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The Planets Within: The Astrological Psychology of Marsilio Ficino (Studies in Imagination Series)

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Marsilio Ficino was an astrologer and mystic - one of the precious few produced in the western sphere. It therefore seems somewhat strange that Thomas More seems so deeply uncomfortable with this singular fact and, at every turn, attempts some alchemy of his own in an attempt to cram all of Ficino's depth into the little box of analytical psychology (which remains an admirable field, nonetheless). Psychological insight can be of incalculable value in making mystical and esoteric treatises of the past more comprehensible to the modern reader but these are things which speak to man's heart and guts and soul... not just his psyche and I assert that by contorting Ficino into the proto-psychologist of the renaissance you end up disavowing the greater part of his genius - a tragedy. If you are uncomfortable with the reality of astrology, Mr Moore, I suggest you leave the astrologers in peace.

An excellent book! Glad I finally found it. My background in theology, philosophy, Neoplatonism and astrology prepared me to appreciate this book, in which these ancient traditions coalesce. I have read other books by Thomas Moore, but never came across this one before. The time was right!

As the first Depth Psychologist, Ficino really did it up. Read this book and learn about it. Then with this wisdom in your back pocket you can go to cocktail parties and no one will want to hear about it. But you will know that it doesn't matter anyway because one day you will meet someone who does and you will be able to both look each other in the eyes and say... "We're crazy." And it will be great.

It is nothing short of miraculous to "discover" that the last frontier is not outer space after all, but Inner Space ("the things which are seen are but a mirror of the things not seen")...if you are questing for this reality, you might find it helpful to read St. Teresa's book THE INTERIOR CASTLE.