Tarot Hermeneutics

Robert Powell

Audio Program:

Link to July 28, 2010 Interview about Meditations on the Tarot.

Selected Publications:

bio

Robert A. Powell was born in Reading, England, in 1947. He graduated in mathematics at the university of Sussex in 1968, and was awarded a Master's degree in statistics there in 1969. From 1969 to 1976 he was a lecturer in mathematics and statistics in the Department of Computing and Cybernetics at Brighton Polytechnic. In 1971 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. From its inception in 1971 he was a tutor in mathematics for the Open University, until 1974. He left Brighton Polytechnic in 1976 in order to complete his research on the history of the zodiac, and during 1976-77 he was visiting lecturer in astronomy and the history of astronomy at Emerson College, England. He has also done research work in astronomical chronology at the Mathematisch- Physikalisches Institut, Dornach, near Basel, Switzerland. He was registered as a Ph. D. student for the submission of his thesis "History of the Zodiac" at Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland, until he decided not to go ahead with the submission of his thesis in Poland, owing to the imposition of martial law there. He then studied eurythmy at Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland, an art of movement developed by Rudolf Steiner. Here he was also involved in the pioneering of a new star wisdom on a Christian basis. The "body, soul and spirit" of this new star wisdom is presented in his trilogy Hermetic Astrology. After completing the four-year training course in eurythmy, he left Switzerland and returned to England to study the therapeutic application of eurythmy. From 1984 to 1988 he worked as a curative eurythmist (movement therapist) in Stuttgart, West Germany, and made use of hermetic astrology as an aid to his therapeutic work. Now he is continuing his work at Kinsau, south-west of Munich, as part of a therapeutic community dedicated to Christian esoteric wisdom (Sophia).

He is a eurythmist and movement therapist living in Kinsau, Germany. Powell is the author of numerous books and articles and is a co-founder of the Sophia Foundation of North America. He is founder of the Choreocosmos School of Cosmic and Sacred Dance, and cofounder of the Sophia Foundation of North America. He received his doctorate for his thesis The History of the Zodiac, available as a book from Sophia Academic Press. His published works include The Sophia Teachings, a six-tape series (Sounds True Recordings), as well as Divine Sophia--Holy Wisdom; The Most Holy Trinosophia and the New Revelation of the Divine Feminine; Chronicle of the Living Christ; Christian Hermetic Astrology; The Christ Mystery; The Sign of the Son of Man in the Heavens; The Morning Meditation in Eurythmy; and the yearly Christian Star Calendar. He translated the spiritual classic Meditations on the Tarot and co-translated Valentin Tomberg's Lazarus, Come Forth! Robert is also coauthor with Lacquanna Paul of Cosmic Dances of the Zodiac and Cosmic Dances of the Planets. He teaches a gentle form of healing movement: the sacred dance of eurythmy (from the Greek, meaning "harmonious movement"), as well as the cosmic dances of the planets and signs of the zodiac, and through the Sophia Grail Circle he facilitates sacred celebrations dedicated to the Divine Feminine. Robert offers workshops in Europe and North America and, with Karen Rivers, cofounder of the Sophia Foundation, leads pilgrimages to the world's sacred sites: 1996, Turkey; 1997, the Holy Land; 1998, France; 2000, Britain; 2002, Italy; 2004, Greece; 2006, Egypt; 2008, India.

Astrology Titles (Astrosophy)

Esoteric Christianity and Sophia Titles

Valentin Tomberg Titles

Associate authors: Kevin Dann has taught history at State University of New York, the University of Vermont and Rutgers University. His books include Lewis Creek Lost and Found (University Press of New England, 2001); Across the Great Border Fault: The Naturalist Myth in America (Rutgers University Press, 2000); and Bright Colors Falsely Seen: Synaesthesia and the Search for Transcendental Knowledge (Yale University Press, 1998). Kevin is planning a "Corridor of Amity" pilgrimage from Montreal to Manhattan in May/June of 2009 in conjunction with his recent book, A Short Story of American Destiny: 1909-2009 (LogoSophia, 2008), inspired both by the commemoration of the 400th anniversaries of Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson's voyages and by the Apocalyptic significance of 2009.

