MANY of my readers may think I have devoted too much space in these pages in answering the opponents of Astrology, instead of giving all my attention to the teaching and illustration of the science, but as the opponents are in a great najority in all Christian countries their influence is too important to be slighted. Some years ago, when the Legislature of a Western State enacted a law to suppress Astrology, the Philadelphia "Ledger," in an editorial stated that the Legislatures would not need to enact such laws if they would teach the people to read and write; therefore the only reason that I am an Astrologer is because I can neither read nor write. If some kind missionary, instead of going to teach the heathen in China or in the wilds of Africa to read and write, would devote some of his energy in teaching me, he would forever stop me from prating about Astrology; besides, it might be the means of saving my soul. At the age of eighteen it was my misfortune to lose my father, and I shall never forget how the minister of the Episcopal Church which we attended, devoted a whole afternoon, while my father lay dead in the house, in arguing and trying to persuade my eldest brother to give up the belief and practise of Astrology. There is little doubt that the minister, in his mind's eye, saw my father's soul writhing in all the agonies of the damned, and felt it to be his duty to save my brother, if possible, from such torments. The same minister, when talking to me afterwards, praised the beautiful language in the forms of prayer in his church prayer book, and said that "we not only ought all to pray alike, and use the same set forms of prayer, but we ought all to think alike on all religious subjects." In trying to compel every one to think and pray alike, the authorities have tried, convicted, and executed in Europe, within the last four hundred years, over eleven million heretics and witches, including Astrologers, and they have not yet succeeded in accomplishing their object. If we estimate the amount of money, time, and energy that it has cost the people of those countries in hunting up, arresting, trying, convicting, and executing these people, even if they had succeeded in their object, would they not have paid too dearly for their whistle? And if the governments and priests had spent the same amount of time, money, and labor in teaching the people useful knowledge, including Astrology, how much further would the world now be advanced in civilization and human happiness? Even if the priests and clergy had succeeded in compelling every person to think and believe alike in religious matters, I should like to know how much better we would be. Should we not, in that case, be taking rapid strides backward to the dark ages, and to the hanging and burning of witches and heretics? Would not human intellect be shrouded in ignorance, superstition and bigotry? A large number of these heretics and witches, including Joan of Arc, have been placed on the calendar of saints, and the people have built monuments to their memory; but in all history I have never met with a single instance where the judges and persecutors of these witches and heretics have been thus honored and immortalized. From our standpoint the question natturally arises, who were the guilty parties those who were executed, or the persecutors and executioners? My father had many friends on account of his Astrological knowledge, and they often came to him for advice, but he did not take money for it; he also taught a number of persons the science, among them the late Frof. Lister, formerly of Boston, afterwards of New York. My father was a man of extensive information, and to my young mind seemed to be a walking encyclopædia. I do not remember asking him a question on any subject whatever to which he could not give me a lucid and proper answer; but he always had one saying when he got through, which I now repeat: "I am getting old, my memory is failing me; do not take my word for it, but read and study for yourself." TO THE STUDENT. Besides writing this book for the student's perusal and guidance, I may possibly be of some assistance in advising him as to other books on the subject which will be of advantage to him while studying, in order to become proficient in Astrology and be able to judge of the merits or demerits of the science for himself. One of the best books the student should read, and which is most essential, is Claudius Ptolemy's "Tetrabiblos," or four books of Astrology. It is to the Astrologer what the Bible is to the Christian theologian, or the text-book that all students ought to study in order to become well versed in the science. This work is over 2,000 years old, and it is said that Claudius Ptolemy gathered and compiled all that was then known on the ancient science of Astrology. Astrologers of Europe and North America have generally followed Ptolemy's system. We have a number of translations of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos from the ancient Greek, but Ashmond's translation is recommended as the best for English students. His translation is an exceedingly interesting book. My first reading of this work gave me more pleasure than any novel I have read since. The translation by Mr. Walley is a very good book, but is much smaller than Ashmond's and not so interesting. Cooper's translation is also good, but is somewhat complicated and difficult to understand. Mr. James Wilson, who wrote and published the "Dictionary of Astrology," made a very good translation, but I did not find it as interesting as others. Mr. John Worsdale made a splendid translation, but he appears too dogmatical and positive in many of his assertions; in his translation he often uses the expression, "in all cases whatsoever;" but the student will find when practising Astrology, that he will have to take into account a number of planetary influences in order to arrive at a true conclusion, and it is best not to be too positive in his judgment of the influence of any one particular planet. Worsdale's translation has never been printed, and those who have the book either had to copy it by hand, as I have done, or else buy it at a very high price, as it is extremely scarce. Sibley's translation is very large, published in three volumes, and goes into many particulars, but he is often unscientific or visionary. I look upon it as the least satisfactory translation of Ptolemy of any that I have read. There are other translations of Ptolemy which I have seen, but the authors' names have slipped my memory. ། From the time of Claudius Ptolemy until near the twelfth century, a period of over a thousand years, there appears to have been no progress made in the science of Astrology in western and northern Europe. After Rome conquered England and nearly the whole of northern Europe, about the commencement of the Christian era, Astrology, Astronomy, and nearly all the arts and sciences disappeared in Europe, excepting such as church and monastery architecture, sculpture, painting, working of precious metals to be used in religious rites, etc. The people were shrouded in mental darkness; ignorance and superstition spread everywhere in these countries, and history gives us a period of a thousand years of what are called the "dark ages. The people in those times gave but little attention to anything but relics and saints and the most groveling superstition; all kinds of learning, except such as appertain to religious rites, were extinct, and for hundreds of years there were numbers of priests and bishops who could neither read nor write. In every country where the Christian religion spread, the minds of men became stunted, and the people became effeminate and vassals to the priests and the lords of the manor. According to common opinion, that ought to have been the Elizabethian Age for Astrology; but Astrology, like all other sciences and arts, disappeared from these Christian people in the northern parts of Europe, and in England, Scotland and Ireland. While the people in the above named countries were either going naked or dressed in wolves' or bears' skins, the unChristian Moors in Barbary and Spain, and in other parts of Europe and Africa, were making rapid advances in refinement and culture, such as architecture, astrology, astronomy, anatomy, medicine, agriculture, and other arts and sciences, but more especially in the sciences of astronomy and astrology. Generally speaking, whenever and wherever civilization. has advanced in either pagan or Christian countries the science of Astrology has always become popular. During the time that Rome was at the height of its glory, and was said to be the mistress of the world, we are told by the Rev. Thomas Dick that the Romans were so infatuated with Astrology and Astrologers that the Emperors issued edicts to expel them from the capital, but without effect; and even after they were expelled by a formal decree of the Senate, they were so protected by the people that they still remained. in Rome unmolested. The same author tells us that this art has been practised in every period of time, and in every country in the world it is still practised; And in ancient times Astrology was uniformly included in the list of sciences." |