Keys to Unlock Astrology

Keywords used in interpretation of zodiac signs and astrological houses are a handy tool, especially helpful to beginners who wish to learn more about the ancient art. There are several websites online offering lists of keywords - for example HERE, under "Introduction to Astrology."
Among astrology-related books lining my shelves is "Astrological Keywords" by Manly P. Hall. The author is described here as:

"One of the metaphysical giants of the Twentieth Century, Manly P. Hall spent decades researching eastern philosophy, occult studies, astrology, and a wide variety of related topics at a time when such subjects were still unknown territory in the western world. It is in no small measure due to his extensive writings and teachings that these subjects are so widely known today.

A prime example of the visionary Balsamic Moon type, Hall had Sun in Pisces, Moon in Aquarius. He earned an honorary Ph.D. in literature, was a 33rd Degree Mason, was a Rosicrucian initiate, and wrote over 200 books."

Another post on Manly P. Hall, among the archives, can be read HERE.

Astrological Keywords has been re-printed many times from 1958 onward, my copy is the 1978 version. It contains a treasure trove of astrological information. I'm borrowing, here, from the last chapter headed: "Snap Judgment".

Mr. Hall tells us that

"While a detailed analysis of character depends upon a profound knowledge of the science of astrology, the possession of certain fundamental keywords enables the student to arrive at remarkable conclusions, which, while not complete, will adequately demonstrate the accuracy of astrology."

For me, this pencil sketch style can often be far more convincing than pages and pages of scholarly interpretation.

Mr. Hall provides 8 examples to illustrate his point. I'll borrow his snap judgments about three of the best known personalities he features.

"Abraham Lincoln -
Aries rising - courageous, ambitious, idealistic. Sun in Aquarius - humanitarian, religious, progressive, tolerant. Neptune, Saturn and Antares (fixed star) conjoined in 8th house: a tragic and violent death. Mars and Uranus in 7th house: unhappy marriage. Capricorn in mid-heaven: high honor and great sense of public duty and responsibility. Venus opposing ascendant in Aries - features irregular but conveying an impression of beauty, sweetness or kindliness. A glance reveals these elements in the horoscope of America's martyred president, Abraham Lincoln.

Sir Francis Bacon
Aquarius rising with Sun opposite ascendant "spiritual and scientific progressivisim and diplomacy. Sun in 12th house: disgrace or imprisonment. Mercury conjunct Sun in 12th: the brilliance of his mind left unrewarded and obscured by the enmity of his contemporaries. Sagittarius on mid-heaven: high philosophical and religious attainments. Uranus in 10th house: erratic fortune and public place. Mars in Scorpio in 9th house: religious and political intrigue. This is an astrological sketch of the personality of Sir Francis Bacon, Chancellor of the British Empire and father of modern science.

Thomas Edison
Scorpio rising, a scientist. Leo on 10th house, a leader. Sun in Aquarius, a mind turned to Aquarian concerns - an inventor. Mercury in Aquarius, electricity. Neptune in Aquarius an inventor and investigator. Thus we may sum up the outstanding characteristics of Thomas Edison." (Inventor of the light bulb, among other things).

I didn't realise, until I'd finished typing these, that the subjects are all Sun Aquarians. I looked quickly through the other 5 examples in the chapter and oddly there's another Sun Aquarian, an Aquarius rising, a Pisces rising, a Sun Pisces, and a Leo Sun with Uranus in Aquarius. The author, Manly P. Hall, had Sun in Pisces, Moon in Aquarius (as stated in his memorial above). I wonder whether there was a little astrological nepotism going on here? Or are Aquarius and Pisces, for some reason, best able to demonstrate the efficacy of snap judgments? Curious.

[This is a lightly edited post from my earliest astrology blogging days.]

Eliphas Levi ~ Magic, Mysteries & Man

Noting that transiting Neptune is still closely conjunct my natal Jupiter in Pisces, I decided I should be writing about something, or someone, mystical and magical. How about Eliphas Levi? I didn't find any natal chart for him online - I should remedy that, at least!

Who was he then?

