Book Recommendation: Bonatti "On Horary"

Here's another of my semi-regular traditional astrology book recommendations,
Guido Bonatti's "On Horary"

The 13th century Italian astrologer Guido Bonatti wrote one of the most important books of traditional astrology, the Liber Astronomiae literally the Book of Astronomy. This was the standard reference text for medieval and Renaissance (i.e. traditional) astrologers. The famous English 17th century astrologer William Lilly quotes almost directly from Bonatti in his famous Christian Astrology and Bonatti keeps popping up in almost all English traditional astrology texts.

Originally written in Latin, finally this magisterial text of traditional astrology is available in English. Ben Dykes, the translator, has both a strong academic background (Ph.d in Philosophy) and is a practicing natal astrologer and graduate of Robert Zoller's excellent medieval natal astrology course. Dykes has done an excellent job of translating and commenting on the Liber Astronomiae.

While the complete Liber Astronomiae contains an introduction to the basics of astrology, plus horary, electional, natal and mundane treatises, it often circulated in the Middle Ages and Renaissance in smaller subject sections. This is Bonatt's horary section. Definitely well worth getting for all students of horary astrology! Bonatti gives an excellent introduction to horary astrology which uses the time of a question, rather than the time of a birth chart. Bonatti then gives very detailed instructions for determining questions for each of the 12 houses.

All traditional horary astrologers need a copy of both Lilly's Christian Astrology and Bonatti's Liber Astronomiae. With the complete hardcover edition out of print, I am glad the paperback edition of Bonatti "On Horary" is so easily available! You can order Guido Bonatti's "On Horary" on Amazon.

Fixed Stars: Heliacal Rising vs. Ecliptic Mapping

After the recent Cetus talisman election I had an interesting e-mail asking me if it wouldn't be better to use the "actual" rising of the star on the physical horizon for fixed star talisman elections. Let's call this physical rising.

Physical rising, therefore requires different software than is used for standard astrological charts. All standard astrological charts, traditional and modern are a 2 dimensional representation of the 3 dimensional sphere of the Heavens, primarily mapped along the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun against the fixed stars. The Ecliptic is the path of the Sun and planets through the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Since stars are distributed throughout the whole sphere of the Heavens and not just on the Ecliptic/Zodiac you'd need special astronomical software that could tell you when, at your location, the star rose above the horizon.

The physical rising is related to a very old astronomical/astrological phenomenon, the heliacal rising. Ok, what's heliacal rising? Check out Wikipedia and Skyscript

Basically this is a solar cycle and thus seasonal. The Sun orbits through the Ecliptic and conjoins the star, then once the Sun moves far enough away from the star, you can finally see it rising in the morning. So basically heliacal rising is a particular type of physical rising.

Heliacal rising was certain used as an astronomical omen and for calendrical purposes, for example the ancient Egyptians used the heliacal rising of Sirius to time the Nile's annual flooding. However, this is not how traditional astrologers used fixed stars. Instead they mapped the fixed stars to the Ecliptic. If the star is close to the Ecliptic, then its position doesn't change much relative to its position in the sphere of the Heavens. The farther away it is from the Ecliptic, however, the more its relative position changes when mapped to the Ecliptic. However, as the relative position of the star changed due to precession of the Equinoxes, approximately 1 degree every 72 years, traditional astrologers would adjust the Zodiacal longitude of the star's position.

Ok, so now we can get a better idea of what we are talking about. Certainly looking at the heliacal rising of a star is something that has a long history, but it is not the standard way that fixed stars were used in traditional astrology. The physical rising, without heliacal rising, wasn't used by traditional astrologer either. Instead traditional astrologers mapped the fixed star to a point in the Zodiac/Ecliptic and then used that location in the Zodiac as the location of the star. For example for fixed star talismans, Agrippa says, "When any star ascends fortunately, with the fortunate aspect or conjunction of the Moon, We must take a stone, and herb that is under that star, and make a ring of that metal that is suitable to this star and fasten the stone, putting the herb, or root under it; Not omitting the inscriptions of images, names and characters, also the proper suffumigations..." Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chapter 47.

Now, you could certainly make talismans at the heliacal or physical rising of a star, but this would not be traditional astrology. The natural response for the modern is "wouldn't it BETTER to use the ACTUAL PHYSICAL rising of the star?" I've all capped two different segments of the response so I can deal with them separately. First, the modern automatically assumes that what is material and observable is the most significant. This is basically the same atheistic/materialist view that pushes for the constellational Zodiac. The unconscious assumption is that astrology works through some sort of material or energetic cause, ie magnetism, gravity, super strings, etc., because that's all the possible causes that there are. We therefore look to the material world, "actual reality" as our highest test for truth and the nature of things. The problem here is that there is no material or energetic cause for astrology, and therefore if that's the only possible cause, then astrology is impossible. Certainly most scientists would agree with that. So it doesn't make much sense to be an astrologer who operates on the automatic assumption that physical/energetic causality is paramount.

