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Background:
Over the past twenty years Renaissance scholarship has begun to take astrology far more seriously than ever before; meanwhile, the discussion has become more lively due to the emergence of transdisciplinary approaches and the application of techniques from social and cultural history to texts and episodes involving astrology. This book takes advantage of these developments by offering a broad overview of all the areas of experience that have so far been analyzed. Chapters will be commissioned from precisely those scholars who have been producing this recent work.
Chapters will attempt to cover the area assigned, in a lively and readable way, without sacrificing rigor. Thus we hope to fulfill the expectations and needs of graduate students, experts in collateral fields in need of a quick summary, and the educated general reader.
Issues include:
Astrology in Renaissance CultureWhat was Renaissance astrology? What affinities did it have to other elements of the culture of the time? Why did it persist in the face of continuous questioning; and why was it finally pushed to the fringes of intellectual life? This chapter considers the chief tenets of Renaissance astrology and how they related to habitual ways of thinking at all levels of society. If arguments by similarity and analogy, attuned to a view of things as possessing occult properties, were widely accepted at the beginning of our period, they began to lose their persuasiveness by the end, at least among those attuned to philosophical and scientific developments. But whether or not such arguments sufficed to engage belief in the power of the planets and the methods for mapping them, nonetheless, astrology always offered psychological support, by explaining favorable and unfavorable outcomes, in a world of change.The Uses of Astrology in Renaissance Social Life
Astrology was everywhere in Renaissance life; so were astrologers. What did they offer, and to whom? This chapter will try to answer these questions by examining the everyday uses of astrology and looking at working astrologers and their clienteles. Consultation of astrological information was as common among cultivators of the soil as it was among tradesmen in the cities; and with the development of the printing press, an increasing mass of literature fed a growing demand. While learned sages offered services to the rich and well-placed; street corner soothsayers offered services to anyone for a small fee. In between these extremes a host of practitioners made a living by fashioning themselves as givers of advice. This chapter will cover the different techniques that were in use as well as the persons who used them.
Astrology and Science
Cardano, Campanella and Kepler are only among the best known figures of their time who incorporated astrological concepts into their natural philosophy. And even some of those who opposed astrology, such as Galileo Galilei, nevertheless did not distance themselves completely from the practice of it. The chapter will consider the complex relations between astrology and science in a period when both were undergoing major transformations. Indeed, the Renaissance inherited from the Ancient world a powerful sense of the affinity between astrology and astronomy. Another kind of affinity existed between astronomy and alchemy, which must be mentioned, if not explored in detail here. The chapter will also consider the connection between astrology and yet another field of intellectual inquiry, namely, natural magic, which furnished important insights for the Renaissance view of nature.
Astrology and Medicine
That faculties of medicine at the major universities continued to appoint professors of astrology until well into the eighteenth century was only one manifestation of the role played by astrology in contemporary medical learning and practice. Knowledge of critical days and time of death as well as knowledge about the possible significance of extraordinary occurrences such as comets and new stars were all part of the standard equipment of a physician; and horoscopes were among the important diagnostic tools which physicians might bring to the task of identifying pathologies and deciding upon cures. Political Uses of Astrolgy
The unfathomable vicissitudes of human affairs seemed to offer great opportunities for territorial aggrandizement, as well as terrible occasions of loss of life and property, by those possessing great military and political power. Not surprisingly, in the effort to gain some control over their destinies and those of their countries, princes (Philip II of Spain, to name one) and military figures (e.g. Wallenstein) were among the most consistent votaries of astrology. Moreover, more than one astrologer derived a brilliant career from the correct prediction of a political event. This chapter will examine the astrological aspects of politics, as understood by the actors themselves, as well as the political significance of astrology.
Philosophy and Theology
In spite of the widespread presence of astrology even among religious authorities, some astrological doctrines seemed to run counter to important Christian beliefs. How to account for free will, if the study of nativities was indeed capable of revealing the future of believers? How, indeed, to account for Divine omnipotence, if destiny was inscribed within the limits set by heavenly movements and their meanings? Ranging from the time of Petrarch through that of Melancthon and beyond, this chapter explores the debates concerning the compatibility of astrological propositions with the notions of Christianity. Indeed, after the Protestant Reformation differences began to appear, between views held regarding astrology on either side of the confessional divide. This will provide the groundwork for the next chapter, which concerns the legal ramifications of astrology.
Astrology and the Law
Political and ecclesiastical authorities alike attempted to control the indiscriminate profusion of astrological predictions in their jurisdictions, for a number of reasons. On the one hand, predictions regarding the destinies of the mighty could be dangerous weapons in the hands of an enemy. On the other hand, persons capable of acquiring such foreknowledge deserved ipso facto special attention from the enforcers of discipline. This chapter studies the relevant legal debates and legislation across Europe and focuses on several key moments including a number of famous trials and well-known decrees (such as those by Sixtus V and Urban VIII).
Literature
Inevitably, considering its role in daily life, astrology was an import topic of literature. Not only did astrological ideas turn up in literary works, even providing key narrative, metaphorical and expressive elements. Also, many works were specifically focused upon astrologers and their role in society. This chapter traces the theme of astrology as it played out in works of literary imagination including stories poems and theater.
Artistic Representations
References to astrological ideas are widely distributed throughout the art and architecture of the time, ranging from the very obvious (astrological signs in paintings) to the very subtle (a building plan oriented to the builder’s horoscope). In some cases such references served to remind viewers about the importance of a particular personage. Other times they might be purely aesthetic ornamentations to a larger theme. Still other times such representations were supposed to function as real talismans to ward off evil influences.. The chapter traces astrological elements in specific examples of art and architecture throughout the period.
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