Astrology is not a new practice. In fact, the Western astrology investigated in this project has its origins with the Babylonians around 1500 BCE. The study of the stars and the possible impact they have on human behavior is laborious and controversial. The Hillman Library Special Collections is where I stumbled upon many maps, books, and pamphlets from the Early Modern era detailing personal uses of astrology. These sources are from figures such as Galileo, William Lilly, and Dr. John Case. These men set down the foundation for the practice and attitude of modern Western astrology by creating guides for the everyday person to calculate their fates. I was later directed to the Judge Eunice Ross collection, which is currently being processed at the Archives at Thomas Boulevard. Judge Ross was a legal trailblazer, Pitt alum, and avid user of astrology. Most of my findings draw from her diaries, where she detailed events that occurred throughout her day, and correlated them to what was happening in the sky that day (and night).
With both collections at my disposal, I decided to investigate and compare the way prominent people used astrology in their daily lives in both time periods. The project seeks to create connections between people hundreds of years apart. Overall, the most prominent theme is that people have used (and arguably still use) the art and study of the stars to create a sense of control and predictability in their lives. My deliverables investigate this theme and the people who created these sources on a more in-depth scale.
