The Astrology Center of America, 207 Victory Lane, Bel Air, MD 21014
Tel: 410-638-7761; Toll-free (orders only): 800-475-2272


A HISTORY OF HOROSCOPIC ASTROLOGY, From the Babylonian period to the modern age, 2nd edition
by James Herschel Holden

Synopsis: 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 2000 years. (From the back cover.)

AFA, 375 pages. Continued below.

Price: $30.00
Contents:
Preface;

First Period: Babylonian Astrology: Technical proceedures.

Second Period: Classical Greek Astrology: Technical proceedures; Astrology in the Roman Republic & under the Empire; Romulus & the founding of Rome; Manilius; Thrasyllus; Balbillus; Critodemus; Teucer; Dorotheus; Mantheo; Ptolemy & Valens; Antigonus; Antiochus of Athens; Porphry; Firmicus Maternus; Paul of Alexandria; The Astrologer of the Year 379; Hephaestio of Thebes; Proclus; Rhetorius the Egyptian; Hermetic & Pseudepigraphic writings on astrology; Some special features of Greek astrology.

Third Period: Medieval Astrology: Arabian astrology; Theophilus of Edessa; Indian astrologers at Baghdad; Masha'allah; Omar Tiberiades; Albohali; Zahel; Albumasar; Al-Kindi, Albubater; The Nine Judges; Haly Embrani; Alchabitius; Haly Abenragel; Al-Biruni; Haly Abenrudian; Abraham Ibn Ezra; The 12th century translators; The Alfonsine tables; Albertus Magnus & Roger Bacon; Bonatus; Leopold of Austria; Two Byzantine astrologers; Two English astrologers; Campanus; Summary; Technical problems; Astrological images; The Mansions of the Moon; Centiloquies.

Fourth Period: Early Modern Astrology: Regiomontanus; Symon de Phares; Astrology on the Continent after 1500; Mundane astrology; Gauricus; Schoner; Melanchthon; Cardan; Junctinus; Ranzovius; Naibod; Stadius; Garcaeus; A primary critic; Tycho Brahe; Magini; Logarithms - a revolution in calculating; Argol; Kepler; Morin de Villefranche; Placidus; Tattoni & de Bonattiis; The decline of astrology; de Boulanvilliers; Astrology in England; Three doctors; A minor but persistent annoyance; William Lilly; Culpeper; Gadbury; Coley; Patridge; Whalley.

Fifth Period: Modern Astrology: Technical developments; Calendars & clocks; Methods of calculation; Planets, planets & more planets; And another Moon?; Availability of older books; Astrological libraries; Astrology since 1780; The Sibley brothers; Worsdale; Varley & Uranus; Corfield & Uranus; The asteroids; Wilson & Ashmand; The first Raphael; Zadkiel I & II; W.J. Simmonite; Ackroyd & Neptune; Alan Leo; Sepharial; Charles Carter; RH Naylor, Edward Lyndoe & newspaper astrology; Brig. Firebrace; Robson; Hone; Wemyss; Tucker; Gleadow; Davison; Olivia Barclay; Addey & Harmonics; Psychological astrology; Astrology & statistics; House division; Degree symbolism; Key words; History of Astrology;

Astrology in America; Dr. Broughton; Professor Chaney; Weston & Vulcan; Dr. Cornell & medical astrology; Max Heindel & the Rosicrucians; Evangeline Adams; Llewellyn George; Alice Bailey; Johndro; C.C. Zain & the Church of Light; Marc Edmund Jones; Wynn; Goldstein-Jacobson; Ernest & Catherine Grant & the AFA; Dane Rudhyar; Cyril Fagan & Sidereal Astrology; Grant Lewi; Doris Chase Doane; Friends of the asteroids; Charles Emerson & the NCGR; Donald Bradley; Holden; T. Patrick Davis; Lois Rodden; Michelsen; Michael Erlewine & Matrix; Astro*Carto*Graphy; Robert Hand; Schmidt; Zoller; Financial astrology; Data collection;

Linda Goodman & sun signs; The European revival of astrology; Julevno; Selva & Morin de Villefranche; Col. Caslant; Choisnard & astrological statistics; Picard; Hieroz; Gouchon; Volguine; Barbault; The Gauquelins & astrological statistics; Guinard; Astrology in Belgium; Visc. de Herbais de Thun; Brahy; Antares; Lescaut; Bessiere; Astrology in Germany; Kniepf; Tiede; Karl Brandler-Pracht; Glahn; Bethor; Vollrath & the Astrologische Rundschau; Witte & the Hamburg School; Dr. Korsch; Brunhubner & Pluto; Winkel; Koch & the Birthplace System of Houses; Von Kloeckler; Kuhr; Reinhold Ebertin & Cosmobiology; Parm; Troinski; Marr; Taeger's horiscope lexicon;

Astrology in Hungary; Astrology in the Netherlands; Hamaker-Zondag; Astrology in Austria; Sinbad the Sailor; Knappich; Gustav Schwickert; Countess Wassilko-Serecki; Belcsak; Astrology in Switzerland; Jung; Dr. Frankhauser; Krafft; Kundig; Ring; The Hubers; Astrology in Italy; Carelli; Capone; Ghivarelli; Sementowsky-Kurilo; Brunini; Morpurgo; Bordoni; Mirti; Bezza; Astrology in Greece; Astrology in some other countries; Argentina; Australia; Zariel; Kozminsky; De Dion; Furze-Morrish; Greaves; Brazil; Japan; Portugal; Spain;

Some Remarks on Astrology: Newspaper astrology - The daily guides; Different kinds of astrology; Astrological associations; Professional astrologers; Astronomy & astrology; Science & astrology; Astrology & medicine; Fate vs: free will; Psychology & astrology; Computerized astrology; Can astrologers predict the future?; The Three Wise Men - were they astrologers?

Selected bibliography; Index notes; Index of persons & publishers; Index of subjects & book titles.

List of illustrations: 1. A papyrus horoscope; 2. Augustus's horoscope in the Alexandrian zodiac; 3. Augustus's horoscope in the tropical zodiac; 4. Horoscope from Dorotheus set for 1-3 August 43; 5. Horoscope from Dorotheus set for 25-26 January 13; 6. Horoscope of Hadrian from Antigonus; 7. Horoscope of Hadrian in the tropical zodiac; 8. Question about a future battle; 9. A horse stolen.
List of tables: 1. Terms according to the Egyptians.

Comment: A true history of western astrology. This book includes a fairly complete survey of notable astrologers & their work through the ages, starting with the Greeks & continuing to the 1980's. While some have claimed that Roger Bacon (13th century) was bullied into accepting astrology, Holden notes that Bacon put forth powerful arguments in favor of it. Holden's bibliographies (2) cite hundreds of persons & works mentioned in the text. Holden is not uncritical of the various subdivisions of the subject (he condemns the use of degree symbols, such as the famous Sabians). I like Holden's book, I think it's excellent, I use it daily as a reference. I am grateful that as the years pass, there are an increasing number of good astro-histories in print.

The second edition corrects minor typos, adds a handful of overlooked individuals (Robert Schmidt, Doris Chase Doane & the Holden himself among them), and updates those who have passed since the first edition of 1996. Page numbers differ slightly from the first edition.

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The Astrology Center of America

207 Victory Lane, Bel Air, MD 21014
Tel: 410-638-7761; Toll-free (orders only): 800-475-2272