Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination Paperback – August 5, 2005

This is an extremely important book, one which explores territory which, as Cornelius points out many times, has not been explored before! How strange it is to think that as long as astrology has been with us, and since Ptolemy in any case, we have not seen a major work which places the practice of astrology where it belongs -- in the realm of divination, rather than in science. Seen in this light, Cornelius performs a work which is long overdue and so badly needed, particularly since in modern times the fingers of "scientism" (the tendency to believe that science alone constitutes the most authoritative worldview, and is the only reliable source of human knowledge) have polluted astrology and many other parts of life. Examples of this over-reach of science are given in this book, in the statistical studies that have been done on astrology. Cornelius finds it telling, and I do as well, that statistics can never "prove" anything about astrology, because you cannot apply science and statistics to evaluate an Art which, though it has its methods and rules, is not based in science, involves unique cases, and involves a participatory or relational work with symbols, which is about particulars rather than universals, and has an always mysterious or elusive aspect.As a student of astrology, this book comes into my hands at a very auspicious time, just when I have found myself struggling with the different methods of astrology and have sought to find a perspective from which to understand how all the pieces of this Art go together. It makes me very happy to see astrology validated as the divinatory art that it is, since I am by nature drawn to the divinatory and magical Arts. When we can practice astrology as divination, rather than as science, it affords greater respect to each of us, because, as Cornelius points out, astrology as divination is oriented towards and dependent upon the soul qualities of the practitioner. This was stated by Marsilo Ficino 5 centuries ago: "Through whatever art future things are investigated, they are foretold more completely out of a certain gift of the soul, than through judgement. Here often those unlearned in the art judge more truthfully than those who are learned...you find the truthfulness of judgement not so much through scrutiny of the stars, as by a certain foreknowledge innate to you...preceding all human faculties of reasoning, the gods implanted in the soul an experiential faculty of knowing...a certain 'touch of divinity'." (pg 324).SOme may call this "touch of divinity", intuition. I think a secondary value in making this strong case that astrology is based in divination, is that our culture and Western Society as a whole badly needs more valuing of intuition, divination, and all such mysterious non-rational processes. Scientism has been destroying the world for the last 2 centuries, flattening everything, figuratively killing so things off through reductionism, murdering mysteries by forcing science onto them, and it's time to turn the tide, and value more feminine ways of knowing. A balance of intuition with reason is needed, and to the extent that astrology allows for this (more so perhaps than any other divinatory method) it could truly be viewed as an alchemical process and an alchemical spiritual path, which is something that Cornelius suggests at the end of his book, though he doesn't actually use the term "alchemy."For those who fear that returning astrology to its rightful home in divination, will result in a puddle of formless mud and fluffiness, Cornelius will suggest to you that this fear is groundless: "It is important to note that poetic and protean though the symbolism is, our astrology is not to be reduced to a matter of hunches and intuitions. Part of its work is a rational inference from conventional significations given by the tradition of astrology, and capable of quite exact craft discrimination."The complexity of this alchemical Art, and the mystery of how to balance rational inference with "divine knowledge" is aptly suggested by Master Astrologer William Lilly, in his book Christian Astrology published in 1647: (pg 405)"for according to the nature of the question, you must ever vary the nature of your rules; by exact knowledge whereof, you may attain the perfection of the whole Art."What Cornelius suggests is that this perfection spoken of, is not just that of judging the chart! There is also a Philosopher's Stone, or Holy Grail, hidden within this alchemical journey of astrology!

This book is a work of genius, whether or not you believe or completely disbelieve astrology. I personally don't believe in it(yet). In fact, as a serious amateur astronomer, I know a lot about the stars, and have long focused on the science of stellar evolution and cosmology. But that has never eliminated a fascination with the historical richness of the ideas and symbolism of astrology, and I have always had a fondness for the period when astronomers and astrologers were one--literally, as in Kepler and Brahe. In fact, I have always felt that Science was just one way of looking at the world--a good way, but not the only way, and just a full of its own biases as any other perspective. In this book, Cornelius combines what is clearly a profoundly learned and creative grasp of astrology's history with a fluid literary skill that makes complex ideas and comparisons read like poetry. Never content with superficial analysis, he delves into what I (as a relative beginner) would call Deep Esoterica, and makes it fun and illuminating; witness for example his explication of the Greek word, katarche, and its evolution through many centuries of use and misuse by astrologers, just one example of thousands in this book of analyses that are always clearly connected to a strong evaluation of past and current astrology. This is his strongest point...whatever topic he choses is always focused on a higher purpose, a larger argument that keeps these complicated issues buzzing along. Any lesser talent would overwhelm the reader with details and drive them to the simplistic trivia of modern astrology. But the clarity and originality of his ideas keeps us motivated and on target. For non-astrologers, don,t let the few horoscope analyses in the early chapters discourage you from reading on; while these are beyond the beginner, most of the major points he makes are understandable by anyone interested in philosophy and culture, and bring a refreshing insight into the underpinnings of this ancient art/religion/science/divination.

For years I and probably most astrologers thought astrology was objective. Through this book I realized a good astrology reading is made up of the astrologer, the client, and astrology concepts. Astrology can not be tested or practiced as the machine of destiny: if you have X in Y you will be such and such.

love book

Geoffrey is in a league of his own and raises the standards of astrology. His respect for his practice is evident. I love this book.

Excellent book. Gave to a fellow astrologer forChristmas

Chi è veramente interessato all’astrologia dovrebbe leggerlo!

Brilliant book. Thought provoking and essential reading for anyone seriously interested in astrology.

Love it, great read.

This is a wonderful book I was thinking of buying for a long time....and it was delivered intact.

ジェフリー・コーネリアスGeoffrey Corneliusといえば、私達日本人からすれば、まず、かの地の、多くの占星家と、親交を有する、鏡リュウジ氏と昵懇の先達である、との認識を有する方は、多いだろう。 読後感としては、まず、「占星術の瞬間」というフレーズで、私達占星術の学徒が、思い起こす事は様々あろうが、おそらく、それらのなかの多くが、"natallya strong Saturn type"（p.165）である、著者一流の仕事ぶりにより、大いに言及がなされ、結果、重厚な（→土星）一冊として仕上がった、といった処。 15世紀時点で、'Fate'Astrologerではなく、'Free Will'Astrologerであったという、マルシリオ・フィチーノにフォーカスがなされる1.「占星術を厳しく罰する」から、ホラリーにおける「瞬間」を論じた6.「ホラリーの質問」−それはのちの、開始を表すカタルケKatarcheや、インセプションInceptionにかんする文章に寄与する−、「占星術師は、イヴェントが起きた後になって、なんだかんだ云う」という指摘にたいする返答から、計算を誤って立てたチャートが、結果的に、功を奏する事があるのはなぜか、…ともかく、一人でも多くの方に、通読頂く事を、レヴュアーは願う次第である。 じつに多くの占星術家の文章・論説が引用されている点も、本書の際立っている要素であるが、わが日本を代表し、上記鏡氏の論が引用されている事も、明記しておく。 裏表紙には短い、本書レヴュー文等とそして、ロバート・ハンドRobertHandに拠る、最大の賛辞・推薦文がある。