Astrological Dictionaries, Encyclopedias

One of the more useful reference books, and scarce as hen's teeth. The requirement to write a dictionary is simply a vast knowledge of many diverse areas of astrology. The best, in our view, is Nicholas deVore's Encyclopedia of Astrology. The most unique is Carter's Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology. Cornell is here (see also under Medical) because there's so much more than astrological medicine in it - get a copy and find out for yourself. The rest are the unique points of view of the individual authors. All of them belong on your bookshelf.

Indicates a book on our Top Ten list. If you would like to find more books like it, click on the star.

	DICTIONARY OF ASTROLOGY - James Wilson Esq., $29.95 Comment: James Wilson wrote his Dictionary of Astrology in 1819. Based in large measure on a close study of the works of Ptolemy and Placidus (among many others), it is a quirky, highly personal view of the ancient science. It was acclaimed the finest of all astrological dictionaries. Wilson's goal was to force the student to think about some of the basic assumptions in astrology. In the Preface, he writes: If I had any motive more prominent than the rest (beyond promoting the cause of truth, which, I trust, will always be the principal) for publishing this work, it was a desire to injure those harpies who gather together scarce books of science, and hide them from the perusal of mankind, merely for the sake of gain, which, after all, can be but trifling: men like these are the enemies of knowledge, and ought to be severely punished in every civilized nation. This treatise will render most of their hoards comparatively useless, for I have been careful to insert the substance of all they contain relating to astrology, whether true or false, adding occasionally some remarks of my own to distinguish the latter as far as I am able, that every student may be enabled to found his own conviction on his own experience. Rather than the short, arid articles typical of specialized dictionaries, Wilson offers extensive entries on (Primary) Directions, Faces, Figures, Forms of the Body, Horary Astrology, Marriage, Part of Fortune, Weather, the judgment of Revolutions, Progressions, Ingresses, Riches, Promittors, as well as many more. A few years after this book, the author published his translation of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, one of only a handful of men to have done so. The Dictionary of Astrology is a book of surprises. It will repay study. Click here for an excerpt. Astrology Classics, 442 pages.

	THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF MEDICAL ASTROLOGY - H.L. Cornell, $89.95 - Directly from us: $74.95 Contents: Author's portrait; letter of introduction; Abbreviations & symbols used in the book; Cornell's birth chart; Introduction to the 2nd edition; Foreward; the Encyclopaedia. Comment: From page 502, on Medical Astrology: In my years as a physician, I have, by the use of Astrology, been able to very quickly locate the seat of the disease, the cause of the trouble, the time when the patient began to feel uncomfortable, as based on the birth data of the patient, and this without even touching or examining the patient, and my intense desire to get this knowledge and wisdom before students and Healers in a classified form, is the reason for this Encyclopaedia.... When once you have discovered the cause of the disease, and understand its philosophy and the relation of the patient to the great Scheme of Nature, the matter of treatment I leave to you, and according to the System and Methods you may be using. This is by far the best book ever written about medical astrology, even though it dates from 1933. An exhaustive, alphabetical listing of nearly every possible disease and symptom, diagnosed from an astrological point of view. Hundreds of useful hints, from chiropractic to rules for surgery, diet, planetary hours, colors, days of the week, weather & much, much more. You'll never exhaust this book. Indexed and cross-referenced. The one essential medical reference book. Click here for a pdf extract. Astrology Classics, 958 pages, hardcover.

	ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ASTROLOGY - Nicholas de Vore, $29.95 Comment: Back in print! In a fine new paperback edition, this is the best of the many astro-reference books, one you will use constantly. Among thousands of entries are the complete terminologies for natal, mundane, electional & horary astrologies, as well as definitive articles on Arabian Parts, Aspects, Calendars, Cycles, Degrees, Dignities, Directions, Eclipses, Houses, Planets, Ptolemaic Astrology, Retrogrades, Ruling signs of major cities, Signs of the Zodiac, the Solar System, and much more. The section on eclipses runs 36 pages & includes solar & lunar eclipses from 1800-2000 listed by date & by zodiacal degree. It includes the 19 Saros cycles from 600 AD to 2100 AD. Under Degrees, deVore gives degree meanings similar to those of Carter. In the extensive entry on Houses, he gives the meanings for each house, in natal, mundane & (depending on the house) various other situations: In a court of law, in an organization, in an ingress, in a national figure, etc. The entry for the Invariable Plane (one of several contributions by Charles Harvey) is a fascinating discussion of (among other things) Mahayuga, Root Races & solar eclipses in ancient Palestine. There is a fine, 9 page analysis of Ptolemaic astrology, along with how the Galactic Center relates to the Solar System, as well as definitive entries on every other facet of astrology. Complete, concise, informative, highly intelligent: Long a classic, still essential for all astrologers. Nicholas de Vore, 1882-1960, was President of the New York based Astrological Research Society. Click here for a pdf extract. Astrology Classics, 435 pages, paper.

	AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASTROLOGY - C.E.O. Carter, $18.95 Comment: Subtitled, An Encyclopaedia of Character & Disease, this was the result of decades of study of hundreds of horoscopes. Carter discovered zodiacal degrees that produce abscesses, poor vision, goiter, medical ability, jaundice, immorality, musical talent, spinal curvature, oratorical ability, insanity, alcoholism, asthma & much more. He found general astrological guidelines for illnesses & personality traits such as boredom, love of animals, hayfever, imagination, rashness, rambling speech, stoicism, satire & much more. Specific degree areas for specific traits, as well as general guidelines for many more. In the Foreword, the author writes, This work is a attempt to produce a useful astrological Encyclopaedia of Character, and, as far as data permit, of Disease.... Some reference might perhaps at this point be made to the study of the local zodiacal influences which are frequently mentioned herein. Even from the earliest times certain parts of the Zodiac, usually identified with nebulae or fixed stars, have been considered to possess peculiar powers. Medieval writers also published lists of degrees to which they assigned special names & qualities, such as azimene, pitted, smoky.... Recently Mr. Maurice Wemyss has published, in the pages of Modern Astrology, numerous articles dealing largely with degree-influences, treated in pairs of opposites - 0 degrees Aries-Libra, and so on - and it is now widely held that the study of the individual characters of degrees is one of the most promising fields of astrological research.... My own investigations in this direction, while stimulated by Mr. Wemyss's valuable work, are the results of original study. I am not prepared to say whether the influences in question are inherent in the degree, or for some reason originate in a wider zodiacal area. In some instances the peculiarity seems very local; in others much more extensive. In some cases it seems to derive from one degree only; in others, from a pair of opposite degrees; in others again, from the corresponding degrees in the four signs of the quadruplicity. In any event, the reality & value of these local effects are beyond question, although our knowledge of them is in its infancy. It should be noted that the values of degree-areas are often to be seen in progressions as well as in the natal figure. (pgs 5-6) Sometimes known as Carter's Little Green Book. Often witty, always surprising, a book you will use forever. Includes six nativities of interest, and a table of local influences mentioned in the book. Click here for a PDF extract. Astrology Classics, 199 pages, paper.

