Skyscript Newsletter #11 - August 2023

#11 August 2023

Newsletter Edited by Deborah Houlding

The Sun is in Leo www.skyscript.co.uk/leo.html

– Contents – • Newsletter Thoughts & Skyscript News • Sun in Leo: Radiance from the Heart • Who was Marcus Manilius?

• The Sphere of Manilius (Introduction) • The ‘Something Else’ of Divination • Planetary Themes for August • Chaldean Glimmers, III: Towards Nativities

Contributors: Abigail Joy • Jason Burns • Mireille Crossley • Kirk Little

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IN THIS ISSUE Welcome to a very fulsome, information-rich issue. I’m conscious there’s less of a topical angle this month, but we will rectify that next time. To count the blessings: you will struggle to find a more enjoyable way to have your astro-curiosity both tickled and satisfied than to sit down with each of the offerings here: an abundance of new research, all in easily digestible portions, and illustrated for your aesthetic delight. On the negative, I decided to delay the second part of Firmicus ‘On the Signs’ to avoid this issue becoming too historically lob-sided, and to give the full limelight instead to Mireille Crossley’s wonderful biographical exploration of Manilius and the transmission of his Astronomica.1 Sorry Firmicus, but remember how much you drew from Manilius and failed to even mention him as a source? Pay-back time.

You don’t get far as an astrologer without stumbling across long, complex words you don’t understand or know how to pronounce but feel that you should. Melothesia – what’s that?

Abigail Joy will fill you in whilst peeling back the layers on the solar-Leo rulership of the heart, the one point in astrology we can absolutely rely on – or can we? Her beautifully researched exploration of melothesia associations and definitions of mind and soul should give you pause to reflect on what ‘coming to the heart of something’ really means. (And I see pushy Firmicus, who wants to be everywhere, managed to squeeze a quote into this piece. My eyes roll … trying to stay zen, but sometimes there’s not enough cardamom tea in the world).

We’re also joined in this issue by the masterful reviewer of astro-books, Kirk Little. Book reviews are curious beasts – often ‘churned out’ as favours to friends or as part of a promotional launch, many will spawn yawns as they ‘egg the positive’, abandon attempts to critique with due diligence, and fail to engage in any of the controversial issues the published book raises. Not those penned by Kirk; I am always impressed by the depth he contemplates a book’s substance and angle, and the neutrality and courage with which he tackles its issues. Most of Kirk’s reviews become philosophical thought pieces in their own right, and never more so than the fascinating review here about Tiziano Terzani’s, A Fortune-Teller Told Me. (Never heard of TzTz or his book?

Don’t worry, neither had I. Let Kirk direct you to an author and work you ought to know about).

Kirk calls attention to this 1990s book as one of interest to astrologers, zooming in on a point of huge astrological consequence (so huge, you will never resolve it: if you think you have resolved it, you have failed; go back to square one). I won’t give more details here except to say that looking at the astrological signatures at play in a curious tale of trying to avoid fate whilst focused on understanding it left me puzzling for days. Was Terzani’s journey always about noticing, without meeting, death in the marketplace at that time, no matter what route he took to get there?2 Bringing things back down to earth, do not fail to give swift attention to Jason’s Burn’s probe of mundane themes for August. Though we aim to keep things timely and up to the minute here, formatting pressures require all submissions to arrive well before publication, so when Jason first sent that text to me on 8th July, he gave a very early ‘heads up’ to a crucial situation:

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With the Black Sea grain deal due for renegotiation, it’s easy to imagine outcomes reaching a tense and crucial point with global implications (p.25)

Those of you who attended Mireille’s talk on Manilius may note that some of the points made at that time have been sharpened here as part of the ongoing research. For anyone not yet aware, we will be starting up a Manilius Reading Group on 2nd August, and this biographical article will bring you up to speed with all the most relevant information about who/where/when he was and why his book mattered.

2 As a point of interest, Terzani would later die of stomach cancer at age 66 (Italy 28 July 2004 – T. Saturn then squared his natal Saturn from Cancer / T. asc-ruler, Mars, opposed 8th-ruler Jupiter). His experience of preparing for death formed the basis of a final, best-selling book, The End is My Beginning, which was turned into a German-Italian language movie in 2010. This depicts an auto-biographical of his last days, shared with his son, where he discusses his philosophical views, attached to a collection of stories and adventures he encountered in his travels. Having accepted he is going to die, he feels content, almost elated after a life fully lived, yet he still clings to the joy of life’s small pleasures and probes the question, “Death is the only new experience that can happen to me now. Why are we so afraid of death?”. OK, I’ll leave it at that; Kirk’s piece inspired me a lot, and I am sure it will leave you with much to think about.

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The original submission expected matters to reach a crucial point by the end of July/ beginning of August, then infiltrate the political scene in August (the symbolism is seeded in the New Moon of 17th July and repeats in both the Full Moons and the New Moon of August). Right on cue, nine days later (the New Moon of 17th July), Reuters announced: “Russia halts grain deal in what UN calls blow to needy people everywhere”. The consequences of this will be devastating for poorer nations and will escalate countless political tensions (not to be a moaner, but it also hit me directly: it’s disastrous that people will think I spend my time publishing forewarnings about things that have already started to happen … too late to change the copy now though).

Of course, in real life, political themes don’t have sharp divides between one month and the next, but as the Cancerian theme recedes, its notable resonance was horrible weather (too much heat or rain: extremes of either or both, unless you live in Britain where the grass remains very green but the sunshine only came out for about 10 mins one day at the start of July; not long enough for me to take my cardi off), together with high profile legal actions, concerns about the ethics of AI, and principles of justice being reevaluated. Jason also flagged this in our last issue as part of a=h-M-_ configuration that saw a flood of headlines concerning high-end legal challenges. These typically concerned the rights of immigrants or ‘minority’ groups (increasingly not so minority), or contentious issues over religious rights, or ethical issues regarding the rights of minority groups conflicting with the entitlements of religious-minded people to uphold their right to be more sanctimonious than spiritual.

Anyway, it was a theme.3 We have plans afoot to look deeper into extreme weather patterns astrologically (more to come later), and before I leave the topic of mundane astrology aside, let me pop a promotion here for an upcoming STA event that will feature several of our contributors. Note the date for your diary, and stand by for news of the discount I am negotiating for Skyscript members.

Finally, I modestly draw your attention to my exploration of astrological development under the Mesopotamians, motivated, in part, to dismiss David Pingree’s irritating and trite suggestion that “Sometime in the late 2nd or early 1st century BC, someone, perhaps in Egypt, invented genethlialogical astrology”.4 At eight pages long it is going to need at least one full cup of tea but don’t let it fall into the bucket of TLDR – this is as light as a meaty piece can get when it's surveying a millennium and a half of advancement of our art. And you need to keep up with the series because it will keep moving forwards. The next issues will consider the mythological themes of the Babylonian planetary gods, before turning attention to the Egyptian contribution to astrology, the Greeks, and then the Romans, and … so on through to Rudhyar and beyond. (Speaking of Egyptians, Roz Park should actually do the speaking on that … and she will – notice the notice on page 5).

Just a few of the headlines that captured the mood: The Supreme Court made big decisions this week and more are coming / Legitimacy of ‘customer’ in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical and legal flags / Activists hail Nepal ruling allowing same-sex marriage / US Supreme Court rejects affirmative action in university admissions / UK Government’s Rwanda asylum policy is unlawful, Court of Appeal rules.

4 From Astral Omens to Astrology (1997), p.26.

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Featured Leonine Character from History:

LION-MAN

Meet Lion Man. He may not look much, but he has enormous importance and immense powers of endurance – he’s here to remind you of how small and insignificant you are (in the greater scheme of things). If you think the Venus Tablets of Ammisaduqa are too old to contemplate (c. 1650 BCE); that the pyramids of Egypt epitomise the notion of ‘ancient’ (c.2500 BCE); or that monuments like Stonehenge or the temple of Nanna discussed in the last issue must border on the primordial (4th-5th centuries BCE); you are wrong.

Lion Man is not 4000 years old; he is 40,000 years old – that is, forty thousand years. This is the oldest artefact we have evidencing the human instinct to conceive in symbolic terms. Even the curators at the British Museum get passionate about this (loads more info online – Google it): Lion Man is a masterpiece. Sculpted with great originality, virtuosity and technical skill from mammoth ivory, this 40,000-year-old image is 31 centimetres tall. It has the head of a cave lion with a partly human body. He stands upright, perhaps on tiptoes, legs apart and arms to the sides of a slender, cat-like body with strong shoulders like the hips and thighs of a lion. His gaze, like his stance, is powerful and directed at the viewer. The details of his face show he is attentive, he is watching and he is listening. He is powerful, mysterious and from a world beyond ordinary nature. He is the oldest known representation of a being that does not exist in physical form but symbolises ideas about the supernatural.

How it all started: frontispiece from our inaugural issue

Happy Skyscript Solar Returns “It is a bad plan that admits of no modification” – so says the Roman witticist Publilius Syrus (don’t know who he is? Read on ... he is related to our dear Manilius). Publilius also originated the phrase “anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm”, and I recognise the wisdom of both of those ditties as we celebrate the first full year of Skyscript Newsletter publication. There have been ups and downs and periods of panic as the deadline loomed and the Sun moved more reliably than I did. For the most part, I’ve spent twelve months stressing about things not progressing at the pace I would like. But today, I took some time to focus on what has been done rather than what remains to be done, and I feel very happy to contemplate all the great content that has flowed through these pages from incredible, generous, talented contributors. Not to mention all the website developments compared to how Skyscript was a year ago – perpetually stuck on an announcement that “The Sun is in Gemini” (it had been there since 2016) and looking like tumbleweed was blowing across its pages. The forum redevelopment will be completed by the next time we meet and a host of improvements will follow on the heels of that. So, today, it is “cheers!” and thank you for being with me in this. We are getting there, and it is exciting to consider how much better the website will be this time next year.

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AN ASTROLOGICAL ODYSSEY AROUND CLEOPATRA’S EGYPT 1ST CENTURY BCE

Presentation by Roz Park Sunday 13th August 2023 At Dendera, north of Luxor in Egypt, lies the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Hathor, the bovine goddess of the sky, love, fertility, foreign countries, minerals copper and turquoise. A wondrous sight befell those Napoleonic savants who explored the small chapel of Osiris on the roof of this beautiful temple in May 1799. They found the sandstone ceiling with its easily recognisable signs of the zodiac but were unable to read the hieroglyphs still awaiting decipherment. This was a treasure the French had to have. In 1820, gunpowder was used to remove the zodiac ceiling, and it was taken to the Louvre, where it remains today.

We are very privileged to have Roz Park lead Skyscript members through the imagery of Egyptian temple ceiling reliefs. Her quest to understand the guiding stars of Egypt has challenged her mentally and physically for 38 years. Her research has established that one of the sky map ceilings at Dendera Temple, the so-called ‘round zodiac’, has pure and simple, datable astronomy. But this basic fact-finding has failed to attract the attention it deserves, even among astrologers. Created at least 200 years before Ptolemy wrote his Tetrabiblos and Almagest, the Dendera Zodiac is actually a very sophisticated horoscope within an accurate planisphere, surrounded by ceiling imagery depicting Egyptian historical myths and political figures, and incorporating native astronomy with the scientific criteria of Hipparchus. As Roz explains:

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During the Ptolemaic period of Egyptian History (from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra), the rebuilding of Hathor’s temple on an ancient sacred site was initiated by Auletes, and almost immediately carried on by his daughter, “fatherloving” Cleopatra VII, who ended her life on her Urania opposition in 30 BCE. It is therefore safe to say that the two famous zodiacs on Dendera ceilings were commissioned by Cleopatra, although scholars trying to make sense of the zodiacs in the décor never dwell on this context. In the two centuries since the modern rediscovery, scholars have attempted to unravel the secrets of the Dendera zodiacs, to no avail really! By nature, most scientists and historians, and especially Egyptologists, are indifferent or even hostile to the study of astrology. Much of what has been written displays a wilful blindness to the importance of the stars over millennia to Egyptian life, as demonstrated in their religion, art, and iconography.

In this presentation, which will end with questions, Roz will explore horoscopic imagery in the two zodiacs of sky goddess Hathor’s temple, and if time permits another recently revealed in Esna. Get ready for Roz to challenge widespread assumptions as she decrypts the identification of planets and exaltations and considers how Egyptian astronomers interpreted and encoded eclipses; her most recent find concerning a temple ceiling from the reign of Ramses the Great (c. 1250 BCE).

Start: 3:30 pm UTC – New York: 11:30 am | London: 4:30 pm [other local times on this link] duration ≈ 90 mins | Skyscript Zoom link: http://us06web.zoom.us/j/6123333126 This talk is planned as an event for body and soul level members, but mind-body members who are interested and able to attend the live event – feel free to join. However, the recording will be for body and soul level members only.

Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023

SUN IN LEO Radiance from the Heart

by ABIGAIL JOY

WWW.SEEBYSTARLIGHT.COM

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www.seebystarlight.com

This month’s focus on solar-powered Leo brings the theme of vitality to the fore. With the Sun signifying radiating creative energies,which of the body parts are ruled by the Sun, and why; and how can we boost them?

The practice of assigning astrological significators to body parts is termed melothesia – a word deriving from the Gk. μέλος and its associated Latin melos, which originates the word ‘mole’ (as in a mark or blemish) but also has a wider meaning of ‘limb’ (it is also used in reference to a musical ‘part’; hence appearing in words like ‘melody’). To the prefix melo the suffix thesia identifies a doctrine with a widely agreed upon theory, although Al-Biruni makes a dry understatement when telling us “In this matter there is much confusion in the books”!1 Historical authors unwaveringly assign the head to Aries and the feet to Pisces, but divergence of opinion affects the bits in between.

Generally, the principle is to move top to bottom in the order of the signs, but there is imperfect agreement about how to do that, and things get most muddled in the middle.

Depending on the author, the sign of Leo might rule: § § § § §

the sides and shoulder blades (e.g., Manilius) the loins, vision, and sinews (e.g., Valens) the breast and stomach (e.g., Firmicus) the diaphragm and spine (e.g., Bonatti) the liver (e.g., Ficino).