Charles S. Tidball was born in 1928 in Geneva, Switzerland. A scientist and a doctor, he has multiple degrees: an M.S. in Pharmacology, a Ph.D in Physiology, and an M.D. For many years Dr. Tidball was Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology at George Washington University, which in 1992 designated him professor emeritus of computer medicine and neurological surgery. He was also a pioneer in computer-based instructional and information-retrieval systems. Since his retirement, he has served at the Washington National Cathedral and has dedicated his considerable energies to writing, including a book written with his wife and two colleagues, Taking Women Seriously: Lessons and legacies for Educating the Majority. Dr. Tidball has been a student of Rudolf Steiner since 1948, and Jesus, Lazarus, and the Messiah is his first book in the area of spiritual science. 

Sophiology

 The Sophia Teachings: The Emergence of the Divine Feminine in Our Time by Robert Powell (Lindisfarne Books) This book uncovers a secret stream of wisdom flowing through the heart of Christianity: the feminine principle known in Greek as 'Sophia'. Robert Powell surveys the teachings associated with this treasure of Christianity's mystical past. In a lecture format, Robert Powell, the co-founder of The Sophia Foundation of North America, presents his own synthesis of the Sophia, or Wisdom, literature through the ages. He draws on religious traditions throughout the world, as he guides the listener into this mystical subject. There is a great deal of material that needs to be unraveled here, inviting the listener to return again and again to the tapes. In his gentle, scholarly way, Powell suggests some practices to help the beginner, but, for the most part, this series of lectures will mean most to those who have some knowledge of the subject and a willingness to make tangential connections across time, space, religions and New Age philosophies.

Christ and the Maya Calendar by Robert Powell, and Kevin Dann (Lindisfarne Books) In The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel, it is said: Katun 11 Ahau is set upon the mat, set upon the throne, when their ruler is set up.... The heavenly fan, the heavenly wreath and the heavenly bouquet shall descend. The drum and rattle of the lord of 11 Ahau shall resound, when flint knives are set into his mantle.... Ahau 11 is the beginning of the count, because this was the katun when the foreigners arrived. They came from the east when they arrived. Then Christianity also began. The fulfillment of its prophecy is [ascribed] to the east.... This is a record of the things which they did. After it had all passed, they told of it in their [own] words, but its meaning is not plain. Despite the explosion of books, videos and TV shows that claim to penetrate the mystery of "2012"--the numerical shorthand for the completion on December 21, 2012, of the thirteenth B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Maya calendar--consensus about its meaning seems to remain elusive. As metaphysical speculation mounts, professional astronomers and ethnologists dismiss the whole body of modern interpretations of the Mayan calendar as New Age gobbledygook. Among the supposed seers themselves--including José Arguelles, Carl Johann Calleman, and Daniel Pinchbeck--doctrinal disputes worthy of academics are now the norm. The scholars have every right to be miffed at the sometimes sloppy thinking and exaggerated claims of the seers, which tend toward enthusiastic proclamations of an imminent, universally accelerated psychic evolution, while the seers themselves have legitimate critiques about the limits of scientific inquiry when it comes to the prophetic traditions of ancient peoples.

Christ and the Maya Calendar approaches the significance of 2012 by spiritually penetrating phenomena of today. Drawing on the book of Revelation--which provides an archetype for understanding spiritual history, as well as on Rudolf Steiner's Apocalyptic indications, a completely new context for grasping the end date of the Maya calendar emerges. In a November 1919 lecture, Steiner made a stunning remark about Ahriman: "Ahriman skillfully prepares his goal beforehand ... [and] will find an important instrument for preparing his incarnation. His incarnation is undoubtedly coming, and this lack of insight will enable him to prepare it triumphantly." The subtitle of this book--"2012 and the Coming of the Antichrist"--refers to this coming incarnation of Ahriman. In fact, Steiner narrowed the timeline for Ahriman's incarnation, saying it would come "before even a small part of the third millennium has run its course." Just after Christmas 1919, Steiner revealed more about the impending incarnation of Ahriman, saying almost offhandedly that Ahriman's name might be "John William Smith." With this remark, he clearly pointed to the incarnation occurring in the English-speaking West, while other remarks made it is certain Steiner meant that the incarnation would take place in America.