His birth name was Alphonse Louis Constant - but he is better known by his pseudonym Eliphas Levi. He was born on February 8, 1810, in Paris, son of a shoemaker. He died in Paris on 31 May 1875. He studied for the priesthood before becoming a writer, mystic, magician, and prominent name in that foggy realm . He had links to various characters of his time, famous within their own circles: socialist and feminist Flora Tristan; fellow mystic M. Ganneau, "messianic mathematician" Jozef Maria Hoëhne-Wronski; British novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton; and French sculptress Marie-Noémi Cadiot. He married Cadiot in 1846. He wrote two books on the magical arts, they were later combined and translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite in 1896 and titled Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual. Several more books followed, and in the prevailing atmosphere of the times were well received.

Wikipedia indicates that it was Levi who incorporated the Tarot into contemporary practice. He influenced other mystics and magicians of his time and later on, including Aleister Crowley. He was also originator of a famous "Sabbatic Goat" image and the idea that a pentagram pointing upwards represents good, while one pointing downwards represents evil. See HERE.

Natal chart of Eliphas Levi, Paris, France on 8 February 1810; it's set for 12 noon as no time of birth is available.

First thing I noticed was that Levi had no planet in an Earth sign (we can't know whether his rising sign was in Earth without a birth time). The possible absence of Earth translates to a lack of any "feet on the ground" feel in his nature; no small voice at the back of his mind whispering : "but are you sure that's not pure imagination and fantasy?" Manly P. Hall, another mystical character, born some 90 years later, did have a solid Capricorn anchor to his chart, along with a comparable mix of Aquarius and Pisces to that of Levi. I suppose good helpings of Aquarius and Pisces could be considered as "usual suspects" when considering magically mysterious characters: Aquarius' inquiring Airy mind mixed with Pisces' deep, dreamy creativity.

Levi had Neptune conjunct Saturn, so Pisces modern ruler was conjoined with his Aquarius Sun's traditional ruler! He also had his Sun's modern ruler Uranus in Pluto-ruled Scorpio, in harmonious trine to his Pluto/Mars conjunction in Pisces. This might be a pointer to his draw towards "the dark side".

Aries Moon doesn't strike quite the right note. Moon would have been in Aries, whatever Levi's time of birth. Moon could well have been conjunct Jupiter though; Jupiter relates to religion and philosophy - maybe a reflection of his early training for the priesthood? Another reflection of that can be seen in his Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) conjunction of Saturn/Neptune.


The illustration which led me to write this post appears in an old book of mine; to save scanning the image from the book I found a version of the illustration on line, this one in colour. My book states that the drawing was produced for Manly P. Hall, astrologer and metaphysician (see my post on him and his natal chart HERE)

 The Grand Man of the Zohar

Text beneath the black and white illustration my book, Best of the Illustrated National Astrological Journal 1933-35

Eliphas Levi thus describes the Great Prototypal Man: “That synthesis of the word, formulated by the human figure, ascended slowly and emerged from the water, like the sun in its rising. When the eyes appeared, light was made; when the mouth was manifested, there was the creation of spirits and the word passed into expression. The entire head was revealed, and this completed the first day of creation. The shoulders, the arms, the breast arose, and thereupon work began. With one hand the Divine Image put back the sea, while with the other it raised up continents and mountains. The Image grew and grew; the generative organs appeared, and all beings began to increase and multiply. The form stood at length erect, having one foot upon the earth and one upon the waters. Beholding itself at full length in the ocean of creation, it breathed on its own reflection and called its likeness into life. It said: Let us make man—and thus man was made. There is nothing so beautiful in the masterpiece of any poet as this vision of creation accomplished by the prototype of humanity. Hereby is man but the shadow of a shadow, and yet he is the image of divine power. He also can stretch forth his hands from East to West; to him is the earth given as a dominion. Such is Adam Kadmon, the primordial Adam of the Kabalists. Such is the sense in which he is depicted as a giant; and this is why Swedenborg, haunted in his dreams by reminiscences of the Kabalah, says that entire creation is only a titanic man and that we are made in the image of the universe.” (From The History of Magic)

And from HERE:

The symbol of Primordial Man, the first being to emerge with the creation of the cosmos is common to a number of religious and philosophical traditions. The Upanishads describe a primal man composed of the very elements which were to become the world. According to the Upanishads this "gigantic divine being" is both infinitely far and deposited near the innermost recesses of the human heart. Indeed, in the Hindu tradition, the Primordial Man is identified both with the entire Universe and the soul or essence of all things.

