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

Description

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. Cover Contents List of Tables Preface and Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: A Million-Dollar Business? 2 Cosmic Liberation: The Pursuit of the Millennium 3 The Shock of the New: The Age of Aquarius 4 Celestial Enlightenment: The New Age 5 End Times: The New Age and the Age of Aquarius 6 The Writing of Heaven: New Age Astrology 7 Oracles to the Vulgar: Sun-Sign Astrology 8 An Evolutionary Paradox: The Survival of Belief in Astrology 9 Salvation and the Stars: Astrology, Religion and Belief 10 Superstitious Times: The Extent of Belief in Astrology 11 Belief in Astrology: A Public Survey 12 In Their Own Words: The Astrologers’ Universe of Discourse 13 With Their Own Voices: Interviews with Astrologers 14 Conclusion: Modernity and Normality Bibliography Index