A Manual of Astrology, Or the Book of the Stars, by Raphael

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1828 edition. Excerpt: ...knotty, and the sense lies deep, the mind must stop and buckle to it, and stick upon it with labor and thought and close consideration." Locke. In former times the calculation of a nativity was esteemed a very difficult process, since the Astrologer was either obliged to take an actual observation of the heavenly bodies from some place where he could well perceive them; or in latter times, at the least, to calculate their elements from those Astronomical tables, which constitute the basis of our Ephemeris. The tediousness of such pursuits may be comparitively guessed at, when it is stated on the authority of a celebrated modern writer, " that Kepler, (who was a clever Astrologer) in calculating only ten oppositions of Tj and, filled a large folio volume with the requisite figures: " and even at the present day, several hours attention are requisite for the calculations (of the ten equations) requisite to the D 's place. But by an Ephemeris, the best of which is that of White, (published annually) the places of every planet may be found in a few minutes only; a most excellent consideration for our modern Astronomers, whogenerally dislike. "laborious computations," and have taken the liberty to decry and vilify Astrology, as a dry study" in consequence, which is by no means the case; rather let it be thought (which it can be proved) that the only dryness in the science, is in dealing with stubborn and inflexible incredulists, who first assume a set of principles utterly fallacious, and then, like ingenious sophists, "reason in a circle," till reason itself is either extinct, or entirely left out of the question.-We subjoin a copy of the Ephemeris. COPY OF AN EPHEMERIS. Used in Astrological...