The heart is also mentioned in most of these works, as early as Dorotheus, but not consistently: the Sun and Moon, both being luminaries, often alternate rulership of the stomach and the heart and have a lot of overlapping symbolism. They both rule the eyes, and they both govern life, broadly. The differences of opinion regarding specific organs are likely due to varying notions of physiology over time and confusion over where the lower part of the heart became affected by the stomach and nearby digestive systems.2 Based on today’s knowledge of how the body works, assigning the stomach to the Moon and the heart to the Sun makes sense. The Moon is receptive and reflective, and the stomach’s role in the body mirrors this well. The Sun is active and radiant, which better fits the nature of the heart. The heart not only actively pumps blood through the body, but also emits an electromagnetic field due to its elaborate innervation,3 and radiates heat due to its constantly-working muscles.4 We don’t often think about the heart as a heat-generating organ, although this was wellknown and noted in the 16th-century text of the great anatomist Andreas Vesalius: “Of the organs which are created for rekindling the natural heat within us, and for the restoration and nourishment of our spirits, the heart is considered by far the most important part of the agitative faculty”.5 How fitting that the heat-producing Sun would rule this heat-generating organ.

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The heart has long been recognized as essential to life, even if its exact activities were not fully understood. Its function as a pump to circulate blood was not discovered until the 13th century,6 although ‘heart attack’ was recognized as a serious disease even in ancient times, seen astrologically in details such as Valens (2nd cent.) warning of heart troubles when Leo or the Sun is afflicted by Mars, and heart attack as a cause of death when there is an afflictive relationship between Saturn and the Sun.7 Bonatti has an intriguing description of Leo’s rulership over the body. Most of his list is fairly mundane – stomach, heart, spine, diaphragm, sides – but there is an interesting phrase where he says that Leo rules “the lower part of the breast where courage flourishes”. The translator adds a note that ‘courage’ appears in the original text as animositas.8 This derives from the Latin root animus, which can also mean ‘soul’ or ‘mind’ or ‘will’. Clearly, the concept is that Leo rules some kind of non-physical function, seated in the lower breast.

He had already listed the literal heart, so this phrase makes a distinction between the physical organ and the immaterial soul that animates it.

HEART & SOUL While the importance of the heart for physical health is obvious, it is also viewed as a locus of non-physical forces such as emotions or memory.

Recipients of heart transplants often report feeling changes in personality, food preferences, or even experiencing past memories from their donor.9 There is no scientific explanation for this, but it should come as no surprise.

Humans have been reporting for millennia that they perceive emotions and other cognitive processes as emanating from their actual hearts. Only in today’s materialistic mindset would we regard such statements as merely figurative. To the ancients, these experiences were always perceived as literal.

Even today, the importance of the emotional or soul-level heart is abundant in cultural references: a mean person is ‘hard-hearted’; a sensitive person can ‘take things to heart’; popular wisdom implores us to ‘listen to your heart’ or ‘put your heart into your work’, and so on. This leads to the complex question of how the mind and body are connected. Over the centuries, philosophers have debated at length about the exact nature of the mind, soul, or spirit – how it interacts with the body, or whether it exists at all.

MELOTHESIA The first clear reference to zodiacal melothesia in Greco-Roman literature is in the Astronomica of Manilius (c. 10 AD) but there is good evidence that the scheme was much more ancient and probably developed in Mesopotamia.

The most important cunieform document (tablet BM 56605, shown right) has been roughly dated to about 400-100 BCE, based on the supposition that its reference to the zodiac makes it unlikely to be older – its that circular reasoning again: we don’t allow that the zodiac is older, so all texts with zodiac references are tentatively dated to a relatively late period when it was securely known to be used (for more, see the article on the Mesopotamian development of the zodiac in this issue).

There is an excellent article about this tablet on the Freien University website, written by M.F. Schreiber, who tells us: “The top row of the table consists of twelve squares with the zodiacal signs, below that an equal row with the assigned body-parts. Underneath each sign and body part are vertical sub-columns of squares with the names of animals, accompanied by numbers (referring to the micro-signs). The sequence of body parts in this text was first identified by J. Z. Wee in 2015, who uses the term ‘zodiac man’ for it”.

Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023

WIKIMEDIA

The Ram, as chieftain of them all is allotted the head, and the Bull receives as of his estate the handsome neck; evenly bestowed, the arms to shoulders joined are accounted to the Twins ; the breast is put down to the Crab, the realm of the sides and the shoulder blads are the Lion’s; the belly comes down to the Maid as her rightful lot; the Balance governns the loins, and Scorpio ytakes pleasure in the groin; the thighs hie to the Centaur, Capricorn is tyrant of both knees, whilst the pouring Waterman has lordship of the shanks, and over the feet the Fishes claim jurisdication.

(Astronomica, II.459, Goold, p.119)

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One problem, in discussing these issues, is that of terminology. Finding the right word is tricky: ‘mind’, ‘soul’, ‘spirit’, ‘energy’ and ‘cognition’ are just some of the many labels attached to the idea we are grappling with, each with slightly different inflections of meaning. For practical purposes, I will use the word ‘soul’ throughout this article while recognizing that this may not always accurately capture the exact intention being expressed.

Some philosophers have argued that the soul is a completely separate entity that merely inhabits the body; others claim it is inseparable from and equivalent to the body. There are many choices between these positions, including the argument that there is no such thing as a soul. If you cannot decide where you land yourself, don’t worry; these debates have been brewing for thousands of years. There has also been much controversy about the ‘seat’ or ‘centre’ of the soul’s operations as it relates to the body – the ancients were not united on whether thoughts or emotions were generated from the brain, the heart, or some other organ.

Neither are thoughts or emotions per se the only aspect of the soul. Today’s understanding of the word ‘soul’ equates it almost entirely to the realm of abstract sensations but in ancient times the soul was understood as the mover in the body. Philosophical discussions were very concerned with how things moved, and it was observed that someone could create a body from clay, but it will not move on its own. The question is, why do our bodies, which are otherwise just a clump of elements, move? Anything in the body that moves, even if we are not aware of it consciously, such as the heartbeat, was considered responsive to the command of the soul. Hence, the Latin word for soul, animus, originates the English word ‘animate’, to move.

It is fascinating to consider that some of our movements are subconscious, with the soul doing things without our mindful control, whilst still being part of the ‘self’. It was this observation, that there are various levels of conscious awareness of the movements of the body, that prompted Galen and other ancient sages to divide the soul into various parts or to attribute to the body a multiple number of souls. Some will operate completely without our knowledge, while others operate only under our knowledge and rational direction.

In my last article, I explained how Galen understood the nature of the soul as it interacted with the body. Medical astrology has varied in approach and application over the centuries but, generally, it has hewn more or less from Galen’s concepts. To review, Galen believed that the body has three souls or spirits, which serve as the animating forces of the body. Each is generated in different organs to serve different purposes: § The natural spirit is generated in the liver and operates the fully unconscious bodily movements; e.g., digestion. § The vital spirit is generated in the heart and operates the movements that are partially unconscious but somewhat in our awareness; e.g., emotional responses or passions. § The animal spirit (or ‘rational spirit’) is generated in the brain and operates the conscious movements of our bodies, such as muscle motions.

The vital spirit is the middle point of the three spirits: the fulcrum between operations that are completely involuntary and those that are fully conscious. An interesting parallel can be made with the Sun as the middle point of the planetary spheres. (which are ordered based on apparent speed). Even if we zoom out from the geocentric perspective and observe the actual motions of the planets in heliocentricity, the Sun is still at the ‘heart’ of the scheme, with all the planets rotating around it. From either perspective, the Sun is the centre, and the font of all life.

Diagram based on Singer’s Evolution of Anatomy (1925) depicting Galen’s anatomy (WIKIMEDIA)

4–5–6–3–7–8–0 fastest

middle Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023

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HEART HEALTH That the heart, as an organ, is ‘vital’ for life is obvious: without a heartbeat, we draw to death. But the heart’s importance in vitality goes a great deal further – a robust heart leads to health in all parts of the body. Studies in cardiovascular health (generally measured by endurance on treadmill tests) show an inverse linear relationship with death from every other cause, even non-cardiovascular deaths such as accidents or suicide. The research on this is abundant and very clear: being heart-healthy reduces your chance of dying from almost everything!10 A healthy heart extends beyond its physical state. The heart as a locus of soul-like activity, such as emotions, correlates with Galen’s view of the heart as the generator of the Vital Spirit, which is no doubt what Lilly had in mind when he discussed how to discern whether a disease is strictly physical, versus “in the spirits”. One sign to look for is where the Moon’s last aspect was to Saturn, which might indicate that “vexatious care” or a “disturbed mind” has caused the ailment.11 We see this in the modern world, in which depression is a strong predictor of heart disease. People with depression are 64% more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those without it.12 Astrologically, this is reflected in the traditional enmity between Saturn and the Sun. An affliction of the emotional heart brings depression, and this causes damage to the physical heart as well.

Eastern forms of medicine have elaborate and sophisticated models of the subtle forces in the body, and welldeveloped materia medica to treat these forces. Western traditions, as far as can be deduced from surviving literature, are not similarly organized. We do not have classes of herbs that specifically serve as ‘vital tonics’ or qi tonics the way Eastern herbalism does. Western herbalism does have a class of herbs called ‘nervines’, which target mood and mental state, but that is the closest we get. Treatment of the soul tends to be indirect – embedded and implied in the other approaches. Often this is achieved by addressing the humours: an excess of choler may manifest not only as heat in the body but also frenzied emotions and movements (remember, the soul controls movement); thus, cooling and moistening herbs, by reducing the choler, would treat the overheated soul; similarly for the other humours.

Much of the Western tradition seems to operate from the assumption that body and soul are indistinguishable, similar to what is described by Firmicus:

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The soul, poured inside and fastened by the force of necessity, governs and serves the fragile mortal body. The soul will not have a perfect receptacle and will not be able to show its divinity unless the body has been strengthened for its reception. Thus the soul and body, mutually sustaining each other by the strength of their own natures, show that man is composed of an earthly and a divine nature in one perfect form and shape.13

CARDAMOM: a herb with heart One herb that may benefit both the soul-level and the physical heart is Cardamom. There is no clearly defined planetary ruler for this herb but all authors agree it is heating and drying in virtue and has the kind of clarifying properties typically associated with solar herbs. Culpeper includes it in various compounds and cordials (heart tonics), noting its properties for resisting poisons, soothing digestion and easing pains.14 Not only is it warming and stimulating in effect, but it is also a natural mood-booster, with antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering powers that strengthen the heart and so help reduce cardiovascular disease.15 While modern sources claim that the name of this herb derives from the Greek kárdamon, ‘cress’ (referring to its similarity in flavour to a mustard plant that also bears spicy pungent seeds) older sources derive it from the Greek Kardia ‘heart’, which gives us the Latin suffix cardiac for heart-related matters, “on account of its digestive (heart-fortifying) properties”.16 In any event the connection to the heart through the Doctrine of Signatures is remarkable: the flower appears with resemblance to the shape of the physical heart, with the three major arteries branching from the top. The seed pods – the edible parts used in cooking and herbalism – also adopt the shape of the heart, with their inner divisions being Cardamom flower, on the left, similar in shape to the human heart. similar to the ventricles of the heart.

Images edited from Wikimedia Commons and GetDrawings.com Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023

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Whether or not you find the Doctrine of Signatures convincing, Cardamom’s benefits for the heart, for general health, and for the soul, cannot be ignored. I give it to people who are in convalescence from surgery or from a strong emotional blow such as a breakup or death of a loved one. It has a profoundly comforting effect on the body, like a hug from a good friend, or the gentle rays of the Sun on a beautiful day. It relieves both physical and emotional pain, and gently stimulates blood flow, which is important for healing and recovery.

Cardamom is also excellent for daily use in cooking or in drinks such as tea or coffee. It supports good digestion, opens the bronchial passages to allow for better oxygen intake, and uplifts the mood. And it is delicious! Here is a recipe for a refreshing drink for a hot summer’s day: Strawberry Cardamom Soda § ¼ cup very ripe, sweet strawberries § 1 cardamom pod (or 2 tsp cardamom powder) § ¼ cup boiling water § ¼ cup honey § 2 cups sparkling water In a small food processor, blend the strawberries and cardamom. Pour the mixture into a thick mug, then add the boiling water, cover, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Keep it covered and place it in the fridge overnight to make a strong infusion.

Strain out the cardamom pods and strawberry chunks. Stir in the honey until it dissolves. Stir the syrup into the sparkling water. Add ice cubes, and serve!

Left: cardamom featured on p.1358 of John Gerard’s Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597)

Abigail Joy is trained in Horary & Medical Astrology (STA) and Family Hebalism. She offers a consultation practice aimed at client empowerment and finding joy. Find more of her work and details of her services at: seebystarlight.com 1 Al-Biruni, Book of Instruction in the Elements of Astrology (1029); tr. R. Ramsay Wright (1934); p.359.

Notes & refs:

2 Harper, D., ‘Etymology of cardiac’; Online Etymology Dictionary, (retrieved July, 2023) explains that

cardiac could mean ‘stomach’ or ‘pertaining to the stomach’ as well as ‘pertaining to the heart’, with a great deal of historical confusion between the notion of the heart and nearby digestive systems.

3 Koch, H., ‘Recent Advances in Magnetocardiography’, Journal of Electrocardiology 37 (Oct., 2004) 117-22.

4 Van Beek, J.H.G.M., ‘Heat Generation and Transport in the Heart’, Journal of Engineering Physics &

Thermophysics 69, no. 3 (May, 1996): 287–97.

5 Vesalius, A., The Epitome of Andreas Vesalius, 1543; p.57.

6 Carmona, P., ‘Who Really Discovered How the Heart Works?’, JSTOR Daily (Nov., 2019).

7 Valens, V., Anthologies; tr. M. Riley (2011); p.49, 56. The heart is associated with the Sun and Leo (1, 48).

8 Bonatti, G., Liber Astronomiae II (13th cent.); tr. R. Zoller (Project Hindsight, 1994); p.25.

9 Liester, M. B., ‘Personality Changes Following Heart Transplantation’, Medical Hypotheses 135 (Feb., 2020).

10 Kodama, S., ‘Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Quantitative Predictor…’, JAMA 301, 19 (May 20, 2009).

11 Lilly, W., Christian Astrology (1647); p.264.

12 Anon., ‘Heart Disease and Depression: A Two-Way Relationship’, NHLBI research reature (Apr. 2017).

13 Firmicus, Matheseos Libri VIII (334); tr. J. R. Bram (Noyes Press, 1975); p.118 (IV.I.3-4).

14 Culpeper, N., Complete Herbal and English Physician Enlarged (1654); examples: p.250, 270, 320, 322.

15 Goyal, S. N. et al., ‘Protective Effects of Cardamom ...’, Int. Journal of Molecular Sciences 16, 11 (Nov., 2015).

16 Foster, F.P., An illustrated encyclopædic medical dictionary, vol.2, (1892), p.826-7.

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11

Who was

Marcus MANILIUS «

Poet, Astronomer, Astrologer, Slave?

by Mireille Crossley The Astronomica, written in the 1st Century AD, is a beautiful Latin didactic poem consisting of five books concerning astronomy and astrology. It is the oldest and most extensive comprehensible work on ancient astrology and the only extant poem of its kind. When re-discovered in Italy in the early 15th century, the manuscript bore the name of its composer: Manilius… but here the mystery and the debate begin, as so little is known about its author.

