Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice
Rubedo Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice:
A Manual of Traditional Techniques
by Demetra George
(in two volumes)
Zodiacal ceiling in the pronaos of the chapel of Osiris in the Temple of Hathor, Dendera, Egypt (50 BCE).
DEVELOPED UNDER THE SHADOWS of the Egyptian temples, Hellenistic astrology is an ancient form of divination inherited from Mesopotamian wisdom traditions. Distilled in Græco-Roman antiquity, and refined in the fires of philosophy and astronomy, it forms the bedrock of traditional western astrology (while also bearing profound similarities to Jyotish or Vedic astrology). Drawing on a body of Greek texts that have remained largely untranslated for almost two-thousand years, Demetra George brings the contemporary practice of astrology back to its ancient roots. Scholar, translator, and practitioner, her work reveals the potent cosmological veins that bear the lifeblood of traditional astrology.
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice is, in essence, a training manual for the study and practice of Hellenistic astrology. In two volumes, it provides the complete foundations and detailed dynamics of ancient chart-reading techniques. Each volume and each technique is richly illustrated with diagrams, example charts, and practical exercises.
Volume 1: Assessing Planetary Condition
IN ANCIENT COSMOLOGY, the planetary divinities symbolised the hierarchy of forces that shape our lives in the sublunary world. Not all planets are created equal in a given nativity, however, and so the first step of the practicing astrologer is to assess the condition of each planet in a chart in order to determine its effectiveness (or lack thereof) in the native’s life. To this end, this volume provides a series of rigorous methods for evaluating the condition of each planet in a birth chart through the lenses of classification (sect, gender, benefic/malefic), signs and rulerships (residences, reception, exaltation, trigons, bounds), the solar phase cycle (speed, direction, visibility, phase, phasis), lunar considerations (course, phases, bonding, nodes, bending, eclipses, prenatal lunation), and aspects (configurations, witnessing, testimony, bonification, maltreatment, adherence, overcoming, rays). Finally, it brings all of these factors together in a powerful synthesis that unlocks the layers of a chart with unrivaled precision.
Volume 2: Delineating Planetary Meaning
IF THE PLANETS are the essential forces ruling life in the sublunary world, the houses are the principles that bring them down to earth and ground them in our everyday reality. Volume two begins by exploring the ancient house system—the twelve topics or places of life—in order to provide a synthesis of planet-based and house-based approaches to distilling meaning from a chart. It then explores the different systems for delineating the rulers and lords of the nativity as a whole. Like the helmsman’s rudder that steers the vessel through the waters of existence, the masters and lords of the nativity provide the overarching principles that guide the native’s path through life.
Pre-Orders
VOLUME ONE is presently being finalised for an anticipated August release, and is now available for pre-order. Please note that the price of the volume and/or shipping may increase slightly upon publication, but all pre-orders will be honoured at the current rate, so now is the best time to secure your copy at this price.
NZD $72.00 (New Zealand Dollars).
Approximate price in other currencies:
GBP £37.00 | EU €42.00 | USD $49.00 (paperback)
VOLUME TWO is scheduled to appear by the end of 2018. Please join our mailing list or follow our social media to stay in the loop. Read more—including the full table of contents—here.