Astrology in the Western Mystery Traditions
Ever since the advent of Sun sign astrology and newspaper horoscopes in the early 20th century, the nuanced complexity of this ancient art has become somewhat obscured. Through this error, the entirety of mankind has ostensibly been sorted into twelve discreet zodiacal personality types. This unfortunate, and comparatively recent, oversimplification does not reflect the ancient doctrines upon which astrology is based. Nor does it reflect astrology’s central role in the primary objective of the Western Mysteries – cosmic re-integration.
In this article, we will endeavor to reestablish Western Astrology as being foundational to the Western Mystery Traditions; we will accomplish this by addressing the underlying philosophy, cosmology, theurgical and alchemical applications of the art while highlighting the presence of astrological theory and practice in the Western Mysteries.
What is Astrology?
Put simply, astrology is the study of the sympathetic relationship between objects and events in the celestial sphere and those in the terrestrial sphere. The underlying premise is that there is a symbolic resonance between the macrocosm and the microcosm, which is exemplified by the simplified Hermetic axiom “as above, so below.” The first known occurrence of this notion may be found in a document known as “A Babylonian Diviner’s Manual,” a compendium of Mesopotamian omenic literature, which states that, “[t]he signs on earth just as those in the sky give us signals. Sky and earth both produce portents, though appearing separately they are not separate because sky and earth are related” and that “[a] sign that portends evil in the sky is evil on earth, one that portends evil on earth is evil in the sky.”
If we accept the idea of an enchanted or ensouled cosmos (permeated by an Anima Mundi) and the accompanying doctrine of signatures implied by this astrological schema, then we can accept that the cosmos is thereby scalable via what is commonly referred to as the “Great Chain of Being,” which sympathetically unites the animal, mineral and vegetable kingdoms in the elementary sphere with the aetheric planetary spheres, the stellar/zodiacal sphere and, finally, the sphere of the Primum Mobile, in a sequence of metaphysically-linked synthemata. This astrological notion, thus makes possible the foundational doctrines supporting both alchemy and theurgy (magic) which, together, constitute the three Hermetic Arts: astrology, alchemy and theurgy.
Cosmological Foundation.
Cosmologically, Western Astrology is built upon the geo-referential (not necessarily geocentric) model known as the Aristotelean Physics or the Ptolemaic Cosmos. In this model, the four Empedoclean elements – earth, water, air and fire – exist at the center, sublunary sphere in their ‘natural place,’ from density to rarity. Concentrically enveloping the elemental sphere of the Earth are the seven planetary spheres – those of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (in their ‘Chaldean’ order) – which are crystalline spheres composed entirely of the “fifth element,” aether.
In the causal, Aristotelian/Ptolemaic sense, emanations from the Primum Mobile (“Prime Mover”) descend from the ninth sphere to the eighth sphere, which consists of the fixed stars and zodiac (the firmament). These astrally-conditioned emanations then descend through the seven concentric spheres of the planets – entering that of Saturn (the “gate of Capricorn”) and exiting that of the Moon (the “gate of Cancer”) – taking on various qualities pertaining to those planets. The Moon then communicates these conditioned emanations to the elemental, sublunary sphere. This, in turn, results in meteorological and other effects on the terrestrial sphere.
From the semiotic perspective, the placement of the planets, in signs and houses, as well as how they are ‘aspected’ or ‘see’ each other, symbolize events and phenomena on Earth. This perspective is more in keeping with the ancient Hermetic and omenic notion of cosmic sympathy.
Cosmic Ascent and Descent.
In the “Myth of Er,” which concludes the Republic, Plato outlines the process by which the discarnate soul is paired with its Daimon who guides its descent through the planetary spheres, as it takes on the planetary qualities corresponding to each sphere (such as the vices and virtues) and, finally, is coupled with a body at the pre-natal syzygy (the new or full moon immediately preceding birth) and is, finally, incarnated in the elemental/terrestrial sphere of Earth.