This is the ultimate cold case! Clues as to who Manilius was are to be found in the poem itself, which commanded an avid interest from many Renaissance scholars upon its publication. The first to write an important and extensive commentary on it was the French Calvinist religious leader Joseph Scaliger, a renowned classical history scholar who published his own edition of the Latin text in Paris in 1579.

In England, book one was translated into English verse in 1674 by poet (and staunch Royalist during the English Civil War) Edward Sherburne. Under the title ‘The Sphere of Manilius’, his work was written for the pleasure of the restored King, Charles II, in a lavishly annotated edition that offered detailed commentary and an extensive appendix featuring the history and illustrious practitioners of its subject.

The King could not have been displeased, since he issued a knighthood on Sherburne a few years later.

Sherburne’s rhyming translation of book one was followed a few years later by a poetical English rendition of the whole text by Thomas Creech in 1697. Creech, who entered education as a ‘sponsored commoner’, became the headmaster of Sherborne School in Dorset, where he gained renown for his skill in classics (he also produced translations of

Horace, Lucretius and Theocritus).1 Creech was a sensitive soul who suffered financial hardship and bouts of depression; shortly after his edition of Manilius was published he received a fellowship at Oxford University, but an emotional heartbreak meant he was never to take up residence. After he had been missing for five days, the 40-year-old Creech was found to have tragically hanged himself, forlorn that his request to marry his intended had been denied by her friends. The most recent English translator, G.P. Goold, was to remark on his Manilius text: “Creech’s rhymed couplets are excellent in themselves, but all too often they leave the Latin far behind”.2

Scaliger, Latin, 1579

Sherburne, Bk I, 1674

Creech, versified, 1697

Bentley, Latin, 1739

Sherborne School in Dorset is an historically important private boarding school for boys along the lines of Eton; the resemblance of the name to the earlier Manilius translator, Sherburne, is purely coincidental.

2 Manilius, M. Astronomica, tr. G. P. Goold (Harvard University Press, 1977; hereafter ‘Goold’), p.vii.

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Above: 1655 edition of Scaliger’s Astronomicon Right: 1675 edition of Sherburne’s Sphere of Manilius

Many more international editions were made in the 18th and 19th centuries, most notably the 1739 Latin edition with the expansive commentary of Richard Bentley, the contentious Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, who introduced the study of Hellenism into the British curriculum and has been historically labelled “England’s Greatest Latinist”. In Housman’s opinion, the Latin editions of Scaliger and Bentley far surpass all others, and Bentley’s so far surpasses Scaliger’s that “Scaliger at the side of Bentley is no more than a marvellous boy”.3

A.E. Housman 26 Mar 1859 – 30 Apr 1936

But it was the English classical scholar and poet Alfred Edward Housman himself who stirred the 20th-century revival of academic interest in this text, after spending 27 years writing what has been called his personal ‘Opus Magnus’: a critical Latin edition of Manilius with very extensive commentary, published as a series of five volumes between 1903–30.

Housman’s work was most recently followed, in 1977, by George Patrick Goold’s acclaimed addition to the Harvard University Loeb Library of ‘handy’ texts, with a version which has both the text and commentary in English prose. This is now considered the academic standard for an English language translation. Goold rested so heavily on Housman’s diligent research that in acknowledging his “practically total” debt to the earlier transmitters, he stated “But to none is it greater than Housman. There cannot be a page of this book untouched by his influence”.4 Such scholars have been enraptured by Manilius.

Housman called him “the one Latin poet who excelled even Ovid in verbal point and smartness”;5 but to return to our original question: who was Manilius?

G.P. Goold 15 May 1922 – 5 Dec 2021

Housman, A. E., M. Manilii Astronomicom; Liber Primus, (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1937; hereafter Housman), p.xvii. The introductory pages xii-xxiii describe the previous editions and their relative merits; also see Goold (cxiii ff.) for a comprehensive list of published editions.

4 Goold, p.vii.

5 Housman, p.xxi.

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Since no other works have been unearthed bearing the name of Manilius (Marcus or otherwise), it is within the content of the Astronomica that the investigation regarding his identity must start. A lot of the so-called knowledge about the poet is assumed information, including the spelling of his name. He is variously referred to as Manilius, Manilii, Manlius or even Mallius, but the weight of the evidence falls in favour of the current spelling: Manilius. Similarly, his first name has been noted as either Caius or Marcus, but Marcus was ultimately settled upon.

Sherburne – the first scholar to fully honour the essentially artistic nature of the work by capturing its poetic flavour in his verified translation of book one – while discussing the life of the author, admitted:

“

The best means that we can use for the clearing of a matter so dark and dubious, will be to take a view of those, who by the name of Manilius have been recommended to posterity, as qualified with the knowledge of good letters, and among them to consider, which in all rational appearance may be the person we look for.

Sherburne provides a wealth of useful research on this point, which does not seem to have been surpassed by any commentator since.

Two details are considered as fact by all scholars: 1) the author was a Roman citizen at the time of writing, and 2) he was actively writing during the reign of Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome who ruled from the fall of the Republic in 27 BCE to 14 AD. Several lines of the poem allude directly to the might of Augustus, or reference battles fought before and during his reign, with one critical clue for timing the poem appearing in the lines:

“

So when the Nations late from Faith withdrew, When the fierce Germans our great Varus slew, And Fields in Blood of three whole Legions drowned.6

Publicus Quinctillius Varus was a Roman general under Augustus who lost three legions in an ambush

by Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in September 9 AD. Upon seeing that all hope was lost, Varus killed himself by falling on his sword, making this referenced event precisely datable.

Although elements of the poem may be much older, there is also no doubt that Augustus was still alive

and governing Rome when Manilius composed some of the verses in the first book of the poem, as the final lines are in the present tense, and Augustus has yet to be taken to “a Heavenly Throne”.

“

Whilst Father of his Country never overcome, Augustus lives; such too beneath him, Rome.

And when a God she to a Heavenly Throne Resigns Him up; else in the World seek None.7

This shows the poem was being worked on after the death of Varus in late 9 AD but before the death of Augustus in mid-14 AD. That much is conventionally acknowledged, although there is debate about the dating of the fourth book, which makes reference to Rhodes as “the abode of him who was to rule the world as emperor”, referring to the retreat of the succeeding emperor, Tiberius, to that island between 6 BCE and 2 AD.8 However, this could be explained as an expectation of rule for the emperor’s chosen successor – like much of the information on Manilius, this point is difficult to fully resolve. All in all, there are good reasons to establish a ‘ballpark’ dating of the text’s composition in its final form as the generally agreed upon date of around 10 AD. Let’s turn now to the next clue in the poem: the supposed age of Manilius at the time of his writing.

This will prove very relevant when attributing any dated mention of a Manilius to him. It is clear from the start of the poem that Manilius began writing when he was free from constraints …

“

And now, Heaven kinder to the Curious grows, And courts in Verse, its Treasure to disclose.

Fit Task alone for Peaceful Leisure! Rise.9

… and that he was in his later years:

“

This is our Muses Theme, as yet display’d In Verse by None: Propitious Fortune aid The bold Attempt; with Ease my Life befriend, And to a long and cheerful Age extend, That so I sink not with my Subjects weight, But with like care, great Things, and small relate.10

So it seems Manilius had already attained a good age when he found the time to commit to this project, and that he had left his working life behind to concentrate on his writing. From the depth and quality of his astrological knowledge, does this mean he had been a working astrologer? There is no clear evidence to advance that theory in this or any other text.

Poetic quotes are sourced from Sherburne. Goold’s English prose translates this passage as “so of late in foreign parts, when, its oaths forsworn, barbarous Germany made away with our commander Varus and stained the fields with three legions’ blood” (I.899, p.77).

7 Several passages attest to Augustus being the reigning emperor at the time books I and II were written, see for example Goold I.385 (p.35), 800 (p.69), 925 (p.79) and 2.508 ff (p.123 ff).

8 The relevant passage is at 4.766 (Goold, p.285). Tiberius, who governed between 14-37AD, was politically encouraged and continually elevated by Augustus in preparation for his expected role of succeeding the aging emperor.

9 Goold translates as “Now is heaven the readier to favour those who search out its secrets, eager to display through a poet’s song the riches of the sky. Only in time of peace is there leisure for this task” (I.9, p.5).

10 Goold translates as “This is the theme that rises before me, a theme hitherto unhallowed in verse. May fortune favour my grand enterprise, and may a life of many years crowned with a serene old age be mine, enabling me to surmount the vastness of the subject and pursue my course with equal care through mighty things and small” (I.113, p.13).

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There is also the most inferior kind of chalk which was used … for marking the feet of slaves on sale, that were brought from beyond sea. Such, for instance, were Publilius Lochius [Syrus], the founder of our mimic scenes; his cousin, Manilius Antiochus, the first cultivator of astronomy; and Staberius Eros, our first grammarian; all three of whom our ancestors saw brought over in the same ship.

–

Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 35.58

originate the instructive element of the text himself, but made his task the versification of existing works, perhaps leaning on such ancient texts as Aratus’ Phaenomena (3rd century BCE), the fragments of which show many notable similarities in theme.

Page from R.G. Kent’s 1938 translation of Varro’s On the Latin Language, showing reference to Manilius.

How advanced in years was he? For this we should note that Marcus Varro, (116-27 BCE) one of Rome’s greatest scholars and satirists, who studied with the philosopher Antiochus of Ascalon at Athens, makes several short, incidental references to a poet by the name of Manilius in his grammatical text, On the Latin Language, without telling us anything significant about him. One of these relates to astronomical myth and clearly bears the hallmark of our Manilius.11 Providing this is the same person, this would mean that Manilius was known to Varro personally, or was generally known in Rome in the latter half of the 1st century BCE. This prospect seems feasible when we consider that Housman spent three decades compiling his commentary on the work of Manilius; we cannot expect that the author wrote such a work of art as an untested poet. It is probable he authored other (now lost) works that were circulating beforehand, or that some of the Astronomica’s books or passages were composed at different times as part of a life work. It is also probable that Manilius did not

The Varro references are particularly interesting in the light of later comments made by Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), who mentions in his Natural History a ‘Manilius Antiochus’ whom he describes as “the first cultivator of astronomy”. Some scholars have doubted that this Manilius could still be alive and actively working in 10 AD, so this, again, is where the issue of age becomes relevant. 12 Pliny recounts how one particular slave boat brought three slaves to Rome who later became illustrious Romans: this Manilius Antiochus, together with his cousin Publilius Syrus (a renowned dramatist), and Staberius Eros “our first grammarian”. No date of arrival is given but we can consider the biographical details reported of Publilius, who is said to have been “brought to Rome when about twelve years of age”, receiving the name ‘Syrus’, “in accordance with the custom by which slaves took a name derived from that of their province”. Biographers suppose this to have happened around 64 BC “when Syria … was reduced to a Roman province by Pompey”.13 Publilius was brought over by an army officer called Domitius, who transferred him to the service of his own patron after the latter noticed the boy’s keen wit and decided to educate him. He was later made a free man and eventually founded the School of Mimicry in Rome. Let us imagine Manilius to have been the same age, although he could have been even younger; this would place him in his mid-80s in 10 AD. Would that be what “with Ease my Life befriend” implies? We can at least see a feasible timeline.

11 Varro, On the Latin Language vol. I (1st cent. BCE), tr. R. G. Kent (Harvard Univ. Press, 1938). Relevant references at VII.16-17, p.284-5

(see image over); VII.28-29, p.296-7 and VII.104-105, p.358-9.

12 Pliny the Elder, Natural History, VI, tr. J. Bostock and H. T. Riley, (Henry Bohn, 1857): bk. 35, ch.58, p.302. The footnote annotation by

the translator suggests that whilst this is supposed to be the author of the Astronomica it is possible “that he was the father of the poet, or perhaps the grandfather, as … the poem must have been written, in part at least, after the death of Augustus”. As noted, the evidence that the text was completed after the death of Augustus is weak and easily explained away, especially in view of historical reports that the manuscript included a dedication to Augustus.

13 Lyman, D., The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, (Bernard & Co., 1856), ‘Life of Syrus’, p.v.

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Of the grammarian, Staberius Eros, we learn from the historian Suetonius that he purchased his freedom with his own savings and was “formally manumitted because of his devotion to literature. He numbered among his pupils Brutus and Cassius”.14 It is tempting to imagine that the slave Manilius, also exceptionally bright as the poem demonstrates, gained his freedom in a similar way, so was able to travel and perhaps met or studied with the famous Philosopher Antiochus Ascalonita in Athens, where Varro may have met him.

According to Sherburne, a 17th-century Dutch manuscript collector owned a copy of the text bearing the title M. Mallii Poeni Astronomicon, Divo Octavio Quirino Aug, meaning ‘The Astronomicon of the Phoenician M. Mallii, dedicated to the godly Octavius Quirinus Augustus’. Sherburne therefore independently concluded that Manilius was of Syrian origin (historically called Phoenician), and speculated that he perhaps even came from the same town as Antiochus, who may have acted as his tutor, and so, whose name he assumed. At the very least, the appendage of that name points to descent from or connections to Antioch, which neatly aligns with the attributed provenance of Publilius, also generally said to originate from Antioch.15 There are two other notable ‘Manilius’ references in ancient literature which might yield clues to our author, or distract us with ‘red herrings’. One is the report of a ‘Manilius Mathematicus’ being the person Pliny describes as having placed a gilded ball on top of the Obelisk which Augustus erected in the Campus Martius, which was used as a sundial.16 Some scholars, including Scaliger, took this to be a further reference to Manilius Antiochus.

And, lastly, Pliny mentions a Manilius of Senatorial dignity, whom he says described a connection between the life cycle of the mythical Phoenix and the Great Year (the Annus Magnus). He stated that the life of the bird is consummated in the conversion of the great year (when the stars return again to their first points, and begins about high noon on the day when the sun enters the first degree of Aries). Due to the description of senatorial rank, this reference has been ignored by most scholars as unlikely to be representing the author of the poem.17 It is very satisfying to imagine Manilius as someone raised from slavery into posthumous fame, although, strangely, it seems no subsequent Roman writers

Above left: Poggio Bracciolini; right: Pope Sylvester II Lower left: page from Muller’s 1473 editio princeps with inserted image of Muller (Regiomontanus)

paid great attention to him or quoted his verse.

