a t i o n of the a s t r o l o g e r transmutes ritual d i v i n a t i o n and the o l d anthropomorphic gods, the
i n t o an a b i l i t y to v i s u a l i z e a u n i v e r s a l o r d e r i n g of a l l k a t a r c h e w o u l d i t s e l f r e q u i r e j u s t i f i c a t i o n by some e x t e n s -
d e s t i n i e s , ' i n t h e o r y ' l a i d o u t b e f o r e h i s g a z e as he un- i o n of the Machine of D e s t i n y , and by a n a l o g i e s b o r r o w e d
r o l l s the endless c y c l e s of the heavens. from n a t a l a s t r o l o g y .
The example o f the arguments of N l g i d i u s F i g u l u s will The context for Ptolemy's achievement has now been
i l l u m i n a t e t h e p r o b a b l e s t y l e o f much p h i l o s o p h i c a l t h i n k i n g established. Various philosophies were competing for
f o u n d e d I n t h e new c o n c e p t i o n . N i g l d l u s , who has already a t t e n t i o n and m i g h t c l a i m t h e a l l e g i a n c e o f the a s t r o l o g e r .
b e e n b r i e f l y m e n t i o n e d i n P a r t 1 1 1 , i s an i m p o r t a n t repres- However, t h e general t e n d e n c y was i n the d i r e c t i o n of a
e n t a t i v e o f e a r l y h o r o s c o p y , s i n c e he s t a n d s a t a p o i n t o f r a t i o n a l f r a m e w o r k f o r a s t r o l o g i c a l phenomena, e v e n i f t h a t
contact and transition between archaic and classical e x p l a n a t i o n m i g h t t a k e as i t s f i r s t p r e m i s e a P y t h a g o r e a n o r
p r a c t i c e s . A l e a r n e d man, he u s e d b o t h n a t a l and katarchic Platonic mystical tenet.
astrology, together w i t h haruspicy and, perhaps, forms of Ptolemy's great achievement lay I n g i v i n g a convincing
magic. There s u r v i v e s an o u t l i n e o f h i s a t t i t u d e t o the r a t i o n a l e x p l a n a t i o n t o t h e s i n g l e most i m p o r t a n t h o r o s c o p i c
n a t a l moment. S t . A u g u s t i n e , i n h i s s u b s t a n t i a l a t t a c k on p r a c t i c e , t h a t o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y . How he d i d t h i s has been
astrology, records the argument o f f e r e d by Nigidius to d i s c u s s e d i n Part I of t h i s study; however, the o u t l i n e of
e x p l a i n how i t i s that twins w i t h almost i d e n t i c a l horo- t h e P t o l e m a i c s t r u c t u r e w i l l be s u m m a r i s e d h e r e . He t o o k f o r
scopes might show g r e a t differences. In reply to this granted a continuous process of c e l e s t i a l i n f l u e n c e , p l a y i n g
t r o u b l e s o m e f a c t , t h e a s t r o l o g e r made a d e m o n s t r a t i o n w h i c h a t a l l i n s t a n t s upon t e r r e s t r i a l a f f a i r s (see P a r t I p i l l ) .
has e a r n e d h i m t h e n i c k n a m e ' F i g u l u s ' , t h e p o t t e r . He s p u n T h i s I n f l u e n c e i s g e n e r a t e d by t h e p e r i o d i c phenomena o f Sun
a p o t t e r ' s w h e e l and made two marks w i t h i n k , i n r a p i d Moon and p l a n e t s . I t p r o d u c e s a u n i v e r s a l o r d e r o f e f f e c t ,
s u c c e s s i o n , a p p a r e n t l y a t t h e same s p o t . When t h e w h e e l had w h i c h c a n be t r a c e d i n t h e c y c l e s o f mundane a s t r o l o g y , and
s t o p p e d , t h e m a r k s w e r e f o u n d t o be far apart. Nlgidius in astrometeorology.
a r g u e d by a n a l o g y t h a t ' t h e s k y w h i r l s r o u n d so s w i f t l y t h a t The p r o c e s s o f c o n t i n u o u s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e d o e s n o t i n any
a l t h o u g h t w i n s may be b o r n i n as q u i c k s u c c e s s i o n as my two way e x p l a i n p a r t i c u l a r d e s t i n i e s . The p a t t e r n o f a p a r t i c -
s t r o k e s on t h e w h e e l , t h a t c o r r e s p o n d s t o a v e r y l a r g e t r a c t u l a r d e s t i n y i s s t a m p e d by t h e s t a r s a t t h e u n i q u e moment o f
of the sky. T h i s would account f o r a l l t h e g r e a t d i v e r g e n c e s t h e o r i g i n o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l c r e a t u r e . T h a t i s why t h e h o r o -
alleged i n the character o f t w i n s and i n events of their s c o p e f o r t h e moment o f o r i g i n c a n be I n t e r p r e t e d f o r t h e
lives'(42). l i f e o f the i n d i v i d u a l . I t i s o n l y such a horoscope t h a t
S t . A u g u s t i n e r e g a r d s t h i s a r g u m e n t as e v e n more f r a g i l e could y i e l d p a r t i c u l a r judgments f o r the I n d i v i d u a l : t h i s I
t h a n p o t t e r y made on N l g i d i u s ' w h e e l . I f such a change have termed t h e ' D o c t r i n e o f O r i g i n ' ( P a r t I p l 0 2 ) . Ptolemy
o c c u r s i n a b r i e f moment, i t w o u l d i n v a l i d a t e any c e r t a i n t y justifies t h e d o c t r i n e by p o s t u l a t i n g a c a u s a l m e c h a n i s m .
i n s p e c i f i c j u d g m e n t i n t h e c a s e o f t h o s e who a r e n o t t w i n s . This i s the ' h y p o t h e s i s o f s e e d s ' . Because seeds a r e so
T h i s o b j e c t i o n has b e e n p u t t o n a t a l a s t r o l o g e r s f r o m t h e i m p r e s s i o n a b l e at the i n s t a n t of t h e i r g e r m i n a t i o n , they are
b e g i n n i n g o f h o r o s c o p y , and i t d o e s n o t c h a n g e down t o t h e powerfully impressed by the celestial influence of that

92 93
i n s t a n t . By an a m b i g u o u s movement i n h i s a r g u m e n t , P t o l e m y to f i t the protective structure within which Ptolemy
e x t e n d s t h i s h y p o t h e s i s t o j u s t i f y t h e n a t a l moment as a n s u s t a i n e d t h e p r a c t i c e o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y . T h i s d i l e m m a has
o r i g i n o f equal importance w i t h t h e moment o f c o n c e p t i o n r u n t h r o u g h o u t t h e t r a d i t i o n a n d i s w i t h us t o d a y . I t may be
(Part 1 plOl-2). r e s o l v e d o n l y i f a s t r o l o g e r s a r e p r e p a r e d t o e x p l o r e a more
Ptolemy's model marks t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f a l o n g d e v e l o p - comprehensive and f u n d a m e n t a l mode o f d i s c o u r s e on t h e
ment w h i c h gathered and o b j e c t i f i e d t h e prime focus o f phenomena a r i s i n g , d a y by d a y i n e v e r y s i n g l e i t e m o f a s t r o -
h o r o s c o p y a r o u n d t h e moment o f b i r t h . From t h i s t i m e o n , t h e logy they encounter. This w i l l r e q u i r e the l i b e r a t i o n o f the
i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e 'moment o f a s t r o l o g y ' as a moment o f divlnatory form wound into t h e Machine o f D e s t i n y , and
o r i g i n was f i r m l y e s t a b l i s h e d , w i t h t h e n a t a l moment as i t s d i s g u i s e d i n t h e ' m e t a p h y s i c a l coup d ' E t a t ' .
preeminent r e p r e s e n t a t i v e . This development produces a
c l e a v a g e between k a t a r c h i c and n a t a l a s t r o l o g y , 31. Bouch^-Leclercq ' L ' A s t r o l o g i e Grecque' ( o r i g i n a l l y p u b l . P a r i s 1899) r e p r i n t
i n 1963 (edn. ' C u l t u r e e t C i v i l i s a t i o n ' , B r u x e l l e s ) . Quote i s from c h . XVI:
p550. With thanks to Denis Laboure f o r help w i t h t h i s m a t e r i a l . T h i s work i s
" (begun)... by t h e m e t a p h y s i c a l c o u p d ' E t a t b y n a t a l s t i l l a d e f i n i t i v e s o u r c e ; over 650 pages by an e r u d i t e s c h o l a r who l o a t h e d
astrologers, who p r e t e n d e d to integrate i n a unique h i s s u b j e c t . I understand an E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n i s being prepared i n the U.S.
moment the totality of causes predetermining the 32. N i g i d i u s F i g u l u s on the C i v i l War - s e e ' O r i g i n s o f A s t r o l o g y ' op.cit.note 28
destiny". p 2 2 0 - l , quoting Lucan.
, , Bouche-Leclercq ' L ' A s t r o l o g l e Grecque ( 4 3 )
33. Proclus ' I n Timaeum' 248D, quoted i n Cumont o p . c i t . n o t e 30, l e c t u r e IV p61.

The various practices gathered under the katarche 34. Herodotus ' H i s t o r i e s ' Book I I , 82 ( o p . c i t . n o t e 26 p l 3 2 ) .
Herodotus' a s s e r t i o n has p u z z l e d some h i s t o r i a n s who imagine he i s r e f e r r i n g
s u r v i v e d , d e s p i t e t h e o p p o s i t i o n o f P t o l e m y . Each o f t h e m ,
to p u r e l y a s t r o l o g i c a l d i v i n a t i o n , s i n c e t h e r e i s no s u p p o r t i n g e v i d e n c e i n
h o r a r y , e l e c t l o n a l and i n c e p t l o n a l a s t r o l o g i e s , had s t r o n g f a v o u r o f Greek a s t r o l o g y a t such an e a r l y p e r i o d . However, the remark almost
traditions o f p r a c t i c e behind them, and t h e y presumably c e r t a i n l y r e f e r s to c h r o n o c r a t l c d i v i n a t i o n .
c o n t i n u e d t o work i n t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e i r practitioners. 35. Monthly p r o g n o s t i c s : 'Origins of Astrology' op.cit.note 28 p48.
However, t h e y l o s e any power o f t h e o r y I n d e p e n d e n t of the
P t o l e m a i c m o d e l , w h i c h i s why t h e k a t a r c h e becomes m e r e l y a 36. B i r t h & Death: I have been i n f l u e n c e d and guided here by the p e n e t r a t i n g
e x i s t e n t i a l a n a l y s i s undertaken by M a r t i n Heidegger i n 'Being and Time'
g e n e r i c t e r m f o r a m o t l e y o f n o n - n a t a l moments. A f t e r t h e ( p u b l . B a s i l B l a c k w e l l , Oxford 1973).
time o f Ptolemy, p h i l o s o p h i c a l debate about horoscopy i s
almost e n t i r e l y d e d i c a t e d t o t h e d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n , and t h e 37. ' I l l o g i c a l * a t t i t u d e t o d i v i n a t i o n : s e e f o r eg. comment by the P e r i p a t e t i c
Alexander o f A p h r o d i s i a s quoted by Cumont o p . c i t . n o t e 30, l e c t u r e V p87.
d o c t r i n e o f o r i g i n i s i t s e l f m o s t commonly e x p r e s s e d i n t h e
imagery o f b i r t h . 38. P l a t o 'Timaeus' 40 C & D Warrington's t r a n s l . i n Everyman's L i b r a r y no 493
(Dent, London 4 Dutton, New York 1965) p35.
Ptolemy shows r e l a t i v e l y few i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s , and i s
t h o r o u g h i n h i s p r o s e c u t i o n o f t h e c o u p d ' 6 t a t . Many i n t e r - 39. 'The laws o f l i f e ' : Cumont o p . c i t . n o t e 30, l e c t u r e I p l 3 .
e s t i n g d e t a i l s o f h i s a s t r o l o g y f a l l i n t o p l a c e when t h i s i s 40. V e t t i u s Valens, quoted by Cumont o p . c i t . n o t e 30, l e c t u r e V p86.
borne i n mind. B o u c h i - L e c l e r c q draws a t t e n t i o n t o Ptolemy's 41. Manilius •Astronomica' Goold trans, i n the Loeb Classical L i b r a r y no.469
c a r e f u l development o f t h e method o f r e a d i n g p r e d i s p o s i t i o n (1977) p 223-5.
t o I l l n e s s from t h e n a t a l horoscope, and e s p e c i a l l y from i t s
4?. S t . Augustine " C i t y of God' Book V c h . 3 . Bettenson t r a n s , i n P e l i c a n Classics
V l t h House ( 4 4 ) . I t i s l i k e l y t h a t he i s t r y i n g t o f r e e
astrology o f d e p e n d e n c e on a t r u l y venerable k a t a r c h i c (1972) p l 8 ? . Augustine was w r i t i n g around 415 AD.
v a r i a n t - t h e system o f medical a s t r o l o g y a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e 43. M e t a p h y s i c a l Coup d ' e t a t : Bouche-Leclercq op.cit.note 31, c h . X I T l p46?.
E g y p t i a n s . T h i s d i v i n a t o r y f o r m s u r v i v e d as t h e d o c t r i n e o f 44. Ptolemy on d i s e a s e : s e e T e t r a b i b l o s I I I . 1 2 ; a l s o note Ptolemy's r e s p e c t f u l
Decumbltures, w h e r e b y a h o r o s c o p e i s j u d g e d f o r . t h e moment d i s c u s s i o n of E g y p t i a n medical a s t r o l o g y , 1.3. ( o p . c i t . n o t e 1 ) .
a patient falls i l l . H o r a r i e s upon r e c e i p t o f a sample o f The Decay of the Astrological Katarche: a further note
u r i n e a l s o stem f r o m t h i s tradition. Either practice i s
From the 'internal evidence' of the description of practices m late
c e r t a i n t o be a n a t h e m a t o a s t r o l o g e r s o f a n y p e r i o d i m b u e d Greek astrology, coupled with the change in attitude to divination m
w i t h t h e 'Ptolemaic a t t i t u d e ' . classical times, it was suggested that the meaning of 'katarche' as an
Ptolemy's rational redefinition of astrology finally astrological term had undergone change well before the 5th century AD
{see Part II pll,9-50J. This semantic decay would account for the fact that
guaranteed a secure theoretical framework f o r the n a t a l
medieval and modern astrology can call on no comparable technical term.
h o r o s c o p e . I t t h e r e b y r e m o d e l l e d an a n c i e n t d i v l n a t o r y l o g i c
Professor Richard Lemay (City University of New York) has kindly con-
in the eminently reasonable categories of Aristotelian firmed that Arabic astrology does not translate 'katarche' as a generic
thought. The s u c c e s s o f t h i s p r o g r a m m e was o u t s t a n d i n g , term for the individual practices previously gathered under its wing.
since i t q u i t e p o s s i b l y enabled the very s u r v i v a l o f horo- Instead we find separate Arabic words for horary inquiries, elections, and
s c o p i c j u d g m e n t . On t h e o t h e r h a n d i t s s u c c e s s n e c e s s a r i l y inceptions. The generic relationship of these practices is thereby erased.
ensured t h a t o t h e r forms o f horoscopy appeared ungrounded It would prove of interest to establish whether the same decay occurred
and ' i r r a t i o n a l ' t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t t h e y c o u l d n o t be made m the transmission of Hellenistic astrology into India.

