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In contemporary astrology it is ironic that at a
time when so much is being written on this subject, so very little is
actually known of the man whose work has formed the basis of all reliable
horoscope interpretation since his lifetime. At a time when one sometimes
heirs that astrology should be purged of its medieval superstitions and
archaic formulas, many are surprised to learn that this process of
purgation and renewal was in fact already completed in the seventeenth
century with the publication in France of the Astrologia Gallica of
Jean-Baptiste Morin (known in English by his Latinized name, Morinus).
In chapter 21 of this
vast work the author demonstrated a lucid comprehension of the principles
of to: interpretative of the horoscope that has not been presented in so
succinct an outline either before or since. From the turmoil and argument
that surrounded astrology during that century. Morinus alone wrested the
logical truths of interpretation and was able to give to them an
irresistible and definitive statement. But it was too late! The beginning
scientific revolution had already begun to pass by the ancient science
whose accumulation of superstition had made it seem foolish. And although
astrology's icings association with the Ptolemaic system of astronomy dealt
it an unfair but heavy blow, its timeless vision of man is micro- ea cosmic
or mirror of the interplay pf celestial forces was never completely
forgotten. The fact remains, in any case, that in an historical context the
present work is the single most important document on the: subject of
interpretation since the Tetrabiblos itself, although the original work has
up to now been unknown to the English-speaking peoples, and the debt owed
by astrologers to the work of Morinus has not been realized.
Morinus was born in
1583, the son of modestly well-off parents. He received a doctorate in
medicine front the University
of Avignon in 1613
but during the twelve years he practiced this profession he was never happy
and stated he felt he was treated as a domestic by the two patrons in ways:
service he was employed as a physician. After being introduced to Astrology
by one William Davidson, a Scot residing in Paris at that time, Morinus later
presided that in the year 1617 his employer, the Bishop of Boulogne, would
be arrested and imprisoned. When this actually occurred it won Morinus
certain fame and he began to be consulted by the high-born and the
important, including Queen Marie de Medicis herself. In 1629 the Queen
interceded with the King on behalf of Morinus who had applied for
appointment to the chair of mathematics at the College de France, and in
September of that year he left the service of the Duke of Luxembourg and
took up his duties as professor of mathematics.
There is no evidence
that Morinus was ever employed by Cardinal Richelieu, though it is quite
possible the Cardinal may at some time have asked Morinus for a
consultation. In any case the reader may wonder just why Morinus felt so unjustly treated at the hands of Cardinal Richelieu as
this is never made clear in the text, although Morinus alludes in many
places to his dislike of Richelieu.
Several of the reigning
monarchs in Europe at the time - including the king of France- had offered a large sum
of money to be awarded to anyone who discovered- reliable method for the
calculation of geographic longitudes, as this had long been felt necessary,
and particularly for determining precise locations in sea travel. Morinus
developed a method for this based on the following procedure: The elevation
of the Moon was measured from a star whose position was known exactly, and
from this the right ascension and latitude as well as ifs longitude and
declination were obtained. It was necessary then to calculate according to
tables the time when the Moon had this same position in the sky in the
place for which the tables were compiled and of which the longitude was
known. The difference in time when converted into degrees would give the
position of the ship.
On March 30, 1634, in
the great hall of to: arsenal at Paris, Morinus gay: a demonstration of his
“Science of Longitudes'' before an assemblage of 300 persons including
eight commissioners designated by Richelieu, as well as mathematicians,
prelates, and members of the court. After questioning and discussions
lasting six hours a verdict of approval was given by the mathematicians
present.
Nevertheless, for
reasons which are nuclear Cardinal Richelieu summoned eve of the
commissioners ten dap later and without allowing Morinus to be present
reversed the earlier decision. Morinus bitterly resented this and never
forgave Richelieu. After the publication
of the Science of Longitudes in July, 1634, he solicited letters from
well-known astronomers throughout Europe on the value and correctness of
his work and the: in 1636 published this correspondence, although it in no
way caused Richelieu to reverse his
decision.
However, after
Richelieu had been dead for three years, Marinas prepared a lengthy report
summarizing all that had occurred, and after enlisting the support of the
Duke d'Arles and the Prince de Conde and other important nobles, he
submitted the report to the Royal Council in 1645 with the intention of
obtaining the financial reward that had originally been promised. At last a
favorable decision was reached and he was granted a pension of 2000| livres
per year (a very good sum) as well as a reward of 1000 livres direct from
the royal treasury.
Morinus's difficulties
with money had begun at an early age, and the following episode illustrates
this as well as provides an explanation for a remark in the text concerning
the unfavorable attitude of his mother towards him. When he was twelve
years old both of his parents became ill at the same time-his mother in
childbirth from which she later died, and his father from a fever from
which he was not expected to recover. During this time his older brother
asked him which of his parents he would rather see die and Morinus said he
would prefer that his father should live. His brother repeated the
conversation to his mother who from that instant until she died two days
later wanted to disinherit him, and refused to give him her (mal blessing.
The local priests, however, reminding her about the state of her soul,
really persuaded her to give this blessing and to allow him to inherit it
least the minimum legal amount. Morinus later noted that his sister
received three times what he did and his brother even more than that.
In the first section of
this book, the author examines the theories of stellar influence put forth
by Kepler and others and demonstrates with irrefutable logic what is to be
accepted or rejected in them. Morinus's argument in this section is
invaluable as a source of under- standing of the kind of disputes which
occupied the minds of the best astrologers of the period, while in the
second section of the book his own system of the principles underlying
horoscope interpretation are set forth with elegance and simplicity. A
devout man, Morinus ends this final section with a moving statement describing
the stellar forces as the primary instrument of the Divine Will in nature.
Richard S. Baldwin
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