Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Bennan

Minderwiz

In the Forward to Chris Brennan’s first book, Demetra George recalls his time at Kepler College, which he entered age 19. She recalls that Chris wanted to study Modern Astrology, saying that ‘there was where it was all at’ and trying to organise a protest against the requirement that students spent some time studying Ancient Astrology, which Chris said was ‘just a waste of time’.

His protests came to nothing, he was told that it was a course requirement and he had to do it or give up the course. So reluctantly he went to Demetra’s classon Hellenistic Astrology. There he found out how wrong he had been in his protest and discovered his true vocation. After Kepler he went on to join Project Hindsight, which was trying to translate many of the old Hellenistic texts from Classical Greek into Modern English. Some 12 years later, he has become one of the foremost experts on Hellenistic Astrology and this book contains much of the material that has appeared in his lectures and in his online course in Hellenistic Astrology (of which I’m a member)

The book is something of a tour de force, being 679 pages, including appendices.. The key issue is that most of our knowledge of Hellenistic Astrology was lost around a thousand years ago and it’s only in the last twenty years that we have begun a process of rediscovery. It’s not so much that the texts themselves were lost (though most of them were) it’s that the translation of the texts tended to be the work of historians or classics scholars. Only recently have Astrologers shown much interest in the history and development of their own subject. This process started with the rediscovery of interest in the works of Lilly and Morin, especially in terms of Horary Astrology and the quite separate look at Solar Returns, then it went back into Medieval Astrology and only recently has it has the Hellenistic period.

Looking at issues such as translation difficulties, the debate over the origins of Hellenistic Astrology, whether it was invented or it it evolved from the practices in Mesopotamia and in Egypt and its development over nearly a thousand years, from the first century BCE to the seventh or eighth centuries CE.

He looks a the Astrologers who we know about, from the semi mythical quartet of, Hermes, Asclepius Nechepso Petosiris. Who survive now only in quotes and references in other works, through such figures as Claudius Ptolemy, Vettius Valens and to the later figures such as Paul of Alexandria and Rhetorius the Egyptian, to show how astrological ideas developed that still characterise today’s version - the use of an Ascendant, the use and meaning of the houses and the use of aspects,

The main philosophical schools are looked at as they set the cultural and intellectual environment in which Astrology first developed. In particular he looks at the arguments and attitudes to Fate and Determinism; the extent to which a person’s life is predetermined from the moment of birth. This consideration is particularly important for the last part of the book, where he is looking at predictive methods. Specifically he finds that the accuracy of predictions made through zodiacal releasing have made him reconsider his own views on Fate.

Much of the book looks at the system itself: the meaning and nature of the signs of the zodiac, which in turn leads to a consideration of the Tropical v Sidereal debate that still rages in modern Astrologies, especially in Vedic Astrology and Modern Western Astrologies. He looks at the nature of the planets and how they contribute to the analysis of a nativity and then goes on to look at aspects, or ‘configurations’

Whilst much of this is relevant to Modern Astrology, it is the bits that have been lost, over the last thousand years that seem to give the most challenges to the reader. The main ones are the concept a Sect, that day and night charts should be looked at rather differently. This concept made it into early Medieval Astrology but by the seventeenth century it was given only token acknowledgement and does not even get that in the Modern version,

Secondly there is the use of Whole Sign Houses for the topical analysis of charts (the areas of a person’s life that we wish to examine). Whole Sign Houses was not the only system that the Hellenistic Astrologers used, but other systems were used more to examine planetary strength than to interpret what will happen in a person’s life. By the turn of the millennium, Whole sign houses had dropped out of current use and only quadrant houses remained.

Thirdly there is the use of House rulers, lasted right up to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries but plays little role today, though there is a modern view of sign rulership, it rarely shows up in the analysis of the topics of life. The Hellenistic system is based on a clear rational structure, whereas the Modern version is simply an adapted version of the Hellenistic one, to accommodate the outer planets, with little thought at to the rationale other than to look at supposed affinity between planet and sign.

