The Origin and Nature of the Tropical Zodiac


Book Description

You know your zodiac sign. Maybe you're a Virgo, or an Aquarian. But did you know that your sign is not the same thing as the zodiac constellation that it is named after? Your sign is actually in a different part of space to the constellation of stars we can see in the sky. What? That makes no sense... or does it? In this book, The Origin and Nature of the Tropical Zodiac, researcher Dr Damien Pryor unpacks the difference between what's known among astrologers as the 'sidereal zodiac', and the 'tropical zodiac.' The sidereal zodiac, made up of the 12 constellations, is visible and real. The tropical zodiac, on the other hand, does not exist in the sense of a visible group of stars. So what is it, actually? Astronomers believe it's just a fanciful idea, with no basis in reality. Yet there are many references to the tropical zodiac in ancient Greek texts, including the writings of Ptolemy. Dr Pryor's meticulous research into these texts reveals the secret of what the tropical zodiac is, and how the teachers in the ancient Greek and Babylonian Mysteries understood it. Written in everyday language, with helpful graphics, The Origin and Nature of the Tropical Zodiac is an invaluable resource for astrologers - and anyone who has an interest in their astrological sign.




History of the Zodiac


Book Description

The zodiac was first clearly defined by the Babylonians some 2500 years ago, but until recently the basis of this original definition remained unknown. This zodiac of the Babylonians, known as the sidereal zodiac because it is specified in direct relation to the stars (Latin sideris, 'starry'), was used for centuries throughout the ancient world, all the way to India, and must be distinguished from the tropical zodiac in widespread use by astrologers in the West today, which was introduced only in the middle of the second century A.D. by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. Such was Ptolemy's influence, however, that the tropical zodiac gained prominence and, except for its survival (in a variant form) in India, knowledge of the sidereal zodiac was lost. In this thrilling study of the history of the zodiac, first submitted in 2004 as his Ph.D. thesis, Robert Powell rescues the the sidereal zodiac from the dusts of time, tracing it back to the Babylonians in the sixth/fifth centuries B.C. The implications of this discovery-among them the restitution of the sideral zodiac to its rightful place at the heart of astrology-are immense, they key point being that the signs of the sidereal zodiac, each thirty degrees long, coincide closely with the twelve astronomical constellations of the same name, whereas the signs of the tropical zodiac, since they are defined in relation to the vernal point, now have no direct relationship to the corresponding zodiacal constellations, owing to the precession of the equinoxes.This revolutionary history of the zodiac includes chapters on the Egyptian decans and the Hindu nakshatras, showing how these sidereal divisions, which originated in Egypt and India, are related to the original Babylonian zodiac. It also sheds light on the controversy surrounding the 'zodiac question' (tropical vs. sidereal), illuminating the history of the tropical zodiac-showing that originally it was not a zodiac at all, but a calendar for describing the course of the seasons! This book, the fruit of thirty years of research, is intended not only for scholars but for general readers as well, and offers the clearest and most comprehensive study of the history of the zodiac yet published.




An Introduction to Western Sidereal Astrology


Book Description

In this easy to read book, Ken Bowser presents the basics of sidereal astrology from the viewpoint of a Western astrologer. Both astrologers and students of the science will appreciate the clear and helpful delineation of the planets, signs, houses, and aspects as presented in the sidereal chart. Ken also examines the forty-five planet combinations, looking at each in depth and presenting the unique characteristics each represents. All of these principles are illustrated with examples that serve as a guide for interpretation. Also included are three appendices: historical information, the origin of the exaltations, and the tropical-sidereal debate. An Introduction to Western Sidereal Astrology is a modest title for this excellent book, which provides a basic overview of sidereal astrology as it has developed in the West since the rediscovery of the ancient Babylonian sidereal zodiac at the end of the nineteenth century. Arising out of forty years of practice with sidereal astrology, this book is a gift to the world, representing the reemergence in our time of an astrology based upon the actual positions of the stars themselves and offering insightful interpretations of the stellar script as it comes to expression in the horoscope. - Robert Powell Ph.D., author of History of the Zodiac and many other works, and co-author of the recently published book The Astrological Revolution. With An Introduction to Western Sidereal Astrology, Ken Bowser has produced a valuable contribution to a literature that is both scholarly and practical. His careful, well-resourced explanations of the Babylonian origination of the zodiac (fixed to the celestial sphere and not their equinoxes) and its reintroduction into modern astrology, are a must-read for both students and professionals. On the practical side, he shows astrologers who want to try out the sidereal zodiac how to use it in everyday work. His outstanding planet combinations, which are independent of the zodiac, can be used by anyone and everyone who wants to master the art of astrology.--Ken Irving, Editor, American Astrology, Horoscope Guide Bowser skillfully and eloquently leads the reader through a tour of the complex issues at the heart of the zodiac issue with a level of clarity that can only be conveyed by someone who has attained a deep and comprehensive understanding of his subject. Ken Bowser is incontrovertibly qualified to write the book of this title, and he has chosen his moment well.--Deborah Houlding, Editor, The Traditional Astrologer and skyscript.co.uk




Cosmos and Psyche


Book Description

Seeks to demonstrate the existence of a direct connection between the planetary movements and human history, and examines such ancient and modern events as the French Revolution and September 11th.