Interestingly, a similar image is found in Plutarch who relates that the entirety of the heavens is arranged in the form of a macroanthropos, a colossal human being who is conceived as a model for the human world. For Plutarch, the sun is at the heart of this being and the moon, the sun¹s androgynous messenger, is located in between the heart and belly.

The Primordial Man is also an important symbol in Gnosticism. The Gnostics inferred from the verse in Genesis "Let us make man in our own image" that the first earthly man was created on the model of a cosmic Adam on high.

I rather fancy an idea that, originally, before the Big Bang, there was one ginormous humanoid creature who disseminated - either accidentally or on purpose - to become us and our universe. Well...it's as believable as anything else on offer!

Religion and Astrology

The illustration below comes from "The Best of the Illustrated National Astrological Journal, 1933 - 1935" (compilation pubd.1978). It's an old volume I bought sometime ago while on our travels.

There's a network of copyrights surrounding the contents of the volume, articles from magazines. The book itself is copyrighted, and the illustration below is marked "copyrighted to Manly P. Hall", yet is also marked "redrawn from
Lenoir's La Franche-Maconnerie".

Before proceeding:

Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s).

The Lenoir mentioned above is French art historian and archaeologist Alexandre Lenoir (1761-1839) who attempted in his 1814 publication La Franche-Maconnerie to establish the doctrine of the direct descent of Freemasonry from the ancient Mysteries, and especially from the Egyptian. The illustration must be part of Lenoir's attempt to make his point, I guess. The artist who re-drew the illustration from Lenoir's publication isn't named, perhaps Manly P. Hall copied it himself? (The link is to an earlier post about him).

The illustration accompanied an article by Manly P. Hall: Astrology as a Religion. I don't see that as being at all a desirable proposition, though interesting enough to ponder upon. M.P. Hall finishes his piece with the following paragraph:

Ancient astrologers were wiser than their modern imitators, for they were in possession of a secret doctrine relating to the mysteries of the constellations. If this doctrine could be re-established it would go far to clarify the all-too- complicated issues of modern life, as well as re-elevate astrology to its true position of dignity as the cornerstone of the house of human learning. Pagan and Christian alike are united by astrology, for all faiths - with the possible exception of a few primitive forms - are astrological in origin. This fact alone should develop tolerance in matters of religion and incline us to study the sacred science of the stars and learn the inner import of their revelations.

For easier reading I've copy-typed, and re-spaced, the explanation included with the illustration.

"Zodiacal Symbols in World Religions"

"At the left of the plate stands Mohammed, holding aloft pages from the Koran, his left foot upon an image which he has over thrown.

Behind Mohammed the Celestial Bull - signifying the constellation of Taurus - opens the "Egg of the Year" with his horns.

At the lower right is a bas-relief of the Persion Sun God, Mithras, in an attitude signifying the conquest of the sun over the Celestial Bull at the ancient vernal equinox.

In the center stands the High Priest of Israel, his right arm encircling the base of the seven-branched candlestick - the Mosaic symbol of the Planetary Governors of the world.

To his right is the statue of the golden calf and to his left the robed figures of the Greek mystics bearing a tripod in which burns the sacrificial fire.

Behind the bull Apis, crowned with the lunar globe, and Father Nile, bearing the horn of plenty and pouring the waters of life from his urn, loom the Pyramids - the great Egyptian temples of initiation.

In the clouds at the left is the seated figure of Jupiter Ammon, brandishing a flaming thunderbolt and horned to signify that he partakes of the attributes of the zodiacal ram.

In the heavens appears the mystery of the Apocalypse. The four creatures of Ezekiel's Vision surround an altar upon which is the Book of Seven Seals and the Lamb of God. At the upper left is the band of the zodiac. The constellations of Taurus, Aries and Pisces represent the stellar influences which - according to the ancients - descending upon the earth, are responsible for the establishment of the religious and philosophical institutions herein set forth."

(Note: Unless I'm missing something he didn't mention the topmost figures, which I take to be the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel.)

Manly P. Hall wrote: "....all faiths - with the possible exception of a few primitive forms - are astrological in origin". That's a thought upon which to chew for a while!

