What
is Traditional astrology?
Answer: Traditional astrology is the astrology of
the foremost English astrologer William Lilly (1602 - 1681).
He wrote several important works, the most important
of which was Christian Astrology (London, 1647).
In the 1980s the name "Traditional" was used to distinguish it from other more modern astrological
systems which had come to predominate over the last half-century
or so before.
How
does Traditional Astrology differ from Modern Astrology?
Answer: Modern astrology is also known as psychological
astrology. As its name suggests, it is largely used for
examining the psychological profile of a person within the
confines of Jungian, or a derivative psychology. It uses
a mixture of techniques deriving from the Western astrological
aradition, but its approach and aims are fundamentally different
from that of the Tradition. One fundamental difference is
that modern astrology cannot be used for prediction, while
the one of the central aims of traditional astrology is
to predict.
What
caused Traditional Astrology to fall out of favour?
Answer: After the 17th century, astrology
fell into a decline; the educated classes were no longer
interested in it, and the Enlightenment was ridiculing it.
Judicial astrology (dealing with predictions) particularly
suffered in this way, while natural astrology (dealing with
comets, eclipses, meteorology and so on), held its ground
for a while longer.
Not only was the astrological art lost, but so, too, was
its philosophical basis: "the Hermeticum". Then,
in the mid-19th century, there was a revival.
Unfortunately, this led to many changes in technique and
attitude, but the greatest loss was astrology’s link with
its Hermetic origins. Many of these corruptions are still
to be found in astrology today.
Is
Lilly’s book Christian Astrology based on the Bible?
Answer: No. It was
called Christian Astrology because it was written
at a time when religious and political tensions were high
in England. The name reflects the times it was written in.
He had to be very careful not to be associated with things
that might cause him to be persecuted, because the Church
had such control in the country. By calling his work Christian
Astrology, he was firmly placing it above suspicion.
There is also another element: astrology deals with
the Will of the Divine, and Lilly was making it clear that
that Will was the divine will of a Christian God.
Why
is Christian Astrology so important?
Answer: Christian Astrology was the first
text to put comprehensively into English the astrological
wisdom that stretches back thousands of years. It provides
the last compendium of astrology before it was changed into
modern form.
Christian Astrology is
one of the last pure astrological springs from which we
may imbibe, and it is for this reason that serious students
of astrology are drawn to it. Since Christian Astrology was written, the waters of astrology have become muddied,
which has caused many in the modern world to reject it as
illogical and superstitious.
For these reasons, Christian Astrology is
the primary reference used in the Traditional Horary
Course. This is the only course to rely completely on
this font of astrological wisdom.
How
does your course differ from any other?
Answer: These courses focus almost entirely on the
method taught by William Lilly. "Almost entirely",
because they also refer to authorities predating Lilly.
The Traditional Horary Course teaches that there can be
no progression in astrology until a full understanding of
its tradition is achieved. This does not mean that practitioners
of these methods are stuck in a time-warp. It does mean,
though, that we need to recognise derivation and development,
and try to build on that. In order to do so, we need to
concentrate on the ancient wisdom and understand it.
Unlike other
schools, a major part of Sue Ward’s work is to research.
This centres on the unpublished archives of Lilly and his
contemporaries which until recently have been largely untouched
by astrologers. Such research is vital as it leads to many
new insights into astrological techniques and methods, and
allows a better understanding of horary practice. This new
information is included in the course materials and made
available to the student via the Course e-mail list.
Is
astrology relevant to modern life?
Answer: Astrological symbolism is universal, its
premise is that of the hermetic maxim "as above, so
below". Like all truths, this maxim is timeless and
so it is as important today as it was centuries ago.
Things have most definitely changed since Lilly’s time in
political, technological, and other ways. For example, in
his day, there was no telephone or e-mail. But these modern
inventions merely provide new ways of carrying out old activities.
Their purpose remains the same, that of communication. Modern
technology does not alter this; it merely gives it a new
guise.
As another
example, the objectives of war are the same today as they were
in Lilly’s day (17th century), or that of Alexander
the Great (3rd century BC). Today’s soldiers
may wear different armour, use different weapons etc., but
the essential nature of what they are doing remains unchanged:
to kill the enemy and ensure their own survival.
And this is
why astrology remains as relevant today as it was in the
past, because it deals in the essential nature of things.
There is nothing in human existence that cannot be described
through its symbols.
How
can a chart for a question work?
Answer: This is a difficult question. If you accept
that the heavens will describe, or imprint upon, a person
born in a moment, it is a short step to accepting that such
description can be obtained regarding an animal, or a business
venture, or a building. All rely on the hermetic philosophy
of microcosm and macrocosm.
On a microcosmic level, we can address the heavens with
a question and expect it to reflect that question and thus
its answer. It is true that that moment is a universal moment
and as such will affect, or describe, more than one question
from one person. But the astrologer is focusing on the moment
from a particular perspective, that of the questioner. In
the same way, a chart of a birth moment focuses on one individual.
If
you don't use the new planets, how can you answer questions
involving modern matters?
Answer: We deal with an intricate and complex scheme
and the cautious handle it carefully lest it breaks. Humankind
has always had to deal with the vagaries of life: we are
born, we form relationships, we work, we play, and we die.
Nothing has changed. What "modern matters" are
there that are so new that they need new planets to explain
or describe them?
Students may avail themselves of the trans-Saturnians, if
they choose, for their private work. Since the traditional
authorities knew nothing of them, they are not included
in the course material.
Will
a horary chart answer a question on any subject?
Answer: This is complicated. The horary art can,
potentially, answer any question, but the practitioner might
not; questions need to be of lawful and honourable matters.
There are subjects that are best addressed by the birth
chart, if that is available, but where that is not the case,
then a horary will do the work.
Horary is better used for material concerns; questions about
one’s emotional conditions should be avoided. For example:
"will I be happy?" is a question that might rely
on material issues, such as money, a job or a relationship,
where happiness is deemed to depend on those things. In
that case, the question should be about those matters.
What
is a specific question?
Answer: It is a question that expresses the crux
of the matter, not those around it. We can be less than
honest when we are ashamed of our feelings, or think that
others might judge us. So, a question like "does he
love me?" might well hide a question about whether
he has another lover, or whether he will ask her to marry
him.
Background information can help the astrologer in such cases,
and is one of the reasons that it is requested. Where the
question fails in this regard, it is likely that the horary
chart will, too. The questioner should always try to be
clear about their intention and focus wholly on that issue.
When the question is clear, the answer can be also; make
sure that you want to know that answer, it might not be
what you want or expect.
Do
I have to have a problem before I can ask a question?
Answer: No. Many people use horary to advise them
on job or business prospects for example, there does not
have to be a problem. The question, though, does have to
reflect an honest desire to know the answer. Horary is not
for the frivolous.