The two greatest losses though are the use of Lots, and the variety of predictive methods. Brennan looks a the system of Lots (which was later expanded by the Medieval Astrologers as ‘Arabic Parts’. The purpose of the Lots was to focus down onto specific topics, such as relationships, parents, children, siblings etc. rather than simply use the relevant houses. The two key Lots were the Lot of Fortune, used to look at how the outside world impinged on the native. The Lot became used extensively to examine health and well being, including financial well being. This was contrasted with the Lot of Spirit, which gave an indication of how the native could influence their own lives, a Lot that became identified with career and social status. By the seventeenth century this system had dropped out of use and the only surviving element is the Lot (Part) of Fortune, which plays a very minor role.

The other main loss is the use of systems of Time Lords. Periods of life in which one planet is dominant. Brennan looks at two such systems. Annual Profections, which as its title implies looks at what will happen in a particular year, depending on which planet is the Lord of the year and he looks at zodiacal releasing, where the periods can be much longer, up to thirty years, though these can be broken down into sub periods from perhaps one or two years, down to a few days. He likens this to the system of Dashas used in Vedic Astrology.

In his conclusion Brennan speculates on attempts to integrate some of these practices into Modern Astrology, Demetra George has already begun to attempt this process. Brennan’s argument is that we can’t go back to the past and should not try but we should be able to use some of the techniques and tools to improve the state of Modern Astrology. He sees ethical and procedural issues that can arise. In trying to do this. Hellenistic Astrologers developed methods of calculating the length of a person’s life (more accurately the identification of periods of high risk). Should an Astrologer bring these periods to the attention of his or her client and how should they be addressed? As stated earlier, the accuracy of zodiacal releasing has caused him to revise his views on the nature of determinism and its affect on approaches to Astrology. This may become an issue not just for Chris but for the rest of the Astrological Community, as knowlege of these ‘old techniques’ begins to reach a new audience.
 

Minderwiz

Word of warning.

This is an expensive book, it costs $48, which is not the sort of money you spend on an impulse buy. So this isn't a book for someone who wants to dip their toe into Astrology or get a general overview (although its very well written and does indeed give a clear account of the origins and practice of Horoscopic Astrology.

Nor is it the only work on the history of Astrology, Holdens' history of Horoscopic Astrology and Campions two volume history give a much wider coverage. But this is the only book that trys to give context to a particular era and to identify techniques which can be used today - many of Brennan's examples are modern ones.

But for someone who wants to learn about where Astrology came from and how it was practiced this is an excellent book. For those who are thinking of enrolling on Brennan's course, I believe the book will be provided free to new members.
 

Barleywine

Thanks for the thorough overview. Would you say this is a good place to start with Time Lords or is there a better starting point? (I have the Valens material you sent me a while ago but haven't penetrated far into it yet, and have only seen it touched on briefly in other books on traditional astrology.) I get the gist of it, but what I'm after is sound practical-application guidance that makes it clear how they're used, including examples.
 

Astraea

Excellent, thorough review, Minderwiz. I am so glad that Chris completed this book in my lifetime - it was 10 years in the writing!

For those who wish to learn Hellenistic Astrology in an organized and in-depth manner, I highly recommend Chris' online course. The course consists of 90-plus hours of lectures, countless diagrams and teaching tools, and access to a forum where students can discuss their questions and observations about the material. Progress through the course is accomplished according to each student's individual timetable. The book reviewed here is the basic text accompanying the course materials, and is included in the cost of the course (397.00 USD).

Anyone wishing to learn more about Time Lords and Lots will find a wealth of material in this course - not to mention scores of other techniques that open doorways of astrological understanding. Here's a link to the course website, for those who are curious: http://www.hellenisticastrology.com/courses/hellenistic-astrology-course/
 

jnett

Excellent, thorough review, Minderwiz. I am so glad that Chris completed this book in my lifetime - it was 10 years in the writing!

