Good evening,

Should Babylonian astrology, then, be excluded from 'traditional' due to a missing table or tables of planetary dignities?

In the introductory post we also read:

The accuracy of this definition is not important; it is only a guideline. If anyone disagrees with it, and wishes to make a case, feel free.

One can define many concepts in many ways. The word 'tradition' is often abused, i.e. for customs or habits, for new age religious spin-offs, etc. As long as one attempts to remain coherent with oneself, any definition can be proposed.

The usefulness and validity of applying brackets of 'traditional' to astrologies from (perhaps) Babylonian to pre-modern suggest an underlying unity of doctrine, viewpoint, method, etc. that simply does not and never has existed. One simple example: the commonly used 'Dorothean triplicities' are based on Stoic elements, Ptolemy's "Four Books" on Aristotelian ones.

Not only in modern times but also in the past one seldom finds a unity of opinion on many if not most astrological questions. Example: day-only definition of the Lot of Fortune by Ptolemy, different formulae according to night or day 'sect' by other Hellenistic authors.

Therefore, in my heretical opinion, the notion of 'traditional' astrology deserves to be abandoned altogether because it is invalid and misleading. Rather, one might use classifications like Babylonian, Hellenistic, Mediaeval, Renaissance and theosophistic.

Best regards,

lihin

Never having had the time to read all of the Secret Doctrine or Isis Unveiled
I cannot say with authority that there is no such thing as
Theosophicist Astrology but if there was it is about 175 years too late to be
Traditional.

As for heresy I tend to think of brave principled people standing against a powerful establishment not mere contrarians.

Matthew

lihin wrote:one might use classifications like Babylonian, Hellenistic, Mediaeval, Renaissance and theosophistic.

Without Arabic astrology, there would be no Mediaeval or Renaissance astrology... and this is what I am practicing. It is like classical music in my opinion, without it there would be no modern music.

Matthew, good point about Theosophical astrology, it is not traditional in any stretch of the word.