Considering the huge interest his manuscript generated upon its later rediscovery, the earlier silence might suggest that death cut him down before he had the chance to completely finish his work (explaining the rougher aspect of some of the later books, lacuna in book five, etc). An untimely death would have prevented the celebrated publication and widespread circulation of his work, leaving many of his own peers unaware of it.

Though the text dropped into obscurity, at least some of its copies were preserved, one of which came to the attention of the scholar Gerbert of Aurillac, who would become Pope Sylvester II in 999iAD. Archived letters mention his discovery of the manuscript in 983, and his request, five years later, to have it included among a list of texts to be copied.18 Archived letters also show that in 1417, the Italian Renaissance humanist Poggio Bracciolini searched among several European libraries to find a copy of the manuscript to have it reproduced. We don’t know where he eventually found it, but his letters reveal great dissatisfaction with the appointed scribe, who

14 Seutonius vol. II, tr. J.C. Rolfe (Harvard Univ. Press, revised ed. 1997). Lives of Illustrious Men, ‘Grammarians’ (13), p.374.

15 For more on the historical importance of Antioch as a transmission node of astrological ideas from Babylon to Rome (and the most

likely locality of Vettius Valens), see Deborah Houlding’s ‘Life and Work of Vettius Valens’, 2015, online at skyscript.co.uk/valens.html.

16 Known as Solarium Augusti; it collapsed during the 10th Century and was rebuilt in 1792 as the Obelisk of the Montecitorio. The report

is unreliable because whilst Scaliger and Sherburne seem convinced that Pliny identifies ‘Manilius the Mathematician’ modern translators identify this person as ‘Facundus Novus, the Mathemtician’; NH II, bk. 36, ch.2, p.334.

17 NH, Vol. 2 (1878), bk. 10, ch.2, p.481. This Manilius was described by a Monsieur Tristan in his Historical Commentaries according to Sherburne’s introduction but I have been unable to find any further trace of Monsieur Tristan.

18 Detailed by Goold, p.cviii.

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is described as ignorantissimus omnium viventium (‘the most ignorant of all things living’).19 The scribe was, apparently, “at the end of Book 4 so tired and weary that he no longer remembered the names and even forgot what book he had ended and what book he was about to begin”.20 Thereafter, other medieval manuscripts started to reveal themselves and with the rise of the printing press later that century, the editio princeps was published in 1473 by Johannes Muller (a.k.a. Regiomontanus, of the house system fame), just two years before he was called to Rome to work on calendar reform, where he died suddenly in 1476, having played an important part in the Renaissance recirculation of many classical texts concerning astrology.21 Manilius did more than extend beyond the limits of slavery by rising to an elevated position in Rome within his own lifetime – excitement about the Renaissance rediscovery of his work meant that he was honoured by having a notable crater of the Moon named after him in 1651. This lunar Manilius is located in the Mare Vaporum, or ‘Sea of Vapours’.

Considering the obscurity around his personal life, this seems a very fitting tribute to a man whose astronomical knowledge and poetic vision wove the ancient myths into a timeless celestial tour which still invokes mystery, awe and wonder in its reader.

PPROPOSED TIMELINE & NOTABLE DATESP

c.64 BCE Manilius brought to Rome from Syria as an enslaved child, along with his 12year-old cousin, following Pompey’s defeat of Tigranes the Great in the Third Mithridatic War (speculative). c.10 AD Text written (after death of Varus in 9 AD, before death of Augustus in 14 AD).

983 AD Gerbert of Aurillac (Pope Sylvester II) discovers a copy of the manuscript and arranges to have it copied 5 years later.

1417 Poggio Bracciolini actively seeks a copy in the libraries of Europe and arranges for its reproduction.

1473 Regiomontanus produces the first printed copy from his personal press at Nuremberg, Germany.

1579 Scaliger produces a new edition with much improvement to the Latin text and extensive commentary.

1651 A crater on the Moon is named Manilius in honour of the Astronomica author.

1674 Sherburne creates versified English translation of book one for Charles II. 1697 Creech creates versified English translation of all five books.

1739 Bentley creates improved edition with commentary that far surpasses all others.

1903 Housman begins a 27-year project to create a new Latin edition with his own extensive English commentary.

1977 Goold creates an acclaimed English prose edition for the Loeb Classics series.

2023

My thanks are due to Deborah Houlding for contributing various points of research, and to Christine DiSandro for friendly collaboration regarding the text of Thomas Creech

The Skyscript Manilius Reading Group begins at 5:30 pm UTC on 3rd August 2023 (details and Zoom link in the members' area).

About the Author: Mireille Crossley has been studying and practicing astrology since the early 1990s, obtaining her diploma of the Faculty of Astrological Studies in 1994 (DFAstrolS), studying Olivia Barclay’s QHP course and recently completing the STA Horary Practitioner’s course. Contact Mireille at mimicrossley@gmail.com.

19 K. Volk, Manilius and His Intellectual Background, (Oxford Univ. Press, 2009), p.2.

20 Quoted from Goold, p.cix.

21 For more on Johannes Muller and the role he played as a publisher of astrological texts see ‘The Creative Genius of Earhart Ratdolt’ by

Deborah Houlding, Skyscript Newsletter, #4, November 2022, pp.11-19.

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The Sphere

TASTER: Opening passage of Sherburne’s ‘Sphere of Marcus Manilius’

of

MARCUS MANILIUS made an English Poem (1675)

by Edward Sherburne, Esq.,

The full edition of Sherburne’s text will be available to all members in early August

(transcribed in modernised English)

The Poem 1

D ivining Arts, and Stars foreknowing Fate,

CARMINE divinas artes et conscia fati sidera, diversos hominum variantia casus, caelestis rationis opus, deducere mundo aggredior primusque novis Helicona movere

5

cantibus et viridi nutantis vertice silvas hospita sacra ferens nulli memorata priorum.

Hunc mihi tu, Caesar, patriae princepsque paterque, qui regis augustis parentem legibus orbem concessumque patri mundum deus ipse mereris,

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das animum viresque facis ad tanta canenda. iam propiusque favet mundus scrutantibus ipsum et cupit aetherios per carmina pandere census. hoe sub pace vacat tantum; iuvat ire per ipsum aera et immenso spatiantem vivere caelo

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signaque et adversos stellarum noscere cursus. quod solum novisse parum est. impensins ipsa scire iuvat magni penitus praecordia mundi, quaque regat generetque suis animalia signis, cernere et in numerum Phoebe modulante referre. bina mihi positis lucent altaria flammis,

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ad duo templa precor duplici circumdatus aestu carminis et rerum; certa cum lege canentem mundus et immenso vatem circumstrepit orbe vixque soluta suis immittit verba figuris.

1 2

Varying the diverse Turns of Humane State (The Works of Heaven’s high Reason) We bring down in Verse, from Heaven; and first move Helicon, And its green Groves, with unacquainted Rimes, Offering strange Rites, not known to former Times.

Caesar! thy Country’s Prince and Father! Thou, To whose Imperial Laws the World doth bow, Who merited, what was granted to thy Sire, Heaven as a God! does this high Song inspire.

And now, Heaven kinder to the Curious grows, And courts in Verse, its Treasure to disclose.

Fit Task alone for Peaceful Leisure! Rise We then through yielding Air, and mount the Skies, There live and range; Learn all the Signs, and prove How in their adverse Course the Planets move: To know but which were little; we will sound The hidden Entrails of this ample Round.

Enquire how Star Creatures beget and sway, Which whilst we sing, Apollo’s self shall play.

Two altars bright with Flames, we raise;1 repair To a double shrine, pressed with the double Care Of Verse and Matter; on these certain Grounds Raising our Song, concordant Heaven surrounds Its Poet with deep Harmony, and Words Scarce fit for [what] Latian2 Characters afford.

Meaning one altar each to the patrons of astronomy and poetry.

Latian refers to early Latin culture of the iron age, which was culturally similar to that of the Etruscans and spoke the language which came to be known as Latin.

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The Origin & Progress of Astronomy 25

QUEM primum interius licuit cognoscere terris munere caelestum. quis enim condentibus illis clepsisset furto mundum, quo cuncta reguntur? quis foret humano conatus pectore tantum, invitis ut dis cuperet deus ipse videri?

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tu princeps auctorque sacri, Cyllenie, tanti; per te iam caelum interius, iam sidera nota sublimis aperire vias imumque sub orbem, et per inane suis parentia finibus astra ?

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nominaque et cursus signorum, pondera, vires, major uti facies mundi foret et veneranda non species tantum, sed et ipsa potentia rerum, sentirentque deum gentes quam maximus esset. [qui sua disposuit per tempora, cognita ut essent omnibus et mundi facies caelumque supernum.]

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et natura dedit vires seque ipsa reclusit, regalis animos primum dignata movere proxima tangentis rerum fastigia caelo, qui domuere feras gentes oriente sub ipso, quas secat Euphrates, in quas et Nilus inundat,

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qua mundus redit et nigras super evolat urbes. tunc qui templa sacris coluerunt omne per aevum delectique sacerdotes in publica vota officio vinxere deum, quibus ipsa potentis numinis accendit castam praesentia mentem,

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inque deum deus ipse tulit patuitque ministris. hi tantum movere decus primique per artem sideribus videre vagis pendentia fata. singula nam proprio signarunt tempora casu, longa per assiduas complexi saecula curas:

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nascendi quae cuique dies, quae vita fuisset, in quas fortunae leges quaeque hora valeret, quantaque quam parvi facerent discrimina motus. postquam omnls caeli species redeuntibus astris percepta in proprias sedes, et reddita certis

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fatorum ordinibus sua cuique potentia formae, per varios usus artem experientia fecit exemplo monstrante viam speculataque longe deprendit tacitis dominantia legibus astra et totum aeterna mundum ratione moveri

65

fatorumque vices certis discernere signis.

W ho to Inferior Earth did first reveal

These gifts of Gods? Who – what they hid – could steal?

All-ruling Heaven! What Mortal dared so high As spite of Gods, himself to Deify?

Open the highest Path, the lowest Deep?

Tell how the Stars their bounded Courses keep?

The Force and Motions of the Signs impart?

Cyllenius!3 Thou first taught this sacred Art Thou the inmost Heavens, & utmost Stars made known, That so to Nature’s Power, not Face alone, Might greater Awe, and Reverence accrue; And Nations learn what to that God was due, Who did through Seasons, to be known, display The Heavens, and this great World’s Phænomena.

Nature helped too; Her self, her self improved, And Monarchs (next to Heaven in power) first moved To affect these Arts; who near Sol’s rising Beams Fierce Nations tamed; whole Lands Euphrates Streams Divide, and Nile inundates; where the Sun Returning, does over Negro Cities run.4 Next, chosen Priests,5 who serve from Age to Age At Public Altars, and with vows engage, The indulgent God, whose awful Presence fires Their Zealous Minds with uncorrupt Desires; He with himself possessed them, and made known His unveiled Deity unto his own.

Such were the Men, who first could apprehend That Humane Fates on wandering Stars depend; They to each time applied its own Events, and by long Toil observed the Accidents Of many Ages, Birthdays, Lives; what Power Of Fortune governed each successive Hour, And what great Changes the least Motions cause.

Thus when Heavens various Face, (The Stars by Laws of Fate returning in the ordered Course) Was fully known; and each Sign’s proper Force, Experience framed thereof an Art; the Way shown by Example;6 Which through long Essay, And various Speculation, learned from far The tacit Laws of every ruling Star; Saw in alternate Course Heaven still move round, And Fate to vary as its Aspects, found.

Cyllenius – Roman epitaph for Mercury; according to Greek myth, Hermes was born in a sacred cave on Mount Cyllene (a.k.a.

Kyllini), situated in Corinthia, Greece, which was anciently renowned for its dedication to and temple for Hermes.

4 This is inging praises to the Mesopotamians (whose lands were divided by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers) and the Egyptians of Northern Africa.

5 G.P. Goold makes the suggestion that the Egyptian priests Nechepso and Petosiris may be alluded to here (f.n. c ; p.9).

6 That is, by both observation and applied practice.

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Nam rudis ante illos nullo discrimine vita in speciem conversa operum ratione carebat et stupefacta novo pendebat lumine mundi, tum velut amissis maerens, tum laeta renatis [surgentem neque enim totiens Titana fugatis] 70

sideribus, variosque dies incertaque noctis tempora nee similis umbras iam sole regresso, iam propiore suis poterant discernere causis. necdum etiam doctas sollertia fecerat artes, terraque sub rudibus cessabat vasta colonis; tumque in desertis habitabat montibus aurum,

75

immotusque novos pontus subduxerat orbes; nec vitam pelago nec ventis credere vota audebant; se quisque satis novisse putabant. sed cum longa dies acuit mortalia corda

80

et labor ingenium miseris dedit et sua quemque advigilare sibi inssit fortuna premendo, seducta in varias certarunt pectora curas, et quodcumque sagax temptando repperit usus, in commune bonum commentum laeta dederunt.

85

tunc et lingua suas accepit barbara leges, et fera diversis exercita frugibus arva, et vagus in caecum penetravit navita pontum, fecit et ignotis itiner commercia terris. tum belli pacisque artes commenta vetustas;

90

semper enim ex aliis alias proseminat usus. ne vulgata canam: linguas didicere volucrum, consultare fibras et rumpere vocibus angues, sollicitare umbras imumque Acheronta movere in noctemque dies, in lucem vertere noctes.

95

omnia conando docilis sollertia vicit. nec prius imposuit rebus finemque manumque, quam caelum ascendit ratio cepitque profundam naturam rerum causis viditque quod usquam est; nubila cur tanto quaterentur pulsa fragore,

100

hiberna aestiva nix grandine mollior esset, arderent terrae solidusque tremesceret orbis, cur imbres ruerent, ventos quae causa moveret, pervidit solvitque animis miracula rerum eripuitque Iovi fulmen viresque tonantis

105

et sonitum ventis concessit, nubibus ignem.

For before them, rude Man no difference made Twixt Nature’s works, nor things with Reason weighed; Astonished at Heaven’s newly disclosed Light, Now mourned the Stars as lost; now at their Sight As if newborn, rejoiced: the uncertain Times of Day and Night, differing in different Climes.

Till then none knew; nor could the Causes clear Of shades unlike the Sun far off and near.

Yet witty Cunning no learned Arts had found; Under rude Swains7 waste lay the untilled Ground: Gold then in Desert Mountains lodged at Ease, New Worlds8 lay hid in unattempted Seas, To waves and winds to trust their Lives none dared, To know themselves and theirs, Men only cared.

