Episode 218 features an interview with Dr. Benjamin Dykes about his new translation of a highly influential book on solar returns by the 9th century astrologer Abu Ma’shar. The title of the book is Persian Nativities IV: On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities. Abu Ma’shar (d. 886 CE) was one of the most […]
Abu Ma’shar on Solar Returns, with Benjamin Dykes
Posted on August 9, 2019 by Chris Brennan --- 5 Comments
Sahl ibn Bishr: A New Translation by Benjamin Dykes
Posted on March 22, 2019 by Chris Brennan --- 8 Comments
Episode 198 features an interview with Benjamin Dykes about his new translation of the works of the 9th century astrologer Sahl ibn Bishr from Arabic. Sahl was part of the second generation of astrologers who wrote in Arabic and worked in Baghdad during the early Islamic Caliphate. He seems to have been active around 815–825 […]
What House Rules Sex in Western Astrology?
Posted on May 14, 2018 by Chris Brennan --- 13 Comments
Episode 157 is a solo show where I discuss the tricky question of which of the twelve houses rules sex in western astrology. This is a problematic question because it turns out that over the past 2000 years western astrologers have assigned sex to three different houses during different eras. In the Greco-Roman astrological tradition […]
The Origins of Horary Astrology
Posted on February 27, 2018 by Chris Brennan --- 1 Comment
In episode 145 astrologer and academic historian Levente László joins the show to talk about the origins of the fourth branch of western astrology, known as horary astrology. The focus of the episode is the mysterious origins of horary astrology, and the question of when and how it was originally developed. As discussed in episode […]
Theophilus of Edessa: Translating His Astrological Works
Posted on August 24, 2017 by Chris Brennan --- 5 Comments
In episode 120 of the podcast Benjamin Dykes and Eduardo Gramaglia join the show to talk about their new translation of the astrological works of the 8th century astrologer Theophilus of Edessa. Theophilus was a Christian astrologer who served the kings of the early Islamic Empire around the time of the pivotal transition between the […]
Bonatti’s 146 Considerations, with Nina Gryphon
Posted on May 11, 2017 by Chris Brennan --- Leave a Comment
In episode 108 of the podcast astrologer Nina Gryphon joins the show to talk about her project to create an illustrated commentary on the 146 aphorisms of the 13th century astrologer Guido Bonatti. Nina is an astrologer and corporate lawyer who practices traditional astrology, specializing in personal, financial, and political forecasting. She recently launched a […]
Dorotheus of Sidon: A New Translation by Ben Dykes
Posted on May 7, 2017 by Chris Brennan --- 8 Comments
In episode 107 of the podcast astrologer Benjamin Dykes joins the show to talk about his new translation of the work of the 1st century astrologer Dorotheus of Sidon. Dorotheus was a highly influential astrologer who lived in the Mediterranean region during the time of the Roman Empire, and he wrote one of the earliest […]
Geoffrey Cornelius on The Moment of Astrology
Posted on November 24, 2015 by Chris Brennan --- 13 Comments
Episode 53 of the podcast features an interview with astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius about his book The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination. The book was originally published in 1994, and over the past 21 years has become one of the most influential books on the philosophy of astrology in modern times. Rob Hand has called […]
Mundane Astrology with Benjamin Dykes
Posted on July 12, 2015 by Chris Brennan --- 2 Comments
In this episode Benjamin Dykes joins to show to talk about his two recent books on mundane astrology, and some of the different techniques that ancient astrologers used to predict world events. Our discussion is based on Ben’s recent publication of a compilation of different Medieval works on mundane astrology that he translated in two […]
Branches and Traditions of Astrology
Posted on April 21, 2015 by Chris Brennan --- 3 Comments
In the 29th episode of the podcast I talk about the different branches and traditions of astrology. There are four major “branches” of western astrology, which represent different applications of the subject, along with its various subsets. The traditions of astrology represent different eras in which it was practiced, each of which have their own […]
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