94 95
 THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY Part V To i l l u s t r a t e t h i s d i s c u s s i o n 1 w i l l repeat an observation
made e a r l i e r :
D i v i n a t i o n and the Subject-Object Split " I doubt w h e t h e r Ptolemy s t a r t e d w i t h h i s s p e c u l a t i o n s
about I n f l u e n c e s and s e e d s and t h e n worked up to form-
' Geoffrey Cornelius u l a t e a p r a c t i c e of h o r o s c o p y . . . I t I s more l i k e l y . . .
t h a t l i k e most a s t r o l o g e r s he f i r s t e n c o u n t e r e d a s t r o -
logical symbolism and came to 'believe in' natal
From t h i s p o i n t o n , a t t e n t i o n w i l l be d i r e c t e d t o the horoscopy. Only then would begin the intellectual
modern p r a c t i c e of h o r o s c o p y , w h i c h w i l l be d e s c r i b e d a l o n g p r o c e s s of r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n and j u s t i f i c a t i o n i n t e r m s of
the l i n e s of d i v i n a t i o n . B e f o r e t h i s p r o j e c t can p r o c e e d , the p r i n c i p l e s of m e t a p h y s i c a l a n a l y s i s g a i n i n g a s c e n d -
f u r t h e r l i g h t i s r e q u i r e d on d i v i n a t i o n i t s e l f , c o n s i d e r e d ancy i n h i s e r a . " ^^.^^^ j
s e p a r a t e l y from t h e q u e s t i o n of a s t r o l o g y . The c u r r e n t P a r t
V i s c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l p r o b l e m of t h e p r e m i s e s
A s t r o l o g y b e g i n s i n the e x p e r i e n c e of s y m b o l i s m : e x p l a n a t i o n
upon w h i c h any d e s c r i p t i o n of d i v i n a t i o n i s to be f o u n d e d .
f o l l o w s t h a t e x p e r i e n c e . T h i s I s not to deny t h e I n t e r a c t i o n
The f o l l o w i n g P a r t VI w i l l t h e n d e v e l o p a d e s c r i p t i o n of the
o f t h e o r y and e x p e r i e n c e - Ptolemy e s p e c i a l l y shows c l e a r
'moment of d i v i n a t i o n ' .
I n d i c a t i o n of t h e o r y l i m i t i n g o r d i c t a t i n g e x p e r i e n c e . His
The r e l e v a n c e of t h e p r e c e d i n g d i s c u s s i o n ( P a r t s I - I V ) t h e o r e t i c a l model r e f l e c t s t h e p a r a m e t e r s of the e q u a t i o n
s h o u l d now be c l e a r . I n the f o r m a t i o n of the pervasive between d i v i n a t o r y p e r c e p t i o n and rational reconstruction
P t o l e m a i c t r a d i t i o n s o m e t h i n g has been f o r g o t t e n . The v e r y a c h i e v e d I n h i s own t h o u g h t : t h e shape of the v e s s e l w i t h i n
possibility of t a l l y i n g about a s t r o l o g y a s d i v i n a t i o n has w h i c h he b o t h c a r r i e d and c o n s t r a i n e d t h e s y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e .
become o b s c u r e . I n o r d e r to u n c o v e r t h e d e e p - r o o t e d n a t u r e However, f a i t h I n t h e s y m b o l s and s h o w i n g s of a s t r o l o g y i s
of the p r o b l e m . I t has been n e c e s s a r y t o draw out c o n t r a d i c t - the p r e c o n d i t i o n : d i v i n a t i o n , then s c i e n c e .
i o n s i n h e r e n t i n our r e c e i v e d amalgam o f G r e e k , A r a b i c , and
Lynn T h o r n d l k e ' s o b s e r v a t i o n on the r o l e of t h e T e t r a -
European horoscopy. H o r a r y , l i k e I t s K a t a r c h l c forerunner,
b l b l o s u n d e r l i n e s a c u r i o u s syndrome about t h e d e s c r i p t i o n
p l a c e s a q u e s t i o n mark a g a i n s t t h e p r i m a l a u t h o r i t y o f the of a s t r o l o g y . I n t e l l i g e n t s c e p t i c s who s t a n d o u t s i d e seem to
' d o c t r i n e of o r i g i n ' - t h e P t o l e m a i c t r e a t m e n t of t h e moment have l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y i n r e c o g n i s i n g a s t r o l o g i c a l p r a c t i c e
o f a s t r o l o g y a s a moment of o r i g i n , c a u s a l o r t e m p o r a l , of a s d i v i n a t i o n . Many a s t r o l o g e r s , by c o n t r a s t , shy away from
t h e e n t i t y u n d e r e x a m i n a t i o n . Such q u e s t i o n i n g c a r r i e s f a r - the c o m p a r i s o n . Why have a s t r o l o g e r s generally followed
r e a c h i n g I m p l i c a t i o n s f o r our u n d e r s t a n d i n g , d e s c r i p t i o n and Ptolemy and located t h e i r work I n t h e domain of science
p r a c t i c e of a s t r o l o g y . rather than i n the domain of divination? It will be
However, t h i s I s not to be t a k e n a s a c a l l to abandon the suggested l a t e r i n t h i s study (Part V l l ) that a d i s g u i s e
classical f o u n d a t i o n i n f a v o u r of some new a p p r o a c h . From i n h e r e n t i n t h e s t r u c t u r e of a s t r o l o g y t e n d s to the m a s k i n g
t h e s t a n d p o i n t of p r a c t i c e , i t i s f r u i t l e s s t o d e m o n s t r a t e of i t s divinatory nature p r e c i s e l y when I t s e x p e r i e n c e
t h a t P t o l e m y ' s t h e o r y i s ' m i s t a k e n ' . S u c h an e x e r c i s e would becomes p o w e r f u l . However, i t i s not a d e q u a t e to s a y that
m i s s the e s s e n t i a l , s i n c e the P t o l e m a i c model i s an e n d u r i n g astrologers have misunderstood their subject. Rather,
v e h i c l e . W i t h i n i t , a c o m p r e h e n s i v e grammar of s y m b o l i s m and d i v i n a t i o n I t s e l f i s an o b s c u r e and h o m e l e s s w a n d e r e r , w i t h
m a j o r e f f e c t i v e forms of p r a c t i c e a r e s u s t a i n e d ; w i t h o u t i t no easily definable location within the categories of
t h e t r a d i t i o n i s i n p e r i l of d i s i n t e g r a t i o n . k n o w l e d g e . To u n d e r s t a n d the o b s c u r a t i o n o f the q u e s t i o n of
d i v i n a t i o n . I t I s n e c e s s a r y t o plumb a p e r e n n i a l philosophic
" The T e t r a b i b l o s has been c a l l e d ' S c i e n c e ' s surrender',
Issue, the old divide between ' s u b j e c t ' and 'object',
but was I t not more t r u l y d i v i n a t i o n p u r i f i e d and made i n t e r n a l and e x t e r n a l r e a l m s of r e a l i t y .
scientific?" _ Ly^^ Thorndike (45)
D i v i n a t i o n and the Subject-Object Split
The classical t r a d i t i o n succeeded i n moulding a r c h a i c
d i v i n a t o r y e x p e r i e n c e i n t o an e x p l a n a t i o n o f n a t a l a s t r o l o g y I t i s a h a b i t of u n r e f l e c t i v e t h o u g h t to t a k e f o r g r a n t e d
c o n s i s t e n t w i t h the p r e d o m i n a n t A r i s t o t e l i a n w o r l d - v i e w of t h a t t h e w o r l d can be d e s c r i b e d w i t h o u t p a r t i c u l a r r e f e r e n c e
the Middle A g e s . Had P t o l e m y ' s c o n c e p t u a l t r a n s l a t i o n not to the a c t and c o n t e x t of p e r c e p t i o n , where the n a t u r e of
been f u l f i l l e d , t h e n h o r o s c o p y might have d i e d I n I n f a n c y . things and the laws u n d e r l y i n g phenomena a r e t r e a t e d as
But more t h a n t h i s , the P t o l e m a i c p r o j e c t c r e a t e d of m e d i e v a l h a v i n g a n e u t r a l ground of e x i s t e n c e I n d e p e n d e n t of any
science and p h i l o s o p h y a medium f o r j u d i c i a l astrology: c o n s c i o u s n e s s p o s i t i n g t h a t g r o u n d . We e v e n come to see
s c i e n c e a s medium f o r d i v i n a t i o n . F o r t h e a s t r o l o g e r , the o u r s e l v e s o b j e c t i v e l y as ' h u m a n - t h i n g s ' , j o s t l i n g w i t h a l l
I m p o r t a n c e of the T e t r a b i b l o s does not r e s i d e I n w h e t h e r i t s t h e o t h e r t h i n g s I n t h a t n e u t r a l e x i s t e n c e . Then i n s p e a k i n g
explanation of phenomena i s , from a s c i e n t i f i c p o i n t of o f l i f e and e x p e r i e n c e , we i m a g i n a t i v e l y adopt a p o s i t i o n
v i e w , ' t r u e ' or ' f a l s e ' . The m e r i t of P t o l e m y ' s opus r e s i d e s somewhere outside, looking down upon 'our' life, 'our'
i n i t s c a p a c i t y to s u s t a i n and a r t i c u l a t e d i v i n a t i o n . experience. I n s t e a d of BEING t h a t l i f e , t h a t experience.

