Astronoesis

Patrick Booker

I have just ordered a copy of 'Astronoesis' by Anthony Damiani. I have studied astrology and can find my way around a horoscope, but certainly wouldn't claim to know much about Hellenistic astrology. Looks fascinating, but I wondered if anyone had read it? Would like to know of any impressions.

Patrick
 

Minderwiz

I am studying Hellenistic Astrology but whilst I'm aware of it, I haven't purchased it. The main reason being the rather high price over here (£62). There are quite a lot of positive reviews on Amazon (US). I understand that the book draws heavily on Plotinus and he certainly gets a mention on my course in the 'Philosophy' section. However this book does not get a mention. That of course may be due to the price.

Apart from the Astronoeconomic cost of the book, I would have a couple of reservations for using it as a basis for learning Hellenistic Astrology, rather than a background or contextual framework. The first is that the published date appears to be 2000 and I can't see any later edition (though that might not be the case elsewhere). Much of the revolution in our knowledge of Hellenistic Astrology took place after the book was published.

The second reservation is in part a mitigation of the first. The book appears to be an attempt to integrate Philosophy and Astrology, so lack of technique might not be a problem from the philosophic perspective, but if you intend to learn more about Hellenistic techniques.

Only five reviews have appeared on Amazon over nearly 13 years. Again that might be due to cost but it might just come down to a personal statement that appears to have only a few adherents. As I don't know for certain, I would be really interested in your impressions when you receive it.
 

Patrick Booker

Minderwiz said:
I am studying Hellenistic Astrology but whilst I'm aware of it, I haven't purchased it. The main reason being the rather high price over here (£62). There are quite a lot of positive reviews on Amazon (US). I understand that the book draws heavily on Plotinus and he certainly gets a mention on my course in the 'Philosophy' section. However this book does not get a mention. That of course may be due to the price.

Apart from the Astronoeconomic cost of the book, I would have a couple of reservations for using it as a basis for learning Hellenistic Astrology, rather than a background or contextual framework. The first is that the published date appears to be 2000 and I can't see any later edition (though that might not be the case elsewhere). Much of the revolution in our knowledge of Hellenistic Astrology took place after the book was published.

The second reservation is in part a mitigation of the first. The book appears to be an attempt to integrate Philosophy and Astrology, so lack of technique might not be a problem from the philosophic perspective, but if you intend to learn more about Hellenistic techniques.

Only five reviews have appeared on Amazon over nearly 13 years. Again that might be due to cost but it might just come down to a personal statement that appears to have only a few adherents. As I don't know for certain, I would be really interested in your impressions when you receive it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments, Minderwiz. Damiani was a student of the mystic and writer Paul Brunton, whose books I read some years ago. Brunton is known as one of the first Westerners to write about Ramana Maharshi, who died in 1953. In fact Damiani died in 1984, so in terms of developments in contemporary astrology it is even more out of date. My copy, advertised as used but unread, cost £32 plus postage from Amazon UK. My impression is that it focuses more on the philosophical foundations of astrology than on techniques, but I suppose I will know when it arrives. I will give my impressions.

Patrick
 

Astraea

I bought this book when it was first published, in spite of its high cost, because Robert Hand was enthusiastic about it at the time. It is rather a hodgepodge of mainly neoplatonic philosophy attached to Damiani's interesting, but idiosyncratic, theories about astrology and emanation. I was not favorably impressed by the astrological content of the book, and in any case new translations of source texts have supplanted it (in terms of Hellenistic astrological theory and practice, at any rate). I wonder what Hand would say about the book now.

It's quite a beautiful volume, filled with photographs, illustrations and notes by Damiani. It is not, in my estimation, a reliable guide to Hellenistic astrology per se, especially now that Robert Schmidt, Chris Brennan and Ben Dykes have opened wide those doors. But it does offer philosophical discussion and speculation keyed to astrology as a science of the spheres.
 

Patrick Booker

Astraea said:
I bought this book when it was first published, in spite of its high cost, because Robert Hand was enthusiastic about it at the time. It is rather a hodgepodge of mainly neoplatonic philosophy attached to Damiani's interesting, but idiosyncratic, theories about astrology and emanation. I was not favorably impressed by the astrological content of the book, and in any case new translations of source texts have supplanted it (in terms of Hellenistic astrological theory and practice, at any rate). I wonder what Hand would say about the book now.

It's quite a beautiful volume, filled with photographs, illustrations and notes by Damiani. It is not, in my estimation, a reliable guide to Hellenistic astrology per se, especially now that Robert Schmidt, Chris Brennan and Ben Dykes have opened wide those doors. But it does offer philosophical discussion and speculation keyed to astrology as a science of the spheres.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, Astraea. I noticed Hand's comments. Maybe it will give me an idea if I want to investigate Hellenistic astrology further. I remembered that I have a book on Hellenistic astrology - 'Astrological Roots: The Hellenistic Legacy' by Joseph Crane, which I have never read. Looks more of a workbook.

Patrick
 

Patrick Booker

My copy has just arrived. A beautifully produced book - in my opinion certainly worth what I paid for it. My first impression is that it a rather eclectic mixture - there are many influences, including Vedic and Theosophical. Apparently it wasn't completed at Damiani's death, and others worked to produce the final form. I will provide further impressions when I have read it, which I think will be a pleasure. Maybe not the best place to go for an authentic reconstruction of Hellenic astrology, as other contributors to this thread have pointed out. But perhaps I am being premature in commenting at this stage.

Patrick
 

Minderwiz

Thanks Patrick, I look forward to your comments when you've read it.
 

Patrick Booker

Almost finished. Not an easy read, although the book is a work of art. The language of Neoplatonism perhaps becomes more comprehensible with familiarity. Damiani's main influences are Plotinus and his teacher Paul Brunton, but he has really constructed his own system to relate practical astrology to the ultimate principles. I think that with careful application it could shed light upon a birth chart at a deep level. He considers the meaning of the trans-Saturnian planets, which of course would not be found in Hellenistic astrology. The significance of the dignities plays a key role in his system. It would be interesting to read something about Hellenistic astrology published in the recent resurgence of interest to compare. At some time I may do this.

Patrick
 
Horary strictures Solar Chart Reading: Looking For Referral