Culture, Cosmos and the Search for Meaning, with Nick Campion

Prophecy and Power

The Modern Revival of Astrology, with Nick Campion

Prophecy and Power

Dr Nicholas Campion BA, MA, PhD

I am a historian with expertise in anthropology. My BA was in History from Queens’ College, Cambridge, my MA was in Southeast Asian Studies (politics, history and international relations) from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and my PhD was in the Study of Religions at Bath Spa University.

My main interest is in how world views, or cosmologies, are constructed, particularly in how we structure history and read meaning in the sky. I have written extensively on the history of astrology and associated magical and esoteric ideas, as well as on the influence of astronomy on culture, and the new discipline of Cultural Astronomy.

My current projects include consideration of space exploration, ethics and myth. I also write on utopianism and millennial beliefs and maintain an interest in contemporary politics and international relations.

I am also on the Education Committee of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), and the International Executive Committee of the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP)

The New Age in the Modern West:

Counter-Culture, Utopia and Prophecy from the late Eighteenth Century to the Present Day

New Age culture is generally regarded as a modern manifestation of Western millenarianism – a concept built around the expectation of an imminent historical crisis followed by the inauguration of a golden age which occupies a key place in the history of Western ideas. The New Age in the Modern West argues that New Age culture is part of a family of ideas, including utopianism, which construct alternative futures and drive revolutionary change.

Nicholas Campion traces New Age ideas back to ancient cosmology, and questions the concepts of the Enlightenment and the theory of progress. He considers the contributions of the key figures of the 18th century, the legacy of the astronomer Isaac Newton and the Swedish visionary Emanuel Swedenborg, as well as the theosophist, H.P. Blavatsky, the psychologist, C.G. Jung, and the writer and artist, Jose Arguelles. He also pays particular attention to the beat writers of the 1950s, the counterculture of the 1960s, concepts of the Aquarian Age and prophecies of the end of the Maya Calendar in 2012. Lastly he examines neoconservatism as both a reaction against the 1960s and as a utopian phenomenon.

The New Age in the Modern West is an important book for anyone interested in countercultural and revolutionary ideas in the modern West.

Review:

Nicholas Campion’s The New Age in the Modem West is refreshingly well researched and even- handed. Taking an intriguing perspective on the New Age from the history of ideas, he includes it in the “family” of ideas in Western culture that includes millenarianism and utopianism… this book is a useful contribution to the academic study of the New Age and would appeal to scholars and students invested in this emerging disciplinary area.

An excellent survey of the subject, setting it in wider and deeper historical and social contexts when compared with some earlier studies in this area.

Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West: Prophecy, Cosmology and the New Age Movement

This book explores an area of contemporary religion, spirituality and popular culture which has not so far been investigated in depth, the phenomenon of astrology in the modern west. Locating modern astrology historically and sociologically in its religious, New Age and millenarian contexts, Nicholas Campion considers astrology’s relation to modernity and draws on extensive fieldwork and interviews with leading modern astrologers to present an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the origins and nature of New Age ideology. This book challenges the notion that astrology is either ‘marginal’ or a feature of postmodernism. Concluding that astrology is more popular than the usual figures suggest, Campion argues that modern astrology is largely shaped by New Age thought, influenced by the European Millenarian tradition, that it can be seen as an heir to classical Gnosticism and is part of the vernacular religion of the modern west.

Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions

When you think of astrology, you may think of the horoscope section in your local paper, or of Nancy Reagan’s consultations with an astrologer in the White House in the 1980s. Yet “;”=”>almost every religion uses some form of astrology: some way of thinking about the sun, moon, stars, and planets and how they hold significance for human lives on earth. “;”=”> Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions offers an accessible overview of the astrologies of the world’s religions, placing them into context within theories of how the wider universe came into being and operates. Campion traces beliefs about the heavens among peoples ranging from ancient Egypt and China, to Australia and Polynesia, and India and the Islamic world. Addressing each religion in a separate chapter, Campion outlines how, by observing the celestial bodies, people have engaged with the divine, managed the future, and attempted to understand events here on earth. This fascinating text offers a unique way to delve into comparative religions and will also appeal to those intrigued by New Age topics.

