Welcome to Esoteric Astrology with Bonnie Wells

Hellenistic, Medieval, Renaissance and 17th Century western astrological traditions have come down to us through the writings of great philosophers and astrologers of those eras. Each of these astrological categories is an expression of views anchored in classical Greek philosophy and in the spiritual traditions of the Middle East (where astrology probably originated).

Never before in our own era has such a wealth of classical/traditional astrological information become available to the student, thanks to the efforts of Olivia Barclay (now deceased), Steven Birchfield, Nicholas Campion, Meira Epstein, John Frawley, Dorian Greenbaum, Robert Hand and the Archive for the Retrieval of Historical Astrological Texts (ARHAT), James Holden, Deborah Houlding, Lee Lehman, Curtis Manwaring, Robert Powell, David Roell, Robert Schmidt and Project Hindsight, Robert Zoller and many other dedicated astrological researchers, writers, teachers, translators, publishers and software developers.

Classical/traditional astrologers possessed excellent tools for investigating the spiritual side of life, and today's esoteric astrologers owe their forebears a deep debt of gratitude. Classical/traditional and esoteric astrology complement one another in ways that might initially seem surprising; each holds up a mirror to the soul, and the insights gleaned from one illumine the other.

In addition, classical/traditional astrologers had ways of understanding subtle forces without recourse to modern planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) which remain extraordinarily clear. Indeed, classical/traditional astrological systems are characterized by such high levels of internal consistency, order, resonance between essence and pattern, and adherence to first principles, that the light they shine tends to uncover direct pathways toward the goal of esoteric astrology: comprehension of how to live in accordance with the deepest aims of our souls.

At the same time, classical/traditional perspectives are grounded in the world of day-to-day experience. This is not a function of interpretation; it is inherent in the astrology, itself, as the expression of a worldview whose central idea is the reality of "nested," interrelated, internally-regulating, living spheres of being, each one a disclosure of divine providence.

To be sure, there are features of theosophical and classical/traditional astrology which are incompatible from a technical standpoint - especially with regard to issues of rulership - yet each can inform the spiritual quest in particular ways. We need not confine our understanding of astrology to rigid categories, when such a wealth of material lies before us - and behind us, supporting our modern innovations.

Classical/traditional astrological systems comprise such an enormous and diverse body of knowledge that it would be impossible to do justice to any aspect of their study in a brief introduction; therefore, I have not attempted that here. These paragraphs are primarily intended to stimulate interest in the recovery of ancient (and eternally viable) astrological techniques, especially as they relate to the life of the soul. (For those who are interested in learning more about this fascinating area, clicking on any of the names in the second paragraph above will yield a wealth of information.)

Back to Top

Astrologers of the Classical Greek and Roman eras include: 

• Dorotheus of Sidon
• Claudius Ptolemy
  
• Vettius Valens
• Firmicus Maternus
• Rhetorius
• Hephaestio of Thebes

Astrologers of the Medieval period
include: 

• Masha'allah
• Zahel
• Albumasar
• Alchabitius
• Al-Biruni
• Abraham Ibn Ezra
• Guido Bonatti
• Campanus

Astrologers of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries include:

• Regiomontanus
• Johann Schoener
• Jerome Cardan
• Kepler
• Morinus
• Placidus
• William Lilly
• Nicholas Culpeper
• John Gadbury
• Henry Coley
• John Partridge