In addition to penetrating the spiritual background of our time in relation to the coming of the Antichrist (the incarnation of Ahriman), the authors explore the significance of the Mexican mysteries and present a wealth of new research with the intention of helping the reader to navigate the Apocalyptic scenario currently shaping up, with the global financial crisis as one important expression. Most important, the authors refer to the Second Coming of Christ as the true event of our time; the incarnation of Satan/Ahriman is its shadow. The authors also show the significance of Divine Sophia as the antidote to negative consequences of Ahriman's incarnation.

Finally, as a positive manifestation of the world of spirit in our time, the book discusses the significance of the young anthroposophist, Judith von Halle, who since Easter 2004 has born the stigmata, the visible signs of the wounds of Christ.

The word Antichrist is used in the title and throughout this book, and there are at least two ways in which this word may be understood. The more general use of the word is found in the Bible and in Christian tradition, in which the Antichrist is understood to be the human being who bears the incarnated Satan (also called "Ahriman" in Persian tradition and, in Revelation 13 in the Bible, "The Beast"). This is how the word Antichrist is used in this book.

However, this general meaning should be distinguished from another, more specialized use of the word, as found in the spiritual science of Anthroposophy, which often uses the word Antichrist to designate the Sun Demon, known as Sorath in the Hebrew tradition, referred to as the "Beast whose number is 666," and as "the two-horned Beast" in Revelation 13. In this connection, Rudolf Steiner refers to "the False Prophet who represents the teachings of The Beast." The authors of this book discuss the significance of Sorath in chapters 7 and 8.

The Most Holy Trinosophia : The New Revelation of the Divine Feminine by Robert Powell (Steiner Books) The rising interest in goddess spirituality expresses our current need to understand the feminine side of God, the Sophia (Divine Wisdom) and her relationship to the masculine aspects of God. Offering a new perspective, the author draws on his own research and on the teaching of Sophianic Russian philosopher Pavel Florensky, according to whom Sophia has a relationship to the masculine Trinity as an independent spiritual being. Robert Powell discusses Sophia as a Trinity - Mother, Daughter, and Holy Soul - and as the feminine aspect of Divine Godhead. He connects our reawakening to the feminine aspect of God with many of the changes now taking place in the world. The product of years of extensive, meticulous research, Powell draws upon the teachings of the modern Russian mystic Daniel Andreev to inculcate a deeper understanding of the notion of divine feminine and its potential for social change in the modern world. The Most Holy Trinosophia is an impressive, invaluable, and very welcome contribution to the study of religion, metaphysics, and spirituality.

The Wandering Fool: Love and its Symbols, Early Studies on the Tarot by Anonymous, Robert Powell, and Valentin Tomberg (Logosophia) In 1982 there appeared a remarkable book, written by an author who wished to remain anonymous, entitled Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism. This book was destined to become a spiritual classic of the twentieth century. Distinguished scholar Antoine Faivre called it "the most beautiful and instructive book of the twentieth century concerning western esotericism." Father Bede Griffiths said "to me it is the last word in wisdom." Trappist Abbot Basil Pennington wrote "it is such a rich collection of wisdom drawn from such a staggering number of diverse sources that it leaves the mind almost reeling. Besides the Bible we find the Upanishads, the Cabbala, the Hermeticists, and men as diverse as Origen and Chardin, Plato and Bergson, Jung and John of the Cross, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. It is without doubt the most extraordinary work I have ever read." And Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar described the author as "a thinking, praying Christian of unmistakable purity." Students of Meditations on the Tarot now have cause for celebration, for in 2007 a collection of the author's notes was published - preliminary studies of the images of the Tarot cards, illustrating the method he followed. This methodology is now revealed for the first time in English translation through the inclusion of material published in Part Two of this volume. Unfortunately, the notes cover only the last nine Arcana, from XIV to XXII, the notes to the first thirteen Arcana having gone missing. Part One comprises three lectures held by Robert Powell, the translator of Meditations on the Tarot into English from the original French manuscript. These lectures, held in California in 2006, 2007, and 2008, were delivered to an audience of friends of Christian Hermeticism, who gather every year to converse and share concerning the path of Christian Hermeticism. The second lecture, in particular, serves as an introduction to Part II. Also included is additional background material from the Luxembourg (Kairos) and German (Achamoth) editions.

