Customer Reviews

The Fated Sky: Astrology in History

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Let me begin by saying that I think one should have a basic knowledge of astrology before attempting to read this book if he wants to really understand all of it, because there are many sample horoscope readings that would be unintelligible otherwise. The author provides a glossary at the back of the book, but I think it's only somewhat helpful. I've had a lifelong interest in astrology and have been casting and interpreting charts for more than 30 years, so this is not a problem for me. But Benson Bobrick has shown me what a charlatan I am! I had no idea that astrology had undergone so many changes in its history and that most of the astrology practiced today is vastly different from that of Ptolemy and Copernicus. According to this book, the sun sign was not nearly so important prior to the popularization of sun-sign astrology by Alan Leo in the early 20th Century. The 20th Century also brought about "psychological astrology" and the rules became less strict. A lot of wishy-washiness has come into modern astrology as a result. (No wonder I'm so lousy at prediction!) In a rather stunning demonstration Bobrick has blind readings done of Hitler's chart. The reading from the modern psychological perspective depicted a peaceful lover of the arts. The one read according to Ptolemaic rules was dead on. Bobrick seems to be calling for a return to the rules of the ancients and I think he presents a good case.

In THE FATED SKY Bobrick traces the history of astrology from its nebulous Mesopotamian beginnings to the present day. For me the most interesting episodes concerned the 16th Century Milanese astrologer Giralomo Cardano and the 20th Century American Evangeline Adams. I want to read more about both of them. I am puzzled at the exclusion, save for one brief mention, of the Rosicrucians. Before computer software I used the Rosicrucian Ephemerides and Table of Houses. I know they also provided astrology classes and published other astrological materials. He also neglects the two leading popular American astrology magazines and the work of astrologers like Doris Chase Doane who collected reliable data on time changes throughout the world and Lois Rodden, who "rated" the reliability of the birth time. I think their contributions have been significant.

I wish the author had included for the general reader an appendix or preface outlining the basic principles of astrology with a chart showing the houses and their individual meanings, as well as capsule meanings of planets and signs. I found this an excellent book that has caused a shift in my perspective on astrology. Perhaps other astrologers may feel the same way. Four stars.

Simply put, this is one of the best books on astrology I have ever read. As a professional astrologer, I've read many! Everyone who calls themselves a student of the craft should read it. For traditional astrologers, it is an absolute must. And for anyone interested in the role astrology has played in culture it is a darned good read. Why? Written by a historian (not an astrologer), The Fated Sky covers the entire course of Western astrology - from origins in Greece to developments in Arabic countries; back to Europe, and its height in the medieval centuries and Renaissance; its downfall in the so-called enlightenment, and its revival in the present day. Though there are other histories of Western astrology in print, this is the best. All along the way are tales of all the colorful characters who were masters of this sacred science. Even skeptics will be impressed by the long list of distinguished rulers who sought advice from astrologers - virtually every Roman Emperor, popes, cardinals, and the royalty of Europe such as Catherine de Medici, Queen Elizabeth, the Danish royal family ... the list goes on and on. The names of famous intellects and artists who knew of astrology is even more impressive: Plato (tutored by an astrologer in his old age), Ptolemy, St Thomas Aquinas, Copernicus, Kepler and Shakespeare all were not just aware but deeply versed in the science of the stars.

Benson Brobrick is not an astrologer, yet he has presented a very thorough and fair account of astrology. His work is suitable for both advanced astrologers and curious skeptics alike. Realizing that many readers will fall into the latter category, his frame of reference is that like it or not astrology has played a tremendous role in the history of the West. For this reason alone it deserves attention and study. He documents astrology's influence with so many authentic examples of documented predictions, some quite stunning in detail, that anyone reading with an open mind will be tempted to investigate further.

While modern astrologers may be a bit put off by the traditional emphasis, the stories of people who predicted death of themselves or others to the day or warned of calamity to kings years in advance make us aware of the true potential and historical role of astrology. For centuries the power of astrology was the ability of its practitioners to predict. Kings didn't see astrologers to get a description of their psychological complexes; they wanted to know what was going to happen.

