Living with Fate: The Lifestyle of Contemporary Astrologers

Astrologers are assumed to be a group of people whose lives are dictated by the stars. This position has been encouraged by ad hominem twentieth-century polemics where the astrologer is portrayed as a person of questionable mental ability who takes no responsibility for their life. These assumptions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the study of religion, nature and culture
Main Author: Brady, Bernadette 1950- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Equinox Publ. 2019
In: Journal for the study of religion, nature and culture
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Astrologer / Style of life / Fate / Determinism
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AG Religious life; material religion
AZ New religious movements
CF Christianity and Science
Further subjects:B Horoscopes
B Spirituality
B Determinism
B Astrology
B Lifestyle
B Polemics
B Fate
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Summary:Astrologers are assumed to be a group of people whose lives are dictated by the stars. This position has been encouraged by ad hominem twentieth-century polemics where the astrologer is portrayed as a person of questionable mental ability who takes no responsibility for their life. These assumptions have been informed by the definition of fate from the Classical period of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE). In contrast, my research among English-speaking astrologers revealed that their lifestyle was one where beliefs about the nature of fate varied considerably from Cicero’s views and that they used their beliefs in three ways: as an aid for their spiritual development, as a tool for personal reflection, or as a means for life-planning. The astrologers in my research actively engaged with their lives using their beliefs about fate, understanding it like a life companion rather than a life dictator.
ISSN:1749-4915
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religion, nature and culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1558/jsrnc.38060