Astrology for Beginners

From the Publisher: A Date with Destiny

The story of the ancient practice of astrology is told through more than 400 images, from Egyptian temples to contemporary art, in the vibrant visual history of Western astrology presented in the second volume of TASCHEN's Library of Esoterica series, "Astrology."

Throughout human history, individuals across cultures and belief systems have looked to the sky for meaning. The movement of celestial bodies and their relation to our human lives has been the central tenet of astrology for thousands of years. This practice has inspired both reverence and worship, and has deepened our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

While modern-day horoscopes may be the most familiar form of astrological knowledge, their lineage reaches back to ancient Mesopotamia. As author Andrea Richards recounts, astronomy and astrology were once sister sciences: the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid at Giza was built to align with constellations, Persian scholars oversaw some of the first observatories, and even Galileo cast horoscopes for the Medicis.

However, with the Enlightenment and the birth of exact science, the practice of astrology moved to places where mystery was still permitted, inspiring literature, art, and psychology, and influencing artists and thinkers such as Goethe, Byron, and Blake. Later movements like the Theosophists and the New Agers would thrust the practice into the mainstream.

Edited by Jessica Hundley, this vibrant visual history of Western astrology is the first ever compendium of its kind, exploring the symbolic meaning behind more than 400 images, from Egyptian temples and illuminated manuscripts to contemporary art from across the globe. Works by artists from Alphonese Mucha and Hilma af Klint to Arpita Singh and Manzel Bowman are sequenced to mirror the spin of the planets and the wheel of the zodiac.

With wisdom from new interviews with astrologers like Robert Hand, Jessica Lanyadoo, and Mecca Woods, "Astrology" celebrates the stars and their mysterious influence on our everyday lives. This volume is part of TASCHEN's Library of Esoterica series, which also includes titles on Tarot, Witchcraft, Plant Magick, and Sacred Sites.

product information: