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What Do Astrologers Believe? - Nicholas Campion

Granta Books
112pp priced at £6.99.

Reviewed by Claire Chandler in Astrology Quarterly Spring 2007

Although drawing heavily on his PhD thesis, this book is not just a rehash of statistics. Campion goes into the ways that various statistical studies can contradict each other, also how astrologers can happily hold views that contradict other vews that they hold dear without realising the conflict of their position. He also explores what lay people and astrologers think astrology is. This is far more than a rehash of various questionnaires. Seeing the data laid out this way certainly shakes up your thoughts about what you think.

He then goes over the origins of our art – and not just from a western perspective. What is always impressive about Campion's work is that he doesn't limit himself to examining solely western material.
The first chapters of the book look at the principles which underlie much of astrology. These philosophical underpinnings are often referred to by a certain type of individual, usually in an enigmatic fashion with no desire to enlighten; only to intimidate. Could it be that they wish to keep the gold for themselves? As this is a short book, there really is no excuse for not giving the first half of this book its due attention.

When information is implicit, or hidden in the assumptions framing a system, it remains unconscious and we are unaware of it unless we actively seek it out. As astrologers we work within a paradigm and surely we should spend some time getting to grips with what we think it is? What do we think we're doing? Campion provides some of the clues here.
The second half is based on real examples and the astrology is very bread and butter, but this isn't meant to be a virtuoso performance. You don't demonstrate principles by going straight to a symphony; you start with chords and scales. Campion uses basic astrology to build on the theoretical foundation laid in the first half. This is not a book to tell you how to do astrology. This is a work to help you discover your opinion about what you think you're doing when you do charts.

I recently had a conversation with another astrologer, who said he didn't care about the history of astrology, that he wanted contemporary practical astrology. The implication was that he wasn't too concerned with philosophy either. It has also been put to me that philosophy is not astrology.

Whatever your interests, it is plainly apparent to me that the history of our art has lead us to where we are now and that there is a philosophy which is implicit within, and which frames our art. I believe it is our duty to maximise our understanding of this and appreciate the associated connotations. This book certainly gives us a place to start.

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