Professor Publishes Book, Puts Astrology in Rightful Context

“Astrology is an abomination!” I nearly lost my mind when an evangelical Christian said this to me at a family gathering. My response was spoken with such indignant anger that hours later, I had no idea what came out of my mouth. I know I mentioned the Magi and Nicholas Campion’s latest book, Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions (NYU Press, 2012). This book will show you how central cosmology is to many cultures and religions, and where astrology fits in.

The word cosmos is of Greek origin and Campion, a professor at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, tells us that it translates roughly to “beautiful order.” He quotes Roman philosopher Pliny, “For what could be more beautiful than the heavens which contain all beautiful things?” In some cultures, the planets and stars themselves were worshipped, and for others, God spoke through the stars to humanity. In fact, the word astrology is derived from two Greek words, astron (star) and logos (word). Astrology then, is the word of the stars, and as we know, astrology speaks in symbols.

This book is the first to take such a broad global perspective about the relationship between religion and both cosmology and astrology. It is not a book for entertainment or a practical how-to. Be forewarned that it is almost a textbook, or at minimum, fit to be assigned for a college course. It has chapters about different parts of the world and how their people have historically lived with the stars: Australia, Oceania, North America, South and Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, China, India, Babylon, and Classical Greece. You will also find chapters about the major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The book wouldn’t be complete without the final chapter on Theosophical, New Age, and Pagan cosmologies.

The chapters each have a different flavor and shed light on how astrologers have practiced their craft in many scenarios. In ancient China, astrology was a political tool. Campion writes that astrologers were frequently consulted by government officials regarding worldly affairs. Some celestial events could be used for propaganda purposes. A supernova in 1054 was pronounced as a sign of power, virtue, and benevolence of the emperor.

The chapter on Christianity explains that the religion, which has many denominations, has always struggled with astrology. Campion writes, “The pro-astrology apologists are obliged to negotiate apparently anti-astrology passages of the Old Testament, while the anti-astrology position is fatally undercut by scriptural support for the divine nature of celestial omens…” (pg. 171)

Whatever opinion one might adopt on the subject, the Christian calendar contains elements of astral religion. As early as 354, Christmas was celebrated on the feast of the Unconquered Sun. The Council of Nicaea agreed that Easter in the Roman Catholic Church is determined by the first full moon following the spring equinox in the tropical sign of Aries. Easter is celebrated the following Sunday.

While much of the book focuses on the distant past, it also contains discussions about some current trends and ideas. For instance, Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas are quoted as saying that modern day astrologers are “willingly or not, usurping what was once the role of the priest, the physician, and the psychiatrist…” (pg. 20)

Perhaps owing to the fact that this work covers such a vast subject area, the chapters struck me as overviews. The book doesn’t always go into detail about points that might be important to those who want to specialize, but it will help you if you plan to research further.

Campion’s work is important to today’s astrological community. He expertly plucks the divine science out of a cheap clearance bin and places it in its rightful context. This book is for people who want to go beyond the practical endeavor of interpreting a chart and seek to educate themselves or others about the role the stars have played around the world and throughout the ages.

You can purchase the book through Amazon.com for about 20 USD in paperback or 10 USD for the Kindle edition. The page numbers I cited in this review are based on the Kindle edition.

 

 

 

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