But when long Time and Toil their Wits had whet, And Want – an Edge on Industry – had set, Then thousand Cares their working Heads possessed Whilst to escape Need, they Sacrifice their Rest; Conclusions tried: and whatsoever wise Use By oft-repeated Practice did produce Of sure Effect; the new Experiment Unto the common Good they gladly lent.

Then Barbarous Tongues received new Laws, the Earth Manured, to various Fruits gave timely Birth.

Bold Seamen the blind Ocean did invade, And ’twixt strange Lands procured a mutual Trade: Thence Arts of War and Peace in time arose, For Art by Practice propagated, grows.

What’s yet more strange, they learnt the Tongues of Birds, Entrails to inspect, burst Snakes with powerful words Called up pale Ghosts, moved Hell itself, the Light Turned into Darkness, into Day the Night.9 Ingenious Industry made All things bend; Nor put they to their curious Search an End, Till Reason had scaled Heaven, thence viewed this round, And Nature latent in its Causes found; Why Thunder does the suffering Clouds assail; Why Winters’ Snow’s more soft than Summers’ Hail; Whence Earthquakes come, and Subterranean fires, Why Showers descend, what force the wind inspires.

From Error thus she wondering Mind uncharmed; Unsceptered Jove; The Thunderer disarmed; Of Name and Power despoiled him, and assigned Fire to the Labouring Clouds, Noise to the Wind.

Swain: country peasant or rustic farmhand.

Alluding to the discovery and conquest of Great Britain by Julius Caesar, which the Romans then called a New World.

9 This verse speaks about he mastership of magic. Goold’s translation of this point reads: “… men learnt to understand the utterance of birds; to divine from the entrails of animals; to burst snakes assunder by incantations; to summon up the dead and rouse the depths of Acheron [mythological river that led to the underworld]; to turn day into night and night into the brightness of day”.

7 8

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quae postquam in proprias deduxit singula causas, vicinam ex alto mundi cognoscere molem intendit totumque animo comprendere caelum, attribuitque suas formas, sua nomina signis, 110

quasque vices agerent certa sub sorte notavit, omniaque ad numen mundi faciemque moveri, sideribus vario mutantibus ordine fata. hoc mihi surgit opus non ullis ante sacratum carminibus. faveat magno fortuna labori,

115

annosa et molli contingat vita senecta, ut possim rerum tantas emergere moles magnaque cum parvis simili percurrere cura.

These to their proper Causes having brought, Next on the whole World’s Mass she casts her Thought, Of which the System in herself she frames, Dispensing to the Signs both Forms and Names; Their Aspects and their Orders notes, and saw Heaven’s changing Face gave fatal changes Law. This is our Muses’ Theme, as yet displayed In Verse by None: Propitious Fortune aid The bold Attempt; with Ease my Life befriend, and to a long and cheerful Age extend, That so I think not with my Subject’s weight, But with like care, great Things, and small relate.

Origin of the World according to various Opinions of the Ancients ET QUONIAM caelo descendit carmen ab alto, et venit in terras fatorum conditus ordo, 120

ipsa mihi primum naturae forma canenda est, ponendusque sua totus sub imagine mundus. quem sive ex nullis repetentem semina rebus natali quoque egere placet semperque fuisse et fore principio pariter fatoque carentem:

125

seu permixta chaos rerum primordia quondam discrevit partu, mundumque enixa nitentem fugit in infernas caligo pulsa tenebras; sive individuis in idem reditura soluta principiis natura manet post saecula mille,

130

et paene ex nihilo summa est nihilumque futurum, caecaque materies caelun, perfecit et orbem; sive ignis fabricavit opus flammaeque micantes, quae mundi fecere oculos habitantque per omne corpus et in caelo vibrantia fulmina fingunt;

135

seu liquor hoc peperit, sine quo riget arida rerum materies ipsumque vorat, quo solvitur, ignem; aut nrque terra patrem novit nec flamma nee aer aut umor, faciuntque deum per quattuor artus et mundi struxere globum prohibentque requiri

140

ultra se quicquam, cum per se cuncta creentur, frigida nec calidis desint, aut umida siccis, spiritus aut solidis, sitque haec discordia concors, quae nexus habilis et opus generabile fingit, atque omnis partus elementa capacia reddit :

145

semper erit genus in pugna, dubiumque manebit quod latet et tantum supra est hominemque deumque.

N ow since from Heaven itself our Verse descends, And down to Earth Fates settled Order tends, We first must Nature’s General State rehearse, And draw the Picture of the Universe.

Which, whether it from Nothing were derived; Or (of Beginning both, and End deprived) Has ever been, and ever shall endure; Or Chaos severing from the Mass obscure The mixed Principles of things, this bright World teemed, whilst Darkness took to Hell its Flight; Or that made up of Atoms Nature’s Frame Exists, and shall resolve into the same Some thousand Ages hence, and almost brought From nothing, fall again to almost Nought; Or that the Heavenly Spheres and Globe of Earth, From Fire, not such blind Matter, drew their Birth, Whose flames in all things dwell, kindled Heaven’s Eyes,10 And form the glittering Lightning of the Skies; Or sprung from Water, which dry Matter soaks, And ravenous Fire, that would devour it, chokes; Or unbegot were Earth, Air, Water, Fire, And these four Limbs make up the God entire, And form this World; nor will that ought be found Beyond themselves, since All things they compound, Applying Hot to Cold, to Humid Dry, To Heavy Light, which kind Discordancy The Matrimonial Bands of Nature knits, And Principles for all Production fits; We can but guess its Birth: obscured it lies Beyond the reach of Men and Deities.

10

Meaning the stars.

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The ‘Something Else’ of Divination REVIEW OF

A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East

by Tiziano Terzani

KIRK LITTLE

“Fate is negotiable; you can always come to an agreement with heaven” – so the protagonist of this absorbing travelogue tells himself after a Chinese fortune-teller in Hong Kong warned him not to fly during the entire year of 1993. This prediction was made in 1976, seventeen years before the dreaded period. At that time, Tiziano Terzani was a man who gave small credence to occult practitioners and had no particular interest in prophecies or predictions made by astrologers and other soothsayers. As a working journalist, Terzani was flying from country to country in pursuit of a story. Yet some combination of fear and the desire to challenge himself led him not only to follow his injunction but regularly seek the advice of fortune-tellers during this formative year. While this decision entailed major adjustments to his mode of travel and lifestyle, it also called upon him to rearrange his inner priorities and led to a sense of renewal, which he relates with grace and insight in this remarkable book.

W

ritten a generation ago by a seasoned reporter, Fortune-teller encompasses Terzani’s earthbound travels to places such as Cambodia, Malaysia, Burma (now Myanmar) and Thailand. Since the prophecy barred him from the convenience of flying, Terzani was forced to acquaint himself with the skills needed to negotiate both natural and artificial barriers: mountains, open water, poor roads, and national borders with their hostile or indifferent customs officers. Along the way, he developed his lapsed appreciation for local habits and customs, in part because he was confined to travel by train, ship, taxi, and foot. Terzani spoke Chinese and had spent decades in Southeast Asia, so was already accustomed to many of the local beliefs and superstitions. This makes him an ideal travel guide; the reader feels they are brought along not only by his experiences but his changing mindset.

To those of a certain age, his book is a wistful reminder of a less connected world, before the ubiquity of personal cell phones and laptops with their ceaseless email and website notifications. One envies Terzani’s relative freedom while wondering how he ever made and kept his travel plans. Some constants, however, keep his experiences grounded in the world of limitation and suffering. The threat of future – and evidence of past – wars are felt experiences. A deadly plague (AIDS) serves as an unsettling backdrop, as Covid does in ours. And China’s influence was prevalent wherever he travelled, especially its incessant building throughout the region of his travels.

A Fortune-Teller Told Me was written by a non-astrologer whose experiences hold up a revealing, literary mirror to those of us working with predictions, including those soft gauzy ones we make couched in the language of trends and potentialities. After hearing many pronouncements and predictions from various practitioners, Terzani wisely notes, “The positive goes in one ear and out the other, but the negative leaves a creeping doubt, a nagging uneasiness; because fear is at the very root of the human condition”.1 His observation is a reminder to all astrologers that we must be open to the harm we can cause by our selfassured statements made to clients facing an uncertain future.

1 A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East, (Harper Collins, 1997), p.130.

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During his year-long sojourn, Terzani availed himself of the services of fortune tellers of various persuasions: astrologers, Feng-shui practitioners,2 palmists, and psychics. He made it a practice to ask locals the name of their best practitioner and people were always happy to oblige. Many were astrologers, and while all asked for his birth data, some never bothered to cast his horoscope before providing their consultation. Others studied various parts of his body or simply closed their eyes and started talking. Some insisted on telling him easily verifiable facts about himself that often were wrong. Their efforts amuse him but he stays for the show.

He hears a mix of nonsense along with occasional startlingly accurate statements about himself and his family. His wry scepticism is always leavened with a generosity of spirit:

“

I realized that this is exactly what we tend to do with a fortune-teller. He has no sooner spoken than we are racking our brains to find something in our experience to match his words. And in this there is pleasure, as there is in writing poetry. Suddenly life itself seems to become poetry because of some rhyme that makes sense of the facts and bestows an order upon them. Rhyme is consoling. (p.105)

His words ring true to anyone who has had a positive encounter with a diviner.

On one occasion, while consulting a Thai Buddhist monk-astrologer in Bangkok, Terzani had given an 8ipm birth time. “Are you rich? No … But the numbers say you are, he insisted. Confused by what he saw, the monk asked Could it have been a half hour earlier? He hesitated for a moment: Or three-quarters of an hour?, he said in an apologetic tone” (p.89). Later in his travels, Terzani visits another astrologer, a Chinese woman in Singapore. She insisted that he provide an exact time, so he called his wife in Italy, who visited the registry in Florence and discovered his birth time was recorded as 7:15 pm. “Incredible: the monk in Bangkok who had arrived at it by quizzing me on my past was right!” (p.177).

This is ‘astrology world’, where an astrologer-monk is able to correctly rectify his horoscope based on his feel for Terzani’s situation. Using the correct time, the Bangkok astrologer assured him during their meeting in 1993 that he could now fly safely for the rest of that year. “In the past, yes, your life was in danger several times, but not now” (p.90). Of course, because he honours the ban, we will never know.

Terzani’s news reports concerned wartorn regions; Wikipedia states he is “one of very few western reporters to witness both the fall of Saigon to the hands of the Viet Cong and the fall of Phnom Penhat to the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1970s”.

His horoscope (based on the information provided in his book) shows the theme of journalism with his R s=M in Ñ, and ascruler, c, o_ in Ñ. He also has retrograde i rising and ruling the MC, which fits with his self-made career, independent nature, and interest in politics and history.

Had his birth been at 8pm, as first assumed, this chart would have been a lot more relaxed and ostensibly ‘prosperous’. i would have moved off the ascendant and ` would have become powerfully angular on the descendant while ruling the asc (5°Ä), with the exalted R then rising in the 1st house in perfect trine of the Sun.

2

Though not formally a system of prediction, Terzani notes (p.72): “When something goes wrong – a marriage, a business deal or a factory – the first thought is that something is out of joint with the feng-shui, and an expert is consulted … a growing number of people in Asia today … propitiate fate by changing their furniture arrangements…”. This notion of fate needing to be propitiated is a thread that runs through his encounters with soothsayers.

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Three months into his fated year, Terzani learns of a helicopter crash in Cambodia carrying fifteen European journalists, including Joachim Holzgen “the colleague who had taken my place”. The crash wounded all twenty-three people on board. Although no one was killed, some of the injuries were very serious. This leads to a torrent of questions, speculations, and vague feelings of guilt.

“

Was this proof the fortune-teller had been right? What had he ‘seen’? ‘Seen’? in my heart of hearts, I most assuredly did not want it to be thus… I wanted to hang on to my doubt, not to become a believer… Because if this episode proved that everything was written, then life had no meaning anymore. There was no point in living. (p.113)

There is a sobering parallel to this in the astrology critic Geoffrey Dean’s ‘astrology world’, where astrology is a perfect science which can completely predict the future.3 Terzani’s questions about what the diviner had ‘seen’ raise important issues which all astrologers must confront. He relates how his scepticism about his Hong Kong fortune-teller was overcome when he correctly ‘saw’ (retrodicted) “About a year ago you were about to die a violent death, and you saved yourself by smiling…” and had asked himself “how could this old man I had never seen describe so exactly an episode which only I knew about?” (p.15). How indeed?

Using the astrological lens, we see that at the time of the helicopter crash, transiting Pluto was on the cusp of Terzani’s 8th house squaring Jupiter, his 9th-house ruler of long-distance travel (the warning specifically concerned flight, depicted by the symbolism of Sagittarius on the 9th-cusp and Jupiter in the air sign Aquarius).

Pluto made that square to Jupiter three times during the fateful year, but at the time of the crash, the transiting Moon and Saturn perfectly aligned by conjunction with his natal Jupiter, while his 8th-ruler, Mars, exactly squared his natal ascendant, with Saturn upon it. The moment was, by any astrologer’s reckoning, one of extreme peril for Terzani, loaded with connotations of danger (albeit, the two benefics surround the MarsSaturn square, as if bringing some kind of protection to it).

Archive of the UPI news report of the crash (from upi.com/archive)ò

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- A UN helicopter carrying 23 people, most of them foreign journalists, crashed in northwest Cambodia Saturday [20 Mar 1993], injuring six people in the third such accident in less than three months, a UN spokesman said.

Experts blamed technical problems for the crash … in the northwestern provincial capital of Siem Reap at about 8:30 a.m. … the pilot lost control of the aircraft as it was coming in to land at Siem Reap’s airport … a rotor blade broke off and the helicopter spun around several times before crashing to the ground … most of the 23 people on board, who included 15 international journalists invited to Cambodia by UNTAC, were forced to roll or crawl out of the wreckage with their clothes soaked in gasoline.

Six people were hospitalized in Phnom Penh, including a Japanese UNTAC employee who suffered serious spinal injuries when she was thrown out of the helicopter on impact, and an American freelance photographer, who suffered a broken foot. “I thought I was going to die”, said UNTAC military spokesman Dick Polk, one of three UN personnel on the aircraft.

3

“Suppose … we have a world where astrology works to the extent claimed in astrology books … Crimes, war, illness and divorce are unknown because predictable. Every person is empowered, self-actualized, spiritually enlightened, and knows their individual purpose and direction … This is astrology world.” Dean’s researchers, quoted in Garry Phillipson’s Astrology in the Year Zero, (Flare Publications, 2000), p.151.