When the traditional astrology maps fixed stars to the Zodiac, they use the fixed stars as sensitive points along the Zodiac. They discover an additional and useful patterning. The scientist might say that this patterning is arbitrary, just as astronomers may claim that constellations are arbitrary since their patterning is only apparent from Earth. But again, this is a modern view, seeing patterning as either caused by physical laws/causality or simply an arbitrary imposition by humans.

Traditional astrology is based on a Neo-Platonic/Hermetic worldview that included the spiritual, that saw the spiritual as underlying the material and as the ultimate cause. Patterning was not arbitrary but an example of the spiritual connection of all things. See Spiritual Hermeticism.

Ok, second point, can we describe one method as "better" than another? The modern view again is that there is an objective reality out there, separate from the observer, that can be accurately determined and is true for all. This dovetails nicely with the egoic desire to be right and to assert the superiority of MY view. Clearly what I see, feel and believe is correct or I would not be seeing, feeling or believing it. Furthermore, what I personally see, feel and believe is right for me, is therefore right for everyone. Put that way, it does seem rather pompous, but it's how our ego unconsciously pushes us 24/7. The obverse is the wishy-washy, co-dependent, total relativist. "Whatever you think is true is true for you"

Is it possible to chart a third course? My sense is that there are many possible worldviews, thus many possible realities. Some work well, some not so well. This is from The Magician's Companion by Bill Whitcomb, page 12,

I Law of Worldviews:

"The world we perceive is actually a mixture of the nominal world (the Tao, the objective reality that is unknowable but which underlies all that we think we know) and ourselves (the subjective). Changing your worldview does not change the eternal, real world, but it does change the world you perceive. That is, changing your worldview makes real changes in the world which is real to us. (see VII: Law of Reflections) Because there are an infinite number of ways to perceive the world, there are also an infinite number of worlds we may assemble without awareness. The true underlying reality is unknowable to us as long as we retain our worldview of separateness and self. You can become one with the universe but you cannot step back and observe it, because you are in it. You cannot observe a phenomenon without altering it by your mode of perception. There is no such thing as an independent observer. You participate in creating the world by perceiving it."

If your worldview is massively out of touch with the Tao, this is quite problematic, you are going to be confused, often surprised and unsuccessful, much of the time. But there are many "paths with heart" as Carlos Castaneda puts it. The key is finding one that fits you.

So I'm not going to say that the traditional astrological method of using fixed stars is the only way to fly, it certainly worked for our illustrious predecessors and it works well for me.

Well Founded Confidence and Trust

I had a poster ask if you should elect a time for buying incense. Ok, certainly you could elect a time for buying incense, but elections take time and effort to locate and then you may be stuck getting up at 3:32 am to log on and make the purchase. Is it worth it? That's one practical issue.

Next practical issue: since most non-expert elections are going to be something like, "buy incense on a waxing Moon" one is fooling oneself thinking this makes much difference. I mean 50% of everything you do is on a waxing Moon, and obviously there are widely different results for all the activities done with Moon waxing, so there must be more to it than that. This slides into superstition.

And it's easy to get superstitious as a magic user/astrologer/etc,. Ok, what exactly does superstitious mean: "an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural" Now, I need to know what "abject" means, " Extremely bad, unpleasant" Ok, so basically getting too scared, too freaked out. And that's understandable, magic and astrology are pretty new to most people and our society is either afraid of them due to Judeo-Christian programming or dismissive due to atheistic materialism. So it's hard to know if you are making a mistake.

Here's what I do, in practical terms I save the elections for important events, or when they really are necessary, like for actually making astrological talismans. Otherwise, I try to go forward in well founded confidence and trust. Buying incense is an ancillary activity, as far as I'm concerned, so I wouldn't elect it.

You can get in tune with the flow and cycles of the Cosmos with astrology, no doubt, but also by intuition and sensitivity. One example I like is the Balinese and feng shui. This web page says that because of their cultural spiritual and artistic sensitivity the traditional Balinese are able to site and create buildings according to feng shui, but do it naturally and intuitively as well. I'm not an expert on Bali or feng shui, so I don't know if this article is giving a complete picture, but I like the overall thrust here.

On the other hand, I don't want to say, "do what comes naturally" right from the get go, because that's like giving someone a guitar who has never played and saying "go to it" They are going to make a godawful racket, not music. First you need to immerse yourself in the subject, learn the rules and then you can improvise, within the tradition. As I said, forward in well founded confidence and trust!

Final Degree of Sign

I just had a question about a planet being in the final degree of a sign, ie the 30th degree or 29 degrees 0 minutes and higher.

