Ebenezer Sibly (born January 30, 1751; Bristol) was one of the most influential astrologers in England in the late 18th century. His early ambition was to practice medicine, and he is known to have graduated as a doctor from King's College, Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1792. As a student he became fascinated by the theories of animal magnetism that were being promoted by Franz Anton Mesmer. He joined Mesmer's Harmonic Philosophical School, and subsequently developed an interest in all forms of 'natural philosophy' and occultism, finding a natural association between his intellectual interests and the then flourishing worlds of Theosophy and Freemasonry. He became a Freemason in 1784, and it was to the 'Fraternity of Free Masons' that he dedicated his most famous work, from which these horoscopes are extracted:
The Celestial Science of Astrology. (London: 1776); to be revised as
The New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology, (1817).
This compendious work was written in four parts to 1) offer a defence of astrology, 2) explain how to judge matters relating to human concern (nativities, directions, horary, etc), 3) present the rules for meteorological effects and mundane affairs, and 4) clarify the distinction between astrology and the 'diabolical practice' of exorcism, raising spirits, and witchcraft. If Sibly was set against these latter practices then it seems strange that he purported to expose their secrets in his text, 'based on real examples and experience'.
Probably because of his occult interests, Sibly has not been accredited the full weight of his intellectual achievements. It was, however, recently written of him:
...it would be quite incorrect to dismiss Sibly simply as an occultist. It is true that he was deeply convinced of the need to search for truth in the works of older alchemists, natural magicians, and astrologers. He wrote with conviction of the vital spirit and the anima mundi, and of sympathetic forces that bound together the great and small worlds. Yet, Sibly also felt comfortable with the most recent scientific journals and he sought to accommodate this research to his own world view. Heberden, Newton, Priestly, and Lavoisier were no less important to him than Aristotle, Hermes Trismegistus, Khunrath, and Paracelsus. Even more important, the recent work of Mesmer seemed to offer the most powerful proof of his own cosmic interpretation of man and nature. [Allen Debus, see below]
Both Ebenezer and his brother Manoah (1757-1840) were skilled linguists, able to translate the works of others. The 'Sibly brothers' played a significant role in publishing a number of important astrological texts, and such was their knowledge of the subject matter that in republishing Worsdale's translation of the
Tetrabiblos, they corrected so many of his errors that it was later referred to as the 'Sibly edition', although the brothers claimed no more than the role of publisher.
Yet despite Ebenezer Sibly's influence in his own time, contemporary astrologers know little of his work and reputation (other than that he published a chart for America and made predictions about the American revolution). Perhaps that situation will change now that
The New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology has been made available as a digital download from
www.archive.org/details/newcompleteillus00sibluoft. Sibly's work is genuinely deserving of attention, because although it is hardly innovative or original, with substantial chunks of text taken from earlier works, it is a solid, reliable, and extremely well demonstrated collection of principles. The charts that follow illustrate how Sibly follows up his theoretical instruction with plenty of practical example. These charts are great examples for students looking to test their understanding of directions, revolutions, and the techniques for identifying major periods of advancement, crisis, or illness; and death.
Probably the best and most detailed biography of Sibley is that found in Allen Debus'
Scientific Truth and Occult Tradition: The Medical World of Ebenezer Sibly (1751-1799). For more on his life and work, I recommend you to this paper, which can be downloaded as a pdf (4.3MB) from
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
Sibly's Historical Horoscopes, part I: Politics and Power
Click the thumbnail for the horoscope and Sibly's notes
Sibly's Historical Horoscopes, part II: Astrologers & Philosophers
Click the thumbnail for the horoscope and Sibly's notes
Sibly's sources:
Sibly states in his commentary on William Laud's horoscope, that most of the horoscopes are taken from Gadbury. The works referred to are:
|
Argol | |
Argoli, Andreas, De Diebus Criticus. Venice, 1639. Available in digital format at http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k51020v (hosted by: Gallica; language: Latin; 20/06/08).
| |
|
Cardan | |
Cardan, Jerome, In Cl. Ptolemaei De Astrorvm Ivdiciis, Avt Qvadripartitae. Basel, 1578. Available in digital format at diglib.hab.de/wdb.php?dir=drucke/n-50-2f-helmst-1 (hosted by: Herzog August Bibliothek; language: Latin; 20/06/08).
| |
|
Gadbury | |
Gadbury, John, Collectio Geniturarum (Collection of Nativities). London: G. Wharton, 1662.
| |