The Combination of Stellar Influences


Book Description

The Combination of Stellar Influences is a well-known and popular book that explains the development of cosmobiology, which uses the 90-degree dial, and teaches the methods of this progressive school of astrology. Through the interpretation of the stellar bodies and other astronomical points in the individual's chart, emphasis is placed on the cosmobiological character and the shaping of destiny. The delineation of the various combinations and mid-points is well-defined, easy to follow and to the point. Learn the basic influence and principle characteristics of planetary combinations, as well as their psychological, biological and sociological correspondence and probable manifestation in natal and predictive astrology.




A History of Horoscopic Astrology


Book Description

This thoroughly researched book is a history of the development of Western horoscopic astrology from its origin among the Babylonians and its subsequent creation in its present form by the Alexandrians down to modern times. Special attention is given to background history and to the working conditions and techniques used by astrologers during the last two thousand years. Numerous footnotes provide additional information and bibliographic references. A separate bibliography lists reference sources of particular importance. Two comprehensive indices containing more than 2,800 individual entries enable the reader to locate persons, publishers, topics, and book and periodical titles that are mentioned in the history. The book also contains discussions of several questions and topics relating to astrology. James Herschel Holden is Research Director of the American Federation of Astrologers and has been especially interested in the history of astrology.




The Heavenly Writing


Book Description

In antiquity, the expertise of the Babylonians in matters of the heavens was legendary and the roots of both western astronomy and astrology are traceable in cuneiform tablets going back to the second and first millennia BC. The Heavenly Writing, first publsiehd in 2004, discusses the place of Babylonian celestial divination, horoscopy, and astronomy in Mesopotamian intellectual culture. Focusing chiefly on celestial divination and horoscopes, it traces the emergence of personal astrology from the tradition of celestial divination and the use of astronomical methods in horoscopes. It further takes up the historiographical and philosophical issue of the nature of these Mesopotamian 'celestial sciences' by examining elements traditionally of concern to the philosophy of science, without sacrificing the ancient methods, goals, and interests to a modern image of science. This book will be of particular interest to those concerned with the early history of science.




Environmental Cosmology


Book Description




Cognitive Yoga


Book Description

Are you ready to begin the process of making yourself a new etheric body and individuality? In the last century, Rudolf Steiner issued a challenge for practitioners of western spiritual science. Would it be possible to develop a new form of cognitive, or Michaelic, yoga? In contrast to the eastern yogis of old – who practiced the spiritualization of inhalation and exhalation – such contemporary yogic practice would involve a spiritualization of thinking as well as a transformation of perceptions and sensations. In Cognitive Yoga, Dr Ben-Aharon responds to that call, developing the entire modern yogic process and describing it in remarkable detail. Through the methods presented, committed practitioners of anthroposophy can create a living framework for spiritual research through a fully spiritualized thinking accompanied by a complete renewal of the experiences of perception and sensation as well as of the human body itself. Included in the contents of this extraordinary book is a comprehensive guide to the spiritualization of the senses and how this leads to a transmutation of the deepest and most unconscious bodily processes and functions. Cognitive Yoga culminates in a pioneering description of a completely individualized meeting with the etheric Christ in the etheric world – the most important spiritual and human experience that people can have in our time and over the millennia to come. This seminal work, built on decades of first-hand research, provides tangible evidence that western spiritual schooling is not only alive and well, but also full of potential for future development. Ben-Aharon offers a fully formulated and practical guide to a knowledge of the present revelations of the spiritual world.




The Astrology of Seers


Book Description

Astrology of the Seers is a clear yet comprehensive presentation of Vedic astrology and makes this difficult-to-understand subject clear, practical and relevant. it reveals the deeper implications of the Vedic system in sections on astrology as a spiritual science, astrology and psychology, astrology and yoga. Of special interest, the book explains the cycle of the world-ages (yugas), showing the Vedic view of human history, and the connection of our solar system with galactic sources of energy. Thirty-two example charts of all types are explained including those of many spiritual teachers, covering all the main aspects of its philosophy, background and practice, including chart interpretation and methods of balancing planetary influences such as mantra and gem therapy. The present edition has been throughly revised and updated.