42 43
T h i s a r t f u l o b j e c t i f y i n g i s both a b l e s s i n g and an e n t r a p m e n t s u c h as p s y c h o l o g y and sociology, have shown themselves
o f t h o u g h t . The way of s c i e n t i f i c i m a g i n a t i o n , w i t h a l l of prone to f a l l p r e y to t h i s b e l i e f , and p l a c e e x c e s s i v e t r u s t
its marvellous gifts, depends on the exercise of this In quantitative and statistical methods which. It Is
faculty; t h r o u g h t h i s man has indeed mastered things as s u p p o s e d , c a r r y the r i g o u r and r e a l i t y - v a l u e of h a r d s c i e n c e .
t h i n g s . On the o t h e r h a n d , i t i s d o u b t f u l w h e t h e r a n y t h i n g rlie f o r e g o i n g r e m a r k s form a rough o u t l i n e of o b j e c t i v i t y
of human s i g n i f i c a n c e c a n be known i n t h i s way: "science I n modern t h o u g h t . They do not do j u s t i c e to the subtlety
m a n i p u l a t e s t h i n g s and g i v e s up l i v i n g i n them" (M.Merleau- of mature s c i e n c e , the I n r o a d s upon the b a s t i o n o f o b j e c t -
Ponty ( 4 6 ) ) . i v i t y made by the t h e o r y o f r e l a t i v i t y , and the loglbal
The i n g r a i n e d and l a r g e l y u n q u e s t i o n e d c u l t u r a l h a b i t of u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t a f i n a l p r e s u p p o s 1 t 1 o n l e s s d e s c r i p t i o n of
valuing the ' o b j e c t i v e ' has t e n d e d to the d e g r a d a t i o n of reality Is in principle unattainable. However, such
understandings deemed to be 'merely subjective'. This s u b t l e t i e s h a r d l y b e g i n to t o u c h the dead w e i g h t o f a v e r a g e
affliction u n d e r m i n e s not o n l y a r t and divination: even s c i e n c e and c o l l e c t i v e common-sense, w h i c h c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y
p h i l o s o p h y , once the supreme t a s k of t h o u g h t , has been f a l l b a c k upon the c r u d e p o s i t i o n .
r e l e g a t e d to s e c o n d a r y s t a t u s compared w i t h the ' r e a l w o r k ' The h a b i t u a l a t t i t u d e w h i c h i s so e n t r e n c h e d i n a d i v i d e
of the n a t u r a l s c i e n c e s . W e s t e r n c u l t u r e has c a r r i e d t h r o u g h between subject and object, thought and fact, i s only
an e a r l i e r G r e e k and C h r i s t i a n a t t i t u d e w h i c h has divided e f f e c t i v e l y q u e s t i o n e d by p h i l o s o p h i c a l i n s i g h t o r s p i r i t u a l
the r e a l m s of s p i r i t and m a t t e r , but i t has r e v e r s e d the d i s c i p l i n e . Common a s t r o l o g i c a l work s t i r s the mud of the
o r i g i n a l p h i l o s o p h i c a l and r e l i g i o u s i n s p i r a t i o n by l e a r n i n g d i l e m m a , but does not of Itself g u a r a n t e e the r e q u i s i t e
to s e e k the f o u n d a t i o n of t r u t h i n the w o r l d of material I l l u m i n a t i o n . The f r e q u e n t r e s u l t I s t h a t as soon a s a s t r o -
' f a c t s ' . The d e s c r i p t i o n of r e a l i t y has become s u n d e r e d i n t o l o g i c a l p r a c t i c e d e m o n s t r a t e s to the p r a c t i t i o n e r t h a t i t i s
sharply divided oiijective and subjective r e a l m s . Modern r e a l , t h e phenomena a r e c a s t a c r o s s the d i v i d e , and a r e s e e n
thought has emerged w i t h i n l a n g u a g e s whose v e r y syntax as o b j e c t i v e , as opposed to b e i n g ' m e r e l y ' s u b j e c t i v e .
embodies a precise subject-object demarcation. Further, Where the subject-object divide i s accepted without
w i t h i n s c i e n c e , a c l e a r method a p p e a r s to have been a t t a i n e d question, and reality-value Is finally located in the
by w h i c h to s t r i p away s u b j e c t i v e e l e m e n t s from the e x a c t o b j e c t i v e h a l f , t h e n d i v i n a t i o n l o s e s I t s g r o u n d . At b e s t I t
d e f i n i t i o n of the u n i v e r s a l l y and o b j e c t i v e l y t r u e , the laws becomes the p o s s i b i l i t y of a ' p a r a n o r m a l means f o r o b t a i n i n g
of Nature. Since our habitual leaning i s to e q u a t e the f a c t s or p r e d i c t i n g e v e n t s ' . I t s paranormal nature i s seen
' r e a l ' w i t h the w o r l d of o b j e c t s and t h i n g s , the w o r l d of i n t h a t no e x p l a n a t i o n of i t s w o r k i n g i s l i k e l y t o be found
f a c t s , the a r b i t r a t i o n of the r e a l i s g i v e n o v e r t o the w i t h i n t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l model o f r e a l i t y . What i s shown i n
objective d o m a i n . The content of the subjective world d i v i n a t i o n , t h a t upon w h i c h i t founds i t s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ,
' I n s i d e our h e a d s ' , the t o t a l i t y of I d e a s and I n t u i t i o n s ^ a r i s e s 'by c h a n c e ' , and not by some t r a c e a b l e and objective
t h e o r i e s , and i m a g i n a t i o n s , w h e t h e r c o l l e c t i v e o r I n d i v i d u a l , n a t u r a l p r o c e s s o r law t h a t c o u l d c o n n e c t d i v i n a t o r y method
has r e a l i t y - v a l u e o n l y to the e x t e n t t h a t i t a l l o w s us to w i t h the ' f a c t s ' i t s e e k s to d i s c e r n . I t s s u b j e c t i v i t y I s
correctly perceive the o b j e c t i v e w o r l d . The r e a l l y r e a l I s s e e n to l i e i n i t s a r b i t r a r y and non-repl I c a b l e q u a l i t y ,
o t i t s l d e our h e a d s , the r e a l l y r e a l t h i n g s a r e o u t s i d e our s i n c e I t s s u c c e s s f u l p e r f o r m a n c e a p p e a r s to depend on c h a n c e
t h o u g h t s about t h o s e t h i n g s . At I t s e x t r e m e , t h i s t e n d e n c y circumstance mediated by the Imaginative skills of the
r e d u c e s c o n s c i o u s n e s s and life itself to 'epiphenomenal ' d i v i n e r . I n s h a r p c o n t r a s t to the p r o c e d u r e o f c o n v e n t i o n a l
s t a t u s , a s e c o n d a r y c o n c o m i t a n t of p r o c e s s e s t h a t may be science, whatever Instructions might be given for the
c o m p l e t e l y e s t a b l i s h e d a t the m a t e r i a l level. p e r f o r m a n c e of d i v i n a t i o n , t h e s e I n s t r u c t i o n s do not in
" I n s t r u c t i o n a l s c i e n c e " (47) e s t a b l i s h e s m a t e r i a l r e a l i t y t h e m s e l v e s o f f e r the g u a r a n t e e of r e s u l t s . They a r e not e v e n
and s t a n d s as e x e m p l a r of the o b j e c t i v e means f o r s i f t i n g a p p r o x i m a t i o n s to the i n s t r u c t i o n s of s c i e n c e , s i n c e t h e y
and s o r t i n g r e a l f a c t s about the w o r l d . A s e t of e x p l i c i t a r e of the n a t u r e of r i t u a l e x p r e s s i o n s . N e i t h e r can the
i n s t r u c t i o n s , c a p a b l e of t h e o r e t i c a l l y I n f i n i t e r e p e t i t i o n , g e n e r a l p r e c e p t s of I n t e r p r e t a t i o n l a i d down I n d i v i n a t o r y
and removed a s f a r a s p o s s i b l e from the v a g a r i e s of s u b j e c t - s y s t e m s s u c h as the 1 C h l n g be a d e q u a t e l y compared w i t h the
ive I n t e r p r e t a t i o n , can be g i v e n f o r o b t a i n i n g reliable u n i v e r s a l l a w s sought I n s c i e n c e , s i n c e the s i g n i f i c a n c e of
r e s u l t s . Add x to y and the r e s u l t w i l l i n v a r i a b l y be z . The e a c h d i v i n a t i o n l i e s p r e c i s e l y I n the u n i q u e c i r c u m s t a n c e i n
w o r l d I s u n d e r s t o o d I n s o f a r as I t can be m a n i p u l a t e d by s u c h w h i c h the c a s e a r i s e s . The u n i q u e c I r c u m s t a n c e I s c o n s 1 1 t u t e d
u n i v e r s a l l a w s . N a t u r a l l y , I t I s recognised that there are by the p a r t i c u l a r actors i n the matter, Including the
r e l a t i v e l y few a r e a s of u s e f u l knowledge where f a c t s c a n be d i v i n e r . U n d e r s t o o d i n t h i s way, divination r e f e r s to a
o b t a i n e d a c c o r d i n g to t h i s s t r i c t s c i e n c e - l a b o r a t o r y model. d i m e n s i o n of s u b j e c t i v i t y to the e x t e n t t h a t i t s s i g n i f i c a n c e
But the key to the p o w e r f u l h o l d of t h i s a p p r o a c h I n our depends upon what i t means f o r the p a r t i c i p a n t s . G e n e r a l i s -
imagination lies I n the b e l i e f that ' i n t h e o r y ' or 'in ations from the s i t u a t i o n are therefore pointless, since
p r i n c i p l e ' the r e a l l y r e a l f a c t s about t h i n g s ought to be other circumstances and other participants will require
c a p a b l e of s u c h d e m o n s t r a t i o n . E v e n c e r t a i n of t h e h u m a n l t i e s , w h o l l y o t h e r d i v i n a t i o n s . I t i s t h i s l a c k of g e n e r a l i s a t i o n

45
from p a r t i c u l a r c a s e s I n t o u n i v e r s a l l a w s t h a t above a l l
marks o f f the domain of d i v i n a t i o n from t h e domain of does not t a k e f o r g r a n t e d s u c h a d i v i d e , w i t h i t s c o n s e q u e n t
s c i e n c e . The d i s t i n c t i o n has a l r e a d y been brouglit out ( i n l o c a t i o n of r e a l i t y - v a l u e on t h e o b j e c t s i d e . T h i s i s e a s y
P a r t 111 V o l . 5 8 : 1 p20) i n d i s t i n g u i s h i n g t h e p a r t i c i p a t o r y to a s k f o r but d i f f i c u l t to a c h i e v e . The p a t h w a y s o f f e r e d I n
significance characteristic of archaic or 'mythopeic' ancient o r modern thought have not been o r i e n t e d to the
t h o u g h t from the t h e o r e t i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e a t t a i n e d i n modern p a r t i c u l a r p r o b l e m of d e s c r i b i n g d i v i n a t i o n . D i v i n e r s and
t h o u g h t . I would add that f a r from b e i n g an historical a s t r o l o g e r s w i l l have to u n d e r t a k e t h e g r e a t e r p a r t of the
remnant o r a n t h r o p o l o g i c a l c u r i o s i t y , mythopeic thought i s task for themselves.
a p r i m a r y mode of B e i n g Human. I t i s a l s o a l i v e and w e l l i n
T r a n s m u t i n g the Divide
modern d i v i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e .
W i t h i n s c i e n t i f i c d i s c i p l i n e , i m a g i n a t i v e and i n t e r p r e t i v e A l t h o u g h t h e c e n t r a l s t a t u s of the s u b j e c t - o b j e c t dilemma
strategies are suspect unless t h e y have a demonstrable e n s u r e s t h a t I t w i l l emerge I n some guis.e o r o t h e r i n a l m o s t
relationship with the objective facts and processes every philosophical, religious or occult formulation,
d e s c r i b e d by t h a t d i s c i p l i n e . An u n d e r s t a n d i n g n u r t u r e d i n thought needs to run deep b e f o r e t h e d i v i d e i s d i r e c t l y
p a r t i c i p a t o r y s i g n i f i c a n c e must be t h e o r e t i c a l l y r e w o r k e d to r e v e a l e d . Thus d e s p i t e the m a j o r i l l u m i n a t i o n t h a t modern
purge i t of the t a i n t of s u b j e c t i v i t y . W h a t e v e r s t a r t l i n g d e p t h p s y c h o l o g y might b r i n g t o t h e d i s c u s s i o n of s y m b o l i s m ,
r e s u l t s t h e y may from t i m e to time y i e l d , t h e symbol s y s t e m s 1 consider that i t has not developed categories which
found i n d i v i n a t i o n a r e n e c e s s a r i l y d e v a l u e d o r , i f u t i l i s e d a d e q u a t e l y d e s c r i b e the c e n t r a l i s s u e . Jung's exploration
a t a l l , a r e s u b v e r t e d by i n s t r u c t i o n a l s c i e n c e . Metaphor may goes as f a r a s p s y c h o l o g y c o u l d p o s s i b l y s t r e t c h I n t o t h e
a s s i s t , but will not s u f f i c e . Modern m a t h e m a t i c s funnels question of d i v i n a t i o n , and r e v e a l s themes of t h e utmost
t h r o u g h a w i l d dream of D e s c a r t e s , a v i s i o n of the u n i t y of I m p o r t a n c e f o r a s t r o l o g y , e s p e c i a l l y i n h i s p i o n e e r i n g work
a l l s c i e n c e s he saw on 10th Novemljer 1619; c h e m i s t r y t o o k a on s y n c h r o n l c l t y . But the e s s e n t i a l p r o b l e m I s o n t o l o g l c a l
l e a p f o r w a r d when K e k u l e broke t h e s e c r e t of t h e b e n z i n e ('of t h e n a t u r e of B e i n g ' ) , and not p r i m a r i l y p s y c h o l o g i c a l .
r i n g , a f t e r he dreamt of the s e r p e n t t h a t e a t s i t s t a l l . As I s evident from Maggie Hyde's r e c e n t a n a l y s i s , the
However, the s c i e n t i s t w i l l c o n s i d e r t h a t r e a l i t y a d h e r e s to u n r e s o l v e d dilemma f i n a l l y s u n d e r e d J u n g ' s c o n c e p t i o n i n t o
t h e b e n z i n e , not to t h e s e r p e n t . H e l p f u l t o t h e s c i e n t i f i c two h a l v e s , an o b j e c t i v e ' s y n c h r o n l c l t y 1' and a s u b j e c t i v e
I m a g i n a t i o n a s s u c h e x e r c i s e s may be, c o n d u c i v e a s t h e y a r e ' s y n c h r o n l c i t y I I ' (49) .
to 'lateral thinking', nevertheless dreams and serpents. R o b e r t P i r s i g ' s "Zen and t h e A r t of M o t o r c y c l e M a i n t e n a n c e "
H e a v e n , E a r t h , wind and m o u n t a i n , t h e F o o l and t h e Hanged ( 5 0 ) o f f e r s a b e a u t i f u l l y r e a d a b l e d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e many
Man have i n t h e m s e l v e s no p l a c e i n c h e m i s t r y o r management r a m i f i c a t i o n s of the sub j.ect-ob j e c t s p i l t . Any reader who
s t u d i e s . Nor s h o u l d d i v i n e r s be u n d u l y p e r t u r b e d t h a t t h i s f i n d s i t d i f f i c u l t to a s s e s s t h e p r e c e d i n g d i s c u s s i o n may be
i s so . recommended to spend time w i t h this Inexplicable book.
From the c o n v e n t i o n a l subject-object stance o f modern Pirsig's ' i n t e l l e c t u a l ' s o l u t i o n , w h i c h i s not t h e whole
c u l t u r e , t h e r e f o r e , d i v i n a t i o n has a t b e s t o n l y a t a n g e n t i a l s o l u t i o n of h i s s t o r y , i s t h e c o n c e p t of Q u a l i t y , t h e p r e -
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e r e a l m of the f u l l y r e a l (= o b j e c t i v e ) . i n t e l l e c t u a l m a t r i x out of w h i c h b o t h s u b j e c t and object
Given t h i s dubious s t a t u s , i t i s understandable that the emerge. The r e f e r e n c e to Zen r e m i n d s us t h a t t h e s u b j e c t -
d e f e n c e , of d i v i n a t i o n a p p e a r s an u n i n v i t i n g b a s i s f o r t h e o b j e c t dilemma and i t s p e n e t r a t i o n has a l w a y s been e x p l i c i t
j u s t i f i c a t i o n of a s t r o l o g y . When the d i f f i c u l t q u e s t i o n of and c e n t r a l to B u d d h i s t m e t a p h y s i c s and p r a c t i c e .
divination i s side-stepped, an e x a g g e r a t e d i m p o r t a n c e i s The only reservation 1 would offer about Pirsig's
likely to be invested i n the e n d e a v o u r to e s t a b l i s h a a p p r o a c h c o n c e r n s h i s l a c k of r e f e r e n c e to t h e movement I n
c e r t a i n c a t e g o r y of ' a s t r o l o g i c a l f a c t ' as h a v i n g s i m i l a r modern E u r o p e a n t h o u g h t w h i c h t r a n s f o r m s the I s s u e . T h i s I s
o b j e c t i v e s t a t u s to t h e f a c t s m a n i p u l a t e d i n the regular the philosophical method of phenomenology, f a t h e r e d by
s c i e n c e s . I f there I s a straightforward a s t r o l o g i c a l f a c t , Edmund H u s s e r l a t the t u r n o f t h i s c e n t u r y , and p o w e r f u l l y
i n d e p e n d e n t of t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of t h a t f a c t , t h e n , i t i s r e - c r e a t e d by M a r t i n H e i d e g g e r I n h i s g r e a t work " B e i n g and
s u p p o s e d , we w i l l have t h e b a s i s f o r t h e b e g i n n i n g s of a T i m e " . T h r o u g h S a r t r e , phenomenology has i n t u r n moulded
modern s c i e n c e of a s t r o l o g y . Out of t h i s d e s i r e comes the modern e x i s t e n t i a l i s m . T h i s movement h a s , up to now, had
t r a n s m o g r i f i c a t i o n of a s t r o l o g y i n t o the c h i - s q u a r e test, l i t t l e e f f e c t on a s t r o l o g y , w h i c h has t e n d e d t o r e s t i t s
a f t e r the f a s h i o n of G e o f f r e y Dean ( 4 8 ) . S i m i l a r l y the work c a s e i n e n d u r i n g I d e a l i s t c o n s t r u c t s , such as t h a t of P l a t o ,
of t h e G a u q u e l i n s , e x t r a o r d i n a r y and s i g n i f i c a n t though t h i s to w h i c h t h e e x i s t e n t i a l a t t i t u d e I s g e n e r a l l y a n t i t h e t i c .
may be within a l i m i t e d compass, i s o f t e n accorded a Husserl I n s i s t s on a r a d i c a l d i s t i n c t i o n of p h i l o s o p h y
r e v e r e n c e f a r beyond i t s b e a r i n g on a s t r o l o g i c a l e x p e r i e n c e . from n a t u r a l s c i e n c e , and t h e r e b y c h a l l e n g e s t h e s i m p l e v i e w
If tlie ground of d i v i n a t i o n I s to be recovered, the of an autonomous and s i n g l e ' o b j e c t i v e r e a l i t y ' :
conventional subject-object cut across reality must be " A p h i l o s o p h y ( c a n ) not n a i v e l y begin at o n c e , l i k e the
t r a n s m u t e d . A d e s c r i p t i o n of d i v i n a t i o n i s r e q u i r e d that p o s i t i v e s c i e n c e s . . . which base t h e m s e l v e s on t h e p r e -

