Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) cover image

Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP)

Dorian Greenbaum on Porphyry and Astrology

Oct 20, 2021
Dorian Greenbaum, historian of astrology and philosophy, discusses astrology in Porphyry and situates it within the history of astrology. They explore the diversity of astrology in the Hellenistic period and the concept of the soul's passage through celestial spheres. The podcast also delves into Porphyry's theory of astrology, including finding the personal daimōn, and the diamond metaphor in Plato's works.
40:51

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Astrology in the third century Roman Empire encompassed different viewpoints and was seen as a means to predict events and understand divine will.
  • Porphyry integrated astrology into his philosophical framework, using it to explore the nature of one's personal daimōn and gain insight into personal destiny.

Deep dives

Astrology in the Third Century Roman Empire

Astrology in the third century Roman Empire is a complex subject with a range of theoretical and practical approaches. Scholars often categorize these approaches into different viewpoints, such as hard fatalism, astral influence, signs, and naturalistic causal chains. The concept of divination plays a significant role in astrology, where the movements of the stars are believed to have relevance to events on Earth. The understanding of astrology during this period has a diverse range of perspectives and is influenced by various philosophical and cultural traditions. The importance of astrology as a means of predicting events and understanding the divine will is reflected in the writings of prominent figures like Porphyry of Tyre.

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