Categories
book reviews

Book Review: A Brief History of Ancient Astrology by Roger Beck

It is not the purpose of this article to give a full review of Roger Beck’s new book on Hellenistic astrology titled A Brief History of Ancient Astrology. The major shortcomings of the book, as well as most of the issues that I have with it, have already been addressed in detail by Deborah Houlding […]

Categories
astrology news Video

The Return of the Magi: An Astrological Documentary

An astrologer named Kelly Lee Phipps has been filming a documentary over the past year on astrology called The Return of the Magi. It is sort of a What The Bleep Do We Know-esq documentary with a number of interviews from various astrologers in the field, as well as a running storyline with a narrative […]

Categories
astrological tips and guides featured article

10 Tips For Learning Astrology

So you want to learn about astrology? Not the generalized Sun-sign stuff that you find in newspapers and magazines, but serious astrology. The advanced type where you can actually determine specific information about a person’s life through the observation of the planets and other celestial phenomena. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Categories
astrological techniques and concepts

Firdaria: A Medieval Time Lord System

I came across an interesting website today called firdaria.com which provides free calculations for the medieval-era time-lord system known as Firdaria (Firdariyyah). This system, like all time-lord systems, breaks up a person’s life into specific sections or chapters that are each ruled by one of the seven traditional planets. The nature of the planet and […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

Ignorance Is Bliss

So this girl that I work with approaches me the other day and tells me that she needs my help. She is obviously distressed about whatever the matter is, and for some reason she thinks that I can do something to help her. I asked her what the problem was, and she basically said, in […]

Categories
astrology news

Interview Questions From the Blast Astrology Conference

Last year Moses Siregar gave me a few interview questions to answer as a speaker at the Blast Astrology Conference which took place in Sedona earlier this year. The Blast turned out to be the best astrological conference that I have ever attended at this point, and I was excited when Moses recently announced that […]

Categories
astrological tips and guides featured articles featured video

Calculating the Lot or Part of Fortune

I made a video today on how to calculate the Lot of Fortune, sometimes known as the Part of Fortune, in a natal chart. In modern times the Lots are usually calculated using certain algebraic formulas where the longitudes of the planets are converted into 360 degree notation and then added and subtracted accordingly. For […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

The Katarche of Horary

My article on the origins of horary astrology titled The Katarche of Horary just came out in the latest issue of the NCGR Journal.  Most NCGR members should be receiving their copy of the journal right about now, and for those who aren’t a member of the NCGR the journal should be available for purchase […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

Richard Dawkins’ Coverage of Astrology in Enemies of Reason

I came across a clip today from Richard Dawkin’s new documentary titled Enemies of Reason in which he attacks a number of paranormal fields, including astrology. Dawkins brings out the usual modern arguments against the subject that have been recycled over and over again over the past couple of decades, mainly focusing on Sun-sign columns […]

Categories
astrological techniques and concepts

Benefic and Malefic Planets in Astrology

In addition to the basic significations of each the seven visible planets, each is also assigned a somewhat intrinsic status as a natural ‘benefic’ or ‘malefic’, or a planet may attain such status functionally due to its condition and placement in a chart. The term ‘benefic’ is derived from the Greek term agathopoios which literally […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology Video

Robert Schmidt on Hellenistic Astrology – part 1

This is the first 10 minutes of a video that was made in August of 2006 by Robert Schmidt of Project Hindsight for a conference in St. Petersburg Russia that he was not able to attend. In it he touches on some basic points concerning the history and origins of Hellenistic astrology. He is talking […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

10 Questions About Astrology from a Skeptic

A couple of years ago I got into this argument on a forum with this skeptic who was attacking astrology. I didn’t realize it initially, but the guy was actually more interested in ridiculing me than he was in having a serious debate about astrology. He clearly didn’t know very much about the subject, despite […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

Benjamin Franklin and Astrology

Elsa just posted this really interesting quote from Benjamin Franklin on her blog which nicely illustrates his endorsement of horoscopic astrology. I was always aware that Franklin wrote the Poor Richard’s Almanac, but this really displays his stance on astrology in a bit more dramatic of a manner than I had seen previously. The quote […]

Categories
history and philosophy of astrology

Vettius Valens

Vettius Valens was a Roman astrologer who was conceived on May 13, 119 CE, and born on February 8, 120 in the city of Antioch, which is now modern day Antakya, Turkey.  Today Valens is known for his encyclopedic 9 book astrological textbook the Anthology (Ἀνθολογίαι). Although he was originally from Antioch, at one point […]