47
 e s t a b l i s h i n g of meaning, i n v o l v e s a 'fore-structure', an
supposed foundation of experience of the world as i n t e n t i o n o r a t t i t u d e of c o n s c i o u s n e s s , o r I n H e l d e g g e r l a n
s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s p r e - g i v e n as o b v i o u s l y e x i s t i n g " ( 5 1 ) . mode, a m o d i f i c a t i o n o f t h e p r i m o r d i a l B e l n g - l n , w h i c h makes
As a method, phenomenology c u t s a c r o s s t h e o r e t i c a l c o n s t r u c t - p r e s e n t t h e ' o b j e c t of k n o w l e d g e ' . We a r e n e v e r l i k e b l a n k
ions which attempt to ' e x p l a i n ' o r go b a c k and behind s l a t e s w a i t i n g t o r e c e i v e some i m p r e s s i o n from an o u t s i d e
phenomena. I t s e e k s an a c c u r a t e and t r u t h f u l d e s c r i p t i o n of w o r l d w h i c h we w i l l t h e n s e t about I n t e r p r e t i n g : we a l r e a d y
t h e phenomena p r i m o r d i a l l y ' g i v e n ' i n c o n s c i o u s n e s s . Thus i t t a k e up a p r e - u n d e r s t a n d l n g of t h a t t o w a r d s w h i c h we s t a n d .
i s not r e q u i r e d to p o s t u l a t e any f i r s t p r i n c i p l e s out of T h i s e s s e n t i a l f e a t u r e of a s t r o l o g i c a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n has
v;hlch the perceived phenomena are generated. Adopting been d e v e l o p e d I n the Q u a r t e r l y I n t h e s t u d i e s on 'Takes'
H u s s e r l ' s t e r m i n o l o g y , i t might be p o s s i b l e to d e s c r i b e the by V e r n o n W e l l s and Gordon Watson ( 5 4 ) , and I t a l l o w s the
phenomenon of d i v i n a t i o n a s an ' o r i g i n a l l y g i v e n i n t u i t i o n ' analysis of ' s e l f - r e f e r e n c i n g ' undertaken by the latter
or a 'primordial experience of consciousness', without author In his profound essay "Astrology: a Spiritual
l o c a t i n g i t i n the c a t e g o r y of an o b j e c t i v e datum sought by Vehicle" (55). In the description of the 'moment of
natural s c i e n c e . Seen i n t h i s wav, d i v i n a t i o n would be d i v i n a t i o n ' t h a t f o l l o w s , 1 have borrowed from t h e same
p e r f e c t l y ' r e a l ' , y e t r a i s e a q u e s t i o n of p h i l o s o p h y , not o f phenomenologlcal i n s i g h t .
science.
F o l l o w i n g H u s s e r l , H e i d e g g e r has f u r t h e r removed the t a s k 45. Lynn Thorndike ' H i s t o r y of Magic and E x p e r i m e n t a l S c i e n c e '
of p h i l o s o p h y from t h e s u b j e c t - o b j e c t d i v i d e by r e i n t e r p r e t i n g Columbia U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s 1923; Vol I ch I I I p l l 3 . The p h r a s e
the historical p r o c e s s of m e t a p h y s i c s from the earliest ' s c i e n c e ' s s u r r e n d e r ' belongs to the i r r e p r e s s i b l e B o u c h e - L e c l e r c q .
G r e e k t h i n k e r s , to show t h a t the whole p a s s a g e of W e s t e r n 46. Maurice Herleau-Ponty 'The Primacy of P e r c e p t i o n i Other E s s a y s '
t h o u g h t has been bound by t h e p r e s u p p o s i t i o n of t h e d i v i d e : e d i t e d by J . E d i e ; Ncrthwestern U n i v . P r e s s , 1 1 1 i n o i s , 1 9 6 4 . p l 5 9 .
47. I n s t r u c t i o n a l science: t h i s u s e f u l d e f i n i t i o n comes from the work
" ...no s o o n e r was t h e 'phenomenon of k n o w i n g t h e w o r l d '
of E.F.Schumacher, "A Guide f o r the P e r p l e x e d " (Cape, London 1977)
grasped than i t got interpreted in a 'superficial',
I t i s c o n t r a s t e d with d e s c r i p t i v e s c i e n c e . Dr. Michael S h a l l i s
f o r m a l manner. The e v i d e n c e f o r t h i s i s the p r o c e d u r e
has p o i n t e d out the importance o f t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n fc-r a s t r o l o g i c a l
(still customary t o d a y ) of s e t t i n g up knowing as a r e s e a r c h : s e e h i s d i s c u s s i o n i n " S c i e n c e & A s t r o l o g y I " , ASTROLOGY
' r e l a t i o n between s u b j e c t and O b j e c t ' - a p r o c e d u r e I n Q u a r t e r l y Vol 58:3 p l 2 0 ; a l s o a f u l l e r d i s c u s s i o n i n h i s book "On
which there lurks a s much ' t r u t h ' as v a c u i t y . But Time" B u r n e t t Books, London 1982 ch.7 p l 3 7 - 8 . Phenomenology and
s u b j e c t and O b j e c t do not c o i n c i d e w i t h D a s e i n and t h e
d e s c r i p t i v e s c i e n c e may, I t h i n k , be e s s e n t i a l l y r e l a t e d .
world." (52)
48. Geoffrey Dean 'Recent Advances i n N a t a l A s t r o l o g y ' A n a l o g i c 1977.
Dasein ( T h e r e o r Here- B e i n g ) i s H e i d e g g e r ' s term t o 49. S y n c h r o n i c i t y - see Maggie Hyde's a r t i c l e "Jung & A s t r o l o g y : A
e x p r e s s t h e B e i n g of Human B e i n g , w h i c h I s d e f i n i t e l y n o t C r i t i q u e " P a r t I I i n ASTROLOGY Q u a r t e r l y Vol.58:4 p l 8 5 f f .
the same s o r t of b e i n g a s t h a t of a p l a n t o r c h a i r , a s t i c k 50. 'Zen & the A r t o f Motorcycle Maintenance' Robert M . P i r s i g Bodley
o r a s t o n e . D a s e i n I s not a v i g o r o u s c o r p s e , a human-thing Head, London 1974.
i n a w o r l d of o t h e r t h i n g s , but I s t h a t k i n d o f BEING, w h i c h 51. Husserl: quoted i n "Phenomenology - the P h i l o s o p h y o f Edmund
i s c o n s t i t u t i v e and d e f i n i t i v e of Human-Being, w h i c h f i n d s H u s s e r l and i t s I n t e r p r e t a t i o n " e d . J.J.Kockelmans Doubleday
i t s e l f a l r e a d y out and a b o u t , ' B e i n g - a l r e a d y - a l o n g s i d e - t h e - Anchor A585 1967 p28-29.
w o r l d ' . The World I s not a mass of t h i n g s l o c a t e d I n t h e 52. M a r t i n Heidegger: "Being and Time" ( o p . c i t note 36) B l a c k w e l l
s p a c e and time of s c i e n t i f i c r e a l i t y , I t I s t h e o r b i t of Oxford 1973. 1.2 H60.
a t t e n t i o n and c o n c e r n w i t h i n w h i c h o b j e c t s a r e g r a s p e d as 53. ibid 1.2 H62.
o b j e c t s , but w h i c h a s W o r l d , I s c o n s t i t u t i v e of D a s e i n : " i n 54. "Takes": see Vernon W e l l s 'Takes - Superman' ASTROLOGY Q u a r t e r l y
k n o w i n g , D a s e i n a c h i e v e s a new s t a t u s o f Being towards a Vol 57:2 (Summer 1 9 8 3 ) , and Gordon Watson '"Takes" i A s t r o l o g i c a l
w o r l d w h i c h has a l r e a d y been d i s c o v e r e d I n D a s e i n Itself" I n t e r p r e t a t i o n ' Vol 57:4 ( W i n t e r 8 3 / 8 4 ) .
( 5 3 ) . As t h e r e I s no s e p a r a t e w o r l d ' o u t s i d e ' D a s e i n , Human 55. 'Astrology: a S p i r i t u a l V e h i c l e ' ASTROLOGY Q u a r t e r l y V o l 55:3
B e i n g i s not a s u b j e c t and the World of Human B e i n g I s not (Autumn 1981).
an o b j e c t .
The Moment o f Astrology .v
Thl s s u b t l e way of t h o u g h t o f f e r s r e v e l a t o r y p o s s i b i l i t i e s
for t h e d i s c u s s i o n on a s t r o l o g y . I t would be out of p l a c e I n Parts a l r e a d y p u b l i s h e d i n ASTROLOGY: /• , ' , ^ : i : J/;
t h e c u r r e n t s t u d y to a t t e m p t t o o u t l i n e t h e s e p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
Volume & no.
It i s here s u f f i c i e n t to b r i n g forward the s t r u c t u r e o f
i n t e n t l o n a l l t y , w h i c h , when c o u p l e d w i t h the t r a n s m u t i n g of 57:3 Autumn 1983 I The Moment o f A s t r o l o g y i n the P t o l e m a i c T r a d i t i o n
the s u b j e c t - o b J e c t d i v i d e , becomes a p o w e r f u l descriptive 57:4 Winter 83/4 I I The Q u e s t i o n R a i s e d by Horary A s t r o l o g y
method at the h e a r t of phenomenology. 58:1 Spring 1984 III Katarche
I'his method recognises that a l l Interpretation, the 58:2 Summer 1984 IV The M e t a p h y s i c a l Coup d ' E t a t by N a t a l A s t r o l o g y

49
 THE MOMENT OF ASTROLOGY Part VI
The Man whose Eyes a r e Open
Geoffrey Cornelius

The aim I s t o a l l o w a s t r o l o g y t o r e v e a l I t s e l f as
divination; or more specifically, to discover In the
'moment of a s t r o l o g y ' the 'moment o f divination'. To
achieve this, i t i s necessary but not sufficient to
deconstruct the prevailing non-dlvinatory explanation
a f f o r d e d w i t h i n the Ptolemaic t r a d i t i o n . What I s f u r t h e r
r e q u i r e d i s t o b r i n g l i g h t t o t h e p r i n c i p a l phenomena o f
astrological experience within a d e s c r i p t i v e framework
d e r i v e d from unambiguous d i v i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e o u t s i d e of
a s t r o l o g y . O n l y t h e n m i g h t we f e e l s u r e t h a t a s t r o l o g y c a n
be m e a n i n g f u l l y d e s c r i b e d as d i v i n a t i o n .
The divinatory nature o f a s t r o l o g y I s commonly i n
d i s g u i s e , a l t h o u g h I n p a r t s t h e c l o a k i s so t h i n as t o be
transparent. This i s e s p e c i a l l y t h e case w i t h horary,
which served as a point of focus for our project
(Part 11). R e t r a c i n g the o r i g i n s of horary b r i n g s to l i g h t
s a l i e n t f e a t u r e s of the d i v i n a t o r y ground i n the k a t a r c h e ,
the a s t r o l o g y of i n i t i a t i v e s . I n Part I I I a d e s c r i p t i v e
f r a m e w o r k was d e v e l o p e d f r o m t h e 'moment o f d i v i n a t i o n '
implicit i n ancient augury. This brought into play the
n o t i o n of p a r t i c i p a t o r y s i g n i f i c a n c e , whereby t h e meaning
o f an omen i s u n i q u e l y r o o t e d i n i t s appearance ' f o r us,
h e r e , now' a n d t h e r e b y r e s i s t s t h e o r i s a t i o n away f r o m t h e
concrete participation of those enacting the meaning,
i n c l u d i n g the d i v i n e r .
it was suggested that a participatory imagination
shaped e a r l y a t t i t u d e s t o t h e k a t a r c h i c f a m i l y o f non-
conception, non-natal moments and d o c t r i n e s whose m o s t
i m p o r t a n t m o d e r n r e p r e s e n t a t i v e i s h o r a r y a s t r o l o g y . To
corroborate this suggestion, inceptional, e l e c t i o n a l and
horary p r a c t i c e s were briefly described along augural
lines (56). I believe this theme touches a chord of
e x p e r i e n c e n o t o t h e r w i s e a r t i c u l a t e d i n o u r t r a d i t i o n , and
allows a f r u i t f u l way o f d i s c u s s i n g phenomena r e g u l a r l y
encountered In practice.
P a r t i c i p a t o r y s i g n i f i c a n c e I s t o be c o n t r a s t e d w i t h
the later development of theoretical s i g n i f i c a n c e so
b r i l l i a n t l y e n v i s i o n e d i n Greek t h o u g h t , whereby u n i v e r s a l
laws are Invoked as the explanation of a l l natural
phenomena. These logical g e n e r a l i s a t i o n s belong to an
abstracted universal observer. Since they belong to
'everyone' they a n s w e r t o 'no-one i n p a r t i c u l a r ' . From
such powerful abstraction eventually developed both

