Astrology and astral influences
Just as there are different magics in Pico’s work, there are different
astrologies too. The term ‘astrology’ is not unproblematic. Traditionally,
judicial astrology is distinguished from natural astrology which is less
controversial since it aims to find astral causes for natural phenomena
rather than the free actions of will, mind and soul. Its predictability
can be utilized to the benefit of mankind as in the case of meteo-
rology. The Oration, Conclusions, Heptaplus and Commentary exhibit an
elementary knowledge of traditional astrology.
102
Pico often uses basic
astrological correspondences not as practical references but as expres-
sions of metaphysical and mystical concepts; a kind of celestial allegory
that demonstrates the harmony between different systems of signifi-
cation. For example Pico associates the different occupations of the
soul with elementary and traditional interpretive elements: ‘speaking
Platonically of the soul, I say that the soul lives a contemplative life with
Saturn, with Jove a political and practical life, with Mars an irascible and
ambitious life, with Venus a sensual and voluptuous life, with Mercury
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The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy
a vegetative life with the dull senses’.
103
This set is repeated in the
Commentary.
104
To traditional and judicial astrologies, Pico adds two more categories:
‘true astrology’ which has an exegetical function; and ‘speculative
astrology’ which has an aetiological one. The first is exemplified in the
Commentary when the Neoplatonic hypostases are coded astrologically;
‘in the Ancient theologians, who concealed their mysteries under poetic
veils, the first three hypostases, that is, God, the First Mind and the
World Soul, are denoted by these three names: Uranus, Saturn, and
Jupiter’.
105
Pico calls this method ‘the science of allegorical interpreta-
tion’ which is when ‘celestial or even earthly names are often given
to divine things, which are presented figuratively now as stars, now as
wheels and animals, now as elements; hence the heavenly names are
often to earthly things. Bound by the chain of concord.’ This astrology
is thus purely hermeneutic, established by those who ‘aptly symbolized
the natures of one world by those which they knew corresponded to
them in other world’.
106
This hermeneutic function makes this kind
of astrology akin to Kabbalah. This is made explicit in the Conclusions
where Pico associates each sphere or emanation of the Sephirot with a
planet.
107
Such correspondences are understood by those who are aware
of the ‘conjunction of astrological truth with theological truth’ and any-
one who ‘is knowledgeable in astrology and Kabbalah’.
108
The last of
the Conclusions states: ‘just as true astrology teaches us to read in the
book of God, so Kabbalah teaches us to read in the book of Law’.
109
The practice of true astrology is a contemplative exercise that engages
the intellect and reconfigures the nature of the soul into a higher mode
of being. Therefore, unlike some studies, we must distinguish it from
natural astrology.
110
The Disputations, Pico’s most elaborate exposition on astrology,
mainly confronts the problems of judicial astrology such as the reliance
on deficient conjunctions, the ignorance and neglect of astrologers, par-
ticularly their ‘incautious analogies’, and the claim that astrology serves
religion.
111
In truth, this text condemns all traditional astrological prac-
tices, natural and judicial, which Pico never as explicitly discusses and
condones in any of his works.
112
But there is one type of astrology that
Pico elaborates on approvingly and consistently in most of his works,
including his Disputations; namely what Savonarola – Pico’s friend at
the time of writing the Disputations – calls ‘speculative astrology’. In his
own Treatise against Astrology, he considers it ‘a true science, because it
tries to recognise the effects through the true causes [
. . . ] but divinatory
astrology which consists entirely of effects which proceed indifferently
from their own causes, especially in human affairs which proceed
The True Magic and Astrology of Pico della Mirandola
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from free will [
. . . ] is wholly vain and can be called neither art nor
science’.
113
Speculative astrology investigates how the celestial bodies
act as causes without predictive purposes. The main contention of ‘spec-
ulative astrology’ is that astral causality is only universal and never
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