3
Probably, you're right, but everybody's being mistaken (even me * ) and I guess that N/VH were not so interested by these technics called primary directions ... Right or wrong, and probably biased by antiastrology prejudices, it remains that this book (now freely available) has not yet been replaced by any other one. (and i still prefer to read them than to read the literature of magazines actually published by the chief european astrological associations, don't you?)

(and see also here the topic 5000 !
... http://skyscript.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5000)

PG

4
In the discussion I mentioned I actually wrote that I couldn't believe that N/VH were mistaken because it seems that in the early centuries many methods were mixed see Mark Riley in "Ptolemy and his colleagues" p. 243/245,
http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:6V3 ... clnk&gl=nl

But indeed whether they were right or wrong, reading a bit through the google-book I see it is a very good piece of work. I don't really think the writers were antiastrolologically inclined. It is a historical interest and with a pure anti-astrological view they couldn't keep up their work during all those years. Perhaps a belief in or knowledge of astrology may make a translator biased. I therefore would rather see N/VH as neutral.

I don't read the astrological magazines, simply because I don't see them in the shops and I don't have the money to suscribe to a magazine. If you have acces to it, then I can advise you www.jstor.org (it is only available at university libraries or when one pays per article or so). Here are many historical articles, also of Neugebauer, Van Der Waerden and many more.

About Galileo's chart, maybe someone tried to correct his chart short after his death?

5
I therefore would rather see N/VH as neutral.
If they were so, the book will not begin with a Festugi?re quote !

In fact I don't know one of these pioneers of history of astrology who was not antiastrologer ... (perhaps except one). And the reasons are easy to understand !
I don't see them in the shops and I don't have the money to suscribe to a magazine. If you have acces to it, then I can advise you www.jstor.org (it is only available at university libraries or when one pays per article or so).
I know, and I'm like you ! (for that).

Yes it's not easy to access to these articles and texts, nor at home, nor even through university centers. It's what is called in French "la culture ? deux vitesses". Please note that A LOT OF ANCIENT ENGLISH TEXTS ARE AVAILABLE ON EEBO (you would find there hundreds of Lilly, Culpeper, Gadbury, Partridge et al. texts, including their almanacs and many other texts barely referenced in the chief studies on XVIIth c. English astrology), but not available to the public, and that only American universities can pay for. (add that some are selling these copies on CDs instead of giving access to the astrological community).
Patrice Guinard PhD
C.U.R.A.
The International Astrology Research Center
http://cura.free.fr

6
"La culture ? deux vitesses" is indeed a growing problem with the new media giving new possibilities but the chances of those without acces to such texts or even without computer/internet at all, are strongly diminished.