Elijah Come Again: A Prophet for Our Time: A Scientific Approach to Reincarnation by Robert Powell (Lindisfarne Books) The research presented by Robert Powell in this book shows that a new science of the stars is possible, based on a study of reincarnation and karma. Willi Sucher did much to pioneer the development of a new star wisdom, or astrosophy, as a scientific tool for the investigation of karma. Powell has discovered that applying the science of astrosophy to the findings of karma research reveals--through the discovery of astrological reincarnation rules--the foundations underlying star wisdom. Once these foundational findings relating to astrological reincarnation research have been assimilated, a reformation of traditional astrology will inevitably take place. Once the new astrology is established, there will be a similar feeling in looking back upon traditional Western astrology that modern astronomers have when looking back upon the old geocentric astronomy.

The purpose of this book is to contemplate the incarnations of the prophet Elijah, with the goal of laying the foundation for a new "science of the stars" as the "science of karma." At the close of his last lecture, after discussing the sequence of incarnations of Elijah-John the Baptist-Raphael-Novalis, Rudolf Steiner spoke of this individuality as "a radiant and splendid forerunner...with whom you are to prepare the work that shall be accomplished at the end of the [twentieth] century, and will lead humankind past the great crisis in which it is involved." These words indicate that, from the end of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century (that is, now), the Elijah-John individuality is to be a "radiant forerunner" for humanity in the next step underlying our spiritual evolution.

Elijah Come Again presents a scientific approach toward unveiling the mystery of human destiny. This theme is timeless in nature--yet timely, nevertheless, in the recounting of the unfolding destiny and mission of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. This individuality, whose various incarnations are explored in this book, is of such spiritual weight and stature as to call forth both rain and fire from heaven in the service of humanity's evolution toward communion with the spiritual forces of love and morality that live in the human heart as the abiding presence of the living Word. "Elijah does come first to restore all things" (Mark 9:12). These words of Christ apply now--in relation to the ongoing fulfillment of Elijah's mission in the world at the present time toward the peoples of the Earth.

The Mystery, Biography, and Destiny of Mary Magdalene: Sister of Lazarus John & Spiritual Sister of Jesus by Robert Powell (Lindisfarne Books) In the last forty years, but especially with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, interest in the life and identity of the mysterious figure Mary Magdalene has reached an all-time high. In New Testament scholarship, often she is often conflated and confused with other Mary figures, to the point of being unknowable. Traditionally, she has been identified by a rigid, male-dominated Church hierarchy as the Sinner from whom seven demons were cast out. With the 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, from which Dan Brown drew much of his inspiration, the Magdalene is seen as carrying Jesus' bloodline to Provence. The earlier musical Jesus Christ Superstar dramatizes yet other variations on this theme, while still others speculate that she was an Egyptian priestess or was black and from sub-Saharan Africa.

Who is Mary Magdalene? What are we to believe about her? What are we to know? What was her mission? As the Beloved Disciple, what is her relationship to Jesus? Where do we turn for answers?

In this lean, accessible, and cogent book, Robert Powell sifts through the rubble of fads and distortions, through the shadows of misunderstanding and doubt, to reveal the true Mary Magdalene. He finds her in the work and visions of the German nun and mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824). A contemporary of Beethoven and Goethe, as well as the poet Clemens Brentano, who had a close relationship with and was her scribe, Sister Emmerich received the stigmata at the age of thirty-eight. She lived for another twelve years without eating solid food, except for taking daily communion. For the most part illiterate, Sr. Emmerich dictated remarkably accurate accounts, within the bounds of scholarship, of Jesus' ministry.

The visions include the life of Mary Magdalene and the remarkable relationship she had with her siblings Lazarus and Martha. Although Lazarus and Martha lived the spiritual life and recognized Jesus as the Messiah, Mary lived the high life. All three grew up in a castle northeast of Jerusalem. Eventually, Mary found herself riveted by the powerful words of Jesus. He first cast out one demon, then the Seven Demons of the Bible. Joining the circle of women around the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene was prepared for the great event of discovering the empty tomb on the morning of Jesus' Resurrection.

An especially stunning insight of Sr. Emmerich--covered here in an entire chapter that includes other sources, including Rudolf Steiner--centers on the mystery of "the disciple whom the Lord loved." This insight is related to Steiner's identification of the resurrected Lazarus with the author of the Gospel of John.