	ASTROLOGICAL KEYWORDS, Compiled from leading authorities - Manly P. Hall, $14.95 Contents: (most of these are two pages in length:) What great men have said of astrology; Theory of judgment; The zodiacal signs & their symbols; The significance of the zodiacal hieroglyphics; physical characteristics; Emotional characteristics of the twelve zodiacal signs; Mental characteristics of the twelve zodiacal signs; Zodiacal anatomy; Zodiacal physiology; Diseases peculiar to the zodiacal signs; Zodiacal pathology; Zodiacal occupations; Symbolism of the cardinal, fixed & common signs; The four cardinal signs; The four fixed signs; The four common signs; Symbolism of the triplicities; The earthly triplicity; The watery triplicity; The fiery triplicity; The airy triplicity; The zodiacal finger nail chart; Coley's table of astro-diagnosis; The vicious circle; Progressing the ascendant & midheaven; Critical degrees & days; Minor divisions of the zodiacal signs; Zodiacal colors; Zodiacal gems & semi-precious stones; Countries & cities ruled by zodiacal signs; Theory of prophecy; The zodiacal signs in horary astrology; Spiritual keywords of the twelve signs; The planetary symbols & their significance; The seven planetary ages of man; Revolutions & rotations of the planets; The planetary lords of the twelve houses; Exaltation, detriment & fall of planets; Elevations & accidental dignities of planets; Planetary days & hours; Planetary time periods; Masculine & feminine planets; The problem of aspects; Orbs of influence; The ruler of the chart; The rectification of a horoscope; Physical appearance of the nine planetary types; Planetary temperaments; Planetary orders of thinking & feeling; Basic mental characteristics of the planets; Positive & negative mental characteristics of the planets; Spiritual keywords of the nine planets; The planets in occult philosophy; Planetary occupations; Circumstances induced by the planets; The planets & anatomy; Planetary physiology; Diseases peculiar to the nine planets; Planetary pathology; The planets in horary astrology; The planets in mundane astrology; The seven planets as rulers of the year; The invisible planets; A table to determine the degree to which a planet is affected; Planetary progressions; Planetary transits; Planetary brain faculties; Planetary gems & semi-precious stones; Planetary & zodiacal metals; Planetary colors; Herbs, plants & trees ruled by the planets; The twelve houses in natal astrology; The twelve houses in mundane astrology; The twelve houses in horary astrology; A key to the reading of the twelve houses; The angular, succeedent & cadent houses; The personal possessive, relative & terminal houses; Horary time calculations; The decanates according to Sepharial; The decanates according to Alan Leo; Table of fixed stars; Comets & meteors; Solar eclipses; Lunar eclipses; The Moon's nodes; The Moon's nodes in the twelve houses; The Part of Fortune; The Part of Fortune in the twelve houses; The pre-natal epoch; Astro-meteorology (weather prophecy); Lunations; Prodigies; Geocentric & heliocentric astrology; Hippocrates' method of judging acute disease; Culpeper's method of judging acute disease; Galen's method of calculating chronic disease; Astrology & music; Evolution & the zodiac; The zodiac in occult philosophy; The zodiac in Chirgnomy; The zodiacal ages; Suggestions on the reading of a chart; Snap judgment; References; Index. Comment: A careful compilation from the PRS research library (one of the finest occult libraries in the world, much of which is now at the Getty Museum) make this book a condensed library in tabloid form. More than 100 sections cover all areas of astrology, including anatomy, physical appearance, diseases, eclipses, rectification, horary, mundane, weather & much more. So well organized that any point can be located rapidly. Dedicated to those not satisfied with superficial fortune telling. Philosophical Research Society, 229 pages.

	ASTROLOGY & ASTRONOMY, 420 Royalty-free designs, CD-ROM & book - Ernst & Johanna Lehner, $14.95 Comment: The illustrations in this book, from 2006, were selected from earlier volumes by the two authors, going back to 1950. Astrological illustrations include European, Chinese, Mexican (Aztec?), Native American, Mayan, Egyptian, Rosicrucian, palmistry & others. Astrological glyphs (in various styles) include the four major asteroids. The majority of the illustrations, as would be presumed, are traditional European woodcuts. While the book is well-printed, and while many of the illustrations are quite detailed, all of them are small. They are meant to support the CD-ROM. Every image in the book has been scanned onto the CD-ROM at 600 dpi, and saved in the following six formats: BMP, EPS, GIF, JPEG, PICT & TIFF. JPEG & GIF, as is generally known, are immediately internet-compatible, needing no further conversion. All the files are keyed to the illustrations, making finding a specific illustration a snap. I would guess that many of these files could be enlarged quite a bit. The next time I am in need of an illustration for a book cover, I'm going to find it in this book. It's a good one. Dover, 48 pages, oversize format. Also includes CD-ROM (Windows & Mac compatible).

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