Cosmos, Chaosmos and Astrology
Rethinking the Nature of Astrology
by Bernadette Brady
This work radically rethinks astrology’s place in society. Emerging when cultures were embedded in chaotic creation mythology, astrology has persisted into modern society. Reasons for this longevity are an enigma, yet the answer may lie in chaos theory and complexity. These theories reveal that the themes of coincidence and cycles, constitutive of chaotic creation mythologies, are in fact the common features of a lived life experience. Brady argues that astrology is actually a vernacular expression of chaos and complexity, and it thus offers insights into the efficacy of the synchronicities of life. Brady thereby offers us a profound reassessment of astrology and its cultural contexts.
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Abstract
Dedication
Acknowledgments
List of Figures
Chapter 1: Introduction
- The Nature of Chaosmos
- The Nature of Cosmos
- The Attributes of Astrology
Chapter 2: Creation Mythology, Three Paths to Order
- Order Created by Emergence
- Chaosmos, Sumpatheia and Omens
- Order Created Out of Conflict
- Order Created Out of Intellect
Chapter 3: The Privileging of Cosmos
- The Rise of Cosmos
- Chaosmos and the ‘Hocus Pocus’ of the Common Folk
Chapter 4: Astrology, the Question of Science or Spirit
- The Philosophical Origins of Astrology
- Cosmos and the Enigmatic Presence of Astrology
Chapter 5: The Return of Chaos
- Linear and Non-Linear Systems
- A Brief Overview of Chaos Theory and Complexity
- Two Types of Chaos: Entropic and Deterministic
- Complexity: A State of Becomming
- Fractals and the Patterns of Life
- Bifurcations: The Way That Change Enters Life
- Rituals, Superstition and Omens
- Attractors: The Ghost in the Machine
Chapter 6: Mapping Astrology to Chaos and Complexity
- Quality Rather Than Exactness: Life As Complicated
- Self-Similarityand Scale Invariance:
The Astrological Use of Cycles - Phase Portraits and Horoscopes
- Planetary Patterns and Strange Attractors
- Hopf Bifurcations: The Range of Expression
Within a Planetary Combination - Saddle Points and Homeostasis: The Sensitivity of Horoscopic Points
Chapter 7: Astrology and Chaosmos
- Conclusion
Glossary of Technical Terms
Chaos and Complexity Terms
Astrological Terms
Bibliography
Index