INTRODUCTION
Many of those who take up the study of astrology complain about the obscurity of the books available, the abundance of technical terms incomprehensible to beginners, and especially the difficulty of the calculations, which appear insurmountable to those without knowledge of mathematics or cosmology.
I will therefore try to remove these obstacles by avoiding foreign terms as much as possible, and by simplifying the calculations in such a way that anyone of average intellect, with a basic understanding of arithmetic, may follow this study without much difficulty.
Further, I will strive to be brief and clear, omitting superfluous digressions, yet giving a fairly complete overview of that branch of astrology called Genethliacal Astrology — the study of nativities or births. This branch is by far the most important, and therefore attracts the greatest number of students.
The Value of Astrology
Astrology has an advantage over other occult sciences: it asks for no belief, only investigation.
Anyone who studies their own birth horoscope with some dedication will find, through numerous verifiable facts, that astrology is founded on natural truths.
To do this, it is absolutely necessary to know the exact time of one’s birth.
As, for the last half century, the hour of birth has been required to be entered in the civil registry (on the continent, though not in Great Britain, where only the date is recorded), one may inquire there.
Next, you will need to obtain an ephemeris for the year in which you were born.
(For example: Raphael’s Ephemeris, published annually by W. Foulsham & Co., London, price 1 shilling per year.)
With these tools, you may cast your own horoscope and begin your studies — and you will find how extremely interesting this subject is!
Why Astrology Is Misunderstood
Those who, through research and experience, realize how much our lives, moods, and actions are influenced by the cosmic forces around us, often wonder how a science like astrology — which studies these forces — can have so few students and so many opponents.
It is strange, for it is easy to demonstrate the truth of astrology to anyone willing to investigate.
One reason for its discredit lies in the false material that has been circulated under the name of astrology or “planet-lore,” but which in reality has nothing to do with genuine astrological science.
In every field of study, fraud and charlatanism are found — astrology is no exception.
However, the principal causes are the dogmatism of modern religion and the rise of materialism in recent centuries.
This materialism has led mankind to accept only what can be observed by the three-dimensional senses and explained through known physical laws, without regard for the deeper causes underlying phenomena.
Astrology, however, requires no belief in the supernatural.
It teaches that everything happens according to natural and immutable laws — though many of these laws are not yet fully understood.
We perceive their effects but can only guess at their mechanisms.
For this reason, astrology remains largely an empirical science, founded upon centuries of observation.
Astrology’s Role in the Modern World
Astrology is beginning to regain public attention.
In the United States, there is already a University of Astrology, where one may graduate in this science.
The time will come when the elements of astrology will be taught in schools as part of cosmology — even in England, despite its conservative traditions.
Is it not far more useful for a child to learn something about life in the cosmos than to memorize, for instance, the exact date of the settling of Flemish weavers in Pembrokeshire, or the first day an English sovereign’s eldest son was called Prince of Wales?
Astrology in Education
Astrology could play a great role in education — both in self-education and in the work of parents and teachers.
By carefully studying a child’s horoscope, educators could understand their pupils better, realizing that under certain planetary influences, children may act unusually.
This understanding could prevent many unjust punishments and promote better development.
Every child is born with individual characteristics that never change; they are inseparable from his or her individuality.
A teacher who knows these traits can guide the child in harmony with them, developing their natural strengths rather than suppressing them.
Too often, ignorance of these laws causes children to be pushed in directions unsuited to them — their natural talents are stifled.
Eventually, these talents will reassert themselves, but often only after disappointment and failure.
The material sciences, advanced as they are, still deal only with the outer side of existence and remain far from complete.
Astrology, on the other hand, reaches toward the foundation — the unseen forces that shape life itself.