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Still, I doubt many contemporary Western astrologers, noting this configuration, would be willing to make such a dire prediction as the one made by that Hong Kong astrologer. While the symbolism for a death is there, we in the West tend not to think in such ominous terms. We would probably caution the person that their religious views or life philosophy (9th house matters) may be challenged by some Plutonian person, or perhaps we would ponder the death of a friend. And we are still stuck with the conundrum of what that Hong Kong astrologer ‘saw’. It is uncertain whether he would have used the transits of Pluto in his working methods. Terzani doesn’t raise these issues; but by obtaining his birth data, we are able to do so.

In the 1980s, the English astrologer Dennis Elwell made his case for ‘The New Science of Astrology’, the subtitle to his influential book Cosmic Loom. There he stated, “Astrology is not a close relative of hand reading, the Tarot, witchcraft, the I Ching, and the rest of the gipsy band”.4 The case he made for scientific astrology was suggestive, but skirted the issues raised by the “gipsy band” end of the astrological spectrum, which is now viewed in astrology as divination. Somewhat ironically, Elwell (another ‘veteran journalist’) gained mainstream media attention when he predicted “warnings of a Titanic-like disaster to specific companies…

P&O, who had acquired the Herald… which capsized ten days after…”. While Elwell disavowed “absolute predestination”, he made his case for astrology as a useful predictive tool, able to show “where the hidden levers are” (p.105). Such dramatic predictions notwithstanding, in the intervening years, the case for a scientific astrology has lost favour with many practising astrologers. As Terzani’s book illustrates, the methods of the various diviners he consulted hardly constitute a brief for sound scientific practice. While there is a method to the art of horoscope interpretation, something else is at work.

One of the gifts of Terzani’s book is how it allows for the strange and inconsistent workings of divinatory systems without trying to say what that ‘something else’ is. Astrologers would be wise to follow his course.

The truth of divination is found in practice, embracing the wild guesses along with the uncanny predictions.

Anyone engaged in the divinatory arts will be enchanted by this singular memoir of a most engaging writer. vvv

We are not only that which we eat and the air that we breathe. We are also the stories we have heard, the tales we fell asleep listening to when we were children, the books we have read, the music we heard and the emotions that a painting, a statue, or a poem have given us — Tiziano Terzani

Kirk Little has been an astrologer for over forty years and has a long-standing interest in the historical and philosophical aspects of astrology. He is the author of Defining the Moment: Geoffrey Cornelius and the Development of the Divinatory Perspective and Spellbound: The Astrological Imagination of Washington Irving (Culture and Cosmos, Vol. 17 No. 1), as well as a number of articles and book reviews in the Astrological Journal as well as here at Skyscript. Kirk has a degree in American history and a Master’s degree in social work. For the past 30-odd years, he has worked as a psychiatric social worker in a variety of clinical settings.

4 Dennis Elwell, The Cosmic Loom: The New Science of Astrology, (Unwin Hyman, London, 1987), p.3.

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PLANETARY THEMES FOR

[AUGUST]

by Jason Burns of astraiosmirror.com The Full Moon (1st August) The Full Moon on the 1st of August brings a mix of energy, as it coincides with the partile trine of Mars to Jupiter and Mercury’s opposition to Saturn. Several strong aspects perfecting within hours of each other give a lot to puzzle over, but underlying connections in the separate configurations allow united themes to emerge. Note how Saturn disposes the Moon, Jupiter disposes Saturn, and Mercury disposes Mars – all of which brings focus to the MercurySaturn opposition. In world astrology, the clash of Mercury and Saturn often shows (among other things) stalled transactions or negotiations, unfortunate transportation events, and worker discontent or strikes.

This Mercury-Saturn opposition falls across the angles of the lunation chart set for Kyiv, Ukraine (see chart è). Mercury, a natural signifier of transactions and logistics, sits on the 7th house cusp (foreign relations; contracts) while acting as ruler of the 3rd house (neighbours; methods of transit) and the 4th (resources of the earth). Mercury is in Virgo, whose symbolism literally pertains to grain, while Saturn is retrograde in Pisces, putting a planet linked with the colour black in a sign of the sea, while in a state of reversal. With the Black Sea grain deal due for renegotiation, it’s easy to imagine outcomes reaching a tense and crucial point with global implications. The New Moon on the 16th and Full Moon on the 31st also feature angular planetary activity in cities surrounding the Black Sea – this region remains a hotspot for the whole of this month.

The New Moon (16th August) The mid-month New Moon has the luminaries in a tense, partile square to Uranus in Taurus. At the same time, Venus, still combust and retrograde just days after completing its inferior conjunction with the Sun, pushes virtue in a mutually applying square with Jupiter in Taurus. However we spin it as modern astrologers in a Western world, Venus retrograde isn’t all about lost loves returning or potential fashion faux pas. Traditional texts were ever alert to the instability or harm debilitated Venus can signal for venusian themes, particularly concerning human relations and customs that bind social harmony.

Having the two classically cool, moist, feminine planets in hot, dry, masculine Leo, whilst overpowered by the Sun (sq. Uranus), flags concern for women under duress due to dominant, commanding forces. Also, consider the escalation of gender issues and anti-LGBTQ tensions that have marked this summer as Venus has slowly marched through Leo. Throughout June the internet was on fire with threats aimed at Pride celebrations, and July so far has brought major court decisions that impact this community.

Recently, headlines have also emerged about the Taliban again imposing such harsh restrictions on women in Afghanistan that they border on ‘Gender Apartheid’. Meanwhile, aid agencies desperately plead for outside assistance in war-torn Sudan, where women seek to flee an horrendous surge in rapes and abductions. The lunation set for Khartoum (è) has the Moon ruling the 9th and afflicted Venus directly on the midheaven, while co-ruling the 12th (exiles and refugees) and 7th (other nations) and pushing its virtue to Jupiter on that 7th cusp, all helping to witness the cry for international relief. The close proximity to the Sun that Venus and the Moon have here usually denies visibility, but perhaps the prominent angularity will counter that concern by bringing the issues of oppressed and subjugated women more directly into view.

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HIGHLIGHTS (UT) Full Moon 7L8 5a0 3K8 6K5L8 5 GEE 3F6 3K-

New Moon 7L6K8 7a= 3→I 5 St. Ret. 7L; 3a0 7→O - St. Ret.

Full Moon

1st: 18:32 1st: 20:45 2nd: 02:18 7th: 00:03 9th: 11:09 10th: 00:48 10th: 01:47 13th: 11:16 16th: 02:35 16th: 09:38 16th: 13:54 22nd: 12:17 22nd: 20:34 23rd: 09:02 23rd: 20:00 25th: 00:23 27th: 08:28 27th: 13:20 29th: 02:39 31st: 01:36

AUGUST 2023 Monday

7

3K8 4K; 4→R 4J0

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

4F; 4→Q 4a3 7L8

2

4K8 5a0 4K4a6

3

8

4L5 4F8 4K3 4L7 4F-

9

4K6 4J= 4L; 6K4→T 4K0

10 5 L 8

11 4 K 7

12 4 L 0

13 4 J 8

5 GEE 4K5 4J3

4J8 4a7 4J4F=

4J6 4K= 4→Y

5

Sunday

1

4→W 4F0 4a5

4

Saturday 4J; 4→E

6

4L3 4L6

4J5 3F6 4J7 4J-

14 4 L =

15 4 K 8

16 4 F 6

17 4 a 0

18 4 L 8

19 4 F 7

20 4 J 6

21 4 K ;

22 4 L 0

23 4 K 6

24 4 L =

25 7 L ;

26 4 K =

27 3 a 0

4a; 4→U

4J3 4→P

28 4 L 5

4L4J= 4F; 4→QL7

6K8 7a=

29 - St. Ret. 4a6 4K8

3K4K4F3 7L4→I

I

4a8 3→I 4J5 4a5 St. Ret.

30 4 K -

4→W 4F0

4J7 4J; 4→M 4K3 4K0

4F5 4L-

4L6 4K5

31 4 a 3 4J8 4a5

Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023

4a= 4L; 4→O

4K7 4→} 4L3 4J0

7→O 4L8

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart Without a love of my own

27

AUGUST BLUE MOON ê Blue Moon: the term used when we get two Full Moon’s in the same calendar month; said to imply a rare event: “He would argue the Moon was blue” was taken by the average person of the 16th century as we take “He’d argue that black is white” See Philip Hiscock’s online article ‘Where does the phrase Once in Blue Moon come from?’ for more on the origin of the term: skyandtelescope.org/observing/once-in-a-blue-moon/

COMING UP

September 2023

6 8 w 5 5 3 q

SD SR NM SD GEW EQX FM

12É12 15Ä34 21Ñ58 24Ç56 11Ñ26 00Ö00 06~00

4th 4th 15th 15th 22nd 23rd 29th

01:20 14:11 01:40 20:21 13:16 06:50 09:58

October 2023 5 " 6 " ; SD 7 " w S Ec 5 " 6 GEW q L Ec

00Ö00 00Ñ00 27à53 00Ü00 21Ö07 00Ü00 13Ñ52 05Ä09

5th 9th 11th 12th 14th 22nd 23rd 28th

00.09 01:11 01:10 04:04 17:55 06:49 23:15 20:24

EPHEMERIS

AUGUST 2023

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The Full Moon (31st August)

3 enters I as 5 stations 5 (23 August)

On the same day the Sun moves into Virgo (August 23), Mercury, its new dispositor, heaves itself from stationary to retrograde motion. This instigates a period of Mercurial confusion, unanticipated outcomes, setbacks or reversals, and repeated occurrences concerning media and bad decision-making – themes that are likely to gain spotlighted mundane attention for the next few weeks.

Interestingly, and surely poorly decided, the USA’s Republican Party scheduled its first presidential debate for this date. As of today, reports that the debate is “mired by threats of boycott, rigorous polling requirements” (pbs.org) shouldn’t come as a surprise to any astrologer. The chart for the debate’s scheduled start time (below) is markedly lackluster with an abundance of cadency. The Moon is in its fall in the 8th house, translating its light between the cadent, retrograde Mercury to the cadent ascendant ruler, Mars.

Not looking good for the GOP.

The month closes with a second ‘Blue Moon’ on August 31st. Mercury, now retrograde and dispositing the Sun in Virgo, applies to Jupiter, the dispositor of the Moon in watery Pisces. The preceding New Moon also featured a retrograde planet (`) in mutual application with Jupiter. And Mars was trine Jupiter as the month opened. In the short span of one month Jupiter hasn’t travelled far along the ecliptic, so what is it that Mars, Venus, and now Mercury, are getting drawn to in this location?

At 14°Ä33'= Jupiter met with Menkar, a fixed star that marks the open jaw of the sea monster constellation, Cetus the Whale. Throughout history, lore-relaying encounters with hulking sea beasts have captivated humanity’s hearts and minds.

Many of these stories invoke the spirit of a hero’s journey – from Perseus’ defeat of a sea monster, to the whale that swallowed Jonah, to Herman Melville’s Ishmael in Moby Dick – stories abound of human strength being tested by overwhelming forces in strange and unpredictable territory.

Bernadette Brady (Star and Planet Combinations; Wessex, 2008) views the constellation Cetus as reflective of humanity’s collective unconscious. So, can the greater benefic, Jupiter, upon the lips of the monster, be symbolic of a tonic the collective drinks down? Or, does the star debilitate Jupiter and suggest precarious activity by Jupiterian types (judges, senators, religious zealots)? Probably both: expect multiple possibilities to coexist.

Menkar

015°R

Cetus Menkar

Mag: +2.5 (3rd) Lat: 8N, Dec: 9N RA: 7h45m

The NOSE of the Whale

On the topic of Mercury and the Sun (think: hand-eye coordination, athletics and honors) the qualifying tennis matches for the US Open begin on August 22 with the tournament scheduled to complete on September 10 (Mercury stations direct on Sept. 15). Another situation where enthusiasts of this sport could be in for surprises as upsets and uncommon occurrences are likely to steal the limelight.

Menkar

a Ceti – second brightest star of Cetus; 93rd brightest star; bright orangered, positioned on the nose or nostril of the Whale

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Red-orange star whose names derives from the Arabic Al-Minkar, the ‘nose’ (or ‘nostril’), pointing to its placement above the top lip of Cetus, the Whale. It was designated the alpha star of the constellation by Bayer due to the prominence of its position and its historical importance: it is an irregular variable gas giant and was once the brightest star of the constellation although that distinction is now held by Deneb Kaitos, the bright star in the tail.

All the stars of this constellation are of the nature of Saturn according to Ptolemy and Menkar’s influence is generally noted as being unfortunate, associated with danger from beasts, disgrace, ill fortune, and illness as well the obvious association with troubles at sea or concerning watery pursuits. According to Roderick Kidston’s notes in AstroGold, Menkar shows a need to cultivate mental toughness and is reputed to trigger “difficulties and discord. Fear of speaking out. Need to overcome adversity and avoid fear conquering actions” although “Intelligence welldirected can result in success”.

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Mesopotamian wisdom may be characterized as a remarkably harmonious system … in the course of many millenia it developed towards an ever increasing systemization, one could even say symmetry – Simo Parpola, Mesopotamian Astronomy & Astrology, p.57

Chaldean Glimmers: III TOWARDS NATIVITIES Rassam cylinder: cuneiform records of Ashurbanipal. Nineveh, 643 BCE. British Museum BM 91032.

Deborah Houlding

Who invented the zodiac? Not the Greeks, as is commonly reported by the media. Until recently, the zodiac was believed by scholars to be purely Babylonian in origin, because the majority of the constellation deities that lend their names to its signs derive from ancient Mesopotamia. However, recent research leans towards there being an influence from various ancient cultures, with some signs, such as Aries as the Ram, demonstrating a strong mythological presence in ancient Egypt while having little recognition in Mesopotamia. The Assyrians, having dominated Mesopotamia in the late 10th century BCE, went on to conquer Egypt in 671 BCE, after which these two great civilizations directly swayed each other, creating a rush of advanced astronomical knowledge and a fusion of metaphysical ideas from which the zodiac evolved into the form adopted by Hellenistic astronomers. To understand the amazing scientific thrust and social advancement that trailed in the wake of this celebrated astronomical event, we must first consider the earlier, less sophisticated attempts to divide and chart the sky. e

The Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa As previously noted, the most detailed group of cuneiform tablets concerning astrology is the Enuma Anu Enlil collection. Of these, tablet 63 contains information relating to the reign of Ammisaduqa, ruler of Babylon between 1646-1626iBCE. Called The Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa, it records the heliacal phenomena of Venus, listing its periods of final visibility and reappearance after union with the Sun for the 21 years of Ammisaduqa’s reign. This is our oldest example of systematically compiled planetary data, which shows the Mesopotamians gaining knowledge of planetary movements and synodic cycles during the 2nd millennium BCE. The omens in this tablet attach predictions of famine, abundance or war to the times, duration and places of the risings and settings of Venus: In the month Shabati, 15th day, Venus disappeared in the west. Three days it stayed away. Then on the 18th day Venus became visible in the east. Springs will flow, Adad will bring his rain and Ea his floods. King will send messages of reconciliation to king.1

The oldest copy of this tablet is the one that was preserved a thousand years later at Nineveh, in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (669627iBCE). Fragments have also been found in other ancient cities around Babylon and Assyria, showing that the collection was used as a standard reference throughout the region.