To his credit Brobrick talked to contemporary astrologers and quotes Robert Zoller and John Frawley, two of the foremost traditional astrologers alive today. My only criticism of the book is that Brobrick ignored or was not able to talk to two astrologers - both women - who advised rulers in the late 20th century. Joan Quigley advised the Reagans, and Elizabeth Tessier, who had fought for the right to get a PhD in astrology at the Sorbonne (a first), advised both Francois Mitterand and Juan Carlos the King of Spain. Both women are mentioned in passing, but it would have been fascinating to hear more from them on their role as royal astrologers of the present day.

Since I am an avid astrologer, most gratifying was reading many stories of people who have been similarly captivated by this sacred science. One person was so enraptured by astrology that for two years he completely dedicated himself to learning, even taking his meals in study. For those who have experienced even just a spark of a similar yet perhaps less monastic passion, get thee immediately to The Fated Sky.

Bobrick does what most other texts of this nature fail to do: take an even-handed approach to the subject. Too many books dealing with the history of astrology take a dismissive viewpoint, as if current thought and 'science' is all that we really need to know, and astrology is but an amusing antique. Far from it!

This book sets the record straight, to some extent. It's aimed at the general reader, and aquits itself well on this count. Bobrick presents a clear and easy to follow history of the astrological tradition, clearly pointing out some of the notable high (and low) points.

Bobrick is wise to remind readers that what passes for 'astrology' today is a pale imitation of what has gone before. Modern astrology, from about 1900 onwards, is a dumbed-down shadow of the art as was practised for thousands of years beforehand. This book is an excellent overview of those thousands of years, and reminds us of the rich heritage astrology has to offer.

My only quibble is that some astrological knowledge is assumed - some terms are often not clearly explained. I've studied the subject for many years, so was not a problem.

Anyone who's been annoyed -- or unconvinced -- by the simplistic sun-sign predictions and facile characterological generalities that dominate astrological interpretation in our time, should read Bobrick's history. With his usual eye & ear for the telling anecdote, he summons a wealth of fascinating detail, beginning with the science's earliest known history. And -- I don't use the word "science" lightly -- he makes an excellent case for astrology's scientific basis, showing how the accuracy of classical astrological prediction refutes the "astronomy school's" easy dismissal of its sister study of the stars as flummery. Astrology was found nearly everywhere in earlier centuries, including the halls of the Church. Among many interesting stories is his explanation of the three Wise Men of the New Testament, and the fabled star that led them to Bethlehem. While a knowledge of astrological terms is to some extent assumed, the glossary in the back is helpful. An iconoclastic look at an ancient study, which has become so diluted in recent centuries that Bobrick's book makes one long, at least in this arena, for the good old days.

As its subtitle suggests, this is a book about astrology as it evolved and was practiced throughout human history - from very ancient times to the present. It is a history book and not a textbook on astrology. Although the material is presented somewhat unevenly in places, most of the mini-biographies of historical figures and descriptions of historical events are well-written. The prose is clear, although amply peppered with astrological jargon. For those, like me, who are unfamiliar with this jargon, this can be distracting. However, a glossary is provided at the end of the book to help unfamiliar readers who want to understand these passages and explore the subject more in depth. Because of the author's apparent conviction of the soundness and power of traditional astrology and his presentation of many amazingly successful predictions that supposedly occurred throughout history, some readers may become convinced that there's much more to astrology than science would have them believe. Although this book would be of interest to history buffs, I believe that it would be of particular interest to those who, in addition to history, have a passion for astrology and who are thus familiar with astrological terms and techniques.

Whether or not astrology can help to predict events, this book gives many examples of how astrology has been used by people throughout a very long history. Although mention is made of a time when common folk, such as those attending the theater, understood astrological portents as a part of everyday life, the book emphasizes how famous and highly-intelligent people made use of astrology for worldwide matters, as well as for practical, personal application such as the time of death (even though some, given the knowledge, tried and failed to change the event). Choosing to elevate the traditional approach over the modern, psychological method is debatable, but the traditional progression in the book from Hitler to Bush is quite chilling. Well worth the read.

