Astrology through History: Interpreting the Stars from Ancient Mesopotamia to the Present

Why did the Inquisition first summon Galileo not for Copernicanism, but for his ideas about astrology? And how did the art of interpreting the stars shape intellectual life from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern world?

BOOK SUMMARY:

Published 2018, Astrology through History: Interpreting the Stars from Ancient Mesopotamia to the Present, edited by William E. Burns, offers an objective, scholarly treatment of astrology across world history—a subject whose centrality to the intellectual life of the past is increasingly recognized by historians, sociologists, and anthropologists.

Unlike most reference works on astrology, which focus on instructional techniques and are written by astrologers with little interest in the history of the topic, this volume provides alphabetically arranged entries by expert contributors covering the history of astrology from ancient Mesopotamia to the twenty-first century.

In addition to surveying the Western tradition, the book explores Islamic, Indian, East Asian, and Mesoamerican astrology, ranging across topics from astral magic, almanacs, and apocalypticism to figures such as Albertus Magnus, Guido Bonatti, and Evangeline Adams—and even the role of astrology in the Third Reich and Bollywood.

An introductory essay provides a narrative overview of astrology’s cultural relevance across civilizations, complemented by a timeline, glossary, and bibliography.

Approaching its subject from a standpoint that is neither skeptical nor apologetic, the volume is as engaging for the critical skeptic as for the enthusiastic adherent.

Named a 2019 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, Astrology through History stands as an essential single-volume reference on one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring systems of knowledge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Topical List of Entries Preface Introduction Timeline A–Z Entries (more than one hundred articles on astrology and its history, from “Adams, Evangeline” and “Age of Aquarius” to figures, traditions, and practices across Western, Islamic, Indian, East Asian, and Mesoamerican astrology) Glossary Bibliography Index

Note: As an encyclopedia, the book’s contents are organized as alphabetical entries rather than chapters.

PUBLISHER SUMMARY & PURCHASE:

• ABC-CLIO (Bloomsbury): https://www.abc-clio.com/product/A5227C/