Ashurbanipal (7th c. BCE) depicted beside the ‘Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa’ stored in his library, now at the British Museum.

Ashurbanipal preserved many ancient texts in his library at Nineveh and encouraged frequent and detailed reports from his astrologers.

1 Reiner & Pingree, Enuma Anu Enlil. Tablet 63: Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa, (Undena, 1975), p.29.

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Some of the components of The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal currently housed at the British Museum (image source: wikimedia)

The mul Apin & 8th/7th century developments The excavated library of Ashurbanipal also yielded the oldest known star catalogue, the mul Apin (‘constellation [of the] Plough’), a two-tablet Assyrian text which acted as a forerunner to the development of the zodiac. This presents detailed information on the constellations and collates most of the astronomical knowledge available to the Mesopotamians by the 7th century BCE. The copy found in Ashurbanipal’s library has been dated to 687 BCE, although this is known to be reproducing elements of a much older text written around 1000 BCE. Predecessors to the mul Apin were various lists showing which stars were visible at different seasons of the year. The Assyrians also had astrolabes in the form of circular star maps that sectioned the sky into three regions, known as the ‘paths’ or ‘ways’ of the leading triad of Mesopotamian gods: Anu (Supreme Sky God; Father of Heaven), Enlil (Son of Anu, Lord of the Wind and Forces of Nature) and Ea (God of Waters, Wisdom and the ruler of the Abyss or the Primeval Deep).

The mul Apin was more sophisticated than earlier astrolabes but similar in design, with the three paths of Anu, Enlil and Ea dividing the sky into something similar to equatorial bands. The central segment, the path of Anu, lists the stars that rise within a distance 2

3

4

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of about 15° north or south of the horizon (including those within most of the modern constellations Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and their roughly opposing constellations Virgo, Libra and Scorpio);2 the path of Enlil contains more northerly stars (including those of Gemini, Cancer and Leo, and extending up to the polar constellation Ursa Major);3 and the path of Ea lists more southerly stars (including those of Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius).45

Adapted Wikimedia image illustrating the conceptual application of the mul Apin’s three-fold division of the sky. Most attention was focused towards the ‘Ziqpu stars’ in the lower regions of the path of Enlil, which are defined within the mul Apin text as “stars that stand in the Path of Enlil, in the middle of the sky, opposite the chest of the observer of the sky”.5

Identified in the mul Apin ‘Stars of Anu’ as follows: Pisces, Shinunutu, the Western Fish (the Swallow), and Anunitu the Eastern Fish (Anunitu: a fertility goddess, later submerged into the worship of Innana / Ishtar / Venus); Aries, LuHunga (the Hired Man or Farmhand); Taurus, Gud Anna (Bull of Heaven); Virgo, Ab Sin (the Furrow, or Ear of Corn); Libra and Scorpio, Zibanitu, (the Scales and the Horn of the Scorpion).

Identified in the mul Apin ‘Stars of Enlil’ as: Gemini, Mastabba Galgal (the Great Twins); Cancer, Al Lul, (the Crab), Leo, Ur Gul La (the Lion), Ursa Major, Margidda (the Wagon).

Identified in the mul Apin ‘stars of Ea’ as: Sagittarius, Pabilsag (a centaur-like god, depicted with a human head facing forward and an animal head facing backwards, with a human body that is shooting an arrow, a horse’s torso and legs, eagle wings, and a scorpion’s tail); Capricorn, Suhur Mas Ku (Goat-fish) and Aquarius, Gula (the Great One, or Great Man; generally assumed to be a representation of the God of Wisdom, Ea).

Hunger and Steele, The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN, (Routledge, 2019), p.186.

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In astrolabe representations of the Babylonian star calendar, this three-sectioned ‘wheel’ is then subdivided into twelve sections (related to the months), allowing each month to be associated with the rising of three particular stars, one each from the paths of Anu, Enlil and Ea (see diagram, below). This identified 36 individual star regions, the main stars of which were used in a similar way to the 36 decan stars of Egyptian astronomy, to monitor the seasons and record time throughout the night. The oldest surviving Assyrian astrolabe, written in Assur around 1100 BCE, records the relative positions of the stars and details their risings and settings, alongside their relevance to agriculture and mythology.

As an astronomical document, the mul Apin has great importance in showing first attempts to create purely rationalised divisions of the sky. It also held astronomical information on the Sun and Moon, the planetary periods and stellar visibility, as well as recording astronomical techniques and associated omens. It listed eighteen constellations along the Moon’s path,6 twelve that gave their names to the zodiac divisions, plus six that bordered these or were later amalgamated into them. These were introduced in the series as: “the gods standing in the path of the Moon, through whose domain the Moon passes every month and whom he touches”. They approximate to the following modern asterisms and constellations: Present Name Sumerian Name

By the time of Ashurbanipal, astrology was clearly established as the dominant form of state divination.

Astrologers made regular reports to the king, framed by quotations from the older omens of the Enuma Anu Enlil tablets, as shown in this typical example:

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As we can see, the texts of this period continue to rely on constellations rather than the zodiac as a framework for planetary measurement. There is also no clearly apparent use of astrological houses, nor any obvious evidence of a fully developed aspect theory, other than the notion of planets coming together through union or conflicting through opposition and being marked by positions relative to quadrants. However, we should bear in mind that the symbolism of the zodiac is fundamentally connected to that of the calendar months, and the Enuma Anu Enlil tablets do reveal a long history of categorising the effects of phenomena such as eclipses according to the months in which they occur. Symbolic principles, based on geometric arrangement, were then applied to those calendar months in a way that later transferred to the reading of the zodiac.

Translation

mul Mul stars of the Stars Pleiades mul Gud Anna stars of the Bull of Heaven Taurus mul Siba Zi Anna stars of the Shepherd of Anu Orion mul Shu Gi stars of the Old Man Perseus mul Zubi stars of the Scimitar or Crook Auriga mul Mastabba Galgal stars of the Great Twins Gemini mul Al Lul stars of the Crab Cancer mul Ur Gul La stars of the Lion Leo mul Ab Sin stars of the Furrow Virgo mul Zibanitu stars of the Horn, or the Scales Libra mul Gir Tab stars of the Scorpion, or the Cutter Scorpio mul Pa Bil Sag stars of (a centaur-like god) Sagittarius mul Suhur Mas Ku stars of the Goat-Fish Capricorn mul Gula stars of the Great Man Aquarius mul Kun Mis stars of the Tails Pisces stars of the Swallow Southern Fish mul Simmah stars of (name of a goddess) Northern Fish mul Anunitum mul Lu Hunga stars of the Hireling (labourer) Aries Note how the scheme begins with the Pleides of Taurus and ends with reference to Aries. At the date of this text’s composition the vernal point was in the constellation Taurus, so the ring of constellations began with Taurus and ended with Aries.

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As regards the planet Jupiter about which I previously wrote to the king my lord; it has appeared on the way of Anu stars in the area of Orion ... Now it has risen and become clearly recognisable; it stays under the constellation Auriga on the way of the Enlil stars ... If Jupiter enters Orion the gods will consume the land. If Jupiter appears on the way of the Anu stars a Crown prince will rebel against his father and seize the throne.7

Representation of an ancient Assyrian star map, with 36 important calendar stars, drawn by Assyriologist Albert Schott (‘Journal of the German Oriental Society’, v. 88, 1934, p.302). The diagram is somewhat speculative because only small fragments of these ancient clay discs remain. The outer ring depicts the southern stars of Ea; the middle ring those of Anu; the inner ring the northern stars of Enlil.

Most accounts say 18 constellations, some say 17, and some 16 – the varying numbers depend on whether the stars of Pisces are treated as one group or two or three separate constellations.

Wiedner, ‘Die astrologische serie; Enuma Anu Enlil [III]’, Archiv fur Orientforschung, 17 (1954-6); pp.71-89.

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We know, for example, that at least by the 7th century BCE, Babylonian astronomers were creating mundane predictions concerning neighbouring territories by grouping the twelve calendrical months into sets of triplicities, which were then correlated with the four cardinal winds and the regions in those directions. In one tablet, the effects of astrological events which occur in months 1, 5 or 9 are associated with the region of Akkad and the north wind; months 2, 6 and 10 with Elam and the south wind; months 3, 7 and 11 with Amurru and the west wind, and months 4, 8 and 12 with Subartu and the east wind. 8 Another tablet, dated “probably” between the 6th and 4th centuries (because of its zodiac references) shows the principle clearly embedded into zodiac analysis.9 In the tablet which forms the basis of Halton-Rochberg’s New Evidence for the History of Astrology it is the zodiac signs that are associated with the triplicities, each linked to a specific direction and wind, and omens are given for planets so arranged, proving, according to Hunger and Pingree: “the Babylonian origin of the concept of ‘triplicity’”.10 This shows similar relations between the triplicities and winds as that transmitted in later Greek texts, such as the works of Geminos and Ptolemy.

It is possible this development is actually much older since we cannot assume a development was not made until we have ample evidence of it being used.

The sacred principles of the triad are extremely

ancient, firmly secured into mathematics, myths, and the symbolism of temple reliefs. The same applies to the mystical attributes given to calendrical divisions, and not just at Babylon; the Egyptian deification of time units has left an undeniable impression in astrology, even though that civilisation was always reluctant to reveal its esoteric secrets.

With the knowledge that an oral tradition existed alongside ‘the series’,11 and that there is a vast array of cuneiform tablets awaiting translation, we may yet find stronger evidence that a type of lunar zodiac facilitated the principles of geometrical division upon which aspect theory rests. At the least, knowledge that the use of months (moons) were characterising astrological meaning shows the inclination to draw symbolism from the twelvefold divisions was already in place, though it needed heavier reliance on the math-based calendar system to allow the zodiac to become the preferred method of planetary reference.

Crucially, this depended on improving methods of determining celestial latitude, since constellations provide a network for capturing this detail, whereas ecliptic-based zodiac measurement does not.

It is from around the middle of the 8th century BCE that we start to witness significant moves towards these refinements, with Ashurbanipal playing a key role in the heightened drive to accumulate and assimilate as much existing knowledge as possible and then originate more efficient ways of using it.

Map and diagram showing the association between astrological events, zodiacal signs/calendrical months, and surrounding regions and winds, from cuneiform tablet BM36746. The symbolism shows a geographical attachment to Babylonia, with Akkad to the north and Elam to the south.

Rochberg-Halton, ‘New Evidence for the History of Astrology’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 1984; 43: pp.115-140.

Ibid, p.118. Rochberg-Halton notes that the text preserves the older forms of the names of the constellations and states it is palaeographically difficult to distinguish between Achaemenid (553-321 BCE) and Seleucid (320-141 BCE), but opts for a late date in the Achaemenid period because “the appearance of the zodiac in the text would place it some time after 400 BC”.

10 Hunger, Hermann & Pingree, Astral Sciences in Mesopotamia (Brill, 1999), p.17. Ulla Koch-Westenholz, in her Mesopotamian Astrology (Museum Tusculanum Press, 1995), is more cautious about linking this triplicity arrangement to the concept of the aspect, but admits the graphic representation of the arrangement in a circular drawing on the reverse of a tablet demonstrates it was envisaged as a ‘geometrical arrangement’.

She also details further “indirect evidence for the use of other divisions of the zodiac” by way of zodiac signs in quartile and sextile aspect which are represented on early Hellenistic seals from Uruk.

11 Simo Parpola, Letters from Assyrian Scholars to the Kings Earshaddon and Assurbanipal I; (Neukirchen-Vluyn, 1970) pp.9-11. To this interpretation is added a note that it comes “not from the ‘series’ but ‘from the oral tradition of the masters’”.

8 9

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As general astronomical knowledge advanced, the rudimentary measurement of planetary positions against the background stars became unacceptable – consider the drawback of stars being obscured by mist, or the difficulty in distinguishing constellation boundaries exactly. It was clear that a more reliably precise system was needed to record the increasingly accurate understanding of cosmic cycles, whilst also accommodating the ever-pressing, practical need to keep astronomical and calendar divisions united.

Developments escalated rapidly after 747 BCE, when King Nabonassar ascended to the throne of Assyria and Babylon. From this point, detailed chronological records were kept, allowing future astronomers to review the information with a better understanding of when it was collected. Before this, it would have been difficult to test any hypothesis because of the confusion as to what times the data related to. By sharpening chronological consistency, a suitable framework was introduced to allow the ongoing refinement of astronomical knowledge.

Evidence of the benefit is attested to by Ptolemy, who mentions in his Almagest how he was able to draw on 900 years of records and eclipse data, which had been kept since the beginning of the reign of Nabonassar.

Talafiero translation, 1952

Many of these documents were preserved in the library of Ashurbanipal, with a plethora of new ones created during his reign. From these and subsequent reports, we can monitor the development towards a refined astronomical system that became nearperfect in the last three centuries BCE. We can see that, around this time, astronomers were starting to define positions by reference to the ecliptic. They had not yet organised constellation boundaries into twelve equal divisions but they were tracking the Sun’s movements along the ecliptic to establish the seasons of the year, and zodiacal development is implied in their lists of stars whose helical rising coincided with the start of each month. By assigning three calendar months to the periods between the ecliptic quarters, the framework of the zodiac was effectively placed.12 They had also gained accuracy in defining the lunar period, although their calculations of the planetary synodic periods were less precise.13 Their ability to predict eclipses in advance was frequent and generally good, if not yet fully reliable.

Sixth-century ‘awakenings’ Little by little improvements were being made, and with a tablet dated to 523 BCE we find our oldest known example of the positions of the Sun and Moon calculated in advance, with precise dates, and with detailed information on the Moon’s conjunctions with the planets, and of the planets with each other.

Professor Cumont wrote of this: All this indicates an intensity of thought and a perseverance in observation of which we have as yet no other example, and F.X. Kugler has therefore very properly regarded this tablet as the oldest known document of the scientific astronomy of the Chaldeans.13 The tablet details positions by celestial longitude rather than by reference to the visible stars. Although most astrological reports continued to refer to the constellations for the purposes of interpretation, at least by the 6th century we can see astronomers incorporating the use of the zodiac in their definition and calculation of planetary placements.

