Image and Introduction
Role in the University
Dissertation supervision and marking in the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology.
Background
I read philosophy at the University of East Anglia. I am currently completing a PhD in the Sophia Centre on ‘Astrology and Truth’ that discusses the epistemological issues surrounding the practice of horoscopic astrology. This builds on research presented in my book Astrology in the Year Zero (London: Flare, 2000).
Academic Interests
My interests include the philosophy, practice and history of astrology, particularly astrology seen as divination; Religious thought and practice, particularly Theravadan Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta and neo-Advaita.
Research Interests
The unifying theme behind my research interests is an enquiry into the existence (or not) of transpersonal reality and meaning. I am currently working on a PhD on ‘Astrology and Truth’.
Expertise
My expertise includes: the history, philosophy and practice of astrology; Western philosophy, particularly epistemology; practical interview methodology (I have interviewed over sixty astrologers and critics of astrology); Buddhist philosophy and practice, particularly vipassanā (mindfulness) meditation (I was a Buddhist monk for six years and a teacher within the Theravadan tradition for over twenty-five years).
Publications
- Astrology in the Year Zero (London: Flare, 2000)
- With Prof. Peter Case: ‘The Hidden Lineage of Modern Management Science: Astrology, Alchemy and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’, Culture and Cosmos Vol. 5(2), Autumn/Winter, 2001
- With Prof. Peter Case: ‘Astrology, Alchemy and Retro-Organization Theory: An Astro-Genealogical Critique of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’, Organization Vol. 11(4), 2004
- ‘Modern Science, Epistemology and Astrology’, Correlation Vol.23 (2), 2006
- ‘Theurgy in Theravadan Buddhism’ in: Patrick Curry & Angela Voss, Seeing with Different Eyes (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007)
- ‘The Philosophy of William James as a Context for Astrology’ in: Nicholas Campion & Liz Greene, Astrologies (Lampeter: Sophia Centre Press, 2011)
- ‘Astrology as Heresy in Contemporary belief’, Journal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture (forthcoming 2017).
Further Information
I co-curate, with Kirk Little, the website Cosmocritic.com. The site researches and presents articles on philosophical approaches to astrology, including (but not limited to) ideas of astrology as divination.