MANLY P. HALL, Astrologer, Mason, Mystic, etc.

On our recent travels in Texas I found another old astrology-related book in an antique store. The Best of the Illustrated National Astrological Journal covering the years 1933 to 1935, edited by E.A. Wagner, published in 1978. As might be expected, much of the content is dated and/or has been superseded by more modern trains of thought and styles of presentation. Still, it's an interesting curiosity.

An article, by Manly P. Hall, caught my eye. Everything he wrote here, with slight modification, could be applied to the USA in 2011! Our current problems, no longer related to machines, now stem from corporations.

An excerpt from the longish piece:

The Mechanistic Complex by Manly P. Hall (1933)

The autocrats ruled antiquity, the aristocrats dominated the Middle Ages, while the mechanocrats have a stranglehold upon modern civilization. Consider feudal america - a land of filching knights and robber barons. Competition has broken up the unity of the nation and transformed the lane of the free and the home of the brave into a vast battlefield of economic exploitation.

The petty princes of medieval Europe sallied forth from their castles on strategic hills to maraud the countryside. today great industrial magnates from their strongholds upon the high crest of wealth ravage the fertile plains of the nation. The armies of the robber barons of old were composed of "robot" serfs, fed and clothed that they might have strength to extend the boundaries of their scheming liege.

The modern brigand has discarded weak, puny man and is now served by an army of machines. Modern competition is a war of giants. Great grinding mechanisms, whirling with ever increasing velocity, compete in a wild banditry of production.

Humanity is forgotten, races are forgotten, nations are forgotten. The bonds of state and community, which are the warp and woof of civilization are forgotten. Every man's hand is against his brother. Ambition rides in the vanguard of each faction. .....Great industries relentlessly destroy their competitors and justify themselves by the code that life is a survival of the fittest. Why should man be more gentle and considerate of machinery than he is of a fellow human creature?............but machinery is habit-forming......A machinery-obsessed, wealth-mad creation is dashing headlong into oblivion.

The name Manly P. Hall is familiar to me from past forays into esoteric writings. I've never been strongly drawn to matters esoteric, especially anything connected with theosophy, reincarnation, the masonic community or theories about a New World Order and the Illuminati, all of which were a feature of Mr. Hall's lifestyle and writings. Such subjects do provide rich fodder for novelists and other authors and lecturers but, in my view, little in the way of simple truths applicable to everyday life. Manly P. Hall wrote about astrology too. I have his Astrological Keywords.

For any passing reader unfamiliar with Manly P. Hall and his works, some background:

Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 – August 29, 1990) was a Canadian-born author and mystic. He is perhaps most famous for his work The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy, which is widely regarded as his magnum opus, published in 1928.

He has been widely recognized as a leading scholar in the fields of religion, mythology, mysticism, and the occult.

Carl Jung, when writing Psychology and Alchemy, borrowed material from Hall’s private collection.

In 1934, Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Angeles, California, dedicating it to an idealistic approach to the solution of human problems........ In his over 70-year career, Hall delivered approximately 8,000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles. (From: http://www.manlyphall.org/)

Above: Manly P. Hall, at age 89.

Data for the natal chart of Manly P. Hall, as shown below, comes from Astrodatabank, who give the time of birth (6.02 AM) only a DD rating: "dirty data" - not reliable. I've used this time of birth even so. I have a nasty suspicion that this time might have been suggested by those who'd wish to place his natal Moon into Aquarius rather than allowing a later time of birth putting Moon in Pisces along with Ascending degree, Sun, Mercury and Venus. Aquarius lends a hint of the clear intellectual among all that foggy Pisces imagination, dreams and visions! (My opinion only, of course.)

What stands out?

South node of the Moon (a sensitive point in the chart)is at 25 Taurus - the degree of Fixed Star Algol. Algol can sometimes be found prominent in the charts of those who have some unfortunate circumstances surrounding their lives or deaths - or those who are exceptionally intense and passionate in their endeavours; extreme creativity and some connection to "the dark side" can be noted too. Although Mr. Hall lived to age 89, according to some on-line sources there were rumours that he had been assassinated. Though why someone would consider murdering a man of that age, whose time was limited anyway, is beyond me!