The 8th and 7th centuries BCE had been periods of passionate probing and analysis. By the 6th century the results of this activity were starting to bear great fruit, encouraging the willingness to break from tradition and introduce radical changes that could support further technological improvements.

Alongside these scientifically motivated adaptations, considerable social changes were also taking place, of which the ability to predict astronomical cycles with confidence no doubt played an important part.

Many historians consider the 6th century to be a time of collective ‘awakening’ – a turning point in which consciousness broke away from subservience to gods. The century is marked by a central shift in how individuals viewed their role in society, with a rapidly evolving sense of self-regulation and self-awareness, where the admirable trait is not to obey the established but to expand, and challenge the unknown.

As individualism gained ascendancy, the great communal spirit of the older age began to weaken and the idea that someone can act as master of their own fate began to spread and flourish. The century witnesses the global emergence of remarkable freethinking men who, though not born to the ranks of royalty or aligned to the established church, were able to wield tremendous influence over intellectual and spiritual attitudes: Buddha in India, Confucius and Lao-Tse in China, Zoroaster in Persia; and in Greece, such men as Thales and Pythagoras were stimulating the pursuit of philosophy, having been themselves exposed to the metaphysical and esoteric teachings of the Babylonians, Persians and Egyptians.

12 The box panel at the end shows an extract from Waeden’s History of the Zodiac which illustrates how zodiac division is implied in the mul Apin.

13 Cumont, Astrology & Religion among the Greeks and Romans, (Dover, 1912), p.7: “one tablet calculates that this duration [the synodic revolution]

in the case of Venus is 577.5 days, instead of the actual 584”; quote regarding Kugler, p.8.

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Concurrent with this psychological shift (in many ways promoting it), dramatic political changes were affecting the Mesopotamian region. In 539 BCE, Babylon was conquered by the Persians. The Persian king, Cyrus the Great, ordered the Jews in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and expelled all priests of foreign religions. The sacred ceremony of astrological study began to slip, as did the royal patronage of temple priests, along with much of their political power. One consequence was that alienated and exiled priests began to market their skills to support themselves, and it was only a short time after this period that the oldest surviving individual birth chart was drawn.

There is no evidence of personal horoscopes until this latter part of the Mesopotamian era, the trend towards considering individual birth charts no doubt fostered by an increasing recognition of individual autonomy, whilst aided by a widening accessibility of astrological knowledge. Originally, as a sacred science, only priests had the opportunity to learn its secrets, and in the older period their time was monopolised by matters of state. During religious ceremonies lesser individuals could also ask for heavenly guidance, but their enquiries were answered by much simpler methods, such as ornithomancy (observing the flight of birds) or studying the direction of weather effects.

They had to content themselves with brief, mostly yes or no answers, while the king demanded details. Of course, with the psychological assumption that ‘all is one’ mundane astrological information was pertinent to everyone because all individuals shared the concerns of their community: an impending famine or outbreak of war was a matter for all. In this way, collective fortunes filtered down to an individual level, and, since society was so interconnected, individual needs were best met through ensuring all was well at the top of the hierarchy.

Only a very small number (currently around 30) of the late Babylonian texts we possess have been identified as horoscopes. The earliest to show some notion of interpretation is dated to 29th April 410iBCE. A lack of surviving horoscopes before this date is no guarantee they were not drawn or used, but it is only from this period that we can access clear literary reference and preserved examples of their use. In addition to this horoscope we have the declaration of Herodotus, in the 5th century BCE, that the Egyptians were foretelling a man’s character, fortune and death from the date of his birth, and we also have a statement from Eudoxus (born c. 410 BCE) preserved in the writings of Cicero, where it is asserted that the Chaldeans “predict and mark out the life of every man according to the day of his nativity”.14

So we know that by the 5th century BCE personal horoscopes and astrological themes were being noted, leaving open the question of whether they were used before this but, being of less importance, omitted from the official tablets left for posterity.

Michael Baigent, in Mundane Astrology, suggests they may have been written on cheaper, less durable material, such as papyrus or wax tablets.15 Still, it seems strange to have no preserved horoscopes for sovereigns. Since none have yet been discovered, we can only assume that the employment of individual natal techniques was not greatly developed, or at least not recorded, before the 5th century BCE. The horoscope of 29th April 410 BCE is very scant in details, with the interpretation of the planetary data being brief and badly fragmented: Month Nisan, night of the 14th … son of Shumauṣ ur, son of Shuma-iddina, descendant of Dēkē, was born. At that time the Moon was below the pincer of the Scorpion, Jupiter in Pisces, Venus in Taurus, Saturn in Cancer, Mars in Gemini.

Mercury, which had set [for the first time], was [still] in[visible]. Month Nisan, the 1st [day of which followed the 30th day of the preceding month], [the new crescent having been visible for] 28 [UŠ], [the duration of visibility of the Moon after sunrise on] the 14th was 4,40 [UŠ]; the 27th was the day when the moon appeared for the last time. [Things] will be good before you. Month Duˀūzu, year 12, [ye]ar 8 …16 Wikimedia image of the cuneiform tablet detailing the natal positions of someone born 28 April, 410 BCE, (oldest known reference to an individual horoscope with interpreted details)

Many Babylonian horoscopes gave no interpretation.

However, a single cuneiform tablet rarely held both the astronomical information and the omens from which the interpretation was derived, so we have little understanding of the way the information was manipulated, or how extensive and detailed an accompanying interpretation might have been.17 Committing information to clay tablets was costly and time-consuming, so the prospect of cheaper materials or verbal interpretation makes sense. A translation from a later horoscope, dated to 4 April 263 BCE, demonstrates a more detailed analysis:

14 Cicero, On Divination, bk. II, 42, 87.

15 Co-authors: N. Campion & C. Harvey, (Aquarian Press, London, 1984), p.24.

16 Sachs, A, ‘Babylonian Horoscopes’ Journal of Cuneiform Studies IV (1952), p.54; and Rochberg, F., Babylonian Horoscopes, (American Phil. Society,

1998; hereafter ‘BH’) p.56.

17 Rochberg, BH, pp.x & 15.

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Year 48, Adarru, night of the [23rd?], the child was born. That day the Sun was in 13;30 Aries, the Moon in 10° Aquarius, Jupiter at the beginning of Leo, Venus with the Sun, Mercury with the Sun, Saturn in Cancer, Mars at the end of Cancer ... [next 9 lines very fragmented]. He will be lacking in property ... His food will not suffice for his hunger. The property which he had acquired in his youth will not last. The 36th year he will have property. His days will be long. His wife, whom people will seduce in his presence [or: His wife, in whose presence people will overpower him, she will bring it about]. He will have …’s and women. He will see profit. Between travels concerning property…18 The lacuna makes the interpretation difficult to follow, but we see specific details and incorporated elements of timing, suggesting that progressive or directional techniques were being used, the details of which were not recorded on the tablet.

Babylonian horoscope, 4 Apr 263 BC (JC) in modern format. The positions were calculated by Rochberg for approx. 4 am Babylon (top chart), then adjusted by adding a 6.7° ayanamsha (lower chart). No houses are mentioned: the modern representation includes Placidus cusps to give a sense of planetary hour and relative placement to the horizon.

This horoscope also demonstrates the standard way in which information was presented. Babylonian horoscopes began with a declaration of the date and then most gave some indication of the time, usually by noting the name of the seasonal hour (called the simanu, ‘interval’) or referencing the three-part division of the night into watches, or by stating if the event occurred near sunrise, sunset or the middle of the day or night.19 This was generally followed by the phrase “the child is born”. The preliminary text could also include details of the most recent lunation, (establishing an early origin to the use of the prenatal syzygy); or it might detail recent eclipses, the date and data of the nearest equinox or solstice (showing concern for what we call ‘ingress charts’); and such matters as the interval between sunrise and moonset, the last lunar visibility before sunrise, or the Moon’s conjunction with ecliptic-reference stars.

Then the planetary data would follow with the luminaries detailed first, followed by the planets in the order: Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Mars. This order has been scrutinised to try to find some astronomical basis, but it appears to be purely astrological and expressing the benefic and malefic qualities of the planets: the benefic pair Jupiter and Venus are followed by neutral Mercury, ending with the malefic pair Saturn and Mars.20 We don’t know if the placement of Mars at the end implies that this was considered the most malefic planet of all (Babylonian references to Nergal, the star of Mars, frequently describe it as “evil” and Mars is a much brighter planet than Saturn, capable of appearing a very fiery red when it dominates the sky in opposition to the Sun), or if some notion of sect was determining that diurnal planets precede their nocturnal counterparts.

Omitting the luminaries, this order resembles in its pattern the malefic/benefic traits that contributed to the arrangement of the planetary terms.21 It proves that the classification of the planets as benefics and malefics was established in the Babylonian period.

(While the order overflowed into some Hellenistic texts, for the most part, it would become replaced in Greek astrology by that known – ironically – as the ‘Chaldean order’, which is based on the descent of sidereal rotation and proximity to earth: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.)

Such details led Francesca Rochberg to conclude: Babylonian horoscopes and nativity omens may represent the end of the development of the Mesopotamian genethlialogy, but they constitute the source of the genethlialogical astrology that emerged in the Hellenistic Greek world. BH, p.16

18 Ibid, p.57.

19 See the previous part of this series, ‘CH, II: Gathering the Data’, #10, p.29 for the use of the night watches and seasonal hours (familiar to most

astrologers as the ‘planetary hours’); Francesca Rochberg discusses references to time in the horoscopes in her BH, pp.6-7, p.35ff.

20 For more on this point see Rochberg, BH, pp.9-10.

21 For my detailed exploration of this see ‘Ptolemy’s Terms & Conditions’, Culture & Cosmos, v.11, 2007; online at skyscript.co.uk/terms.html.

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End of an era – a new age begins During the 4th century BCE, major astronomical advances were made which greatly facilitated the availability of data. When Alexander the Great conquered Babylon (331 BCE) astronomical knowledge had already become quite reliable and detailed.

Planetary ephemerides were listing full and new Moons, eclipses for more than fifty years, lunar velocity, daily solar and lunar motions and planetary positions.22 The information was also recorded by reference to mathematically derived calendar days rather than those of the lunar month.

As a result of Alexander’s invasions still more priestly colleges along the Euphrates river valley were dissolved, forcing priests to trade their esoteric knowledge westwards. Sixteen years after his conquest of Babylon for example, in 315 BCE, a Babylonian named Kidenas founded an astrological school in his native country that prospered for over 200 years, its scholars helping to disseminate Babylonian advances throughout neighbouring countries. According to Pliny, it was from Kidenas (also known as Kidinnu or Cidenas) that the Greeks learned of the maximum degree of separation between Mercury and the Sun.23 The 2nd-century Roman astrologer Vettius Valens refers to him in the 9th book of his Anthology (ch.11) as someone whose tables he used for the purpose of determining eclipses and correcting the equinoxes and solstices.

Also, in a 2nd-century commentary on the Handy Tables of Ptolemy, Kidenas is attributed with discovering that 251 synodic months are identical to 269 anomalistic months,24 a discovery that has often been attributed to the later efforts of Hipparchus.

Then, sometime around 290 BCE, the astrologer Berossus, originally a high priest at the temple of Marduk at Babylon, migrated to Greece and established one of the earliest Greek schools of astrology on the island of Kos. Berossus is mentioned in the works of several Greek and Roman historians, who tell us that a statue was erected in his honour at Athens, testifying to how he was considered an important transmitter of philosophical ideas and that there was a respectful reception to his teachings.

By now the civilisation of Mesopotamia was a fading star. Following Alexander’s sudden death in 323 BCE, the empire was divided amongst his generals, with Babylon acting as a nucleus for political interest and attack. By the end of the 2nd century BCE, having been repeatedly invaded by the Parthians and finally sacked and burned, Babylon’s

desolation was practically complete and Mesopotamia’s power base destroyed.

The once magnificent temples and palaces were left to decay in obscurity and neglect, the contents of their libraries eventually put to rest by the desert sands that would preserve them for the delight of architectural historians 2000 years later. But the cultural and scientific advances of Mesopotamia were not to be forgotten, nor so easily obscured. Alexander, in his period of absorbing Babylon and Egypt, allowed the legacy of the East to flow into a new foundation of knowledge in the West. Both the astronomical improvements and astrological insights were incorporated into Hellenistic science, where they became deeply embedded in the philosophical and scientific developments of the modern Western world. And of the wider influence of their philosophies, cultural values, and mythologies, professor Simo Parpola writes: It is accordingly best to finally bury the myth of the ‘Greek origin’ of our culture. Its roots lie in ancient Mesopotamia, and the insurmountable ideas, patterns of thought and institutions born there, which imperceptibly live on in our thoughts, attitudes and environment, are its immortal soul.25 vvv

Development of the Zodiac recorded in the mul Apin Extract from B.L. van der Waeden’s History of the Zodiac, 1952, p.221

A division of the year into 4 astronomical seasons, each corresponding to 4 parts of the zodiacal circle, is implied in the following statements of the text mul APIN: From XII 1 until II 30 the Sun is is the path of the (stars) of Anu: Storm and Wind.

From III 1 until V 30 the Sun is in the path of those of Enlil: Harvest and Heat.

From VI 1 until VIII 30 the Sun is in the path of those of Anu: Storm and Wind.

From IX 1 until XI 30 the Sun is in the path of those of Ea: Cold.

… The Roman numerals stand for the names of Babylonian months. These statements show that already at this early date (about 700 BC) the sun’s orbit was conceived as a line intersecting the limiting circles of the zones of Enlil, Anu and Ea in 4 points and divided by them into 4 segments, such that the sun dwells 3 months in each … … the zodiacal circle is divided into 4 segments only. Still, the division of the year into 4 astronomical seasons corresponding to these segments was already a zodiacal scheme; and as each season consisted of 3 months, the system itself called for a division of each zodiacal segment into 3 ‘signs’, as indicated in fig. 2, to make the correspondence complete. This last step was perhaps taken soon afterwards, in any case before 419 BC.

Our next issue begins an exploration of Babylonian planetary myths 22 Oppenheim, L, Ancient Mesopotamia, (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1964),

p.309.

23 Natural History, Bk II, ch. vi.

24 An anomalistic month is the period between the two moments when the Moon is closest to the earth; it equates to 27.55 days. Such a period is

very difficult to observe by the naked eye and demonstrates great skill in observation and advanced understanding of astronomical cycles.

25 ‘The Mesopotamian Soul of Western Culture’, Bulletin of the Canadian Society of Mesopotamian Studies 35 (2000), p.34.

Skyscript newsletter # 11: August 2023