Decans

Scion said:

For folks interested in studying traditional astrology, I HEARTILY recommend Ben Dykes website in general and his new Logos & Light lecture series specifically. The orientation is available free, and is fantastic... I'm sure I'll have more to say about it when I've had time to sit and actually absorb the others.

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Thanks for the link Scion, I'm on a downloading frenzy at the moment and this is next on my list!

He's got an article specific to the decans on his site also.
http://www.bendykes.com/articles/decans.php

Scion said:

For folks interested in studying traditional astrology, I HEARTILY recommend Ben Dykes website in general and his new Logos & Light lecture series specifically. The orientation is available free, and is fantastic... I'm sure I'll have more to say about it when I've had time to sit and actually absorb the others.

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Thanks. I'll definitely check it out when I get a spare minute, and will be keen to hear your thoughts as well. It's interesting that you've posted this now actually. In January next year there is an Astrology Conference here in Brisbane and Ben is actually presenting. I can't attend the whole conference but he's doing a pre-conference workshop and I've been tossing up whether to go along or not. I'm sure if I don't go I'll regret it.

similia said:

He's got an article specific to the decans on his site also.
http://www.bendykes.com/articles/decans.php

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Definitely worth checking it out. I think reading that article is what prompted me to start this thread. So we have Ben to be thankful for

sapienza said:

I'd like to have a look at the constellations as they are assigned to the decans and match them to the appropriate card in the GD system and see how they connect, or don't. Again, something for when I find some spare time.

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Abrac said:

sapienza, awhile back I started doing exactly what you said, comparing the constellations with Book T and also the Liber T. I didn't find anything too meaningful and stopped before getting very far. It might be a project that's deserving of a more thorough effort though.

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Well, I've finally found some time for this little project of mine. I went through and looked at the starlore associated with the constellation/fixed star linked to each decan and considered how this applied to the Golden Dawn meanings. I've found it a really interesting exercise as it's certainly expanded my knowledge of classical mythology, if nothing else.

I did find that many of the myths did match up really well with the GD meanings, but of course others were a bit more of a stretch and some didn't seem to fit at all. I referred to a book called 'The Starlore Handbook' which I notice Brian Clark referred to in his Celestial Tarot Companion, which I also looked at.

I've just been trying to get a sense of the 'energy' tied up with each of these Decans. Because Classical Mythology really seems to speak to me I thought that making these connections would help. It really gives me another layer to work with and I do seem to have a real sense of that energy now. I'm not sure how or if this relates at all to the Decan images and information in Scion's document, but for me personally it's been a really valuable exercise.

What I found really interesting was how the myths relating to specific constallations are often very similar across many cultures. It definitely helps bring home the idea that here are greater forces at work here than just what we can see. I feel like I've really only just scratched the surface and hope to continue to explore this when I find time. For some reason it feels a bit like the missing piece of the puzzle for me, although I'm sure that might sound very odd to others.

Scion said:

For folks interested in studying traditional astrology, I HEARTILY recommend Ben Dykes website in general and his new Logos & Light lecture series specifically. The orientation is available free, and is fantastic... I'm sure I'll have more to say about it when I've had time to sit and actually absorb the others.

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Scion (or anyone) have you listened to any of the others yet? I look forward to hearing any opinions/thoughts. I've downloaded the intro and hope to find time to listen to it soon.

ETA....I downloaded the intro and have just finished listening to it. Fantastic! Interesting! Exciting!!! I'm really looking forward to listening to the rest.

Scion said:

For folks interested in studying traditional astrology, I HEARTILY recommend Ben Dykes website in general and his new Logos & Light lecture series specifically. The orientation is available free, and is fantastic... I'm sure I'll have more to say about it when I've had time to sit and actually absorb the others.

Ben is one of the few people actually unearthing and translating lost esoteric material with scruples and scholarship. He just launched these specifically to introduce traditional astrology (and the philosophy behind it) to "modern students of astrology and occult/esoteric thought" and the whole series looks to be stunning...

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I am learning so much from this series. I thought it would be way over my head, and some of it is, but Ben Dykes is so clear and organized he makes these subjects easy to grasp.
I haven't been able to read much of anything lately so the audio is a real pleasure. It's worth dealing with pay pal. It is certainly worth the little bit of money he is charging. I am starting to feel a little well rounded as far as my understanding of astrology and the occult.

Thank-you Scion.

AW

Thanks for the feedback on this AW. I have been so busy lately I've not had a chance to do anything, but I'm still quite keen and am now inspired to finally check them out.

sapienza said:

What I found really interesting was how the myths relating to specific constallations are often very similar across many cultures.

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Yeah, that's really cool. I have posted about this ....somewhere? The incredibly 'scorpionic' story from (?) Aboriginal group who desribe the formation of the constellation we know as Scorpio (they dont see a scorpion but 4 people and two weapons). The 'bird constellations', Aboriginal star lore uses the same birds, or variation ... and some of these birds also appear as symbols in alchemical transformations. Even similarities between some of their lore / law and Thelemic Deity.

I asked a well travelled and competent occultists / mythologists about this once and he and his wife agreed that they had encountered this else where, he seemed quiet casual about it accepting it as a matter of course. Universal realities, psycology, collective unconcious and all that .... but it still blows me away.

I've been listening to these recently as well. I'm only half way through, but really enjoying them. Ben doesn't assume to much previous knowledge, so explains each term before using it and its quite approachable stuff. I'll need to listen to it again for it to really sink in, but its been a fun and educational listen so far on the history and development of astrological and magical thinking.

BTW, hope this is okay to post here, but all of Ben's books/materials are on sale right now through 2nd May.

And he is accepting credit cards now also.

AW