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| {{Short description|Branch of astrology dealing with politics, government, and law}} | |||
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| ], ''Harmonia macrocosmica'', plate 15, 1661]] | |||
| {{Article for deletion/dated|page=Mundane astrology|timestamp=20120326214258|year=2012|month=March|day=26|substed=yes|help=off}} | |||
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| '''Mundane astrology''' is the application of ] to world affairs and world events, taking its name from the ] word ''mundus'', meaning ''"the ]"''. Mundane astrology is widely believed by ] to be the most ] branch of astrology.<ref>{{cite book|title=From the Omens of Babylon: Astrology and Ancient Mesopotamia|author=Michael Baigent|publisher=Arkana|year=1994}}</ref> Astrological practices of divination and planetary interpretation have been used for millennia to answer political questions. It was, however, only with the gradual emergence of ] from the sixth century B.C. that astrology developed into two distinct branches, mundane astrology and natal astrology.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mundane astrology|author=Michael Baigent, Nicholas Campion and Charles Harvey|publisher=Thorsons|year=1984}}</ref>. | |||
| '''Mundane astrology''', also known as '''political astrology''', is the branch of ] dealing with ], the ], and the ] governing a particular ], ], or ]. The name derives name from the ] term {{Lang|la|mundus}}, 'world'. | |||
| Mundane astrology deals with the study of events at a national level which are significant enough to affect the harmony, hopes, expectations and material conditions of the citizens. Often there is a considerable focus on the ], ] or ] of a particular ], ], ] or ]. The most prevalent approach to the study of mundane astrology is by focusing on the horoscope representing the birth of a collective entity. It is held that certain countries have ] (or ]s) just like a person is said to in astrology. For example, the modern state of India is widely considered to have come into being at midnight on August 15, 1947, when its independence was attained from Britain. This time gives rise to a national horoscope for this country, which can be analyzed in terms of the natal potential and the impacts of ] planets in the horoscope at any given time. The other approach is the ancient practice of predicting mundane events based on the study of ] phenomena, such as the movement of celestial bodies through signs in the ], aspects between planets or astronomical cycles. This approach makes no reference to a national horoscope.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} | |||
| Certain countries have ] (or ]s) just like a person is said to in astrology; for example, the chart for the United States is widely thought to be sometime during the day of ], ], for this is the exact day that the ] was signed and made fully official, thus causing the "birth" of the United States as a nation. Indeed, ] is a major national ] in America and unequivocally thought of as the "]" of the entire nation. | |||
| Contemporary science considers astrology a pseudoscience.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Real Romance in the Stars |author=Richard Dawkins |publisher=The Independent, December 1995 |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/the-real-romance-in-the-stars-1527970.html |location=London |date=31 December 1995}}. See also {{cite web|title=Astronomical Pseudo-Science: A Skeptic's Resource List |publisher=Astronomical Society of the Pacific |url=http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/pseudobib.html}}</ref> It has also been suggested that much of the continued faith in astrology could be ] explained as a matter of ].<ref name="Eysenck">] pp.42-48.</ref> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| Astrology has repeatedly failed to demonstrate its effectiveness in ], according to the American Humanist Society. The group characterised those who continue to have faith in astrology as doing so "in spite of the fact that there is no verified scientific basis for their beliefs, and indeed that there is strong evidence to the contrary."<ref>Bart Bok, Paul Kurtz and Lawrence Jerome, "Objections to Astrology: A Statement by 186 Leading Scientists" in ''The Humanist'' September/October, 1975.</ref> One well-documented and referenced paper, for instance, which conducted a large scale scientific test, involving more than one hundred ], ], ] and other variables, found no support for astrological accuracy.<ref></ref> | |||
| Mundane astrology is widely believed by astrological historians to be the most ancient branch of ].{{sfnp|Baigent|1994|p={{page needed|date=November 2022}}}} Early Babylonian astrology was exclusively concerned with mundane astrology, being geographically oriented, specifically applied to countries cities and nations, and almost wholly concerned with the welfare of the state and the king as the governing head of the nation.{{sfnp|Koch-Westenholz|1995|p=19}} Astrological practices of divination and planetary interpretation have been used for millennia to answer political questions, but only with the gradual emergence of ], from the sixth century BC, did astrology develop into the two distinct branches of mundane astrology and ].{{sfnp|Baigent|Campion|Harvey|1984|p={{page needed|date=November 2022}}}}{{sfnp|Broecke|2003|pp=}} | |||