Chronicle of the Living Christ: The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ : Foundations of Cosmic Christianity by Robert Powell (Steiner Books) Chronicle Of The Living Christ addresses questions relating to the central mysteries of Christianity. Chronicle Of The Living Christ determines the birth and death dates for Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist, and on this basis presents a daily account of Christ's ministry. The findings are based upon painstaking research, supported and augmented by the visionary legacy of two very different Christian seers: the nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) and the spiritual scientists, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Chronicle Of The Living Christ is a text for meditation, inviting the reader to walk with Christ, inwardly accompanying him in his work of healing and teaching and thereby finding themselves awakened and changed, even in an understanding of time itself. Robert Powell has uncovered what he calls "Christ rhythms" that are the foundations of Cosmic Christianity, rhythms that point to a new, cosmic, apocalyptic dimension of of Christianity. Insightful, provocative, challeng-ing, Chronicle Of The Living Christ is engrossing reading!

Jesus, Lazarus, And the Messiah: Unveiling Three Christian Mysteries by Charles S. Tidball, and Robert Powell (Steiner Books) At the heart of the mystery of Christianity, we encounter the divinity of Jesus Christ—the revelation of the descent of God from the spiritual world into the material world for the sake of humanity. To unveil the meaning of this cosmic event, authors Charles Tidball and Robert Powell (in his two chapters) draw on four very different sources: the Gospels themselves, medieval and Renaissance tradition and art, the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, and the spiritual science, or Anthroposophy, of Rudolf Steiner. Viewing the former in the light of the latter, the authors unravel three key riddles: the nature of Jesus, the identity of Lazarus and the meaning of his initiatory "raising from the dead," and the Messianic mystery of the incarnation of the Christ. In the process, much is learned of the actual dating of the Gospel events, as well the repercussions of these events in history. This is a book for all those interested in the "Jesus mysteries."

Inner Life of the Earth: Exploring the Mysteries of Nature, Subnature, & Supranature by Christopher Bamford, Dennis Klocek, David S. Mitchell, and Marko Pogacnik (Steiner Books) "Our very `I' consciousness is possible because the mineral earth--the first layer of the interior of the Earth--and the other chthonic regions exist. Our human nature is a reflection of the subearthly and supraearthly realms that comprise the macrocosm and the microcosm. `The true meaning of the microcosm-macrocosm analogy is not that the human being is a little cosmos, but that the cosmos is a big human being.' From this perspective, it makes complete sense that the subterranean realms described by spiritual science live within the deepest realms of our human nature and subconscious life of darker feelings and will. Deep within the human being, they radiate into the shadows of thought. This region is more familiarly known as Hell, Hades, or the Abyss. The subterranean spheres, then, are the Earth's `dark side.'" --Paul V. O'Leary (from his introduction)

Throughout human history, ancient wisdom and traditional myths have placed human beings between the heavens and the underworld, describing the heavens as the light-filled realm of the gods and the source of goodness, and characterizing the underworld as a demon-filled realm of darkness and the source of evil. Modern science, however, denies the heavens and knows little of the Earth's interior -- even physically -- beyond the first few miles, after which it simply resorts to conjecture based on the extrapolation of existing sensory data. In other words, natural science fails to take into account that the Earth is a living, spiritual being and ignores the presence of its soul-spiritual qualities and influences.

To remedy this, during the early twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner researched the psychic, spiritual, and cosmic nature of the Earth's interior. He described how the different layers of the inner Earth affect and interact with human beings living on Earth. More theologically and cosmically, he spoke of the layers of "Hell," through which the Jesus Christ traveled in the period between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, uniting and integrating himself with the Earth and human destiny.

The seven authors in The Inner Life of the Earth approach this difficult and little-discussed topic from different directions. They discuss how the forces emanating from the interior of the Earth affect the weather, our atmosphere, human beings, and how human behavior in turn affects them, showing that earthly and human evolution are a unity and should never be thought of as occurring separately. They also discuss the deep significance of Christ's incarnation, by which he united with the Earth to become the Spirit of the Earth.

