Astronomica

To refute this would require much time and the work of many books. Since this has already been done by Count Pico della Mirandola Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494), a Renaissance philosopher whose "Disputations against Divinatory Astrology" was a landmark critique of the practice. and by others, it will suffice to say that this citadel was vigorously attacked by them, and only lukewarmly defended by the practitioners, who would have been more prudent to remain silent. Whatever that art once was, it has never lacked for lovers, just as there are never wanting shallow minds who are stirred by the novelty of things and by futile inventions.

I pass over the lesser ages. One most fortunate age of Augustus comes to mind, in which the flower of genius flourished; and among the illustrious arts, this one also dared to raise its head, made famous by many masters, especially Marcus Manilius A Roman poet and astrologer of the 1st century AD, author of the "Astronomica.". He ought to be dear to us not because of his art, but because in his work the clear first principles of that ancient astrology survive, which have until now remained unknown even to the learned. Such things include the Antiscia term: Antiscia (shadow-points or reflected degrees of the zodiac), axomphoses original: ἀξομφώσεις; likely referring to axial alignments or pivots, smooth ascensions original: ὁμαλαὶ ἀναφοραὶ; a technical method for calculating how signs rise over the horizon, a double method of investigating the horoscope, the scheme of the Athla term: Athla (the "labors" or lots, a specific system of astrological houses) which is far different from the scheme of the birth chart, the calculation of the hourly Canon, the birth-related Dodecaeteris term: Dodecaeteris (a twelve-year cycle or system of prediction), the Chronocrators term: Chronocrators (time-lords or planetary rulers of specific periods of life) of the signs, and many other things of which no traces exist in the commonly published teachings. Indeed, these things are of such a nature that if today's mathematicians saw them, they would say they were our own fabrications—not the institutes of the ancients, but childish things drawn from the dregs of Grammar. They did the same thing recently when we spoke in our books on the Correction of Time regarding the Jewish and Hipparchic years; such indignation at the matter struck their minds that it is a wonder they did not...