The medieval astrologer Guido Bonatti says,

"The 30th Consideration is, To observe when a planet that is Significator, or the Moon, shall have past the 29th degree of the Sign wherein it is, and touches the 30th and especially if it have passed one minute of that degree; for then it shall have no strength in that Sign, but in the next; so that if in the first it signified any evil, it shall hurt the person or thing threatened no more than the fall of a house shall one that is just got out of it; or being with one foot upon the threshold, has one behind him that throws him out; and then the building falls.

And if it signifies any good, it shall profit no more than he that hath spread a nest for birds, and just touches the feathers of their tails, but never catches their bodies; and therefore 'Zael' says, "If a planet or the Moon be in the 29th degree of any Sign, its virtue is yet in that Sign wherein he is; because he has not yet wholly past the 30th degree." &c."

Bonatti, 146 Considerations

Again for this you need to be in the 30th degree, ie 29 degrees 0 minutes and higher. In this case observe what kind of change there is. For example, Venus at 29 Libra, currently in sign rulership about to go into detriment in Scorpio, things look very good, but are about to change or are not anywhere near as good as they seem to look. Mars at 29 Libra, currently in detriment about to go into sign rulership in Scorpio, things look terrible, but are actually great or will soon change to great. Sun at 29 Taurus, peregrine, change to Gemini also peregrine, a change is about to happen but it won't make any real difference

Coincidence, World View and Loops!

Earlier this month I decided to that I should start doing something new, constellation talismans! I decided to do a Cetus Talisman.

A few days later I was sent a link to a news article about the discovery of a habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system, ie part of the Cetus constellation!

Cool! But what do we make of this? Is this somehow meaningful or is it, "just a coincidence"?

A coincidence technically means things happening closely together in time or space. The modern view of a coincidence is that it is an example of things happening together, but without any causal connection, just randomly or by chance.

Let's step back a bit further. In the modern view if there is order or a cause-effect connection between things there is only one possible source: a direct material/energetic connection or source for the order. If this cause is lacking, then events are simply random or determined by chance. Of course, for moderns, it is possible that since material/energetic causality is only the ultimate cause, that for every event there is a material/energetic cause but the scientists haven't figured it out yet. Or alternatively, it is possible to believe that randomness truly does exist and that some events are ultimately unpredictable. In either case, however, the only possible linkages are material/energetic causes.

We live, breathe and swim in the modern worldview. It conditions all of our conscious thoughts and unconscious reactions. To think "just a coincidence" seems natural because of this. But wait, how logical is it for traditional astrologers to have this automatic response? Traditional astrology is predicated on spiritual, not material or energetic, connection. If astrology accurately predicts it can only be on this basis and if it predicts correctly, then the modern atheistic/materialist worldview has some rather major holes in it.

It's easy though, as moderns to be compartmentalized, to be a 21st century schizoid man (or woman). We show different faces to different people, thinking differently in different situations, keep the various parts of our lives, even our thoughts separate. We splinter ourselves. When I was back in Washington, DC, for example, I knew a fairly well known ceremonial/Goetic magician who used to say that he was a just a regular guy/computer tech by day and magician by night. This is not unusual for modern astrologers, magicians, etc.

I consciously try to be the same person in all settings. People often think it is odd that I am simultaneously a practicing attorney and astrologer. These two careers seem quite similar to me, in both I use my expert knowledge and life experience to advise clients. I don't conceal that I am an astrologer or attorney, it's all right out there on my website. I want to be the same person as much of the time as possible, to be whole and complete, in all facets of my life.

So I think we do ourselves a disservice in compartmentalizing, a common as it is. As astrologers and magicians, if we grasp that astrology and magic work, the implications are astounding and revolutionary. For example, due to the spiritual connection of all things and the fact that everyone that happens in or around a particular moment is spiritually connected, then they are no coincidences. Why did I chose to do a Cetus talisman now? Apparently Cetus' time had come!

My wife and I call these loops. We pay close attention to these themes when they appear. We don't know why loops occur, but we do know that they are the tip of the iceberg of underlying patterning.

Book Recommendation: Al-Biruni

Having been a traditional astrologer for the past 15 years, I've build up quite a library! And while you can get by with just a few key books, it really helps to have all your bases covered, there's so much out there.

We are really blessed to be living at a time when so many traditional astrological and magical sources have been translated into English.

I've decided to start a regular traditional astrology and astrological magic book recommendation and my first suggestion is Al-Biruni's Book of Instructions in the Elements of the Art of Astrology

The astrology section is available on Amazon for just $10 and change

It's also part of my Renaissance Astrology CD Library III which has the complete book, though most of it I've never had occasion to use because it is either mathematical, astronomical or how to use an astrolabe!

