Fixed Stars and Astrology

1. The fixed stars in astronomy
2. The influence of the constellations
3. The lunar mansions
4. The fixed stars in natal astrology
5. The influence of fixed stars, nebulae & clusters
6. The fixed stars in mundane astrology
7. Stars & constellations in medieval magic
8. The fixed stars in astro-meteorology

Appendix: Mathematical formulae.

Index

Comment: In Astrology, stars are known as "fixed" to distinguish them from planets, which were once known as wandering stars. This is mute testimony to the great antiquity of astrological star-study. This book is the distillation of practically everything published on fixed stars since the Middle Ages, the gist of some 200 books. Among the many authors cited are Ptolemy, Wilson, Simmonite, Pearce, Bullinger, Alvidas & R.H. Allen. The heart of the book is a comprehensive treatment of fixed stars in natal astrology, their value, their effect when combined with angles & planets. Convenient tables & a comprehensive index make this volume easy to use. This book includes some 110 named stars, as well as 48 ancient constellations & 60 modern ones. Arabic, Hindu & Chinese lunar mansions are discussed, as well as fixed stars in mundane astrology, stars & constellations in medieval magic & fixed stars in astrometeorology. The classic book on fixed stars. Of the few books available on fixed stars, this is by far the best. It's also the one some of the others cribbed from & to which everyone since refers. So get the original. Click for a PDF excerpt.

264 pages. Astrology Classics, paper.

The first Rose Window; Charts; Figures; Paran maps; Star maps; Acknowledgements;

1. In the beginning: Introduction; The background to the astrological decline of fixed stars; Parans: the foundations; Planets & orbs; Deciding what stars to use; The four angles & the fixed stars; The effect of stars on natal planets; Summary: How to work with parans & fixed stars;

2. The constellations (40 traditional constellations, plus 33 new);
3. The zodiac, the ring of life;
4. Star phases;
5. Fixed stars & the natal chart;

Appendices: A. Locating, measuring & naming the stars; B. Stars that rise & set for any given latitude; C. Heliacal & Acronychal zodiac maps; D. Mundane heliacal rising maps; E. Ecliptical degrees: Ptolemy's method versus the modern system; F. Birth data; G. Star guide; Bibliography; Index.

Comment: Brady organizes her book by constellation, then by the stars in them. For each star, Brady gives its rising & setting parans & for each, a paran map, star phase & heliacal rising & acronychal setting tables. Stars are said to be in paran if they rise or set at the same time. Going beyond Robson, Brady says that when planets rise & set with stars, they are in paran aspect to them. This greatly enlarges the influence of fixed stars in most nativities. She bases her work on a close study of ancient Greek astrologers & has attempted to reconstruct their methods of observation. With each star, Brady briefly cites the opinions of Ptolemy, Robson, Rigor (now out of print, alas) and Ebertin. This is the best book on fixed stars since Robson's & an excellent addition to your library.

Weiser, 461 pages, paper.

Contents:

About the author
Acknowledgements

1. Working with the sky & the stars

2. The star tables

3. Star & planet combinations. Stars include:
Achernar, Acrux, Acubens, Aculeus, Acumen, Agena, Al Rescha, Alcyone, Aldebaran, Alderamin, Algol, Alhena, Alkes, Alhilam, Alphard, Alphecca, Alpheratz, Altair, Ankaa, Antares, Arcturus, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Canopus, Capella, Capulus, Castor, Deneb Adige, Deneb Algedi, Denebola, Diadem, Dubhe, El Nath, Facies, Fomalhaut, Hamal, Markab, Menkar, Mirach, Mirfak, Murzims, Phact, Polaris, Pollux, Procyon, Ras Algethi, Ras Alhague, Regulus, Rigel, Rukbat, Sadalmelek, Sadalsuud, Scheat, Schedar, Sirius, Spica, Sualocin, Thuban, Toliman, Vega, Vindemiatrix, Zosma, Zuben Elgenubi, Zuben Eschamali

Sources

Comment: This book deals with stars & parans. A paran (short for paranatellonatato) is a relationship among stars, planets, and the local horizon. Stars & planets that seem to rise and/or set together, ie, at the same time, in your neck of the woods, are said to be in paran. Stars rising and/or setting are also in paran with the local midheaven & whatever may be passing through it. Which means parans are what is visibly angular, the IC being ignored.

