Reality

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 10 Featuring Astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius

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!

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 8 Featuring Astrologer and Developer Henry Seltzer

Throw an apple, touch off a war. The story of Eris. Original Link.

Throw an apple, touch off a war. The story of Eris. Original Link.

On episode eight of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed astrologer Henry Seltzer. I’ve been a big fan of Henry’s for a long time, becoming introduced to his software TimePassages by Susan Miller of Astrology Zone fame. I started learning astrology through his iPhone app and later attended a summer 2013 lecture he and Susan gave at the Apple Store in Soho, under a full moon no less. In this podcast we discuss Henry’s book The Tenth Planet which delves into the astrological Eris. You can purchase it here. Our conversation centered around his research into the dwarf planet, Eris, and how she functions in astrology. People as wide ranging as D.H. Lawrence, Andrea Dworkin, and Carl Jung came up while we explored Henry’s findings that have lead him to classify Eris as a feminine warrior archetype for soul purpose.

This episode was recorded in early November 2019 after the new moon in Scorpio at the end of October. The transits mentioned cover November 2019 generally.

Time Stamps for Time Keepers

0-3:56 Introduction, Henry’s biography, how Henry got into astrology, how does astrology work? what is astrology?

3:57-5:24 Henry as a man of letters both in the English language and the language of computer science. (I’ve been moved many times over the years by Henry’s spontaneous recitations of poetry during lectures and broadcasts)

5:25-10:59 Henry’s book about Eris and the discovery and “birth” of Eris, defining the Western worldview, higher, non 3D dimensions, the significance of the number of planets, defining the planets and their classifications

11:00-14:40 Meaning of Eris astrologically vs her mythological origins

Henry mentions the famous astrologer Rick Tarnas who elucidates how a God’s origin, in this case Uranus, can reemerge as a different planetary archetype, just as Henry holds with Eris. Purchase his book Prometheus the Awakener below to explore this concept.

14:41-22:14 Shakespeare “what’s in a name?”, Romeo and Juliet, story of Eris and Henry’s interpretation of the myth astrologically vs. mythologically 

22:15-25:46 How Henry became attracted to Eris through astronomy and the symbolic interpretation of literal language

25:47-29:46 Numerology of the tenth planet, Kabbalah and Sephirot, the new millennium, the perilous times, and the numerology of the number 10 

Tarot of Dreams is a Great Tarot Deck that Uses Kabbalah. Purchase Below.

Tarot of Dreams
By Ciro Marchetti, Lee Bursten
Buy on Amazon

29:47-31:22 Henry’s design of the Eris glyph

31:23-39:46 Astrology chart examples involving Eris

39:47-44:06 Eris’s energy as do or die in the U.S. Chart and 9/11

44:07-47:46 Does Eris rule a sign? 

47:47-52:29 Jung’s dreams of Sigfried in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, trying to kill ideal beauty, the subconscious, societal expectations, and the Red Book

We briefly discussed Jung’s Red Book which was a culmination of a lifetime’s work and expresses Jung’s experience with dreams and their creative, spiritual, and collective material. Purchase below.

52:30-56:15 Expression of Eris by gender  

56:16-57:29 Difference between Pluto and Eris as far as their respective mysteries and compulsivities

57:30-1:00:39 Which sign, if any, does Eris rule? We speculate that she might rule the Via Combusta region of the zodiac, which spans from 15 Libra to 15 Scorpio

1:00:40-closing remarks

Extended Notes

Here is a link to the D.H. Lawrence poem mentioned, Give Us Gods
Here is a link to Henry’s website

Purchase Henry’s Eris Book Below