| ==Techniques and principles== | |||
| Astrology has been criticized for failing to provide a ] that links the movements of celestial bodies to their purported effects on human behavior. In 1975, amid increasing popular interest in astrology, ''The Humanist'' magazine presented a rebuttal of astrology in a statement put together by ], Lawrence E. Jerome, and ].<ref name="humanist1">, volume 35, no.5 (September/October 1975); pp. 4-6. The statement is reproduced in 'The Strange Case of Astrology' by Paul Feyerabend, published in ] .</ref> The statement, entitled ‘Objections to Astrology’, was signed by 186 astronomers, physicists and leading scientists of the day. They said that there is no scientific foundation for the tenets of astrology and warned the public against accepting astrological advice without question. Their criticism focused on the fact that there was no mechanism whereby astrological effects might occur: | |||
| Astrologically, the affairs of a nation are judged from the horoscope set up at the time of its official inauguration or the birth chart of its leader, or various phenomena such as ], ], ]s, planetary stations, ] and ].{{sfnp|Raphael|1996|pp=15-17}} | |||
| {{quote|We can see how infinitesimally small are the gravitational and other effects produced by the distant planets and the far more distant stars. It is simply a mistake to imagine that the forces exerted by stars and planets at the moment of birth can in any way shape our futures.<ref name="humanist2">{{cite web|title=Objections to Astrology: A Statement by 186 Leading Scientists |publisher=The Humanist, September/October 1975 |url=http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/astrology.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090318140638/http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/astrology.html|archivedate=2009-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Philosophy of Science and the Occult|chapter=Objections to Astrology: A Statement by 186 Leading Scientists|year=1982|publisher=State University of New York Press|location=Albany|isbn=0-87395-572-2|pages=14–18|author=Bok, Bart J.|coauthors=Lawrence E. Jerome, Paul Kurtz|editor=Patrick Grim}}</ref>}} | |||
| The techniques of the subject were discussed in detail in the 2nd century work of the ]n ] ], who outlined its principles in the second book of his ]. Ptolemy set this topic before his discussion of individual birth charts because he argued that the astrological assessment of any 'particular' individual must rest upon prior knowledge of the 'general' temperament of their ethnic type; and that the circumstances of individual lives are subsumed, to some extent, within the fate of their community.{{efn|{{harvp|Ptolemy|1940|loc=II, 2: p. }}: "And since weaker natures always yield to the stronger, and the particular always falls under the general, it would by all means be necessary for those who purpose an inquiry about a single individual long before to have comprehended the more general considerations".}} The third chapter of his work offers an association between planets, zodiac signs and the national characteristics of 73 nations. It concludes with three assertions which act as core principles of mundane astrology: | |||
| # Each of the fixed stars has familiarity with the countries attributed to the sign of its ecliptic rising. | |||
| # The time of the first founding of a city (or nation) can be used in a similar way to an individual ], to astrologically establish the characteristics and experiences of that city. The most significant considerations are the regions of the zodiac which mark the place of the Sun and Moon, and the ] – in particular the ]. | |||
| # If the time of the foundation of the city or nation is not known, a similar use can be made of the horoscope of whoever holds office or is king at the time, with particular attention given to the ] of that chart.{{sfnp|Ptolemy|1940|loc=II, 3: p. }} | |||
| ==Practice== | |||
| The first English astrologer for whom we have evidence of astrological practice is Richard Trewythian,{{sfnp|Page|2001|p=193}} whose notebook is largely concerned with mundane astrology. He constructed horoscopes for the Sun's ingress into Aries over thirty years, and recorded general predictions for twelve of those years between 1430 and 1458.{{sfnp|Page|2001|p=201}} His notebooks demonstrate how he recorded the logic for his conclusions: | |||
| {{blockquote|Pregnant women and boys will incur harm and severe dangers. This conclusion is drawn from the trine aspect between Saturn and Venus on the day of the ingress. {{Clear}} | |||
| Concerning the wars of this year: they will be caused by the aspect of opposition of two heavy planets, which will occur on 27 March. And the time of the beginning of the war will be on the first day of May. This conclusion is drawn by the application of the greater luminary to Saturn. Merchants will be well disposed this year.{{sfnp|Page|2001|p=202}} | |||