You can read about Al-Biruni on my web site here

The Book of Instructions is really a key text for any traditional astrologer. Al-Biruni lays out a very early Arabic version of the basics of traditional astrology, signs, essential and accidental dignities, rulerships, etc. He gives very clear and very straightforward explanations. I've chosen Al-Biruni as one of my three main sources for planetary rulerships, along with Agrippa and Lilly. A great reference and very useful introduction to Arabic astrology, the root of traditional European traditional astrology.

Definitely worthwhile to get a copy of the Book of Instructions!

Gold Standard Prediction & Horary Example

One of the attacks that "skeptics" throw at astrology is that it gives overly subjective predictions and is based on subjective validation and a strong desire to believe. Of course their real objection to astrology is that since it is based on spiritual connections and the spiritual doesn't exist, obviously astrology is impossible. Nevertheless, they are on to something. It is easy to be overly gullible as astrologers since we do want to believe in astrology!

One way to fool yourself, and this is so prevalent that it is very hard to see it as problematic, is judging charts where the outcome is known or you know the events in the life of the person whose chart it is. I tried to demonstrate this with the chart of someone I identified as a serial killer and yes could see a lot of Scorpionic and 8th house influence in the chart, but the chart actually turned out to be Gandhi's! The response to this chart and posting was interesting. It was generally ignored, except I got a few posts saying that Gandhi was like a serial killer.

Certainly we cannot rely on the subjective feelings of clients. Even with horary, which is much more focused and precise than natal, clients' feedback is usually "wow, you got it 100% right" or occasionally "that was completely wrong". In fact, when I find out the facts generally I am not 100% accurate, but the occasional client reporting inaccuracy in the prediction is off base as well. How do I know this?

My practice is to always do my analyses in writing. This way I have an accurate record of what I told the client. Without this we are left trying to remember exactly what we said and have no real basis for determining the accuracy of the prediction. In addition, we have a record of what our prediction was before we knew the outcome. Then when I get feedback, I go back to the original reading, check it and then add the results.

Therefore as far as I am concerned this is the "gold standard" of astrological prediction. A true traditional astrological prediction must be made from a chart and the chart provided. The prediction needs to be in writing and give the astrological factors considered along with the analysis. The prediction needs to be made without knowing the outcome of the situation or the relevant life or event information for a natal chart. It needs to be as given to the client or as made in advance, without hindsight editing. And finally a true astrological prediction should show the results which should correspond to the analysis.

We need to be able to see how the astrologer did their work, step by step, so we can be sure of their astrological technique and that they even used astrology for their prediction. I do suffer by including the astrological factors because from time to time this either frightens or upsets clients because they can't understand the astrological terminology or clients decide that they don't like the outcome and want to argue with me about the technique used. I've never had anyone argue with me about the proper house rulership or aspects,etc. when they liked the outcome of the prediction! Still, only the foolish clients cause problems with this, many clients are very interested and appreciate seeing "under the hood" in the analysis and it is very useful for students and other astrologers to be able to see step by step how the analysis is made.

This "gold standard" of astrological analysis is pretty exacting. It eliminates all celebrity charts, looking at Hitler's and Einstein's chart, and going back and saying, "oh I can see why X happened, Lilith was sesquiqadrate your progessed Galactic Center".

It excludes, for example, Lilly's "prediction" of the Great Fire of London in 1666 as Lilly's prediction does not provide a chart and in fact, is not even astrological as it consists just of a picture of two men (Gemini. the sign of London) suspended over a fire. Also excluded is Zoller's "prediction" of 9/11. No chart is provided and the astrological factors used to make the reading are not provided.

I'm very cautious about public prediction, celebrities and flashy, topical readings. I just don't think I can do them accurately so I stay away from them. On the other hand, I do think it is important to push the envelope and see what can be done with traditional horary. While it took some time I just got feedback on a missing person horary I did awhile back. I wish I could give more information, but the client specifically requested that all identifying information be removed. Here is the chart, analysis and results.

It is my view that if we are going to advance as traditional astrologers that we need to stop fooling ourselves that we are predicting when we already know the outcome or when we are just guessing without actually using astrology. One of our goals in setting up the Society of Astrologers was to publish a journal. However, the submissions we got were 100% analyses made when the outcome was already known. This is not prediction!

When it comes to horary, I've published Warnock's Horary Case Book which contains over 40 real horary questions, as given to the client, the analyses, astrological factors considered and results.

In my courses, we work with charts whose outcome is unknown. This was particularly important to me in my Natal Astrology Course again no charts of Einstein, Hitler or Prince Charles.

Working with unknown charts and doing horary for clients puts your %$$ on the line! You will get it wrong on occasion. Looking at Hitler's chart you can never get it wrong, but then you never really are predicting.