更新时间：2023-04-29 11:07
Alan Leo was born a Leo Sun with Virgo Rising, in Westminster, London on August 7, 1860. His Moon in Aries was in an exact trine to his Sun. He was brought up by his mother in difficult circumstances and had no formal education beyond grade school. His given name was William Frederick Allan. He pursued various employments but found nothing satisfactory until he became a traveling salesman for a vending machine company.
~ A Biography~
He stayed in that work until 1898, according to The Astrology Encyclopedia, at 326.
Leo taught himself astrology and in 1888 became acquainted with another astrologer, F.W. Lacey. Through Lacey he met W. Gorn Old, who belonged to the inner circle of the Theosophical Society. Leo joined the Society in 1890 and formed a partnership with Lacey to publish ASTROLOGER'S Magazine. For years the magazine advertised a free chart reading for new subscribers. Leo met his wife through such an advertisement.
Lacey withdrew in 1894 to pursue other interests, and left Leo as the sole proprietor. By 1898, the prosperity of his magazine was such that Leo was able to abandon his sales job and give his full energies to astrology. His Modern Astrology Publishing Company grew steadily and built up a big business in astrological materials. In the early 1900s, he wrote several substantial books as well as a number of short works on astrology. The former were so popular that they were repeatedly reprinted, and almost a century later they are still in print.
Alan Leo, depicted in his own horoscope.
The Real Zodiac
by Alan Leo
The Explanation
Secret Doctrine,
What is the Zodiac?
What then is the Zodiac?
In a word, the Zodiac is ?The Earth's orbit around the Sun.
This statement requires a little thought to make its meaning clear, for the Sun is often spoken of as moving through the Zodiac at the rate of one sign a month, or one degree a day. The distinction implied is more apparent than real, for since the Earth makes one complete revolution about the Sun in a year, the Sun, as viewed from the standpoint of the Earth, will appear to move in a contrary direction ?just as objects viewed from a moving train appear to move in the reverse direction ?at the same rate, the whole circle in 365.5 days, or roughly a degree a day.
The whole meaning of the Zodiacal Signs and their various influences is based upon ? the presence of the Earth at various points of its orbit. The starting point is the first point of Aries; half way round the circle is the first point of Libra; and points of the circle intermediate between these represent in a similar way the first points of Cancer and Capricorn respectively, the other signs taking up their positions in due order between these cardinal points.
That is all. It is really so simple that it seems hardly necessary to talk of an explanation. Yet many even well-informed people are quite unable, if anybody asks them, to give a clear explanation of what an astrologer means by the Zodiac.
Why are the Constellations of Irregular Extent?
A word or two may be added as to the irregularity of extent of the constellations. The cause of this irregularity may be conceived as due either to our ignorance of the true limits of each constellation ?points on which astronomers are by no means agreed ?or else to the circle of this Great Zodiac being to some extent oblique
As regards the constellations, it may be said briefly that the Zodiac of the Constellations would seem to be concerned with macrocosmic evolution, or the life of the Solar System as a whole, as distinguished from microcosmic or human evolution, which is demonstrably related to the Zodiac of the Signs; and that every point in each circle corresponds with the equivalent point in the other. - Corresponds,
With these considerations, we may dismiss all thought of the Constellations, with which we have now nothing further to do, from our minds.
The Real Zodiac
I should have begun by saying that we have found by experiment that it is the apparent positions of the heavenly bodies with regard to the place where the figure is set, or where the events enquired about are, that should be regarded in astrology. Now all the events we are concerned with in practice take place on Earth ?on this planet ?therefore we are always concerned with the positions of the heavenly bodies with regard to the Earth. Another vital fact, also established by experience (though we do not know how it was originally discovered), is that the first point of Aries is the point for us on Earth to measure from ?it gives us our orientation.
THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
1860-1917. William Frederick Allan (Alan Leo)
This man must be acclaimed as the father of modern astrology.
Working with his wife and a devoted group of friends, he travelled all over England, lecturing on astrology. He edited the magazine Modern Astrology and was an indefatigable worker as a professional astrologer. His major achievement was the writing of thirty books, in which he made a complete restatement of astrology. From now on, the emphasis lay on the study of the human being, events in his life being shown to be largely, though not entirely, consequent on his own character.
In 1915, he founded the Astrological Lodge of London, which still carries on the spirit of his teaching. The high principles of Alan Leo and his understanding of the ancient wisdom through theosophical teachings, gave pure astrology an ethical status and lifted it away from fortune-telling and commercialism. Through the world-wide ramifications of the Theosophical Society, his books and teachings spread to all countries.
Alan Leo's work has long been out of print, and was republished in the 1960s and 1970s in England. Two books recommended by your author, if you can find them are How to Judge a Nativity and Art of Synthesis.
The second book, Art of Synthesis was originally named How to Judge a Nativity, Part II
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