| }} | |||
| He also made several predictions concerning the king (Henry VI), such as one he made in 1433 where he noted: "it seems that the king will be sick this year because Saturn is lord of the tenth house".{{sfnp|Page|2001|p=202}} | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{notelist}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| ⚫ | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
| <div class="references-small> | |||
| ⚫ | {{Reflist}} |
||
| ===Works cited=== | |||
| *{{cite book |title=Mundane Astrology |first1=Michael |last1=Baigent |author1-link=Michael Baigent |first2=Nicholas |last2=Campion |author2-link=Nicholas Campion |first3=Charles |last3=Harvey |publisher=Aquarian Press |year=1984 |isbn=978-0850303025}} | |||
| *{{cite book |title=From the Omens of Babylon: Astrology and Ancient Mesopotamia |first=Michael |last=Baigent |publisher=Arkana |year=1994 |isbn=978-0140194807}} | |||
| *{{cite book |first=Steven Vanden |last=Broecke |title=The limits of influence: Pico, Louvain, and the crisis of Renaissance astrology |year=2003 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-13169-9}} | |||
| *{{cite book |last=Koch-Westenholz |first=Ulla |year=1995 |title=Mesopotamian Astrology:An Introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian Celestial Divination |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |isbn=978-8772892870}} | |||
| *{{cite journal |first=Sophie |last=Page |title=Richard Trewythian and the Uses of Astrology in Late Medieval England |journal=Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes |volume=64 |year=2001 |pages=193–228 |publisher=The Warburg Institute |doi=10.2307/751562 |jstor=751562|s2cid=160610768 }} | |||
| *{{cite book |last=Ptolemy |first=Claudius |author-link=Ptolemy |title=Tetrabiblos |series=Loeb Classical Library |translator=Frank Egleston Robbins |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1940 |url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ptolemy/Tetrabiblos/2A*.html |access-date=2022-11-20}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Raphael |author-link=Robert Cross Smith |year=1996 |orig-year=1897 |title=Raphael's Mundane Astrology Or the Effects of the Planets and Signs Upon the Nations and Countries of the World |publisher=Sun Publishing Company}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| * hosted by (accessed 1 July 2012). The complete fourth book of William Ramesey's ''Astrologiae Restaurata'', 'Astrology Restored' (London, 1653), edited and annotated by Steven Birchfield (1.43MB). The Fourth book is entitled ''Astrologia Munda'', 'Mundane Astrology' - said by Birchfield to be the closest thing we have to an accessible textbook on traditional mundane astrology. | |||
| * Nicholas Campion, ''The Book of World Horoscopes'', The Aquarian Press, London, 1988 | |||
| * Stan Barker, ''The Signs of The Times - The Neptune Factor: America's Future and Past as Seen Through Planetary Cycles'', Llewellyn Publications, St Paul, MN USA 1986 | |||
| * E. Alan Meece, ''Horoscope for the New Millennium'', Llewellyn Publications, St Paul MN USA 1997 | |||
| * Dhruva, ''Astrological analysis of Indian Affairs (1947–2050)'', New Delhi: Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd., 2008 (ISBN 9788189973025) | |||
| * "America is Born: Introducing the Regulus USA National Horoscope", Regulus Astrology LLC, Princeton, NJ, 2008. (ISBN 9780980185621) | |||
| * Richard Tarnas, ''Cosmos and Psyche'', Intimations of a New World View, New York, 2006 (ISBN 9780670032921) | |||
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Latest revision as of 00:35, 28 September 2024
Branch of astrology dealing with politics, government, and law
Mundane astrology, also known as political astrology, is the branch of astrology dealing with politics, the government, and the laws governing a particular nation, state, or city. The name derives name from the Latin term mundus, 'world'.
Certain countries have astrological charts (or horoscopes) just like a person is said to in astrology; for example, the chart for the United States is widely thought to be sometime during the day of July 4, 1776, for this is the exact day that the Declaration of Independence was signed and made fully official, thus causing the "birth" of the United States as a nation. Indeed, July 4 is a major national holiday in America and unequivocally thought of as the "birthday" of the entire nation.
History
Mundane astrology is widely believed by astrological historians to be the most ancient branch of astrology. Early Babylonian astrology was exclusively concerned with mundane astrology, being geographically oriented, specifically applied to countries cities and nations, and almost wholly concerned with the welfare of the state and the king as the governing head of the nation. Astrological practices of divination and planetary interpretation have been used for millennia to answer political questions, but only with the gradual emergence of horoscopic astrology, from the sixth century BC, did astrology develop into the two distinct branches of mundane astrology and natal astrology.
