1895-Astral worship: ONE OF THE FIRST 19TH-CENTURY STUDIES ON ASTRAL WORSHIP - FIRST EDITION

One of the first comprehensive 19th-century studies on Astral Worship

Hill, J.H. Astral worship. New York : Truth Seeker Co., [1895?].

8° (200 x 142 mm), original green cloth binding with gilt title at front board, pp. 128.

Richly illustrated, including the original moving astrological wheel at inside front board

Astral Workship is defined as the worship of the stars, the planets, and other heavenly bodies as deities, or the association of deities with heavenly bodies. In anthropological literature these systems of practice may be referred to as astral cults.

The most common instances of this are sun gods and moon gods in polytheistic systems worldwide. Also notable is the association of the planets with deities in Babylonian, and hence in Greco-Roman religion, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Gods, goddesses, and demons may also be considered personifications of astronomical phenomena such as lunar eclipses, planetary alignments, and apparent interactions of planetary bodies with stars. The Sabaeans were known for their astrotheology ('the astral cult'), for which reason the practice is also known as Sabaism or Sabaeanism.

This book explores and explains these rituals, that form the basis of today's Astrology, tracing the history of Astrology, Paganism, and Christianity.

Book content:

Astral Wheel (on inside front cover); Title page; Introduction; The Geocentric System of Nature; The Sacred Numbers 7 and 12; The Twelve Thousand Year Cycle; The Anciemt Triad; God Sol; The Ancient Cosmogony; Fall and Redemption of Man; Incarnations of God Sol; Fable of the Twelve Labors; Anniversaries of Solar Worship; Personifications of the Divisions of Time; Zodiac Symbols of Solar Worship; Sign sof the Cross; Future Rewards and Punishments; Jewish or Ancient Christianity; The Prophecies; Roman or Modern Christianity; Freemasonry and Druidism; The Sabbath; Pious Frauds; Conclusion.

"...we must believe that the Christian religion, instead of being of Divine authenticity, as popularly claimed, is purely and entirely of human origin, and that all its teachings relative to a future state are but priestly inventions, concocted for the purpose of enslaving the ignorant masses..." Astral Workship, p. 126.

"Then, since religion inculcates a salvation that does not save, let us rise superior to its false teachings and, accepting science as the true saviour of mankind, find our whole duty in the code of natural morality.." pp. 128

CONDITION: Very nice copy