A History of Western Astrology Volume 1: The Ancient World

This is the first comprehensive examination of astrology’s origins and it examines the foundations of a major feature of popular culture in the contemporary west, one which has its origins in the ancient world. Campion explores the relationship between astrology and religion, magic and science, and explores its use in politics and the arts.

A History of Western Astrology Volume 2: The Medieval and Modern Worlds

Astrology is a major feature of contemporary popular culture. Recent research indicates that 99% of adults in the modern west know their birth sign. In the modern west astrology thrives as part of our culture despite being a pre-Christian, pre-scientific world-view.

What Do Astrologers Believe?

The notion that the stars and planets hold significance for human life, exists in most cultures. It is evident in Stone Age lunar calendars dating back to 30,000 BCE. Today, 90% percent of Indians consult astrologers about their forthcoming marriages while over 50% of people in the West read their horoscopes in newspapers or magazines. Astrology’s techniques and philosophical foundations are complex and there is no single tradition. Astrology may be seen as science, art, religion, craft, or superstition. For most adherents it is either a path to self-understanding or an organizing principle which helps give purpose to an otherwise meaningless world. This guide explores astrology’s past and present, its claims and appeal, and explains what astrologers really believe.

Reader's Testimonial

"This innovative study presents astrologies and cosmologies - broadly conceived - as counterparts and mirrors of human societies. Unlike most students of astrology, Campion transcends the limitations of the Western tradition to examine the nature and roles of astrological and cosmological concepts in cultures from all continents. His examples provide original insights into how cosmologies shape these cultures' artistic, intellectual, and religious activities."

"Campion's Astrology and Cosmology is an ambitious examination of cosmologies and astrologies from around the world. The diversity of cultures Campion includes is impressive."

"Having read at various times quite a bit on various areas of the astrology, anthropology and cosmology covered, I nevertheless found this a very informative comparative study, providing links I hadn't previously thought of as well as completely new (to me) information. I think it would reward both specialist students and interested general readers, as its depth of information is combined with a straightforward, fluent and readable style."

The Spotlight Network on The New Age in the Modern West by Nicholas Campion

What if today’s New Age beliefs were not a modern fad—but a centuries-old quest for utopia, transformation, and cosmic truth? In The New Age in the Modern West, renowned scholar Nicholas Campion unravels the rich, surprising lineage of New Age culture from Enlightenment thought to 2012 prophecies.

Inspirational Interviews

Nicholas Campion | Leaders in Astrology

In our latest Leaders in Astrology episode, we are honored to be joined by highly esteemed author, professor, and historian of astrology and cultural astronomy, Nick Campion.

Prophecy and Power, with Patrick Curry and Nicholas Campion

An interview with historians Patrick Curry and Nicholas Campion about the recent republication of Patrick’s groundbreaking book Prophecy and Power: Astrology in Early Modern England, which documents the rise and fall of astrology in the 17th century.

Nick Campion on Astrology, from the Street to the Academy

Nick Campion shares his initial encounter with astrology, tracing back to a childhood search for stars, sparked by a Perry Como song. He recounts finding his first astrology book, ‘Origins of the Zodiac’ by Rupert Gleadow, in a second-hand shop in Cambridge, England, around 1970.

History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy with Nicholas Campion

Our guest in this episode is Nicholas Campion, who talks about various aspects of the history of astrology, as well as the associated filed of cultural astronomy. Nick Campion is an associate Professor in Cosmology and Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, where he is also the programme Director of the MA in Cultural Astronomy

Confessionalisation and the Great Comet of 1618 by Nicholas Campion

The sky came alive in the Autumn and Winter of 1618 when three comets appeared in quick succession. In terms of the relationship between the above and the below comets were troublesome things. They could not be predicted and so represented both potential disturbance in the natural order, and unexpected warning signs from God.

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