Introduction

 

             The title ‘Mere Astrology’, as you might have guessed, is an allusion to C. S. Lewis’s ‘Mere Christianity’.  I adopt this title for several reasons.  First, I want to embody his colloquial, familiar style.  Admittedly, ‘Mere Christianity’ was first presented as a series of radio lectures, and the approachable, accessible style of ‘Mere Christianity’ is due in large part to that initial medium of presentation.  I am not a tenured professor at Cambridge with tactful media connections, and so ‘Mere Astrology’ cannot be a presentation of my voice via radio.  The best I can do is emulate that casual, approachable style, because like ‘Mere Christianity’, I am aiming for a similar audience: the common person: you.  Maybe I will one day do a pod cast.  We’ll see.

             Secondly, ‘Mere Astrology’, like ‘Mere Christianity’, is humble in its aims. It does not purport to be an exhaustive presentation of the history of astrology – as if any such project could be compiled in a single essay – and more importantly, it does not purport to align itself with any particular school or subdiscipline within the field of astrology.  There is Hindu Astrology, Mayan Astrology, Greco-Roman and Babylonian astrology, Chinese astrology, Egyptian astrology, Celtic astrology, and this is only to exhaust the cultural sources of astrology with which I am nominally familiar.  ‘Mere Astrology’ aims to be a humble presentation of an accessible, western astrology that admittedly draws from a few of these sources, but does not pretend to do any of them justice.  That is to say, I cannot pretend to be an expert in any of these astrologies, and I cannot pretend to present to the reader an encyclopedic narrative.  All I can hope to do is summarize a general approach, a casual nuance, and not hope to turn out experts, as I myself am not one and am not able to do so.

             That said, thirdly, concerns the goals of my audience.  I intend my readers, like those of ‘Mere Christianity’, to come away strengthened somewhat in their commitment and affinity for astrology if they are already dabblers in the practice.  Or, if they are on the fence, to come away with a renewed appreciation for the discipline.  And if they are only purveyors from afar, to get a better view of the practice which has fascinated humanity for millennia – a practice which is older than Islam, Christianity, or philosophy itself.  If I can only impart to readers some of the awe which I myself feel for the practice, then I will consider my work well accomplished and fulfilled.

             Lastly, I allude to ‘Mere Christianity’ because I myself am a Christian.  In world history, astrology predates Christianity, and the two are intertwined.  Therefore, I have maintained a sympathetic relationship with the astrological practice, despite certain ostensible Christian injunctions against it.  In respect of those injunctions, however, I have adopted a perspective on astrology which in no way incorporates divination, which I believe motivates the Old and New Testament proscriptions.  Instead, I will describe an astrology which is more modest, a mere astronomical psychology, which in no way threatens a commitment to the higher power of Christianity or any other dominant world religion.  In fact, there may be considerable synthesis between Christian and astrological teachings, and I explore as much in the later sections on the individual zodiac signs.  I hope that Christians, pagans, and people of any faith can find this text insightful and instructive.  If this text breeds contention or disdain, then I will consider my project to have failed miserably.