G.D. Astrology

Its been some time since I bought up the subject, time has moved on, new people are posting in these forums, so I was wondering if there is anyone around with some new insights into the particular astrology the G.D. used and how their system woked and what implications it might have for their/our views on astrology, Thoth tarot or any related subjects.

Some examples ; the system is obviously sidereal, some cards are attributed to (eg) part of Pegasus, so therefore the 'planetary' decan attribution on the minor arcana relate to sideral positions and the attribution of people's 'star signs' to courts should be sidereal and not their tropical natal sun position. They started 0* Leo at Regulus but what happened after that, how and where did they draw boundaries on the ecliptic, every 30* ? If so that doesnt really work to divide the constellations? Did they add back the bits removed from Scorpio (the claws- that were added to Libra) to make Scorpio closer to a 30* segment?

Stuff like that.

what book do you like on the subject? im looking for some good gd astrology books

I don't think many people combine Tarot with Astrology. I just keep a theoretical construct in mind, in which the ecliptic is divided into 12 sectors of 30° each, and the Decans are 10° subdivisions of these sectors. If Book T says that the 2 of Swords is the 1st Decan of Libra and is characterized by Moon in Libra and and has the title Lord of Peace Restored, that's good enough for me. It's a sort of pop-Astrology used only for analogical, descriptive purposes.

According to Israel Regardie, GDers were expected to be able to draw up and interpret birth charts but if they wished to delve deeper into Astrology, they were advised to look elsewhere. Whatever system they used was most likely whatever was in common use in England at that time (around the fin de siècle, the transition from the 19th to 20th century). However, real Astrology was essentially a separate pursuit from Tarot in the GD.

LRichard said:

I don't think many people combine Tarot with Astrology. I just keep a theoretical construct in mind, in which the ecliptic is divided into 12 sectors of 30° each, and the Decans are 10° subdivisions of these sectors. If Book T says that the 2 of Swords is the 1st Decan of Libra and is characterized by Moon in Libra and and has the title Lord of Peace Restored, that's good enough for me. It's a sort of pop-Astrology used only for analogical, descriptive purposes.

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Bingo!

I agree with LRichard (as well). This is also a reason that at this time I am not interested in astrology other than as an amalgam of ideas fleshing out a Tarot card. It also isn't, apparently, strictly necessary, either, as knowing the symbol's basic mythology adds that needed dimension, and it isn't difficult to add them. At least, that's what I do.

For example, Mars in Aries; fire with fire - all good there, plus war with war - seemingly no conflict, plus no "leaks" of energy on conflict = Dominion, the ideal of Force. Or Luna in Taurus: The creativity of the subconscious aspects of the Moon together with the earthy Taurus in this world of Assiah leads to Success, the perfect exemplar of material gain, although Taurus ruled by Venus can be a little ungrounded, and paired with the ethereal Moon there is a dreamy quality here.

I probably sound either insane or highly demented, but that's how I do astrology in Tarot, I read Roman mythology I suspect that for the Golden Dawn it was, like the Tree of Life, a way of filing and systematizing their ideas and teachings and that they stressed synthesis of ideas more than the act of drawing up a chart.

Storm82 said:

what book do you like on the subject? im looking for some good gd astrology books

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I have the Falcon / Regardie large G.D. (which I will review in light of further studies I have done since I last used it). Wang .... {which has minimal understanding imo }

found some interesting blogs and posts via google but not quiet what I am after as yet.

'Concerning the True System of Astrological Divination - A Golden Dawn Knowledge Lecture' looks interesting just started working through that.


This book looks interesting (but I dont have it) The Astrology of the Golden Dawn (Golden Dawn Studies No 10) .

a few papers by Heindel but dated and v.'early' stuff (although interesting and somewhat amusing)

LRichard said:

I don't think many people combine Tarot with Astrology. I just keep a theoretical construct in mind, in which the ecliptic is divided into 12 sectors of 30° each, and the Decans are 10° subdivisions of these sectors. If Book T says that the 2 of Swords is the 1st Decan of Libra and is characterized by Moon in Libra and and has the title Lord of Peace Restored, that's good enough for me. It's a sort of pop-Astrology used only for analogical, descriptive purposes.

According to Israel Regardie, GDers were expected to be able to draw up and interpret birth charts but if they wished to delve deeper into Astrology, they were advised to look elsewhere. Whatever system they used was most likely whatever was in common use in England at that time (around the fin de siècle, the transition from the 19th to 20th century). However, real Astrology was essentially a separate pursuit from Tarot in the GD.

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Astrological 'themes' were throughout the GD system, one of the main 3 or 4 branches. Any chart expected to be 'drawn up' would have been within the system of the expectors - wouldnt it? It appears (again imo) that tarot and astrology were often used as petaphors to explain cabbalistic concepts (where tarot and astrology are interrelated but each also was used as a tool in its own right.

aeon418 said:

bingo!

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??? .

closrapexa said:

I agree with LRichard (as well). This is also a reason that at this time I am not interested in astrology other than as an amalgam of ideas fleshing out a Tarot card. It also isn't, apparently, strictly necessary, either, as knowing the symbol's basic mythology adds that needed dimension, and it isn't difficult to add them. At least, that's what I do.

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No, it isnt necessary for one who is into tarot but in this case my specific interest and particular question is astrology and the particulars of the G.D. astrological system.

closrapexa said:

For example, Mars in Aries; fire with fire - all good there, plus war with war - seemingly no conflict, plus no "leaks" of energy on conflict = Dominion, the ideal of Force. Or Luna in Taurus: The creativity of the subconscious aspects of the Moon together with the earthy Taurus in this world of Assiah leads to Success, the perfect exemplar of material gain, although Taurus ruled by Venus can be a little ungrounded, and paired with the ethereal Moon there is a dreamy quality here.

I probably sound either insane or highly demented, but that's how I do astrology in Tarot,

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I find it neither insane nor highly demented actually IMO it seems quiet normal - that is for someone with a deper interest in the G.D. related Tarot decks.

closrapexa said:

I read Roman mythology I suspect that for the Golden Dawn it was, like the Tree of Life, a way of filing and systematizing their ideas and teachings and that they stressed synthesis of ideas more than the act of drawing up a chart.

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That may be so, but at whatever level a member was using the G.D. astrology it would have been that, G.D. astrology. Unless the 'outer court' members were left to whatever system of astrology they used and later on the specific G.D. type was used but that seems unlikely to me.