Astrology. The Library of Esotericism

Since the dawn of human history, individuals from diverse cultures and belief systems have gazed at the sky in search of answers. The movements of celestial bodies and their influence on our mortal lives are at the heart of astrology, a millennia-old discipline respected, even revered, which has allowed humanity to deepen its understanding of itself and the world around it.

While the horoscope is the most trivial form of astrological information we know today, its origins lie in Mesopotamia. As Andrea Richards reminds us in Astrology, the second volume of TASCHEN's Library of Esotericism, astronomy and astrology were once twin sciences: the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in alignment with the constellations, the Persians erected the first observatory, and even Galileo provided horoscopes for the Medicis. With the Renaissance and the advent of exact sciences, however, astrological practice slipped into domains where mystery was still permitted, permeating literature, the arts, and psychology, inspiring artists and thinkers like Goethe, Byron, and Blake, to finally be popularized in the modern era by Theosophists and other New Age adherents.

Compiled under the editorial direction of Jessica Huntley, this thrilling visual history of Western astrology is the first extensive collection ever published on the subject, focusing on the symbolic meaning of some 400 images, from Egyptian temples to contemporary art, including illuminated manuscripts. The works of Alphonse Mucha, Hilma af Klint, Arpita Singh, and Manzel Bowman are arranged in sequences that reflect the revolution of the planets and the cycle of the zodiac. Enriched with excerpts from interviews with leading contemporary astrologers such as Robert Hand, Jessica Lanyadoo, and Mecca Woods, Astrology celebrates the stars and the mysterious influence they exert on our daily lives.