Sepharial
Dr Walter Gorn Old (born 20 March 1864, at 2:06 a.m. LMT in Handsworth, England; died 23 December 1929 in Hove, England) was a notable 19th century astrologer, better known as Sepharial.
An eminent English Theosophist, Sepharial was a well-known and respected astrologer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and wrote numerous books, some of which are still highly regarded today. He was editor of "Old Moore's Almanac", which is still published in the 21st century.
Overview
As a young man Sepharial initially studied medicine and followed this up with studies in psychology, oriental languages, astrology and numerology. In 1886 he started to write an astrology problem page in the Society Times, where he answered the public's questions, and in 1887 at the age of just 23 was admitted to the "inner sanctum" of the Theosophical Society. He was in fact one of the founder members of the Theosophical movement in England. Madame Blavatsky (whom he lived with until her death) called him "The Astral Tramp" because of his nightly explorations into the astral plane.[1]
Influential legacy
He became a very influential author in the fields of the occult, astrology and numerology, and his writings had a considerable impact on E. H. Bailey and Alan Leo, who he introduced to Theosophy. He can be credited as the first astrologer to use Earth's "dark moon" Lilith in his calculations. Genuinely erudite, Sepharial had for example a greater knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and historical methodology than most of his astrological contemporaries and this showed in his writings. Sepharial's "Degrees of the Zodiac Symbolised" (co-written with Charubel) foreshadowed Marc Edmund Jones's subsequent (and nowadays better known) work on Sabian Symbols. However, many of his books and other works were put together in a rather slapdash way, which made his reputation less enduring than it might have been. A colourful character, Sepharial started a number of astrological magazines, all of which failed to establish themselves.
Books
Sepharial wrote many books, most of which are rare and out of print. Here are a few:
- Sepharial: "New Dictionary of Astrology", republished by Arco, New York in 1964.
- Sepharial: "The New Manual of Astrology" (in four books).
- Sepharial: "Astrology Explained", republished by http://www.astrologyinaction.com in 2012.
- Sepharial: "The Book Of The Simple Way" Pub 1904. (Translation of Lao Tzu's Chinese classic, the "Tao Te Ching").
- Sepharial: "The Kabala of Numbers" Pub 1913. Modern edition: ISBN 1-59605-404-2. (on numerology).
- Sepharial: "The Silver Key".
- Sepharial: "Cosmic Symbolism".
- Sepharial: "Science of Foreknowledge".
- Sepharial and Charubel: "Degrees of the Zodiac Symbolised" (on astrology).
- Sepharial: "A Manual of Occultism".
- Sepharial: "Astrology: How To Make Your Own Horoscope", R. F. Fenno & Company, New York (N.D.) 126 pages w/ illustrations
- Sepharial: "The Arcana Or Stock And Share Key", kessinger publishing 48 ISBN 0-7661-9326-8 (On Financial Astrology)
- Sepharial: "The Law of Values: An Exposition of the Primary Causes of Stock and Share Fluctuations",cosimo classics 56 Pages ISBN 1-60206-108-4 (On Financial Astrology)
References
- ↑ Kim Farnell: "Astral Tramp". Ascella Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-898503-88-5. (biography of Sepharial).
External links
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