Lilly, William.

Christian Astrology [Bound before:] An Easie and plain Method – Teaching How to judge upon Nativities. The Rectification of a Nativitie by Trutine of Hermes, Animodar or by Accidents. A Brief Way of Judgement, declaring those generall Accidents which in a natural course depend upon the signification of the 12 Houses of Heaven. The effects of Directions, Revolutions, Profections and Transits; the exact Measure of Time in Directions. By William Lilly, Student in Astrology” – “Ars Longa, Vita Brevis”. [Includes several sections on Women in relation to Astrology and Prophecies like for example: “″If ones Lover or wife hath a Sweet-Heart besides himself” (page 316) / “Hath she a Lover” (page 316) / “Of a Woman flying [fleeing] from her husband” (page 330) / “Of Death, Dowry, Substance of the Wife &c.” (page 404) / etc.].

Original Edition (NOT a Reprint). Two works in one Volume. London, [John Macock], 1658 / [1659]. Octavo (14,5 cm x 19 cm). Pagination: Portrait and Titlepage missing, 18 unnumbered pages “To The Reader” / “The Contents”, [1] page “To the Student in Astrology” by William Lilly / [16] unnumbered pages of “Lunar Aspects” and “Tables of Houses”, pages 25 – 832 pages plus a manuscript Index and some very few manuscript annotations in ink. [The publication on Nativities has its own titlepage on page 487 of the book]. Hardcover / Ugly, Private 20th-century binding. Poor condition, Portrait and titlepage and maybe some more pages of the Introduction missing, beginning and end of the book with frail, some detached pages with some strong fraying. Page 703 with tear. Still a very, very rare book with some amazing historical astrology and related history like “Table of Longitudes and Latitudes of certain Cities and great Towns in England” (mentioning also “Dublin in Ireland” and “Edinborough in Scotland”. The privately affixed Index condensed some secret knowledge important to the preowner of this book: “Colours of the Planets”, “Combustion”, “Face of a Planet”, “Names of Planets and Signs”, and it also mentions a case in which a “Thief to be judged of by the peregrine Planet” etc. From the 18th-century-library of one “Joseph Clark”, with his name in ink verso the titlepage of the “Nativities”: “Joseph Clark – his Book – 1765”.

William Lilly (11 May [O.S. 1 May] 1602 – 9 June 1681) has been described as “the most abused as well as the most celebrated astrologer of the seventeenth century”. Born the son of a yeoman farmer in Leicestershire, Lilly travelled to London as a youth to take up a servant’s position. Seven years later he secured his fortune by marrying his former master’s widow, allowing him the leisure to study astrology. In 1644, during the English Civil War, he published the first of many popular astrological texts,and in 1647 he published Christian Astrology, a huge compendium of astrological technique. This was the first of its kind to be printed in the English language rather than Latin, and is said to have tutored “a nation in crisis in the language of the stars”. By 1659, Lilly’s fame was widely acknowledged and his annual almanac was achieving sales of around 30,000 copies a year.

Lilly’s autobiography, published towards the end of his life in 1681, at the request of his patron Elias Ashmole, gives candid accounts of the political events of his era, and biographical details of contemporaries that are unavailable elsewhere. It was described, in the late 18th century, as “one of the most entertaining narratives in our language”, in particular for the historical portrayal it leaves of men like John Dee, Simon Forman, John Booker, Edward Kelley, including a whimsical first meeting of John Napier and Henry Briggs, respective co-inventors of the logarithm and Briggsian logarithms, and for its curious tales about the effects of crystals and the appearance of Queen Mab. In it, Lilly describes the friendly support of Oliver Cromwell during a period in which he faced prosecution for issuing political astrological predictions. He also writes about the 1666 Great Fire of London, and how he was brought before the committee investigating the cause of the fire, being suspected of involvement because of his publication of images, 15 years earlier, which depicted a city in flames surrounded by coffins.

Lilly was a controversial character who was both aided and abetted by powerful friends and enemies. He attracted the attention of many members of Parliament, through the support of Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, (to whom he dedicated his Christian Astrology), but also accused Members of Parliament of engineering charges against him in 1651. To his supporters he was an “English Merlin”; to his detractors he was a “juggling wizard and imposter”. He is described as having been a genius at something “that modern mainstream opinion has since decided cannot be done at all”, and having developed his stature as the most important astrologer in England through his social and political involvement, as well as his impact on the astrological tradition. (William Lilly)

• Keywords: 17.Jahrhundert · 17th Century · Astrologie · Astrology · Catalogue No.7 – Religion · Catalogue Twelve – Philosophy · Esoteric · Gift Ideas Rare · occult · Occulta · Prophecies · Prophecy · Prophezeiung · Prophezeiungen · Religion – Rare · Secret Knowledge · Secret Knowledge – Rare · William Lilly
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 29838AB

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