Benjamin Franklin and the Ancient Science of Astrology

Views on Astrology by the Enlightened Benjamin Franklin

As you know, the First American, Benjamin Franklin, grew rich from the sales of his Poor Richard's Almanack, and is known to have been a prominent Freemason, scientist, and astrologer. These days, some folk say he was no astrologer, only an almanac writer and publisher. That's nonsense! Yet I am certain that Dr. Franklin can speak for himself on the topic of Astrology with his punctuation and spelling retained:

“Courteous Reader: Astrology is one of the most ancient Sciences, held in high Esteem of old, by the Wise and Great. Formerly, no Prince would make War or Peace, nor any General fight a Battle, in short, no important Affair was taken without first consulting an Astrologer, who examined the Aspects and Configurations of the heavenly bodies, and mark’d the lucky hour. Now the noble Art (more Shame to the Age we live in!) is dwindled into contempt; the Great neglect us, Empires make Leagues, and Parliaments Laws, without advising with us; and scarce any other Use is made of our learned Labors, than to find the best time cutting Corns, or gelding Pigs, – this Mischief we owe in a great Measure to ourselves: The ignorant Herd of Mankind: had they not been encourag’d to it by some of us, would never have dared to deprecate our sacred Dictates; but Urania has been betray’d by her own Sons: those whom she had favored with the greatest skill in her divine art, the most eminent astronomers among the Moderns, the Newtons, Helleys, and Whistons have wantonly condem’d and abus’d her, contrary to the Light of their own Conscience.”

Whew! Ben calling out Sir Isaac Newton, one of Thomas Jefferson's three philosophical idols along with Bacon and Locke for as you know, Mr. Jefferson hung portraits of The Three in his temple-observatory, Monticello. And thanks to the astrological astuteness of Franklin and Jefferson, the American people were saved from owning the Saturn-ruled Capricorn Moon of July 2, 1776 (famously the favored date of John Adams) which opposed the Cancer Sun and have instead enjoyed the airier, humanitarian Aquarius Moon of July 4, 1776.

Speaking of Ben Franklin and Astrology, here's a brief presentation which might interest you:

Actually you may wish to consider the hidden, more unconscious or karmic information residing in the Full Moon horoscope of July 1, 1776 for debate concerning American independence certainly occurred under its influence. Significantly, this is America's Syzygy Moon, the lunation prior to the founding of our country across the Cancer-Capricorn axis of Security as Franklin and the rest debated and planned a 'New Order of the Ages' under peril of their own lives. Note that all the planets are in the usual signs of for the USA with the obvious exception of the Moon and the not-so-obvious exception of goddess planet Venus not yet in her July 4th sign of Moon-ruled Cancer and at a critical-crisis 29th degree of Mercury-ruled Gemini. Mercury was retrograde as on July 4th which to me describes the final (re-) signing of the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776 when Mercury, planet of signings, writing, and agreements, had turned Direct (which is preferred!)

Now here is a very much related post: Horoscope and the Hidden Dynamic of the American Revolution set for the 'first shot fired'.

Genius, occultist, philosopher, and probable Rosicrucian, Benjamin Franklin, was born January 17, 1706 (NS) at 10:30 am LMT (+4:44:14) in Boston, Massachusetts under the influence of a Capricorn Sun (27:12 conjunct US natal Pluto) and a Pisces Moon (5:20), a humanitarian combo of a scientist-poet-dreamer, a lover of mysteries with a talent for bringing order out of chaos. (Harvey.)

View Ben Franklin's natal horoscope at astrodatabank where you'll note that Isaac Starkman has rectified Ben's chart to 9:37:20 am LMT which, among other things, changes his fiery Ascendant from Mars-ruled Aries to an intuitive, mystical 13Pis40, making philosophical Jupiter and higher octave Neptune his chart-ruler and sub-ruler and gives him an earlier 4Pis49 Moon. A Pisces Ascendant is intriguing considering the very secretive Dr. Franklin yet given his amazing physical energy, a 9th house Mars as chart-ruler makes sense, too. Of course, other factors apply as well with an earlier birth time. What do you think?