Techniques and principles
Astrologically, the affairs of a nation are judged from the horoscope set up at the time of its official inauguration or the birth chart of its leader, or various phenomena such as eclipses, lunations, great conjunctions, planetary stations, comets and ingresses.
The techniques of the subject were discussed in detail in the 2nd century work of the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy, who outlined its principles in the second book of his Tetrabiblos. Ptolemy set this topic before his discussion of individual birth charts because he argued that the astrological assessment of any 'particular' individual must rest upon prior knowledge of the 'general' temperament of their ethnic type; and that the circumstances of individual lives are subsumed, to some extent, within the fate of their community. The third chapter of his work offers an association between planets, zodiac signs and the national characteristics of 73 nations. It concludes with three assertions which act as core principles of mundane astrology:
- Each of the fixed stars has familiarity with the countries attributed to the sign of its ecliptic rising.
- The time of the first founding of a city (or nation) can be used in a similar way to an individual horoscope, to astrologically establish the characteristics and experiences of that city. The most significant considerations are the regions of the zodiac which mark the place of the Sun and Moon, and the four angles of the chart – in particular the ascendant.
- If the time of the foundation of the city or nation is not known, a similar use can be made of the horoscope of whoever holds office or is king at the time, with particular attention given to the midheaven of that chart.
Practice
The first English astrologer for whom we have evidence of astrological practice is Richard Trewythian, whose notebook is largely concerned with mundane astrology. He constructed horoscopes for the Sun's ingress into Aries over thirty years, and recorded general predictions for twelve of those years between 1430 and 1458. His notebooks demonstrate how he recorded the logic for his conclusions:
Pregnant women and boys will incur harm and severe dangers. This conclusion is drawn from the trine aspect between Saturn and Venus on the day of the ingress.
Concerning the wars of this year: they will be caused by the aspect of opposition of two heavy planets, which will occur on 27 March. And the time of the beginning of the war will be on the first day of May. This conclusion is drawn by the application of the greater luminary to Saturn. Merchants will be well disposed this year.
He also made several predictions concerning the king (Henry VI), such as one he made in 1433 where he noted: "it seems that the king will be sick this year because Saturn is lord of the tenth house".
Notes
- Ptolemy (1940), II, 2: p. 119: "And since weaker natures always yield to the stronger, and the particular always falls under the general, it would by all means be necessary for those who purpose an inquiry about a single individual long before to have comprehended the more general considerations".
References
- Baigent (1994), p. .
- Koch-Westenholz (1995), p. 19.
- Baigent, Campion & Harvey (1984), p. .
- Broecke (2003), pp. 185 ff.
- Raphael (1996), pp. 15–17.
- Ptolemy (1940), II, 3: p. pp.157–161.
- Page (2001), p. 193.
- Page (2001), p. 201.
- ^ Page (2001), p. 202.
Works cited
- Baigent, Michael; Campion, Nicholas; Harvey, Charles (1984). Mundane Astrology. Aquarian Press. ISBN 978-0850303025.
- Baigent, Michael (1994). From the Omens of Babylon: Astrology and Ancient Mesopotamia. Arkana. ISBN 978-0140194807.
- Broecke, Steven Vanden (2003). The limits of influence: Pico, Louvain, and the crisis of Renaissance astrology. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-13169-9.
- Koch-Westenholz, Ulla (1995). Mesopotamian Astrology:An Introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian Celestial Divination. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 978-8772892870.
- Page, Sophie (2001). "Richard Trewythian and the Uses of Astrology in Late Medieval England". Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. 64. The Warburg Institute: 193–228. doi:10.2307/751562. JSTOR 751562. S2CID 160610768.
- Ptolemy, Claudius (1940). Tetrabiblos. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Frank Egleston Robbins. Harvard University Press. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
- Raphael (1996) . Raphael's Mundane Astrology Or the Effects of the Planets and Signs Upon the Nations and Countries of the World. Sun Publishing Company.
External links
- 17th Century study in the Ancient Art of Mundane Astrology hosted by Skyscript (accessed 1 July 2012). The complete fourth book of William Ramesey's Astrologiae Restaurata, 'Astrology Restored' (London, 1653), edited and annotated by Steven Birchfield (1.43MB). The Fourth book is entitled Astrologia Munda, 'Mundane Astrology' - said by Birchfield to be the closest thing we have to an accessible textbook on traditional mundane astrology.