Without Christ's deed, the Mystery of Golgotha, which reunites cosmic and human evolution with the divine, human beings would be unable to work in freedom with Christ or with Sophia, divine feminine Wisdom, in her form as the Soul of the Earth, to overcome evil and help lift all creation toward goodness and greater human, cosmic, and divine fellowship.

Astrology

Astrological Revolution: Unveiling the Science of the Stars As a Science of Reincarnation and Karma by Robert Powell, and Kevin Dann (Lindisfarne Books) The majority of modern western astrology is based on the tropical zodiac, which emerged through ancient Greek astronomers from a calendar dividing the world into twelve solar months. This book controversially argues that an alternative system, based on the sidereal zodiac as practised by Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman and Hindu astrologers, is a more accurate reflection of the location of planets in our starry heavens. The authors present compelling arguments for re-establishing a wisdom-filled astrology as used by the three magi who journeyed to Bethlehem. They examine specific biographical examples, including the biography of Rudolf Steiner, in relation to the sidereal zodiac and the rules of astrological reincarnation. This is an important book for anyone interested in how we perceive and work with our cosmos.

History of the Zodiac by Robert Powell (Sophia Academic Press) The zodiac was first clearly defined by the Babylonians some 2500 years ago, but until recently the basis of this original definition remained unknown. This zodiac of the Babylonians, known as the sidereal zodiac because it is specified in direct relation to the stars (Latin sideris, 'starry'), was used for centuries throughout the ancient world, all the way to India, and must be distinguished from the tropical zodiac in widespread use by astrologers in the West today, which was introduced only in the middle of the second century A.D. by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. Such was Ptolemy's influence, however, that the tropical zodiac gained prominence and, except for its survival (in a variant form) in India, knowledge of the sidereal zodiac was lost. In this thrilling study of the history of the zodiac, first submitted in 2004 as his Ph.D. thesis, Robert Powell rescues the the sidereal zodiac from the dusts of time, tracing it back to the Babylonians in the sixth/fifth centuries B.C. The implications of this discovery-among them the restitution of the sideral zodiac to its rightful place at the heart of astrology-are immense, they key point being that the signs of the sidereal zodiac, each thirty degrees long, coincide closely with the twelve astronomical constellations of the same name, whereas the signs of the tropical zodiac, since they are defined in relation to the vernal point, now have no direct relationship to the corresponding zodiacal constellations, owing to the precession of the equinoxes. This revolutionary history of the zodiac includes chapters on the Egyptian decans and the Hindu nakshatras, showing how these sidereal divisions, which originated in Egypt and India, are related to the original Babylonian zodiac. It also sheds light on the controversy surrounding the 'zodiac question' (tropical vs. sidereal), illuminating the history of the tropical zodiac-showing that originally it was not a zodiac at all, but a calendar for describing the course of the seasons! This book, the fruit of thirty years of research, is intended not only for scholars but for general readers as well, and offers the clearest and most comprehensive study of the history of the zodiac yet published.

The Zodiac: A Historical Survey by Robert Powell (Astro Communications Services)

History of the Planets by Robert Powell (Astro Communications Services)

History of the Houses by Robert Powell ((Astro Communications Services) 29 pp

Hermetic Astrology: Vol. 1 by Robert Powell (Sophia Foundation Press) This book starts with a meticulous explanation of terminology used in astronomy and astrology. This can be considered as a splendid example of how to explain strictly scientific notions to readers who are not necessarily skilled in the exact sciences. From an astronomical point of view, the most interesting part of the work is the presentation of the old Egyptian world system, which the author concludes was the same as the system of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). He considers this astronomical system not just as a transitory historical conception, but as something which possesses permanent value. The author's deep historical studies made it possible for him also to solve the problem of the interchange of Mercury and Venus, something indicated many years ago by Rudolf Steiner. This is an important achievement in the history of astronomy. The main astrological finding of this book is that the zodiac of the stars (sidereal zodiac) - as employed by the Babylonians, Egyptians, and ancient Greeks - is the authentic zodiac. Moreover, the auther promotes a new type of astrological chart (hermetic chart) for the conception, birth, and death of personalities under consideration, in addition to the customary geocentric horoscope and in place of the heliocentric horoscope promoted by Willi Sucher (1902-1985). With the hermetic chart the auther places a new tool in the hands of astrologers and opens up new possibilities for astrology as a science. On this basis he develops his two "laws" of reincarnation, illustrating them by striking examples. These "laws" express themselves by way of certain planetary configurations coinciding at the moments of birth and death in successive incarnations. He believes that with these "laws" the significance of the tropical zodiac is disproved. This work of Robert Powell, presenting a new astrological system, is a valuable step in the development of a new wisdom of the stars in line with the ideas of Willi Sucher. Willi Sucher's books and articles are full of charm - deep in a spiritual sense - representing a star wisdom in an embryonic state. With this book by Robert Powell, the ideas of Willi Sucher are born as an earthly reality and something new is brought into the world.