For those who wish to learn Hellenistic Astrology in an organized and in-depth manner, I highly recommend Chris' online course. The course consists of 90-plus hours of lectures, countless diagrams and teaching tools, and access to a forum where students can discuss their questions and observations about the material. Progress through the course is accomplished according to each student's individual timetable. The book reviewed here is the basic text accompanying the course materials, and is included in the cost of the course (397.00 USD).

Anyone wishing to learn more about Time Lords and Lots will find a wealth of material in this course - not to mention scores of other techniques that open doorways of astrological understanding. Here's a link to the course website, for those who are curious: http://www.hellenisticastrology.com/courses/hellenistic-astrology-course/


Does this course use the Delphic Oracle software? I tried using the Delphic Oracle in my computer only for it to crash every time... Broke my heart. I have a MacPro, and as usual, it does not get along with astrology software.
 

Astraea

Does this course use the Delphic Oracle software? I tried using the Delphic Oracle in my computer only for it to crash every time... Broke my heart. I have a MacPro, and as usual, it does not get along with astrology software.
Students who choose to use Delphic Oracle receive a discount on the price of the software. But you do not need Delphic Oracle - I used Solar Fire and Janus throughout the course. I believe that the free online program, Morinus, would also do everything you need.

I had the same experience you did with Delphic Oracle, and even though many versions have come and gone between then and now, I wouldn't go back to it.

Edited to add: I, too, have a MacBook Pro and it is not compatible with Windows software unless you have a conversion program like Bootcamp. I found it easier to buy an inexpensive PC running Windows, and it is dedicated solely to my astrology programs. I believe that Morinus will run on a Mac, but it's complicated.
 

Barleywine

I can vouch for Morinus, I've had it for quite some time now. I prefer to get my learning through books and personal experimentation rather than extensive (and expensive) courses, so I'm looking for something published that presents more than the basics.
 

jnett

Students who choose to use Delphic Oracle receive a discount on the price of the software. But you do not need Delphic Oracle - I used Solar Fire and Janus throughout the course. I believe that the free online program, Morinus, would also do everything you need.

I had the same experience you did with Delphic Oracle, and even though many versions have come and gone between then and now, I wouldn't go back to it.

Edited to add: I, too, have a MacBook Pro and it is not compatible with Windows software unless you have a conversion program like Bootcamp. I found it easier to buy an inexpensive PC running Windows, and it is dedicated solely to my astrology programs. I believe that Morinus will run on a Mac, but it's complicated.

I also have a cheaper PC, but the video card needs upgrading. It also did not work with the newest version of Delphic Oracle because of that issue... nor my Mac. You need a decent video card. I have been thinking about investing in Solar Fire to use on my PC. I know nothing of Janus... I will look into it.
 

jnett

Excellent, thorough review, Minderwiz. I am so glad that Chris completed this book in my lifetime - it was 10 years in the writing!

For those who wish to learn Hellenistic Astrology in an organized and in-depth manner, I highly recommend Chris' online course. The course consists of 90-plus hours of lectures, countless diagrams and teaching tools, and access to a forum where students can discuss their questions and observations about the material. Progress through the course is accomplished according to each student's individual timetable. The book reviewed here is the basic text accompanying the course materials, and is included in the cost of the course (397.00 USD).

Anyone wishing to learn more about Time Lords and Lots will find a wealth of material in this course - not to mention scores of other techniques that open doorways of astrological understanding. Here's a link to the course website, for those who are curious: http://www.hellenisticastrology.com/courses/hellenistic-astrology-course/

Going to bookmark this course. I have so many irons in the fire right now... already enrolled in an astrology course for April and in the process of moving again. Putting it on my bucket list... Good to know there is no deadline.
 

Astraea

I have been thinking about investing in Solar Fire to use on my PC. I know nothing of Janus... I will look into it.
jnett, I strongly recommend Solar Fire - Janus has practically no technical support, and it is not very intuitive. If I hadn't already been familiar with prior versons of Janus, I couldn't have used it for the course without a great deal of hand-ringing - it also has some known bugs. Solar Fire is a wonderful program, and very reasonably priced.