A History of Western Astrology Review

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(More customer reviews)I give this book a mildly enthusiastic 5 stars. My passion for the book is somewhat diminished in that his history is rather insular: one learns a great deals about the thought of some of the central figures in the history of astrology, but almost nothing about the historical or social setting of that discipline. For instance, a general knowledge of Greek science is utterly essential in understanding the manner in which astology first developed in the West. Tester seems to assume a mastery of this background.
Despite this, Tester discusses all the key figures in the history of Western astrology from the Hellenistic period through the Renaissance, and does so with depth and subtlety.
It should be added that this is a very scholarly treatment of the subject. Anyone seeking a popular history of the subject or anyone who actually believes in the validity of astrology is likely not to find this volume to their liking. But those who enjoy the works of authors like Frances Yates and Keith Thomas, this volume will prove to be of great interest.

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`Superb general account.' Times Literary SupplementThe story of the history of Western astrology begins with the philosophers of Greece in the 5th century BC. To the magic and stargazing of Egypt the Greeks added numerology, geometryand rational thought. The philosophy of Plato and later of the Stoics made astrology respectable, and by the time Ptolemy wrote his textbook the Tetrabiblos, in the second century AD, the main lines of astrological practice as it is known today had already been laid down. In future centuries astrology shifted to Islam only to return to the West in medieval times where it flourished until the shift of ideas during the Renaissance.

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