Brady develops this in terms of star-worship. The Egyptians divided the zodiac, aka year, into 28 unequal segments & assigned a rising star to each. Each of which was worshiped as it came over the horizon with the rising sun as the most recently resurrrected god. Stars that set in the west when the sun is rising in the east are said to be setting. These setting stars, visible at night, are said to have left the realm of mortal earth & are transiting through the world of the immortals. Such stars - collectively, all those visible at night - are said to be unavailable for worship or guidance. (As a personal aside, there are more things in life than worship.) As another aside, the 28 segments are presumably related to lunar mansions & the monthly cycle. This Brady does not mention. I am uncertain if she is aware of it or not.

There are tables of heliacal rising & setting stars for

South: 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 degrees.
North: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 degrees.

In my case, my rising star had been in the sky for 34 days at the time of my birth, while my setting star had been out for two full weeks. I'd like something a bit more specific to my day of birth, if not the hour.

To find the parans of your chart, note your planetary positions - and their reflections on the opposite side of the zodiac, and then go to the table of latitude for your birth. These are given every five degrees, from 50 degrees south, to 65 degrees north. Each one lists all the 64 stars which Brady uses, stars below the horizon excluded. You note any stars that may be in conjunction with your MC, as well as any that are within 2 degrees of any of your planets, including north node. You then go to the text & read the delineations. Brady cautions this is not a very accurate way of going about business, as planetary latitudes (north or south of the equator) further complicate things, but offers no correction for them. In a footnote on pg. 47, we learn of a computer program, Starlight, which is available from Zyntara.com. This program will precisly calculate all the parans in your chart as well as show you what the sky looks like where you live. As of May, 2008, the price is 195.00 Sterling, or approximately $400 US dollars. As an alternative, leave them your details & your email address & they will email a simple list of your parans. Which, at the moment, seems to be free of charge.

Wessex, 261 pages.

Comment: Describes the influence of 73 major stars. Original research by Ebertin's mother, Elsbeth (a noted astrologer in her day) with Ebertin & a mutual friend finishing the book. Personality traits & health influences of the stars, notes on charts with these stars prominent, their actual effects.

99 pages. AFA, paper.

Contents: Introduction; The nature of fixed stars; The Northern constellations; The Zodiacal constellations; The Southern constellations; Genethiacal applications of the fixed stars; Judicial astrology.

Appendices: A. The mathematics of astrology; Figure A1: Non-linear vs: linear interpolation; Table A1: Interpolation coefficients (s/k) for Newton's binomial interpolation formula; Figure A2: Annular eclipse of 1973 December 24 (world map); Table A2: Factors for computing geocentric coordinates; Table A3: Besselian elements of the annular eclipse of the sun of December 24, 1973; Figure A3, Degree of obscuration;

B. Rulership of a point in the chart; Figure B1: The houses of the planets; Table B1: The governors of the terms (Ptolemy); Table B2: Lords of the triplicities; Table B3: Lords of the decans;

C. The stars you are born under; Sidereal times of culmination, rising & setting (includes Right Ascension, Declination & latitudes 30, 40 & 50 degrees)

Comment: The first two-thirds of this book covers constellations & stars in the Zodiac & is a fair treatment of them. The last third of this book is a unique & interesting section on Judicial Astrology, now known as mundane astrology, worth the price of the book all by itself. The author explains & augments the classical methods for mundane work, including some of the best notes anywhere on eclipses, weather, geography, history, national horoscopes, solar ingresses, comets, major conjunctions (eg, Jupiter & Saturn), how the king's personal chart differs from his chart as ruler & more. This book will tell you how the ancients constructed national horoscopes that were not based on events of any kind, nor on subjective "national personality traits". If you're looking to go beyond what's in Campion's Book of World Horoscopes, beyond the annual solstice charts, beyond the geodetic stuff this book will help you do that. With diagrams, appendices & mathematical formulas.

138 pages, AFA, paper.