Hermetic Astrology: Vol. 2 by Robert Powell (Sophia Foundation Press) In the first chapters of this book we simultaneously follow two threads. While considering the lives of Richard Wagner, Friedrich Nietzsche, and King Ludwig II of Bavaria in their nineteenth-century incarnations and in earlier incarnations, we examine the planetary configurations accompanying not only their conception, birth, and death, but also various significant events in their lives. In this way we experience how these two perspectives-the biographical and the astrological-weave together and are intimately interconnected. As illuminating as this is, the author also indicates however that astrological calculation alone can never suffice for the truly deep biographical research into karma and reincarnation demonstrated in this work. The author shows that although it is clear that an individual's destiny is connected with the positions of the celestial bodies-that certain regular occurrences are evident-nonetheless no strict regularities exist. He maintains moreover that a certain level of clairvoyance is requisite for any serious astrological study of destiny; even more-that real astrology requires initiation. Such astrological research, when successfully carried out as it is here, relating salient celestial configurations to the life-drama of well-known historical personalities, reads like fine literature. On a practical level this work illustrates several important new tools for the astrologer: how to calculate hermetic charts, how to cast horoscopes not only of birth and death but also of conception (including the astrological significance of the embryonic period between conception and birth), and then also how to apply these various horoscopes in describing the spiral of life that unfolds in seven-year periods during the course of a person's earthly existence. All this reveals profound and fascinating regularities-among them the discovery that stellar configurations during the embryonic period are reflected again and again in the subsequent periods of life. Quite new for most readers will be the author's treatment of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, indicating that the names given these planets are deeply meaningful in the light of spiritual science. To make his case he extends Rudolf Steiner's description of cosmic evolution by drawing upon Greek mythology, particularly Orphic cosmology. This book by Robert Powell is of the greatest possible interest.

Christian Hermetic Astrology by Robert A Powell (Anthroposophic Press) Who were the three wise men and what was "the Star of the Magi" that led them to Bethlehem? Using the dialogue form, Christian Hermetic Astrology explores these questions and the basis for the inauguration of "Star Wisdom." Set in the Temple of the Sun, where Hermes, the Egyptian sage, gathers with his three pupils, Tat, Asclepius, and King Ammon, these discourses focus upon the path of Christ, culminating in the Mystery of Golgotha. With Rudolf Steiner and Anne Catherine Emmerich pointing the way, Robert Powell has produced a book, through independent research and careful study, intended as a contribution to a modern "path of the magi" leading to a Christian wisdom of the stars.

Journal for Star Wisdom 2011 by Robert Powell (Steiner Books)

Journal for Star Wisdom 2010 by Robert Powell (Steiner Books) "The Journal for Star Wisdom (formerly Christian Star Calendar) has appeared every year since 1991. From the beginning the central feature has been the calendar comprising the monthly ephemeris pages together with commentaries drawing attention to the Christ events remembered by the ongoing cosmic events. The significance of following the Christ events in relation to daily astronomical events is an important foundation for the new star wisdom of astrosophy. This new star wisdom is arising in our time in response to the second coming of Christ--known as his return in the etheric realm of life forces--as a path of communing with Christ in his life body (ether body)." --Robert Powell (from his editorial foreword) The Journal for Star Wisdom includes articles of interest concerning star wisdom (Astrosophy), as well as a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today. The guide comprises a complete sidereal ephemeris and aspectarian, geocentric and heliocentric, for each day throughout the year. Published yearly, new editions are available beginning in November for the coming new year.

According to Rudolf Steiner, every step taken by Christ during his ministry between the baptism in the Jordan and the resurrection was in harmony with--and an expression of--the cosmos. The Journal for Star Wisdom is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ. It is intended to help provide a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this dimension that has been missing from Christianity in its two-thousand-year history.

