ASTROLOGIA MUNDA - Classical Astrologer Weblog

Book IV – Astrologia Munda
Introduction
you knew, by those ruling at that time to take these things in hand, at the time when we made the
expedition with them into the eastern regions in the country of Margiane, 1
and [there] we suffered
successive military calamities, with much cold and an inclement winter, as well as with much fear
and countless controversies.
But, while arranging these elections into some physical conformity of order, I have neglected none
of the things that are needed and required in connection with military affairs, and I have composed
a book entirely for this [purpose], having the military elections along with those for information
about tyrants and cities that are being besieged and such like.
But it is necessary [that] you approach this treatise with great care and diligence, and by [using]
the meagre theory make for yourself a combination of the influences of the signs and the stars, I
mean of the planets and the fixed stars, and the luminaries, and the lots that are there and their
rulers, and you will not err, if God is willing.»
There are some interesting things we should note in his words: 1) there must be
at this time some kind of basic mundane astrological practice, «…And I kept
this in mind because I know that military methods are seldom found in [the
books of] the ancients, other than that from the mundane astrological
influences [we can see that] there is going to be war and captivity in this or
that land…». Perhaps this very basic form is the remnants of the Omen Lore
that was practiced in the late Persian Empire, we don’t know. 2) we have here
perhaps one of the first references to a ‘synthesis’ of genethlialogical and
mundane astrology, «…Similarly too, in genethlialogical astrological
influences, we find the stars acting one way and another and signifying in
accordance with their configurations and their alternations of houses… the
wise men of astrology made use of the stars by a mixture of their natures - not
only distinguishing [them] in their most individual [significances] and
according to [the nature of] each but also in those [significances] that are the
most general and specialized - for example, about war; and they used all the
stars and also the lights for working with a single chart…» By using existing
mundane considerations and applying these to electional practice, Theophilus
arrived at a basic theory to predict military affairs.
Besides Theophilus, this period (ca 750 – 900 C.E.) boasts some of the most
influential astrologers that form mundane astrology including several prominent
Indian astrologers. During the last half of the 8 th century, a number of Indian
astrologers visited the court at Baghdad bringing with them Hindu books on
1 This is the Greek name for Khurāsān (today a province of NE Iran). Cumont thinks this campaign
probably took place in the winter of 757-758, when the local ruler raised an insurrection, and troops
were sent by the Caliph al-Mansūr to put down the rebellion.
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