Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 10 Featuring Astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius

Moment of Astrology

By Cornelius, Geoffrey

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The cover of Moment of Astrology features an image of Father Time, Orpheus, and a rising sun, emphasizing a ritualistic framework for astrology. The image was created by an anonymous 16th-century Venetian artist and comes from a small furniture panel in the style of Giorgione.

On episode 10 of the Star Love Podcast we welcome astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius. I’ve long been an admirer of Geoffrey’s work that has personally helped me in my astrological journey. The arguments, concepts, and stories put forth in his book Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination have profound implications not only for astrology but science, the humanities, and how each of us lives in modernity. To support the production of the Star Love Podcast, leave a tip in the Leave a Tip, Make a Wish page. Please rate us on apple podcasts, and if you’d like to sponsor a future podcast, email james@innermakeup.net.

This episode was recorded July 23, 2020 at 9 AM Central Time.

Time Stamps for Time Keepers

0-21:29  Introduction, Geoffrey’s background, his plans for the future, some of the basic concepts arising from Geoffrey’s work, and the implications of accepting those ideas

21:30-30:23 Astrologer William Lilly’s work, Geoffrey’s take on how astrologers interpret Lilly, and living in a disenchanted yet scientifically enlightened age

30:24-43:15 The meaning behind the cover of Geoffrey’s book Moment of Astrology and what it points to regarding a divinatory, ritualistic conception of astrology

43:16-53:50 The Oracle at Delphi and how and why people sought the oracle  

53:51-1:03:10 Implication of Ptolemy’s redefinition of astrology as a natural science

1:03:11-1:24:59 Skeptical arguments against astrology from Christianity, Renaissance Humanists, and Contemporary Humanists

1:25:00-1:30:55 The interaction between modern science and astrology

1:30:56-1:44:39 Fate, destiny, negotiating with destiny, and fun anecdotes

1:44:40-1:47:35 Psychoanalysis, psychology, and astrology

1:47:36-end Sun sign astrology and astrology in the wider society

Notes, Links, and Book Recommendations

Link to Geoffrey’s Website Astrodivination.com

Link to Company of Astrologers, the group Geoffrey and his colleagues founded in 1983.

Link to the speech Geoffrey delivered to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Lilly.

Make sure to pick up Geoffrey’s book The Starlore Handbook. I use this one quite a bit, and it’s beautifully straightforward with regard to the mythology behind the constellations and fixed stars.

Throughout the podcast the concept of time comes up. Authors who articulate different philosophies of time include Urusla K. Le Guin in her book The Dispossed, Thomas Pynchon in Gravity’s Rainbow, and Philip K. Dick in Time Out of Joint. Pynchon in Gravity’s Rainbow specifically references astrology, divination, psi phenomena, the Kabbalah, and tarot. Purchase the books in the embedded links.

For a great work of classic literature that deals with themes of fate, free will, character, and imagination, all concepts explored with examples in this podcast, pick up Thomas Hardy’s classic The Mayor of Casterbridge. There are many quotes from this book throughout the podcast.

The theme of enchantment vs. disenchantment comes up throughout the podcast. Salman Rushdie elucidates this beautifully through his great work of children’s literature, Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Purchase this book to get in touch with the idea that imagination is critical to life.

For an intriguing look into spirituality, faith, atheism, astrology, and skepticism, pick up famous journalist and socialite Sally Quinn’s memoir Finding Magic. There are a couple of fun stories about Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens!

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Venus' Return, and a Birthday Party for Inner Makeup

This past weekend I celebrated Venus returning to the exact point she occupied when I was born. Today, I also celebrate the birthday of Inner Makeup, the astrology business and ever evolving spiritual practice I founded two years ago. What do returns mean in astrology, and what do birthdays mean in astrology? Returns do not mean what they do in finance, a profit from an investment, rather, a return in astrology is a recapitulation of a theme, albeit slightly different, as the planetary bodies are constantly in motion. Similarly, a birthday is the exact point where the sun returns when a person or event was born, with slightly different planetary configurations.  The theme of my Venus, and her return, is drama, occupying the expressive sign of Leo; thus we endeavoured to celebrate the sweetness of Venus, the brightest “star” in the sky with a grand party where I sang the celestially-themed East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This heavenly configuration also featured the North Node of Karmic Future and Mercury, the planet of communication, in close aspect in the creative sign of Leo. Venus is also a particularly social sign, so harnessing all of this Venusian and Leo energy was paramount. Similarly, the birthday chart of Inner Makeup also featured Venus prominently, with a similar prominence in the chart emphasizing Venusian energy. But besides the sweet indulgences of Venus, how does one go about celebrating astrological phenomena?

In Western astrology, the signs symbolize the seasons, which is a wholly different conception of astrology from Indian astrology, or even NASA, whereby the signs as constellations take precedent. Western astrology is based on the sun, the amount of light shed throughout the year, and its subsequent creation of the seasons as experienced on earth. Thus, we endeavoured to offer seasonal delights for our guests to celebrate each sign, or season. Take a look below to see our interpretation of each dish as embodying each season. 

Aries, The Ram

The Sun is exalted in the sign of Aries, the fiery, powerful manifestation of spring's awakening, the spring equinox. For this, we selected spring lamb, a robust, aggressive choice paired with chimmichuri sauce.

Taurus, The Sitting Bull

If Aries is the violent burst into spring, Taurus is its beautiful flowering. For this spirit, we chose earthly tri-colored carrots paired with cumin creme fraiche. 

Gemini, The Twins

Gemini are the children of the zodiac, and exhibit a sunny, airy, playful, curious, and mischievous duality, embodying the sunniest time of the year. Confetti cookies were the natural choice!

Cancer, The Crab

Perhaps the easiest selection of the bunch, Cancer is the ancient crustacean. For this we spruced up the ceviche with a Thai-style crab. 

Leo, The Lion

The sun finds its home with the lion, the fixed, lazy days of late summer. Sweet tomatoes are to be found, and we prepared a dramatic roasted cherry tomato tart.

Libra, The Scales

Libra is literally the fall of the sun, the autumnal equinox that sheds equal day to night. Yet the fall, like love, is beautiful, and we prepared an apple pie cake to symbolize this most beautiful time of the year. 

Scorpio, The Scorpion

The most intense sign of the zodiac, where the beautiful leaves of autumn are undertaken by the sting of the scorpion, we sought to create the most daemonic dish, a dark chocolate ganache with amareno cherries. 

Sagittarius, The Archer

To capture the blunt, forward spirit of Sagittarius's arrows, we offered antipasto spears.

Capricorn, The Goat

The grounded, conservative nature of Capricorn was captured in roasted cauliflower with tzatziki and harissa sauce.

Pisces, The Fish

Along with the crab, Pisces was somewhat easy to embody, the fish. Last but not least, we prepared smoked salmon on naan bread. 

Apologies to Virgo and Aquarius, as we missed photographing you. Virgo was a virgin rose and Aquarius was an innovative orange blossom spherical ice cube drink. How are you reflected in the seasons and signs of astrology? Contact me to book an Inner Makeup session to explore your personal astrology.