There are a number of reasons why The Fated Sky is an exciting and provocative book. First by clearly describing the origins, developments, and mathematical rigor of classical astrology (not to be confused with newspaper horoscopes), it demonstrates how thoroughly our language and culture have been--and still are--pervaded by its concepts. It also presents in concise and often dramatic detail a gallery of the brilliant, and frequently eccentric, personalities who embodied astrological practice for more than two thousand years. And not least important, Bobrick
writes with a clarity and verve that carry the reader along despite the inherent difficulties of the subject.

In The Fated Sky, Benson Bobrick takes us on an informative and captivating voyage through the development and application of the science and art of astrology in the Western world. As someone who knows astrology only through the horoscope section of daily newspapers and the likes of Linda Goodman's sun-sign psychology, I was fascinated by Bobrick's descriptions of a different kind of astrology, its relationship to the development of Western intellectual traditions, and the role it played in major historical events. Even if you are a neophyte like me, you'll find much to enjoy and challenge your intellect in this riveting narrative.

Even one as convinced as I of the validity of astrology can turn cynical in the light of the sad state of the art these days. Oh there are good astrologers, but then there are also the legions of bad ones who want to poison the craft with their new-age theory du jour, psychobable, etc. When I first moved to my present location, I made an appointment with an astrologer and upon arrival at the session discovered that she had cast the chart for the wrong time of birth. Did she apologize and reschedule the appointment? No! She explained that "everything happens for a reason" and proceeded with the interpretation. Ok, ok, such is a particularly egregious example.

In "The Fated Sky" we are reminded that such poseurs have always blemished the astrological profession; however, in bolder relief is the fact that astrology has been practiced and/or advocated by many of the paramount intellectual figures in Western History: Plato, Ptolemy, Kepler, Goethe, Brahe, Ficino, etc. Even one of the father sof the Englightenment, John Locke, had some sympathies for the practice. In fact, to coin a term, as regards astrology, we "stand on the shoulders of giants".

Present-day astrologers would do well to review the works of the "giant" astrologers of antiquity and the Renaissance. Certainly astrology needn't remain static. I am not recommending a "fundamentalist" version of astrology. However, this history makes obvious that the competency of most contemporary astrologers pales in comparison with those of their Medieval predecessors.

We are also reminded of our debt to the Medieval Muslim/Arabic world (centered in Bagdad, Iraq) for preserving and progressing NOT ONLY astrology but also many other fruits of classical antiquity - such as Aristotle's works- that had been lost during the european Dark Ages.

The author claims that this survey of Western Astrology does not attempt to prove or disprove, however, one gets the feeling from the reading of this book that the historian Bobrick, faced with the evidence offered up by so many intellectual luminaries, feels partial in favor of astrology. If you are knowledgeable of astrology, "The Fated Sky" will provide you with an exciting overview and raise the question of traditional vs modern astrology. The book may be interesting to those new to astrology, however, as others have pointed out, neophytes may get booged down by the sections that use specialized terminology.

There appear to be so many sins of omission in this book that it seems impossible to enumerate them all. The bias of the author toward the astrological tradition of the Latin West and his uncritical acceptance of predictive claims make this book a better literature survey than a historical study. It neither thoroughly examines nor critically engages the formalism of astrology but offers one apologetic after another. If astrology is indeed as rigorous a discipline as the author asserts, one ought not be afraid to question its underlying assumptions rather than extoll its unverified capabilities.

Correct predictions cannot be empirically evaluated unless one also takes incorrect predictions into account. Bobrick writes that the astrologer Robert Zoller saw the attack of September 11 coming "almost as clear as day." But this is far from the case: Zoller pointed to a possible attack on the U.S., perhaps the East Coast, within a six-month timeframe. He also predicted a Sino/Islamic alliance, increased tension in no less than 17 countries, and "big changes in the leadership" of Bush and his advisors in November 2003. Nor did he mention the exact nature of the attack, what would be attacked, how it would be attacked, or precisely when it would happen.

Even William Lilly failed to foresee the death of the Swedish King (from whom he had once received a gold chain and medal) or the deposition of Richard Cromwell, for whom he had predicted the establishment of a strong government upon the death of his father Oliver. Almost all of the astrologers profiled in this book had their share of howlers.

As an astrologer myself, I had hoped for less positioning and more engagement. Bobrick, who is a student of the astrologer John Frawley, could have been more cautious and less credulous.