207
c l a s s i c a l and m o d e r n W e s t e r n c o n c e p t i o n s o f s c i e n c e , as different c o n t e x t s . At t h e f u r t h e r reaches, definition
well as o u r taken-for-granted belief in a rational or becomes p r o b l e m a t i c . Do we I n c l u d e p r o p h e t i c r e v e l a t i o n ,
s c i e n t i f i c a s t r o l o g y . P t o l e m y ' s schema p r o v i d e s t h e j u s t - dream Interpretation, intuition and Inspired guesswork
i f i c a t i o n f o r a s t r o l o g y along these l i n e s . under the same b a n n e r as palmistry, aura reading and
dowsing?
Many a s t r o l o g e r s m i g h t f e e l m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e a b o u t
t u c k i n g t h e k a t a r c h e and a u g u r y away I n t o some h i s t o r i c a l For t h e c u r r e n t purpose I t i s n o t e s s e n t i a l t o a r r i v e
category, just as h o r a r y c a n be t r e a t e d as a 'special at a fully comprehensive phenomenology. I am seeking
c a s e ' and i s o l a t e d f r o m t h e m a i n s t r e a m . The w i d e n i n g o f n e i t h e r e x p l a n a t i o n n o r g e n e r a l t h e o r y . The I n t e n t i o n I s
the d i v i n a t o r y d e s c r i p t i o n t o the whole of our p r a c t i c e to bring out useful descriptive categories for the
a p p e a r s t o u n d e r m i n e a s t r o l o g y ' s c l a i m t o f e a s i b i l i t y and phenomenon o f a s t r o l o g y , d r a w n f r o m I n d i s p u t a b l e d i v i n a t o r y
m o d e r n a c c e p t a n c e . A s t r o l o g e r s seem as p r o n e as everyone practice, as c o m m o n l y and proxlmally understood. As a
else to the ingrained tendency to downvalue any s t a r t i n g p o i n t o f d e f i n i t i o n , I w i l l h e r e l i m i t my u s e o f
d e s c r i p t i o n t h a t I s n o t d i r e c t l y and o b v i o u s l y r o o t e d i n the t e r m ' d i v i n a t i o n ' t o ' n o n - l i t e r a l means o f k n o w i n g t h e
a t h e o r e t i c a l s t a n c e o f o b j e c t i v i t y . The 'subject-object u n k n o w n ' . The l a r g e s t o f a l l u n k n o w n s i s t h e f u t u r e , and
split' underpins this stance and tends to render divination is therefore commonly associated with
d i v i n a t i o n m e a n i n g l e s s , as has b e e n I n d i c a t e d I n P a r t V. prediction and forecasting. The prime distinguishing
By virtue of this, divination is generally not taken c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of ' n o n - l i t e r a l ' forms of d i v i n a t i o n i s the
s e r i o u s l y f r o m t h e p o i n t o f v i e w o f p h i l o s o p h y , and c a n n o t employment o f metaphor and s y m b o l . The meaning of the
e v e n be ' o b s e r v e d ' by s c i e n c e . I n a r e a l s e n s e I t has no phrase 'non-literal' will become c l e a r as we t a k e up a
place in Western thought. Amongst practitioners the d e s c r i p t i o n of metaphor.
e m p h a s i s i s , n a t u r a l l y e n o u g h , t o g e t on a n d do i t , r a t h e r
t h a n t o t a l k a b o u t i t : t h e f r a m e w o r k o f c o n c e p t s by w h i c h Metaphor " '
an analysis of d i v i n a t i o n c o u l d be made seems n o t to
e x i s t . There a r e numerous e l e m e n t a r y t e x t s p u r p o r t i n g t o The terms m e t a p h o r and symbol frequently overlap.
t e l l us how t o make d i v i n a t i o n - and v e r y l i t t l e i n t h e However, t h e y are o f such Importance i n a r r i v i n g at a
way o f r e f l e c t i v e c r i t i c i s m o f t h e p r a c t i c e , much l e s s any d e s c r i p t i o n o f a s t r o l o g y and o f d i v i n a t i o n i n g e n e r a l t h a t
d i s c u s s i o n o f w h a t i t means t h a t we e x p e r i e n c e d i v i n a t i o n 1 will differentiate between t h e m and dwell on their
at a l l . d e f i n i t i o n s a t some l e n g t h . I t a k e m e t a p h o r i n I t s u s u a l
s e n s e , t o I n d i c a t e a n o n - l i t e r a l r e f e r e n c e o r m e a n i n g . We
Thus, despite the fact that this phenomenon is talk of the ' f a c e ' o f t h e Moon and the ' f o o t ' of the
a r g u a b l y one o f t h e m o s t p e r v a s i v e and l i f e - s h a p i n g of s t a i r s , we h a v e t h e ' h e a d ' o f an o r g a n i s a t i o n . We 'see'
human e x p e r i e n c e s i n a l l t i m e s and c u l t u r e s , as f u n d a m e n t a l someone else's 'point of v i e w ' , we declare that this
as t h e f i v e s e n s e s , i t i s h a r d l y e v e r a d d r e s s e d as an i s s u e p e r s o n i s ' s t i c k i n g h i s n e c k o u t ' a l t h o u g h we may allow
i n i t s own r i g h t . I n s t e a d i t i s subsumed u n d e r a v a r i e t y t h a t h i s i d e a s are ' b r i l l i a n t ' , o r even have t h e 'spark'
of other concerns, comparative religion, anthropology, of g e n i u s .
social structure and belief systems, psychology of Such usage i s s u f f u s e d t h r o u g h o u t l a n g u a g e , i n c l u d i n g
p e r c e p t i o n , p a r a p s y c h o l o g y , t h e ' u n c o n s c i o u s ' : a l l o f them the l a n g u a g e o f s c i e n c e and t e c h n o l o g y . I t i s a p r i n c i p a l
o f f e r grand manouevres f o r not t a k i n g t h e m a t t e r s e r i o u s l y . means by w h i c h a b s t r a c t c o n c e p t s a r e c o n s t r u c t e d o u t o f
The d i s c u s s i o n so f a r has d o n e no more t h a n h i n t a t c o n c r e t e a n a l o g i e s ; t h r o u g h t h i s l a n g u a g e e v o l v e s , so t h a t
the possible investigation of the whole structure of the obvious metaphor of one era c o n c r e t i s e s i n t o the
h o r o s c o p y as a v e h i c l e f o r p a r t i c i p a t o r y s i g n i f i c a n c e . To literal meaning of later language. I t is a task of
explore this possibility, our concern must widen to etymology t o recover the marvellous metaphors hidden i n
i n c l u d e modern n a t a l astrology. At t h e same t i m e , t h e the l i t e r a l meaning of seemingly m a t t e r - o f - f a c t words. I t
descriptive framework drawn from divinatory practice * i s a p p a r e n t on a l i t t l e r e f l e c t i o n t h a t a n a l o g i e s d e r i v e d
o u t s i d e o f a s t r o l o g y r e q u i r e s t o reach beyond the c o n f i n e s f r o m t h e human b o d y and s e n s e o r g a n s p r e d o m i n a t e o v e r a l l
of a n c i e n t augury. Before any further comparison with o t h e r m e t a p h o r l c f o r m s . Y e t who w o u l d o r d i n a r i l y suspect
horoscopy i s undertaken, a wider d e s c r i p t i o n of d i v i n a t i o n t h a t t h e s i m p l e b u t immense n o u n ' w o r l d ' has an o r i g i n I n
will be s u g g e s t e d , a l o n g t h e l i n e s o f w h a t i s s o m e t i m e s the words f o r man + age (Germanic wer-aldh), thus
c a l l e d "second s i g h t " . That w h i c h second s i g h t 'sees' i s 'literally' the age or life of man, or in another
a b o v e a l l t h e t r u t h o f m e t a p h o r and symbol. i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , t h e ' o l d man' (57). Nothing could better
The word 'divination' i s used to indicate a vast illustrate that man takes h i s body and h i s being as
range of practices, and i t is variously defined in m e t a p h o r f o r a w o r l d o f m e a n i n g r e v e a l e d i n h i s own i m a g e .

208
 IC i s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f m e t a p h o r t h a t i t t a k e s as i t s m y s t i c a l l i t e r a t u r e moves i n t h e r e v e r s e d i r e c t i o n t o s u c h
s t a r t i n g p o i n t f o r a n a l o g y some o b j e c t , f a c t o r r e l a t i o n - l i t e r a l i s m . Where i t i s u s e d t o r e v e a l s u b t l e o r a m b i g u o u s
ship which is treated as e s t a b l i s h e d and relatively s t a t e s , t h e n t h a t usage I s u n l i k e l y t o harden i n t o the
unproblematic, i n order t o d e s c r i b e some o t h e r object, seemingly literal. The 'dark n i g h t of the soul' is a
f a c t o r r e l a t i o n s h i p . I n t h i s way t h e l i t e r a l understand- p r o f o u n d i m a g e e m p l o y e d by S t . J o h n o f t h e C r o s s t o s p e a k
ing o f t h e o r i g i n a l o b j e c t i s t r a n s f e r r e d and becomes a of undeniable r e l i g i o u s experience which i s d i f f i c u l t or
metaphorical understanding of the analogous o b j e c t . By even Impossible to adequately express except In the
r e g u l a r u s a g e t h e t r a n s f e r r e d m e a n i n g may h a r d e n i n t o an language of mysticism and p o e t r y . I f we seek further
effectively literal meaning: there is nothing very d e s c r i p t i o n we may e i t h e r p l a y on t h i s I m a g e r y o r find
m e t a p h o r i c a l a b o u t f o o t n o t e s and headmistresses. a n o t h e r m e t a p h o r . The t r u t h o f t h e s a i n t ' s image i s r e a l
- that I s , b e c a u s e i t d e s c r i b e s c o n v i n c i n g l y i t may be
T h i s b r i n g s us t o a p o i n t t h a t w i l l p r o v e t o be o f r e a l i s e d by o t h e r s i n t h e i r own e x p e r i e n c e . H o w e v e r , we
importance i n the d e s c r i p t i o n of a s t r o l o g y . I n s o f a r as will not e a s i l y f o r g e t that the t r u t h of t h i s expression
astrology - l i k e d i v i n a t i o n as a w h o l e - discloses i s m e t a p h o r i c a l and n o t l i t e r a l .
reality as m e t a p h o r . A r e t h e r e phenomena o f experience
w h i c h e l u d e l i t e r a l d e s c r i p t i o n and r e q u i r e t h e l a n g u a g e Symbol and the Symbolic Attitude - ;< ,. 1
o f m e t a p h o r t o g i v e t h e m v o i c e ? T h i s I s an e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l
p r o b l e m w h i c h I f o r t u n a t e l y do n o t h a v e t o s o l v e . I t i s I n t h e p a r t i c u l a r u s a g e by S t . J o h n o f t h e C r o s s , i s
s u f f i c i e n t t o observe t h a t even i f a l l s t a t e s o f a l l t h i n g s t h e w o r d ' n i g h t ' a m e t a p h o r o r a s y m b o l ? Where m e t a p h o r i s
c o u l d be s u b j e c t t o ' l i t e r a l ' d e f i n i t i o n - w h i c h must u s e d I n s u c h a way t h a t t h e r e i s no i n t e n t i o n o f h a r d e n i n g
remain a logical and theoretical possibility, even i f i n t o t h e l i t e r a l . I t i s d i f f i c u l t and p r o b a b l y u n n e c e s s a r y
true (which I doubt) - i t i s an o b v i o u s f a c t t h a t many to f i n a l l y d i s t i n g u i s h i t from symbol. Like metaphor, the
of our s i g n i f i c a n t e x p e r i e n c e s f i n d s a t i s f a c t o r y e x p r e s s i o n symbol e x i s t s i n n o n - l i t e r a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . However, even
In poetic imagery, h o w e v e r c o n v e n t i o n a l , and are most if they are i n t h e same f a m i l y , t h e u s e of symbolism
difficult t o put i n a more l i t e r a l form. This i s not r a d i c a l i s e s or c a t a l y s e s the m e t a p h o r i c a l .
r e s t r i c t e d t o t h e t e n d e r s e n s i t i v i t i e s o f a p o e t . How many The symbol should first be d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m the
dull sentences are needed to define without explicit f u n c t i o n o f a mere ' s i g n ' ( i n t h e n o n - a s t r o l o g i c a l s e n s e
m e t a p h o r t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f ' b e i n g h e a r t b r o k e n ' ? Even i f a of t h e w o r d ) , s u c h as 'x' i n a l g e b r a o r a Company l o g o ,
s e e m i n g l y l i t e r a l p h y s i o l o g i c a l and b e h a v i o u r a l d e s c r i p t i o n w h i c h i s i n t e n d e d t o make a s i n g l e , c o n c r e t e r e f e r e n c e t o
is constructed, i t w i l l be u n l i k e l y t o c a r r y t h e s u b t l e some w e l l - d e f i n e d e n t i t y , f o r which i t 'stands'. Unless
m e t a p h o r i c a l and symbolic a s s o c i a t i o n s of ' h e a r t ' which such a t o k e n i s a l s o t a k e n t o convey s y m b o l i c nuances,
g i v e d e p t h and a p t n e s s t o t h e p h r a s e any t i m e i t i s s p o k e n which i s sometimes the case w i t h c l e v e r d e s i g n , t h e r e i s
in a non-casual manner. no p a r t i c u l a r a m b i g u i t y o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , e i t h e r i n t h e
We may s u s p e c t t h a t i n i m p o r t a n t a r e a s o f e x p e r i e n c e , s i g n , o r i n t h a t w h i c h i t s i g n i f i e s . A t r u e s y m b o l may on
a p t m e t a p h o r I s t h e t r u e and b e s t e x p r e s s i o n : i t i s n o t a the o t h e r h a n d f u l f i l a t t h e same t i m e t h e f u n c t i o n o f a
s h o r t h a n d f o r m f o r some s u p p o s e d l i t e r a l d e s c r i p t i o n t h a t s i g n : t h e C r o s s s t a n d s as a t o k e n o r i n d i c a t o r o f the
we h a v e n o t b o t h e r e d t o a r t i c u l a t e . W i t h t h i s i s m i n d i t p r e s e n c e o f a c o m m u n i t y o f C h r i s t i a n w o r s h i p . J u s t as i t
i s p o s s i b l e t o b r i n g o u t an i m p o r t a n t d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n shows a C h u r c h on an O r d n a n c e s u r v e y map.
m e t a p h o r e m p l o y e d i n t h e l a n g u a g e o f s c i e n c e and t e c h n o l o g y
To t h e e x t e n t t h a t a n o b j e c t o r e v e n t i s r e c o g n i s e d
and m e t a p h o r as c o m m o n l y e m p l o y e d i n a r t and d i v i n a t i o n .
and engaged on i t s own terms as symbol, i t overtly
Ordinary everyday l a n g u a g e may d i s p o s e o f f o o t n o t e s and
a n n o u n c e s i t s own and o u r s y m b o l i c i n t e n t i o n , a n d exists
headmistresses i n a p e r f e c t l y l i t e r a l manner; s i m i l a r l y ,
t o s e r v e o r m a n i f e s t t h a t i n t e n t i o n . I n o t h e r w o r d s , when
when t h e l a n g u a g e o f s c i e n c e u s e s m e t a p h o r t h e i n t e n t i o n
i s by no means t o r e m a i n w i t h a b u n d l e o f l o o s e a s s o c i a t i o n s we come a c r o s s s o m e t h i n g t h a t we r e c o g n i s e as 'symbolic'
but i s t o f i n d a p r e c i s e 'hardening i n t o the literal'. the only l i t e r a l statement we c a n make i s o f t h e type
Science I s founded i n long-hardened metaphors such as 'here i s a s y m b o l ' . O t h e r t h a n t h i s I t w i l l t h r o w us b a c k
acceleration (to Increase one's steps) and inertia f r o m l i t e r a l I n t e r p r e t a t i o n , and we a r e c a s t i n t o t h e n o n -
( i n d o l e n c e ) , and more o b v i o u s u s a g e s s u c h as f i e l d , wave l i t e r a l . This i s e s p e c i a l l y obvious w i t h c u l t u r a l a r t e f a c t s
and c u r r e n t . S o m e t i m e s an e x t e n d e d metaphor i s employed, t h a t we h a v e e i t h e r l e a r n e d t o know as s y m b o l s , o r w h i c h
as i n B o h r ' s t a k i n g o f t h e Sun and p l a n e t s as a m o d e l f o r by t h e i r s t r a n g e n e s s or c o n t e x t suggest t o us t h a t they
the p r o t o n s u r r o u n d e d by o r b i t i n g e l e c t r o n s ( 5 8 ) . have a r i s e n f r o m s y m b o l i c i n t e n t i o n i n t h e i r m a k e r s . The
C h r i s t i a n Cross, the a s t r o l o g i c a l V e n u s , a n d t h e Hanged
The intention of metaphor employed in poetry and Man i n t h e T a r o t a r e such e x a m p l e s . For most o b s e r v e r s .

