Re: VMs: Jung and Modern/Traditional Astrology?

[Pamela Richards <spirlhelix@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Glenn!

Thanks!  I always love to learn. . . shh, we are not
allowed to talk about this.  It's not peritient, per
Rene.

Warmly,

Pam

PS I agree with you about the time frames of the dying
gasps of astrology.  And I do think 1500 is a little
early.

Shhh!

Pam

--- GC <gc-@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Pamela,
> 
> Hi, we haven't spoken before, but I do need to clear
> up a couple of points
> you made.
> 
> > Here are a few inscriptions from almanacs printed
> in
> > England in the seventeenth century.  Almanacs were
> > calculated by "philomaths"--people who liked to
> crunch
> > numbers--and sold to astrologers, who used them to
> > make predictions following the techniques of
> > traditional astrology.  Almanacs fall into the
> > category of historical evidence of the vitality of
> > astrology, as their manufacture would not pay for
> the
> > cost of printing unless they had an audience.
> 
> The books you listed are 16th century publications,
> not 17th century.  As
> apparent by the titles of the authors themselves
> (doctors in physike), these
> were not drawn up by "philomaths", but by the
> doctors themselves.  I have
> copies of all the publications you have listed, as
> well as several others
> from this time period, and if they are viewed in
> their proper context, a
> pattern of publication emerges that clearly
> demonstrates their purpose.
> 
> The almanacs themselves contain little or no
> astrological material.  They
> contain saints days, moon cycles, weather
> predictions and predictions on
> cycles of pestilence, drawn from the knowledge that
> warm and damp weather is
> associated with the spread of certain diseases, and
> wrongly attributed to
> the motions of the moon and the zodiac.  Doctor
> Ascham offers the doubting
> opinion in one of his connected works that these
> attributions are made only
> because no one has yet offered a better explanation.
> 
> When I referred to "pattern of publication", I meant
> that each book has
> references to other books from the same publisher,
> and are meant to be
> purchased as a set.  These sets usually include an
> almanac, an herbal, and
> sometimes books on urine and phlebotomy, books on
> the healing powers of
> stones, etc.  The almanacs themselves were usually a
> single large page
> folded twice to form a foldout of 8 pages, and were
> published annually,
> while the peripheral books were reissued only
> periodically when the supply
> ran out.  The purpose of these books was clearly
> medical, and apart from
> very promising titles, the information contained had
> almost everything to do
> with the diagnosis and treatment of disease.  The
> first publication of a set
> of books like this was by Richard Banckes in 1525.
> 
> In each case in 16th century England, publications
> on astronomy/astrology
> are connected to medicine exclusively, and it is not
> until toward the middle
> of the 17th century that books begin to appear on
> the "predictive power" of
> astrology as a stand-alone "science".  By this time
> a battle of words over
> the efficacy of astrology was well underway, and
> astrology was losing ground
> to reason, especially when connected to medicine and
> the ability to predict
> the weather and cataclysmic events.
> 
> Hope this is useful.
> 
> GC
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Pamela Richards" <spirlhelix@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 9:22 AM
> Subject: Re: VMs: Jung and Modern/Traditional
> Astrology?
> 
> 
> > Hi, Nick!
> >
> > We were discussing the vitality of astrology as a
> > profession, which is one of the criteria I use to
> plot
> > the decline of astrology, apart from philosophical
> > opinions.
> >
> > Here are a few inscriptions from almanacs printed
> in
> > England in the seventeenth century.  Almanacs were
> > calculated by "philomaths"--people who liked to
> crunch
> > numbers--and sold to astrologers, who used them to
> > make predictions following the techniques of
> > traditional astrology.  Almanacs fall into the
> > category of historical evidence of the vitality of
> > astrology, as their manufacture would not pay for
> the
> > cost of printing unless they had an audience.  I
> guess
> > somebody forgot to tell the common folk that
> astrology
> > had lost favor with the intellectual elite,
> because
> > the existence of almanacs showing the movements of
> the
> > planets tell us that the common man was still
> keeping
> > astrologers, almanac makers, and doctors and
> surgeons
> > who used astrology in business right up until late
> in
> > the seventeenth century.
> >
> > <<
> >
> > A Prognossicacion and an Almanack fastened
> together,
> > declaring the Dispocission of the People and also
> of
> > the Wether, with certain Electyons and Tymes
> chosen
> > both for Phisike and Surgerye, and for the
> husbandman.
> > And also for Hawekyng, Huntynq, Fishynq, and
> Foulynge,
> > according to the Science of Astronomy, made for
> the
> > Yeare of our Lord God M.D.L., Calculed for the
> > Merydyan of Yorke, and practiced by Anthony
> Askham. At
> > the end, 'Imprynted at London, in Flete Strete, at
> the
> > Signe of the George, next to Saint Dunstan's
> Church,
> > by Wyllyam Powell, cum privilegio ad imprimendum
> dim.'
> > Then follows the Prognostication, the title-page
> to
> > which. is as follows:
> >
> > A Prognossicacion for the Yere of our Lord
> MCCCCC.L.,
> > Calculed upon the Merydyan of the Towne of Anwarpe
> and
> > the Country thereabout, by Master Peter of
> Moorbeeke,
> > Doctour in Physicke of the same Towne, whereunto
> is
> > added the Judgment of M. Cornelius Schute, Doetour
> in
> > Physicke of the Towne of Bruges in Flanders, upon
> and
> > concerning the Disposicion, Estate, and Condicion
> of
> > certaine Prynces, Centreys, and Regions, for the
> > present Yere, gathered oute of his Prognossicacion
> for
> > the same Yere. Translated oute of Duch into
> Englyshe
> > by William Harrys. At the end, 'Imprynted at
> London by
> > John Daye, dwellyne over Aldersgate, and Wyllyam
> > Seres, dwellyne in Peter Colledge. These Bokes are
> to
> > be sold at the Newe Shop by the Lytle Conduyte in
> > Chepesyde.'
> >
> > <<
> >
> > 'An Almanacke and Prognosticatyon for the Yeare of
> our
> > Lorde MDLI., practysed by Simon Henringius and
> > Lodowyke Boyard, Doctors in Physike and
> Astronomye,
> > &c. At Worcester in the Hygb. Strete.'
> >
> > <<
> >
> > 'A Newe Almanacke and Prognostication, Collected
> for
> > the Yere of our Lord MDLVIII., wherein is
> expressed
> 
=== message truncated ===


=====
"I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing, than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance."


		
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