Rafael Gil Brand

The Golden Mean, an Unexpected Rationale Underlying Ancient Astrological Patterns

Abstract

The golden mean or divine proportion— according to which the larger of two parts is to the smaller one as the sum of both is to the larger part—was a well-known concept in ancient philosophy and art. Greek philosophers called this proportion 'analogia', as it is the mathematical expression of analogy and self-resemblance. In spite of its importance in ancient ‘holy arts’, the golden mean is nowhere mentioned in astrological treatises. A thorough analysis of several astrological patterns like planetary years, Egyptian terms, planetary exaltations or vedic 'dashas' reveals that the golden mean was one of the main rules on which those numerical and geometrical distributions were built. In my lecture the focus will be on the distribution of the so-called exaltation degrees of the planets, a system which can be traced back to pre-hellenistic astrology. I will show that the exaltation degree of each planet fits into the golden mean between two other exaltation degrees, the associated planets being related with the former by means of sect and domicile. I will also supply a quite simple explanation for some minor differences between the exaltation degrees found in astrological lore and their position according to the golden mean. Incidentally, this explanation supports the hypothesis of the traditional system having been conceived towards the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.

Biography

Rafael Gil Brand was born 1959 in Madrid. After his training as an astrologer in Spain, he studied psychology in Hamburg, Germany. Gil Brand is an examined astrologer by the DAV (German Astrologer`s Association) as well as by the EVVA (European Association of Vedic Astrologers). Since 1991 he is head of a DAV-school in North Germany, and has been practicing as gestalt-therapist and astrological counsellor. In the 90’s he has collaborated in the translation of several medieval astrological manuscripts into Spanish. An expert in traditional and vedic astrology, Rafael Gil Brand regularly lectures on international congresses and writes articles for German and Spanish astrological journals. He has authored the books Lehrbuch der klassischen Astrologie (Manual of classical astrology; 2000) and Himmlische Matrix (Celestial matrix; 2014).