210 211
t h e human f o o t r e m a i n s f i r s t a n d f o r e m o s t l i t e r a l l y and
u n p r o b l e m a t i c a l l y t h e human f o o t . By c o n t r a s t , t h e s y m b o l a s t r o l o g i c a l I n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e Sun, a l t h o u g h i t i s I n
d o e s n o t h a v e some f i x e d and c o n c r e t e m e a n i n g as i t s an I m p o r t a n t sense g u i d e d by o u r p h y s i c a l e x p e r i e n c e o f
s t a r t i n g p o i n t . I t d o e s n o t d e p e n d u p o n t h e l i t e r a l . The t h e S u n , a l w a y s moves f a r b e y o n d t h e l i t e r a l I n e s t a b l i s h -
m e a n i n g o f a s y m b o l I s I t s own s y m b o l i s m , w h i c h h a n g s ing a framework o f a s s o c i a t i o n s . C o r r o b o r a t i o n f o r t h i s
a b o u t I t l i k e a m i s t o f n u a n c e a n d s u g g e s t i o n . The H a n g e d Man w i l l be f o u n d I n t h e common i n s i s t e n c e a m o n g s t a s t r o l o g e r s
of the Tarot I s such an u n l i k e l y l i t e r a l e v e n t t h a t i t t h a t t h e p h y s i c a l l u m i n a r y i s b u t one m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f t h e
p r i n c i p l e , t h e S u n . Thus we may p r o p e r l y d i s t i n g u i s h t h e
demands m e t a p h o r i c a l interpretation Immediately on i t s
astrological Sun t a k e n as s y m b o l , i n c o n t r a s t to the
appearance.
l i t e r a l Sun o f n o n - s y m b o l i c e x p e r i e n c e a n d o f a s t r o n o m y .
What a s y m b o l 'means' c a n be I n t u i t e d o r i n d i s t i n c t l y
t r a c e d by f o l l o w i n g t h r o u g h t h e m e t a p h o r i c a l associations Is a m e t a p h o r i c a l o r symbolic meaning a ' f a c t ' o f t h e
to which I t gives rise. There i s usually a line of same o r d e r a s t h e a p p a r e n t l i t e r a l f a c t s o f t h e w o r l d ? One
conventional I n t e r p r e t a t i o n s (= metaphors) f o r a symbol, man's m e t a p h o r I s a n o t h e r man's l i t e r a l m e a n i n g : t h a t i s
often quite obvious, accorded w i t h i n t h e system i n which to say, t h e a t t i t u d e o r I n t e n t i o n a l i t y brought t o bear i s
t h e s y m b o l h a s a r i s e n . So T a r o t r e a d e r s s e e i n t h e Hanged decisive In determining t h e e x i s t e n c e o f metaphor. Jung
Man a m e t a p h o r f o r l i f e i n s u s p e n s i o n o r t r a n s i t i o n , a n d talks of the symbolic attitude as the necessary
t h e i s s u e o f s a c r i f i c e . Once t h e s y m b o l i s m i s u n d e r s t o o d determinant:
i n t h e s e m e t a p h o r s , f u r t h e r a s s o c i a t i o n s d e v e l o p , some o f " whether a t h i n g i s a symbol o r n o t depends c h i e f l y
which will be p a r t i c u l a r t o the individual diviner. upon t h e a t t i t u d e o f t h e c o n s c i o u s n e s s c o n s i d e r i n g i t "
Although t h e r e i s t h e r e f o r e a more o r l e s s d i s t i n c t core ( 59)
o f a s s o c i a t i o n s f o r most s y m b o l s , l e a r n e d as one l e a r n s a
l a n g u a g e , t h e r e i s no f i n a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d p e g o n w h i c h t o I w i l l adopt t h i s phrase o f Jung's, symbolic a t t i t u d e , t o
make f i r m o r a r b i t r a t e t h e ' c o r r e c t ' m e a n i n g , t h e s y m b o l cover b o t h t h e i n t e n t i o n a l i t y o f symbolism and o f non-
r e m a i n s i t s own o r i g i n a n d b e s t e x p r e s s i o n o f i t s e l f a n d l i t e r a l l s i n g m e t a p h o r s u c h as t h e ' d a r k n i g h t o f t h e s o u l '
of i t s p o s s i b l e m a n i f e s t a t i o n s . Any p a r t i c u l a r metaphor i m a g e o f S t . J o h n o f t h e C r o s s . We u n d e r s t a n d the l i t e r a l
d e r i v e d f r o m t h e s y m b o l w i l l be o n l y o n e p o s s i b l e s h o w i n g w o r l d as p u b l i c , o b j e c t i v e , and open t o a l l , w i t h i n t h e
of t h a t symbol. Freed from t h e o v e r r i d i n g a u t h o r i t y o f a f i v e s e n s e s . Now w h a t e v e r p r o b l e m s may be r a i s e d a s t o t h e
single l i t e r a l r e f e r e n c e , t h e symbol I s m u l t i v a l e n t : i t nature of l i t e r a l sense-perception and c o g n i t i o n , i t does
p e r p e t u a l l y p r o m i s e s t o l e a d o f f I n t o an unknown r e a l m o f n o t a l t e r t h e s h a r p d i s t i n c t i o n t h a t may be d r a w n b e t w e e n
possible metaphoric associations each o f which i n t u r n t h i s p u b l i c w o r l d , t h e w o r l d open t o everyone i n g e n e r a l ,
e n r i c h e s and e x t e n d s f o r us t h e 'meaning' o f t h e s y m b o l , and the world as seen i n t h e l i g h t o f symbol. Since
a n d some o f w h i c h may e v e n t h r e a t e n t o r a d i c a l l y t r a n s f o r m o t h e r s , w i t h u s , h e r e , now, may r e q u i r e t o be t o l d a b o u t
our previous understanding. This i s the quality, noted i t b e f o r e t h e y t o o 'see' i t - a n d e v e n t h e n t h e y may
amongst o t h e r s by J u n g , o f t h e i n e x h a u s t i b l e n a t u r e o f still n o t q u i t e see i t - symbolic r e a l i t y c a n n o t be
symbol. reduced t o t h e n o t i o n o f a t h e o r e t i c a l r e a l i t y standing
a p a r t f r o m t h e a c t o f p e r c e p t i o n . We a r e t o u c h i n g o n t h e
By virtue of this, t h e symbol I s open t o range distinction already made, between theoretical and
t o w a r d s t h e b o r d e r l a n d o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g , t h e most i n e f f a b l e participatory significance, and noting the symbolic
and p a r a d o x i c a l o f p e r c e p t i o n s . S i m i l a r l y , s i n c e no one a t t i t u d e as a n o r g a n o f t h i s p a r t i c i p a t i o n .
e x p r e s s i o n c o u l d s u b s t i t u t e f o r i t , t h e symbol i s s t r o n g l y
resistant to the l i t e r a l i s a t i o n which can overtake For our era the world of the l i t e r a l holds sway,
o r d i n a r y m e t a p h o r s : w h i l e i t r e m a i n s ' a l i v e ' i t w i l l be e x p r e s s e d i n t h e language o f a v e r a g e e v e r y d a y c o n c e r n , and
too f l u i d t o harden i n t o the l i t e r a l . in the language of post-Enlightenment Instructional
science ( 6 0 ) . Behind t h a t science l i e s a g e n e r a l t h e o r y o r
In c o n s i d e r i n g a s t r o l o g i c a l symbolism, i t i s u s e f u l a t t i t u d e t o r e a l i t y w h i c h seems t o e x p l a i n e v e r y t h i n g , o r
t o make a f u r t h e r d i s t i n c t i o n , b e t w e e n w h a t may be t e r m e d imagines Itself on t h e way t o such an explanation.
n a t u r a l and a r t i f i c i a l symbols. A s t r o l o g y c o n s t r u c t s i t s Consistent w i t h t h i s a t t i t u d e , t h e modern I m a g i n a t i o n i s
major metaphors from n a t u r a l symbols - the l i t e r a l l y prey t o a misplaced l i t e r a l i s m which downgrades metaphor
o b s e r v e d o b j e c t s , S u n , Moon a n d p l a n e t s . O t h e r systems unless i t i s a c c e p t e d as a p r a c t i c a l s u b s t i t u t e f o r some
a l s o c o n t a i n such n a t u r a l symbols, b u t f r e q u e n t l y b r i n g exact statement which I s thought i n principle to exist.
f o r w a r d i m a g i n a t i v e c u l t u r a l c o n s t r u c t s , as i n some T a r o t Divination and a s t r o l o g y are p a r t i c u l a r l y at risk of
images. This should not mislead us i n t o t h i n k i n g that distortion through this f a l l a c y o f l i t e r a l i s m , as t h e i r
natural symbolism i s i n some way more literal. The p r a c t i t i o n e r s bend t o t h e t e m p e r o f t h e t i m e s a n d t r y t o

212
213
e x p l a i n away t h e i r s y m b o l i c r e a l i t y . I t I s n o t t h e r e f o r e
easy t o keep open t h e s y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e , even w i t h i n t h e t h a t f o r ' a l o e s ' a r e I d e n t i c a l , t h e two words l o o k and
p r a c t i c e o f d i v i n a t i o n . There i s l i t t l e reason t o suppose sound v e r y s i m i l a r . T h i s p l a y , s u g g e s t s P o r t e r , b r i n g s o u t
t h a t modern a s t r o l o g y I s e q u i p p e d f o r t h e t a s k , e s p e c i a l l y "the l i n k between s i g h t and s e c o n d - s i g h t " . C e r t a i n l y , a
to t h e e x t e n t t h a t I t t u r n s I t s back on d i v i n a t i o n . l i t e r a l d o u b l e e n t e n d r e m u s t be t h e m o s t o b v i o u s way i n
w h i c h t h e t r a n s f e r o f m e a n i n g I n m e t a p h o r may be a c h i e v e d ,
Symbolic s e e i n g I s r e a l and communicable f o r those
and I t i s a common e x p e r i e n c e i n d i v i n a t i o n .
who s h a r e I t , y e t I t I s n o t a l i t e r a l s e e i n g . To e x p r e s s
t h i s , we may u s e t h e m e t a p h o r o f s i g h t a n d t a l k o f ' s e c o n d The visions o f Amos, b r o u g h t f o r w a r d i n t h e same
s i g h t ' ; o r t h e m e t a p h o r o f t h e f i v e s e n s e s may be u s e d t o s t u d y , i l l u s t r a t e e v e n more d i r e c t l y t h e p r o p h e t i c u s e o f
give a 'sixth sense'. These d e s c r i p t i o n s have been m e t a p h o r . Here a r e two o f t h e f i v e v i s i o n s :
commonly limited to clairvoyance, ESP and similar
phenomena. I w o u l d s u g g e s t t h a t t h e y a r e e q u a l l y a p p l i c a b l e " T h u s he s h e w e d me: a n d , b e h o l d , t h e L o r d s t o o d u p o n
to t h e e x e r c i s e o f t h e symbolic a t t i t u d e employed I n t h e a w a l l made b y a p l u m b l i n e , w i t h a p l u m b l i n e i n h i s
seeing of d i v i n a t i o n . h a n d . And t h e L o r d s a i d u n t o me, Amos, w h a t seest
thou? And I s a i d , A p l u m b l i n e . T h e n s a i d t h e L o r d ,
Behold, I will s e t a p l u m b l i n e i n t h e m i d s t o f my
Second S i g h t , Second H e a r i n g ^ . r ' « '
p e o p l e I s r a e l : I w i l l n o t a g a i n p a s s by t h e m a n y m o r e "
I n a r e c e n t s t u d y on d i v i n a t i o n I n a n c i e n t I s r a e l t h e
a u t h o r , J.R. P o r t e r , makes a d i r e c t c o m p a r i s o n b e t w e e n
" T h u s h a t h t h e L o r d God s h e w e d u n t o me: a n d b e h o l d
m e t h o d s u s e d by t h e H e b r e w p r o p h e t s , a s e v i d e n c e d i n t h e
a b a s k e t o f summer f r u i t . T h e n s a i d t h e L o r d u n t o me.
B i b l e , and f o r m s o f d i v i n a t i o n known t o have been p r a c t i s e d
The e n d i s come u p o n my p e o p l e o f I s r a e l ; I w i l l n o t
by s e e r s t h r o u g h o u t t h e a n c i e n t Near E a s t . From a t e n t h
a g a i n p a s s by t h e m a n " more ..."
century Arabic text we h a v e a report o f one o f t h e
( l i t : ' t h e t i m e i s r i p e f o r my p e o p l e Israel')(63)
simplest and most f u n d a m e n t a l o f a l l such forms, here
e m p l o y e d by a B e d o u i n d i v i n e r : These visions are apparently derived as second-sight
metaphors from the l i t e r a l seeing of a plumbline, or
" he g l a n c e d a t t h e f i r s t o b j e c t o n w h i c h h i s e y e f e l l
a n d he e x t r a c t e d t h e n c e a n o t i o n w h i c h he a p p l i e d t o perhaps a s t r a i g h t w a l l , and o f a basket o f r i p e f r u i t .
the m a t t e r a b o u t w h i c h he was t o g i v e a d e c i s i o n ". T h i s same e x p e r i e n c e - o r something l i k e i t - will
(61 ) be k n o w n by a n y o n e who h a s n o t o b s c u r e d t h e i r sense o f
P o r t e r shows t h a t one f o r m o f O l d T e s t a m e n t p r o p h e c y p o e t r y o r s y m b o l . F o r an i n s t a n t , o f t e n u n e x p e c t e d l y , t h e
c o n f o r m s c l o s e l y t o t h i s p a t t e r n . He q u o t e s t h e p r o p h e c y gradient o f emotion and a t t e n t i o n shifts, o n e becomes
of Balaam: e n t r a n c e d , some t r i v i a l o b j e c t , a l e a f f l u t t e r i n g i n t h e
w i n d , t h e shape o f a j u g , i s f u l 1 - o f - i t s e 1 f and s i g n i f i c a n t .
" F i r s t , Balaam sees s o m e t h i n g i n a perfectly natural Or p e r h a p s we c a t c h o u r s e l v e s i n a t t e n t i o n o r n o n - a t t e n t i o n ,
and o r d i n a r y way - he t u r n e d t o w a r d t h e d e s e r t ; a n d , and t h a t I s f u l l - o f - i t s e l f . T h e n t h e e x p e r i e n c e may, I f we
as he l o o k e d , he saw I s r a e l encamped t r i b e by t r i b e : a r e so i n c l i n e d , speak b e y o n d i t s m a t t e r - o f - f a c t m e a n i n g .
t h i s was ' t h e o b j e c t o n w h i c h h i s e y e f e l l ' . S e c o n d l y , T h i s i s t h e p o i n t o f o r i g i n o f b o t h p o e t r y and d i v i n a t i o n ,
however, t h i s sight immediately turns Into second- it i s an openness disclosed i n meditation and i n
s i g h t ". prayer (64).
Balaam, " w i t h s t a r i n g eyes sees i n a t r a n c e t h e v i s i o n We may p r e s u m e t h a t t h e o r a c l e s o f O l d Testament
f r o m t h e A l m i g h t y " . He u t t e r s an o r a c l e , d e v e l o p e d o n t h e prophets carried authority through the character,
b a s i s o f metaphor. I t opens: r e p u t a t i o n o r p r i e s t l y f u n c t i o n o f t h e p r o p h e t , a n d n o t by
" How g o o d l y a r e y o u r t e n t s , 0 J a c o b , y o u r d w e l l i n g - , v i r t u e o f t h e aptness o f t h e metaphor employed - although
p l a c e s , I s r a e l , l i k e l o n g rows o f p a l m s , l i k e gardens these are often strong and e v o c a t i v e . This form o f
by a r i v e r , l i k e a l o e s p l a n t e d by Y a h w e h , l i k e c e d a r s divination i s quite singular, i n that the divinatory
b e s i d e t h e w a t e r ". (62) experience i s n o t i t s e l f s h a r e d . O t h e r s must b e l i e v e o r
d i s b e l i e v e t h e w o r d o f t h e i r p r o p h e t , t h e y w i l l n o t be
Balaam uses t h e m e t a p h o r o f f e r t i l i t y I n t h e d e s e r t t o e q u a l l y i n s p i r e d by g a z i n g o n a b a s k e t o f f r u i t . The same
p r o p h e s y t h e p r o s p e r i t y o f I s r a e l . The p a s s a g e i s i n v e r s e , s i n g u l a r i t y and n o n - c o m m u n i c a b i 1 1 t y i s a f e a t u r e o f t h e
a f e a t u r e shared with pre-Islamlc Arabic divination. Bedouin d i v i n e r ' s second s i g h t , and most o f o u r i n d i v i d u a l
Further, I t Involves a word-play at the heart of the e n t r a n c e d moments, a l t h o u g h i t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t inspired
m e t a p h o r : t h e c o n s o n a n t s f o r t h e Hebrew w o r d ' t e n t s ' and words have t h e o c c a s i o n a l g i f t o f c o m m u n i c a t i n g even t h e s e .

