I understand ancient greek and latin at under-basic level. This means that I can read words or phrases with difficulty, recognizing all the letters, but not understanding all of their meanings. Anyway, with a proper dictionary I am able to satisfy my basic needs to fully translate phrases, especially from latin.

In fact, due to the close grammar ties between romanian and latin, I am able to correct Jean Rhys Bram or James Holden translations from latin - see Julius Firmicus, Bram translation especially, I wonder if he knew latin at all.

I saw that is very difficult to put in english the right mode and time for the latin verbs and sometimes, due this, the phrases are not exploited as they were written. It seems that for greek translations something simillar is happening. Also, I saw the importance to be in acquaintances with the greek or roman philosophy, which european may have inherit especially through religion.

For instance, I learned the 7 christian virtues before my first grade and I found out latley that they have hermetic origins. They are pillars in my christian orthodox religion - read more about: Hope/Selene, Prudence/Hermes, Charity/Aphrodite, Faith/Helios, Courage/Ares, Justice/Zeus, Temperence/Kronos -.

This virtues are spread in all the astrological scriptures, and if they are understood properly they are helping the translator to choose the right words and to express the right meanings - they are equally important in the astrological practice; I found to be hard to make sense of somone?s life without any philosophical background -.

I begun to speak and write english as my third language and I have learned most of it reading astrology, being heavily influenced by Robert Schmidt translations and courses. Maybe this is the barrier which stands between us. If I am not qualified to have an opinion on the subject, I must favor Robert Schmidt arguments until someone qualified is provinding me something better.

Yes, I have heard that about Romanian and Latin. I agree with you about Bram too, the version of Firmicus that was presented by him was severely reduced from what Holden translated.

I think the main issue in our ideas here is that we have fundamental differences in what we think astrology was, the idea of there being a single group of founders who held a pristine doctrine, being one such example.

Anyway, thanks for the conversation, it has forced me to rethink how I conceptualise certain ideas and doctrines.