Readers can begin on this path by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) today in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning, in a living way, to the life of Christ in the etheric cosmos.

Christian Star Calendar 2009 by Robert Powell, David Tresemer, and William Bento (Sophia Foundation Press) pp 82 A yearly astrological calendar, with ephemeris, using a sidereal zodiac, with heliocentric and hermetic calculations and articles correlating astrological configurations in such a way that the reader can experiences between the macrocosm and the macrocosm throughout the year, with special reference to the life of Christ.

Christian Star Calendar 2008 by Robert Powell (Sophia Foundation Press) pp 79 A yearly astrological calendar, with ephemeris, using a sidereal zodiac, with heliocentric and hermetic calculations and articles correlating astrological configurations in such a way that the reader can experiences between the macrocosm and the macrocosm throughout the year, with special reference to the life of Christ.

Christian Star Calendar 2007 by Robert Powell (Sophia Foundation Press) pp 78 A yearly astrological calendar, with ephemeris, using a sidereal zodiac, with heliocentric and hermetic calculations and articles correlating astrological configurations in such a way that the reader can experiences between the macrocosm and the macrocosm throughout the year, with special reference to the life of Christ.

Cosmic Dances of the Planets by Robert Powell, and Lacquanna Paul (Sophia Foundation Press) A guide and format for learning the seven cosmic dances which celebrate the creative streaming of the seven classical planets. Based on the Choreocosmic dance developed by Robert Powell.

Cosmic Dances of the Zodiac by Robert Powell, and Lacquanna Paul (Sophia Foundation Press) A guide and format for learning the twelve cosmic dances which celebrate the creative streaming of the twelve zodiacal. Based on the Choreocosmic dance developed by Robert Powell. A companion volume to Cosmic Dances of the Planets.

Hermetic Astrology: Towards a New Wisdom of the Stars by Robert Powell (Birgit Schmidt U. Martin Schmidt, Hermetika V)

The Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven: Sophia and the New Star Wisdom by Robert Powell (Sophia Foundation Press) 'Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven' (Matthew 24 : 30). What exactly do these words mean? The deeper significance of these biblical words is explored in this book, which is concerned with a new wisdom of the stars in the light of Divine Sophia, and which is intended as a help at the present time. For now humanity is called upon to be extremely wakeful in the period leading up to the end of the Mayan calendar in the year 2012. The forces of light are acting all the time, however, leaving us free. It is up to us to choose consciously to connect with the forces of light, to 'link hands' with them, in the spirit of serving the higher goals of humanity's evolution. The great archetype is the Son of Man, whose every step was - and is - aligned with the Divine Will expressed through the planets as they move against the background of the fixed stars. Exploring the profundity of this archetype, the possibility emerges that we can learn to consciously align our will with the Divine Will expressed in the heavens. The purpose of this book is to remind us of the great heavenly archetype underlying our existence here on Earth, and thus help us in our daily lives. The various themes explored are intended to alert us to and help us find the guidance and inspiration to stand and act in the right way in the coming period of time - to allow the beings who 'live in the stars' to say what we need to know for our life on the Earth. Chapters include: Toward a New Wisdom of the Stars; The Zodiac; Christ and the Zodiac; The Start of the New Millennium; The Sophianic Millennium; The Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven; Appendix: The Divine Mother. Robert Powell is an internationally known lecturer, author, eurythmist, and movement therapist. He is founder of the Choreocosmos School of Cosmic and Sacred Dance, co-founder of the Sophia Foundation of North America, and adjunct faculty at Wisdom University. He received his doctorate for his thesis on the History of the Zodiac. His published works include: The Sophia Teachings, a six-tape series, as well as the following books: Divine Sophia-Holy Wisdom, The Most Holy Trinosophia and the Revelation of the Divine Feminine, The Sophia Teachings, Chronicle of the Living Christ, Christian Hermetic Astrology, The Christ Mystery, and the yearly Christian Star Calendar. Robert teaches the cosmic dances of the planets and signs of the zodiac and facilitates sacred celebrations dedicated to the Divine Feminine. He offers workshops in Europe and North America, and leads pilgrimages to the world's sacred sites.

 

 

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