214 215
 Despite this Individualistic dimension, divination divination i s made, i t d o e s n o t o c c u r . Or t o use the
seems t o c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y d e v e l o p i n t o s h a r e d f o r m s and language of early w r i t e r s , d i v i n a t i o n Is of 'Art' rather
t o t a k e on t h e q u a l i t i e s o f l a n g u a g e . The omens t h a t o c c u r t h a n o f ' N a t u r e ' : i t i s a m a k i n g o f man. With t h i s , the
f o r a t r i b e w i l l be k n o w n by a l l as s i g n i f i c a n t . T h e y a r e act of d i v i n a t i o n i s recovered from l i t e r a l i s a t i o n and
l i k e l y t o be t h e s u b j e c t o f communal m e t a p h o r i c a l I n t e r - o b s c u r a t i o n i n t h e o b j e c t s m a n i p u l a t e d i n d i v i n a t i o n . What
p r e t a t i o n , e v e n I f an a u t h o r i s e d o m e n - r e a d e r i s c a l l e d i n second s i g h t sees i s u n d o u b t e d l y d i s c l o s e d i n t h e w o r l d ,
t o be t h e f i n a l j u d g e . I s u s p e c t t h a t d i v i n a t i o n comes t o yet i s n o t a d e q u a t e l y d e s c r i b e d as t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f some
f u l n e s s when I t i s s h a r e d , a l t h o u g h I w i l l n o t h e r e a t t e m p t ' o b j e c t i v e ' p h e n o m e n o n . T h i s m u s t be a f u n d a m e n t a l premise
to j u s t i f y t h i s b e l i e f . of the hermeneutlcs o f d i v i n a t i o n ( 6 6 ) .
The d i v i n a t o r y f o r m s w h i c h a r e o f p a r t i c u l a r r e l e v a n c e R e c o g n i s i n g t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e one who s e e s o r
I n any c o m p a r i s o n w i t h a s t r o l o g y e m p l o y s y m b o l s y s t e m s as h e a r s , we a r e a b l e t o e x p l o r e phenomena o f divination
the basis f o r metaphorical association. Two well-known w i t h o u t b e i n g o v e r w h e l m e d by t h e l a b o r i o u s I m p l a u s i b i l i t y
s y s t e m s o u t s i d e o f a s t r o l o g y a r e t h o s e o f t h e T a r o t and of misplaced literal and materialistic explanations. I
the I C h l n g . The u s e o f a s y s t e m o f s y m b o l s w i t h inter- will demonstrate t h i s by g i v i n g a d e s c r i p t i o n o f T a r o t
related c o n v e n t i o n a l l y understood meanings ensures that d i v i n a t i o n , i n d i c a t i n g a t t h e same t i m e t h e c r i t i c a l point
the experience of divination is to a high degree at which analysis often succumbs t o the 'fallacy of
c o m m u n i c a b l e w i t h o t h e r s who h a v e l e a r n e d t h e same s y s t e m . literalism'.
F u r t h e r , t h e c a p a c i t y f o r r e f l e c t i o n and d i s c u s s i o n a l l o w s
a c o n s c i o u s i n t e l l e c t u a l p r o c e s s t o s e r v e and articulate An individual decides t o make d i v i n a t i o n w i t h the
the d i v i n a t o r y e x p e r i e n c e . T a r o t . He w i l l c o n s i d e r w h i c h s p r e a d t o u s e , p e r h a p s w h i c h
out o f s e v e r a l d e c k s o f c a r d s t o u s e . He c o m p o s e s h i m s e l f ,
We s h o u l d n o t a l l o w t h e s o p h i s t i c a t i o n o f d e v e l o p e d
the I n q u i r y i n m i n d . P e r h a p s he w i l l speak h i s q u e s t i o n
symbol systems t o d i v e r t a t t e n t i o n from t h e p r i m a l s e e i n g
out loud. According to the p a r t i c u l a r rules of the spread,
of the d i v i n a t o r y a c t , which t h e y s h a r e w i t h t h e most
he m i g h t c h o o s e one c a r d , p l a c e d f a c e up a t t h e c e n t r e , t o
b a s i c and u n d e v e l o p e d f o r m s . T h e s e s y s t e m s o f f e r a way o f
symbolise h i m s e l f . The remaining cards are s h u f f l e d and
o r d e r e d p r a c t i c e and e n s u r e c o m m u n i c a t i o n a n d a r t i c u l a t i o n
cut, t h e i r f a c e s h i d d e n . T h e y may now be p l a c e d i n o r d e r
of t h e s y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e , and I n t h i s t h e i r f u n c t i o n i s
f a c e down i n p o s i t i o n s p r e - a s s i g n e d by t h e r u l e s o f t h e
precious: but they are not themselves the source or
s p r e a d , o r l e f t i n t h e s t a c k t o be t u r n e d up one by one.
guarantee of v i s i o n . They r e m a i n empty u n t i l they are
We a r e now a t t h e c e n t r e o f t h e r i t u a l . L e t t h e l i t e r a l
f i l l e d a t t h e moment o f d i v i n a t i o n .
d e s c r i p t i o n be h e l d f o r a w h i l e . What i s h a p p e n i n g h e r e ?
The D e s c r i p t i o n of Divination The m e c h a n i c s h a v e b e e n c o m p l e t e d . The c a r d s a r e i n
the o r d e r t h e y w i l l appear, w a i t i n g . I t i s easy t o f a l l
E n o u g h has now b e e n s a i d to a l l o w the n a t u r e of the
i n t o t h e s u p p o s i t i o n t h a t t h e d i v i n a t i o n has a l r e a d y b e e n
descriptive task t o stand forth. The second sight of
made, t h a t a l l t h a t i s l e f t t o be d o n e i s t o t u r n up t h e
metaphoric m e a n i n g i n omens a n d symbols i s a u n i v e r s a l
cards that will reveal this divination that has now
human e x p r e s s i o n , s p a n n i n g t h e r a n g e f r o m t r i v i a l super-
o c c u r r e d . Such a movement o f t h o u g h t w o u l d t a k e i t f o r
stition to highly articulated symbolic languages, and
granted that t h e random s h u f f l i n g o f t h e c a r d s i s t h e
s e l e c t i n g as i t s medium a b o u n d l e s s r e a l m o f o b j e c t s and
d i v i n a t i o n , and t h a t t h e a c t o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n t h a t s t i l l
o c c u r r e n c e s . T h e r e i s n o t h i n g t h a t c o u l d n o t be a medium
has to be made is some distinct further operation,
for d i v i n a t i o n . Any a t t e m p t a t d e s c r i p t i o n w i l l confound
necessary but l o g i c a l l y secondary. Based on o u r h a b i t o f
I t s e l f i f i t t a k e s as i t s p r i m e t a s k a c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f
i m a g i n i n g a t h e o r e t i c a l e x p l a n a t i o n l y i n g back and b e h i n d
the o b j e c t s and o c c u r r e n c e s u t i l i s e d i n d i v i n a t i o n . T h i s
any situation, we might then infer that the objects
leads o n l y t o a w e a r y i n g l i s t of 'mancies', cartomancy,
m a n i p u l a t e d i n d i v i n a t i o n i n some way p i c k up o r r e g i s t e r
a e r o m a n c y , g e o m a n c y , c r o m n i o m a n c y , a n d so on ( 6 5 ) .
or s y m p a t h e t i c a l l y resonate i n tune w i t h t h a t p a t t e r n of
D e s c r i p t i o n f a i l s u n l e s s i t t a k e s as i t s g r o u n d t h e significance. Once this step i s taken, interpretation
p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e one who s e e s , o r who, c o n s u l t i n g t h e becomes t h e t a s k o f d i g g i n g o u t t h e m e a n i n g e n c o d e d o r
diviner, will be l e d t o see. Meaning r e s i d e s i n the l o c k e d up i n t h e o b j e c t s . The 'moment o f d i v i n a t i o n ' i s
s e e i n g , and i t i s framed i n the c o n t e x t i n which the t a k e n t o h a v e o c c u r r e d , and i s s e p a r a t e f r o m a n y a c t o f
diviner open his eyes. Even allowing f o r the true i n t e r p r e t a t i o n t h a t may l a t e r be made.
s p o n t a n e i t y o f t h e phenomenon, i t i s t h e f u n c t i o n o f a
Does the p a t t e r n exist before i t i s s e e n by the
stance to l i f e -- t h e s y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e - and t h u s :
diviner? From the point o f . view of participatory

216
217
s i g n i f i c a n c e , t o a t t e m p t t o a n s w e r y e s o r no e i t h e r way i s a r i s e s , i t i s t h e hub o f t h e e n a c t m e n t . I n many forms
p o i n t l e s s : t h e w h o l e q u e s t i o n has l o s t i t s b e a r i n g s , s i n c e Chance e n t e r s t h e p l a y a t t h i s crucial point, i n the
i t has d i v o r c e d d i v i n a t i o n f r o m i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . T h i s c a n c u t t i n g of cards, the drawing of a l o t , the d i v i s i o n of
b e s t be b r o u g h t o u t by c o n s i d e r i n g a t y p i c a l borderline s t a l k s . Chance p l a y s a r i t u a l r o l e which e x e m p l i f i e s the
c a s e : p l a y i n g c a r d s w i t h f r i e n d s , t h e Queen o f S p a d e s may necessary c o n d i t i o n of d i v i n a t i o n t h a t conscious intention
iump o u t b e c a u s e o f c l u m s y d e a l i n g . T h a t I s an e v e n t w h i c h Is s a c r i f i c e d t o the concealed i n o r d e r t h a t i t may be
o c c u r s . I t means n o t h i n g i n p a r t i c u l a r b e y o n d t h e l i t e r a l r e v e a l e d . D e p e n d i n g on o u r m e t a p h y s i c a l b e l i e f , t h e a g e n t
f a c t o f I t s o c c u r r e n c e , t h e f a c t o f a m i s d e a l . As f o r t h e t h a t c o n c e a l s and r e v e a l s w i l l be t e r m e d t h e D i v i n e , t h e
p i c t u r e on t h e f a c e o f t h e c a r d , i t means n o t h i n g , ' i t Gods, P r o v i d e n c e , o r n o w a d a y s t h e U n c o n s c i o u s . What may
c o u l d have been any o f t h e c a r d s ' . However, k n o w i n g t h e t h e n be shown w i l l be t h e r e s p o n s e o f some O t h e r - n o t - o f -
t r a d i t i o n a t t a c h e d t o t h i s s y m b o l , I o r someone e l s e a t our-maklng.
the t a b l e , o r someone h e a r i n g a b o u t I t t h e n e x t d a y , may
w o n d e r w h e t h e r t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f t h i s p i c t u r e - d o e s 'mean' I t i s the nature of r i t u a l to orient attitude, and
something, and make a reference beyond the momentary the ritual of the enactment of d i v i n a t i o n i s i n t e n d e d t o
physical circumstance. I f e v e n f o r a moment t h i s c a r d i s reform the conscious grasp t o the p o i n t where i t t u r n s
n o t i c e d i n t h e s y m b o l i c way, t h e n t h e a c t o f d i v i n a t i o n i s upon I t s e l f and l e a v e s c l e a r space f o r t h e showing o f
b e i n g made. I t i s p o s s i b l y a mean l i t t l e s u p e r s t i t i o n i n symbol.
t h i s c a s e , b u t i t i s an a c t o f c r e a t i o n n o n e t h e l e s s . On
t h e o t h e r h a n d , i f I t i s n o t t a k e n up as m e a n i n g f u l by any Realisation
of the p a r t i c i p a n t s t h e n o r a f t e r , who i s to say t h e r e There Is a forward movement to the intentional
e x i s t e d a meaning? s t r u c t u r e o f d i v i n a t i o n , so t h a t e a c h p a r t o f t h e p r o c e s s
is i n t e l l i g i b l e o n l y by v i r t u e o f t h a t w h i c h i t i s I n t e n d e d
I n much t h e same way i t s h o u l d be c l e a r t h a t p a c k s o f to l e a d t o . The f o r m a l e n a c t m e n t o f d i v i n a t i o n has no
c a r d s a r e s h u f f l e d on c o u n t l e s s o c c a s i o n s w i t h o u t I t b e i n g point unless the c u t , the throw, the step of f a i t h , is
fruitful t o ask w h e t h e r a c o n s t a n t l y c h a n g i n g divinatory made. T h i s s t e p i s no s t e p a t a l l u n l e s s a b i d d e n r e s p o n s e
pattern 'exists unseen' in the cards. This view Is i s sought t h a t w i l l be i n t e r p r e t e d f o r t h e i n q u i r y . The
fruitless b e c a u s e a t b e s t i t makes no d i f f e r e n c e t o an r e s p o n s e w i l l h a v e r e a l b e a r i n g on t h e i n q u i r y o n l y i f t h e
a c t u a l T a r o t s p r e a d b e f o r e u s . A t w o r s t i t may h a r d e n I n t o d i v i n e r i s g e n u i n e l y o p e n t o be moved by t h e s h o w i n g o f
a predetermined n o t i o n of 'how d i v i n a t i o n works' which the s y m b o l i s m , so t h a t h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d a c t i o n w i l l
narrows e x p e r i e n c e r a t h e r than leaves i t open. be r e o r i e n t e d t h r o u g h d i v i n a t i o n . T h e r e f o r e f o r a u t h e n t i c
divination, the d i v i n e r has faith, he i s committed In
The Formal Enactment of Divination a d v a n c e t o a p r o j e c t i n w h i c h he w i l l g i v e o v e r t o t h e
The a c t o f m a n i p u l a t i n g o b j e c t s t o make d i v i n a t i o n unknown a c e r t a i n power o r d i n a r i l y h e l d i n t i g h t conscious
s h o u l d be d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m t h e s y m b o l s a n d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n p o s s e s s i o n . On t h i s b a s i s o f c o m m i t m e n t , t h e s y m b o l s g i v e n
which arise. These a r e like two h a l v e s of the whole, i n d i v i n a t i o n are l i k e l y to a t t a i n a meaningful a r i s i n g .
bidding and bidden. The formal enactment of d i v i n a t i o n
S y m b o l s r u n t o I n t e r p r e t a t i o n a t t h e moment o f a p p e a r a n c e .
e n c o m p a s s e s t h e p h y s i c a l p r o c e s s o f t a k i n g up t h e T a r o t
S o m e t i m e s t h e y may remain ambiguous, a ' p o s s i b i l i t y of
cards or g e t t i n g the yarrow s t a l k s out of the cupboard. I t
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ' , and t h e d i v i n e r w i l l c a s t b a c k a n d forth.
also covers the structure of d e c i s i o n s by which the
d i v i n e r creates a s e t t i n g f o r the showing of d i v i n a t i o n - A t o t h e r t i m e s , t h e s h o w i n g i s d i r e c t and unequivocal,
his choice o f T a r o t s p r e a d , and w h a t p o s i t i o n i n t h a t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s i m m e d i a t e l y g i v e n , i t does n o t have t o
s p r e a d i s by c o n v e n t i o n d e t e r m i n e d f o r what p a r t o f h i s be w o r k e d a t . T h i s e x p e r i e n c e n o u r i s h e s f a i t h i n d i v i n a t i o n .
i n q u i r y . I t n o t o n l y depends on t h e i n t e n t i o n a l i t y o f t h e When i t i s c o m p l e t e , i t has a t o n e o f p s y c h i c intensity.
s y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e , i t i s a d e c l a r a t i o n and e x p r e s s i o n o f T h i s i s t h e phenomenon o f t h e symbol b e i n g r e a l i s e d i n t h e
that attitude. Even the apparently mechanical events situation to which i t r e f e r s , so t h a t t h e r e o c c u r s an
become l a d e n w i t h h a l f - r e a l i s e d s y m b o l i c moments - the i n d i v i s i b l e i d e n t i t y o f s y m b o l and t h e w o r l d i t m e t a p h o r -
cards are cut three times, the s t a l k s are counted i n f o u r s i c a l l y r e v e a l s . To r e t u r n t o t h e s i m p l e m e t a p h o r s o f Amos,
for t h e s e a s o n s , t h e I n c e n s e p o t t i p s o v e r and confuses his second sight b r i n g s an object i n i t s fulness to
the diviner. p e r f e c t r e a l i s a t i o n : the s t r a l g h t n e s s of the s t r a i g h t w a l l
is i n i t s s t r a l g h t n e s s the r e c t i t u d e of the Lord, the
The e v e n t s o f t h e f o r m a l e n a c t m e n t a r e b o r n e t o w a r d s ripeness of the f r u i t i s the ripeness of the time, the
t h e i r c o n s u m m a t i o n i n s y m b o l i c e x p e r i e n c e . The moment o f f r u i t are the people Israel.
d i v i n a t i o n i s t h e empty c e n t r e i n w h i c h t h a t experience
The experience of an indivisible identity in symbol

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and m e t a p h o r s t o r m s t h e s u b j e c t - o b j e c t b a r r i e r . The s y m b o l
i s s e e n w i t h a s h o c k o£ r e c o g n i t i o n , i t I s q u a l i t a t i v e l y anew i n t h e l i g h t o f t h e o t h e r , a n d t h e t w o d i v i n a t i o n s ,
d i f f e r e n t to being simply a 'plausible I n t e r p r e t a t i o n ' f o r t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e r e a l m s o f l i f e t o w h i c h t h e y have been
the t h i n g s observed. I t i s 1007, s h o w n as t h o s e things. assigned, c o m b i n e . I n t h i s way there develops a unique
A s t r o l o g e r s know t h i s w e l l : s o m e t i m e s when y o u see t h e Sun personal s t y l e , an e f f e c t i v e h i s t o r y o f interpretation,
or Capricorn you just 'know' t h e m i n a m a r v e l l o u s and f o r m i n g w i t h i n and e n r i c h i n g t h e s h a r e d tradition.
solid recognition. I t I s from knowing l i k e this that
s t r o n g p r e d i c t i o n s a r e made, f o r s u c c e s s f u l p r e d i c t i o n s
*******
c a r r y t h e same p h e n o m e n o n o f ' m a k i n g r e a l ' t h e s y m b o l i s m , That there Is a truth i n s y m b o l s and a light in
b r i n g i n g the symbolic w o r l d t o r e a l - l s a t l o n . Of course, d i v i n a t i o n e m e r g e s as a p r i m o r d i a l d a t u m o f e x p e r i e n c e . I t
most d i v i n a t i o n s i m p l y i s n ' t l i k e t h i s . I n a whole s p r e a d w i l l a r i s e w h e r e v e r t h e r e i s Human B e i n g , i n d e p e n d e n t of
of t a r o t cards w i t h v a r i o u s p a r t s of t h e spread a l l o c a t e d e x p l a n a t i o n s . Modern t h o u g h t has played a curious trick
t o a s p e c t s o f t h e i n q u i r y , t h e d i v i n e r w o u l d be f o r t u n a t e upon i t s e l f . I t has s e l e c t e d out o f the r i c h chaos o f
to a t t a i n a glimpse o f t h i s r e c o g n i t i o n w i t h more t h a n being a certain theoretical significance which i t has
t h r e e o r f o u r o f t h e i m a g e s . The o t h e r s w i l l h a v e t o be l e a r n e d t o m a n i p u l a t e and h o l d f i r m . T h e n i t has forgotten
w o r k e d a t and p o n d e r e d , v a r i o u s t a k e s w i l l be t r i e d , and its origins which i t declares to be 'childlike' or
t h e y may g e t t h e r e . Some o f t h e s y m b o l s a r e a l m o s t c e r t a i n 'primitive'. D i v i n a t i o n w o u l d a p p e a r t o be p a r t o f the
to d e f y r e a l i s a t i o n , and t h e r e f o r e to render interpret- original m y t h o p e i c and symbolic r e a l i t y which has been
a t i o n s o f t h e m l a b o u r e d o r a r b i t r a r y . Much o f t h e s k i l l o f p u s h e d down f r o m a t t e n t i o n a n d o p e r a t e s I n d i s g u i s e . I t
the c r a f t of d i v i n a t i o n rests i n learning to d i s t i n g u i s h r e m a i n s t o remove t h e d i s g u i s e f r o m t h e p r i n c i p a l e l e m e n t s
the d e g r e e o f r e a l i s a t i o n I n t h e symbols shown. of astrological practice, in order to reveal Its
When m a j o r e l e m e n t s o f a s y m b o l i c s h o w i n g h a v e b e e n divinatory foundation.
'realised', then interpretation establishes itself. The
diviner 'has' an understanding from the d i v i n a t i o n . At P a r t V I I , 'The D i v i n a t o r y R e c e n s i o n of A s t r o l o g y ' , w i l l be published
t h i s p o i n t , the whole p r o j e c t . I n c l u d i n g both the formal i n the n e x t volume o f ASTROLOGY.
e n a c t m e n t and t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , c a n become a f i n i s h e d
t h i n g . Then t h e d i v i n e r w i l l h o l d t h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g as 56. Augural d e s c r i p t i o n of horary, e l e c t i o n s e t c : P a r t I I I p22-3.
57. W o r l d = Wer + a l d h : see O x f o r d E n g l i s h D i c t i o n a r y . The l i n e o f m e t a p h o r
his l i n e on t h e m a t t e r , and a l l f u r t h e r d i s c u s s i o n w i l l
may n o t s t o p even h e r e , s i n c e i t i s s p e c u l a t e d t h a t ' a l d h ' goes back t o
n o t be i n t h e way o f s y m b o l i s m , b u t i n t h e manner o f a
t h e r o o t ' a l ' , as i n L a t i n ' a l e r e ' , t o f e e d . T h a t w h i c h i s n o u r i s h e d has age.
r e p o r t . The d i v i n a t i o n g o e s i n t o t h e p a s t t e n s e . A r e p o r t 58. Scientific metaphor: d i s c u s s e d i n "The O r i g i n of C o n s c i o u s n e s s i n the
of one's past d i v i n a t i o n I s by no means t h e same as B r e a k d o w n o f B i c a m e r a l Mind" - J u l i a n J a y n e s ( A l i e n L a n e 1 9 7 9 ) see p 5 0 - 3 .
d i v i n a t i o n i t s e l f ; f u r t h e r r e f l e c t i o n w i l l o n l y repeat the J a y n e s ' v i e w o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s as m e t a p h o r has h e l p e d s h a p e my t h e m e . H i s
established line. I t will require some turnabout of t h e o r y o f d i v i n a t i o n i s p e r t i n e n t f o r a s t r o l o g y and m e r i t s f u l l t r e a t m e n t .
I n s i g h t , perhaps through a f u r t h e r d i v i n a t i o n , or perhaps 59. S y m b o l i c a t t i t u d e : C.G.Jung " P s y c h o l o g i c a l T y p e s " C o l l . W r k s 6. S e c t i o n 5 1 .
through the i n t e r c h a n g e w i t h another person's view of the 60. I n s t r u c t i o n a l s c i e n c e : r e f n o t e 4 7 , P a r t V.
same s y m b o l s , t o r e o p e n t h e 'moment o f d i v i n a t i o n ' . The 61. Bedouin d i v i n e r : p l 9 9 o f " D i v i n a t i o n & O r a c l e s " o p . c i t . n o t e 24, P a r t I I I
62. B a l a a m : i b i d p 2 0 0 , q u o t i n g NUMBEFS XXIV ( P o r t e r ' s t r a n s l a t i o n ) . The title
f a c t t h a t o t h e r s can ' r e a l i s e ' o n e ' s own s y m b o l i s m i s t h e
of t h i s P a r t VI was i n s p i r e d by B a l a a m ' s d e s c r i p t i o n o f s e c o n d s i g h t . I t
key to the c o m m u n i c a b i l i t y of sophisticated divinatory
i s n o t some d r e a m , i t i s t o g e t h e r w i t h o r d i n a r y ' f i r s t s i g h t ' . So B a l a a m
forms . I n s i s t s ( K i n g James v e r s i o n ) : " B a l a a m t h e s o n o f B e o r h a t h s a i d , and the
The p r e c e d i n g o b s e r v a t i o n s make c l e a r t h e n e c e s s i t y man whose e y e s a r e o p e n h a t h s a i d : He h a t h s a i d , w h i c h h e a r d t h e w o r d s o f
God, which saw the v i s i o n o f the A l m i g h t y , f a l l i n g i n t o a t r a n c e , but
o f d i s t i n g u i s h i n g t h e ' f o r m a l e n a c t m e n t ' f r o m t h e 'moment'
h a v i n g h i s e y e s o p e n ; How g o o d l y a r e t h y t e n t s , 0 J a c o b . . . "
of divination. The formal enactment I s a c i r c u m s c r i b e d
63. - i b i d p 2 0 0 : AMOS V I I 7 & 8; V I I I 1 & 2.
ritual, but the showing which i t i n v i t e s i s open-ended. 64. Meditation & Prayer: t h e B u d d h i s t s c h o l a r M i c h a e l Hookham has t a l k e d a t
L o n g a f t e r t h e e n a c t m e n t , when t h e c a r d s h a v e b e e n p u t the L o d g e on t h e Way o f t h e B o d d h i s a t v a s as e x p r e s s e d i n s p o n t a n e o u s o p e n -
away or the birds have flown, a further meaning or ness t o the d i v i n a t o r y showing ( L e c t u r e 26/2/79 ' D i v i n a t i o n & Buddhism').
connection may dawn, a previous understanding may be T also remember C h r i s Maunder's s t r i k i n g assertion that 'the a c t of
t r a n s f o r m e d . Or, i n h i n d s i g h t , an e v e n t a t f i r s t treated a s t r o l o g y i s an a c t o f p r a y e r ' ( L e c t u r e 2 5 / 4 / 8 3 'The Q u a l i t y o f t h e Moment').
I n t h e common way i s s e e n as ' h a v i n g b e e n ' s y m b o l i c , and 65. 'mancies': f o r a r e m a r k a b l e list o f m a n c i e s , see t h e G l o s s a r y to "The
t h a t -means i t I s now a s y m b o l . Such moments a r e s t i l l p a r t P r e d i c t i o n Book o f D i v i n a t i o n " - J o L o g a n & L i n d s a y H o d s o n ( B l a n d f o r d 1984).
of d i v i n a t i o n , which then extends f a r beyond i t s f o r m a l C r o m n i o m a n c y i s d i v i n a t i o n by o n i o n s .
66. Hermeneutics of d i v i n a t i o n : Hermeneutics i s the study o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ,
e n a c t m e n t . F u r t h e r , a l a t e r d i v i n a t i o n w i l l p i c k up the
originally i n problems of S c r i p t u r e . D i v i n a t i o n poses the 'hermeneutic
i m a g e r y o f an e a r l i e r d i v i n a t i o n , so t h a t one i s u n d e r s t o o d q u e s t i o n ' p a r e x c e l l e n c e . M o d e r n p h i l o s o p h y has y e t t o r e c o g n i s e t h i s .

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