This descending sequence alludes to an inverse operation – one in which the soul of the initiate ascends, with the help of its Daimon (Guardian Angel, Oikodespotes, Higher Genius, Tutelary Spirit, etc.) and aided by theurgical rites, through the cosmic spheres and re-integrates with the One, attaining the state of henosis/gnosis/theosis, depending on the tradition in question.
I posit that this ascent – from the material dross of the elemental, sublunary sphere of earth; through the seven, aetheric planetary spheres; into the eighth sphere (Ogdoad) of the fixed stars and zodiac; and, finally, penetrating the ninth sphere (Ennead) where the soul is united with the One/All/Primum Mobile – is the central unifying feature and primary objective of the Western Mysteries.
Astrology in the Western Mystery Traditions.
Neoplatonists such as Plotinus, Porphyry and Iamblichus outline various methods by which the soul may theurgically climb the cosmic ladder culminating in the state of henosis. Among the three, Porphyry was undoubtedly the most astrologically proficient; he, thereby, described an astrological method by which the native (the subject of a natal chart) may deduce their planetary Daimon and, by the aid of this entity, ascend through the spheres to henostic union.
In the Poimandres (first book of the Corpus Hermeticum, or ‘philosophical Hermetica’), there is a passage describing the ascent of the soul through the Heptazone. At each sphere, the initiate gives up a vice corresponding to each planet (growth and diminution to the Moon, evil and trickery to Mercury, etc.). At the end of the planetary ascent the initiate is said to be stripped of the activities of the cosmos in the eighth sphere – that of the fixed stars and zodiac – merging with the powers of god and, ultimately, becoming god.
The motif of cosmic ascent is ubiquitous in the Western Mysteries. For example: in the seven grades of Mithraism, the initiate embodies aspects of the planets until he is united with the Pater (“Father”); in the Gnostic tradition, the Archons correspond to the planetary spheres; in the Qabalistic tradition, the sephiroth (“emanations”) correspond directly to the sublunary sphere of the four elements (Malkuth), the seven planetary spheres in their Chaldean order (Yesod through Binah), the sphere of the fixed stars and zodiac (Chokmah) and, finally, the Primum Mobile (Kether). Variations on this motif are also present in more modern traditions such as Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry and the Golden Dawn system.
Because all the modes of cosmic ascent in the Western Mystery Traditions are predicated on elemental, planetary and zodiacal significations, we can say that they are contingent upon the astrologization of the Aristotelian/Ptolemaic cosmological model. In keeping with the (Neo-)Platonic tradition, this may be considered a sort of ritualized cosmogony (theurgy, itself).
Alchemy and Theurgy.
From this perspective, we can say that alchemy and theurgy are the handmaidens to astrology’s most teleological project – re-integration with the One/All/Primum Mobile. Alchemy involves the transformation of matter – processes contingent upon the Aristotelian qualities (hot, cold, dry and moist) as they pertain to the tropical seasons – a key component of the doctrine of astrological triplicities. Alchemy also utilizes cosmic sympathies in the timing of operations upon, say, plants and herbs – each of which having a planetary ruler and harvested at their appropriate planetary day and hour, in addition to other concepts such as domicile rulership. Ritual theurgy is similarly timed – in keeping with the precepts of electional astrology (choosing the most cosmically auspicious time to perform an action) – in addition to engaging the aforementioned Great Chain of Being.
Conclusion.
The theory and practices of ancient astrology are a far cry from the oversimplified hippie/New Age atrocity that we had inherited in the 20th century. Upon examination, we find that he ancient art was much more fundamentally dedicated to the advancement of the very soul of man through Daimonic astrology, alchemy and ritual theurgy.
As we have illustrated, astrology plays a central role – or, rather, the central role – in the methodology and efficacy of the Western Mystery Traditions – the other components appearing to be not much more than cultural contextualization. We have also shown that the associated Hermetic Arts of alchemy and theurgy are predicated on astrological theory and practice.