Heavy emphasis on Pisces - the dreamer, potentially addictive (to dreams or other substances), creative, sensitive, mystical.

Saturn in Capricorn, sign of its rulership, is the strongest positioned planet in this chart, and conjunct Jupiter represents something of an enigma. Limitation conjoins excess; restriction conjoins exaggeration. Dreams and creativity conjoin business/career (Saturn).

Neptune, modern ruler of Pisces, in Gemini lies in challenging aspect to natal Sun and, if time of birth here is correct, in harmonious trine to Moon. Such aspects to personal planets draw Neptunian traits (creativity, nebulousness, illusion) into an individual's personality.

Hall was of the Pluto/Neptune in Gemini generation which spawned some incredibly talented characters. There's no doubt at all about the talent of Manly P. Hall as a communicator, or his passion for his subject. However, talent allied with passion for a topic does not necessarily result in accurate conclusions.

Snap Judgment in Astrology

Delving into my hoard of second-hand astrology books, lucky-dip style, I came up with "Astrological Keywords" by Manly P. Hall, who is described here as:

"One of the metaphysical giants of the Twentieth Century, Manly P. Hall spent decades researching eastern philosophy, occult studies, astrology, and a wide variety of related topics at a time when such subjects were still unknown territory in the western world. It is in no small measure due to his extensive writings and teachings that these subjects are so widely known today.
A prime example of the visionary Balsamic Moon type, Hall had Sun in Pisces, Moon in Aquarius. He earned an honorary Ph.D. in literature, was a 33rd Degree Mason, was a Rosicrucian initiate, and wrote over 200 books."


This book has been re-printed many times from 1958 onward, my copy is the 1978 version. It contains a treasure trove of astro information. I'm borrowing, here, from the last chapter, "Snap Judgment".

M.P. Hall tells us that "While a detailed analysis of character depends upon a profound knowledge of the science of astrology, the possession of certain fundamental keywords enables the student to arrive at remarkable conclusions, which, while not complete, will adequately demonstrate the accuracy of astrology."

Yes, and for me this kind of pencil sketch is often far more convincing than pages and pages of scholarly interpretation.

Mr. Hall provides 8 examples to illustrate his point. I'll borrow his snap judgments about three of the best known personalities he features.


"Abraham Lincoln -
Aries rising - courageous, ambitious, idealistic. Sun in Aquarius - humanitarian, religious, progressive, tolerant. Neptune, Saturn and Antares (fixed star) conjoined in 8th house: a tragic and violent death. Mars and Uranus in 7th house: unhappy marriage. Capricorn in Midheaven: high honor and great sense of public duty and responsibility. Venus opposing ascendant in Aries - features irregular but conveying an impression of beauty, sweetness or kindliness. A glance reveals these elements in the horoscope of America's martyred president, Abraham Lincoln.

Sir Francis Bacon
Aquarius rising with Sun opposite ascendant "spiritual and scientific progressivisim and diplomacy. Sun in 12th house: disgrace or imprisonment. Mercury conjunct Sun in 12th: the brilliance of his mind left unrewarded and obscured by the enmity of his contemporaries. Sagittarius on midheaven: high philosophical and religious attainments. Uranus in 10th house: erratic fortune and public place. Mars in Scorpio in 9th house: religious and political intrigue. This is an astrological sketch of the personality of Sir Francis Bacon, Chancellor of the British Empire and father of modern science.

Thomas Edison
Scorpio rising, a scientist. Leo on 10th house, a leader. Sun in Aquarius, a mind turned to Aquarian concerns - an inventor. Mercury in Aquarius, electricity. Neptune in Aquarius an inventor and investigator. Thus we may sum up the outstanding characteristics of Thomas Edison." (Inventor of the light bulb, among other things).

I didn't realise until I'd typed these that they're all Sun Aquarians. I looked quickly through the other 5 examples in the chapter and oddly there's another Sun Aquarian, an Aquarius rising, a Pisces rising, a Sun Pisces, and a Leo Sun with Uranus in Aquarius. The author, Manly P. Hall, had Sun in Pisces, Moon in Aquarius (as stated in his memorial above). I wonder whether there was a little astrological nepotism going on here? Or are Aquarius and Pisces, for some reason, best able to demonstrate the efficacy of snap judgments? Curious.