This article examines the transmission and influence of Tang-period foreign astrology in China through two representative texts:the Futian Calendar(Futian li符天历)and the Yusi Scripture(Yusi jing聿斯经).The Tang and ...This article examines the transmission and influence of Tang-period foreign astrology in China through two representative texts:the Futian Calendar(Futian li符天历)and the Yusi Scripture(Yusi jing聿斯经).The Tang and Song official and private bibliographies,which record numerous works belonging to the Futian system and the Yusi system,indicate that,after the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture were introduced into China in the Jianzhong and Zhenyuan eras,respectively,they were widely disseminated through the practices and manipulations of folk diviners.An analysis of the surviving scattered records that reflect the contents of these two texts suggests that the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture represent two sides of the same coin in the foreign astrology introduced to China:the Futian Calendar supplied the mathematical methods for calculating planetary positions for the fortune-telling aspect of astrology,which is mathematically demanding,while the Yusi Scripture provided the rules for astrological calculations,predicting an individual’s fate based on the configuration of celestial bodies in the ecliptic at the time of the person’s birth as determined by the Futian Calendar.The Yusi Scripture likely underwent multiple translations,reintroductions,and localizations,transforming the practice from predicting fate based on the seven luminaries to doing so with the eleven luminaries.The Tangperiod foreign astrology represented by the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture exerted a profound influence on China’s indigenous astronomy and even its indigenous culture.This influence not only functioned at the broad social and cultural levels but also permeated from the civilian to the official sphere,eventually becoming an integral part of traditional Chinese culture.The study highlights how knowledge exchange and transmission drive civilizational development,and argues that necessary encounters and fusion between local culture and foreign knowledge constitute a healthy condition for preserving cultural independence and diversity.展开更多
Yin Ba is director of the Institute of Astrology of the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. By pure coincidence, he became inthtuated with astrology and Tibetan calendar calculation. Late...Yin Ba is director of the Institute of Astrology of the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. By pure coincidence, he became inthtuated with astrology and Tibetan calendar calculation. Later, he has compiled a computerized Tibetan-language astrological data processing system and published a number of monographs on Tibetan astrology.展开更多
Synchronicity involves the experience of personal meaning entangled with ambiguous coincidences in time. Ambiguity results from incomplete information about the chances of various events occurring. The problem that th...Synchronicity involves the experience of personal meaning entangled with ambiguous coincidences in time. Ambiguity results from incomplete information about the chances of various events occurring. The problem that this study addresses is the lack of empirical research on synchronicity. This study sought to address this problem by exploring the astrological hypothesis that planetary transits predict synchronicity events. Synchronicities were compared with the probability distributions of planetary transits. In comparison with the base rate prediction, planetary transits were not a significant predictor of synchronicity events. The findings of this study provide new insight into the complex, multifaceted, and ambiguous phenomenon of synchronicity. The concept of ambiguity tolerance plays a significant role in synchronicity research since ambiguity cannot be completely eliminated.展开更多
Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of ...Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of the William Morris Firm, who would transform them into stained-glass panels. The commission was for the decoration of Woodlands, the Victorian mansion of Baron Angus Holden （1833-1912）, a major of Bradford. Presently, seven of the cartoons--The Moon （Luna）, Earth （Terra）, Sol （Apollo）, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Evening Star--are in the Torre Abbey Museum in Torquay, UK, while the cartoon for Mars is part of the collection of drawings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK, and the cartoon for Morning Star is located at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, UK. In the creation of the Planets cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by cultural events of the time such as British scientific astronomical discoveries and British and Italian humanistic sources in literature and visual arts portraying astronomy. This essay art historically and iconographically examines the nine planets as celestial and terrestrial formations and astral spheres of good omen. It is composed of three sections. The first section discusses the history of the artistic commission; the second analyzes the stylistic and iconographical aspects of the Planets cycle; and the third section explains some of Burne-Jones＇s cultural sources for the Planets cycle as manifestations of seasonal transformations, heavenly and terrestrial realms, musical spheres, and visions of a benevolent cosmos.展开更多
In 1555,assisted by Cristofano Gherardi,Il Doceno(1508-1556),Giorgio Vasari(1511-1574)designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi,an apartment of Cosimo I de’Medici(1519-1574...In 1555,assisted by Cristofano Gherardi,Il Doceno(1508-1556),Giorgio Vasari(1511-1574)designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi,an apartment of Cosimo I de’Medici(1519-1574),Duke of Florence,at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.The Apartment of the Elements is dedicated to the four elements(air,earth,fire,and water),which in antiquity were considered to be the basis of the material of the world.The four elements are personified as a history painting theme on the ceiling and the walls of the chamber.Accordingly,on the ceiling is the element of Air,personified by several events:Its center depicts Saturn Mutilating Heaven and surrounding this scene are The Chariots of the Sun and the Moon,the images of Day and Night,and the virtues of Peace,Fame,Justice,and Truth.On the walls of the chamber,there are personifications of the elements of Earth(north),Fire(east),and Water(south).The frescoes on the left hand wall relate to the element of Earth.In the center of the north wall,the first fruits of the Earth are offered to Saturn.1 On the adjacent wall,east wall,above the fireplace,are scenes relating to the element of Fire:Vulcan’s Forge is depicted in the center of wall.2 On the adjacent wall,south wall,the element of Water is symbolized with The Birth of Venus.3 On the window wall,west wall,are two large niches containing simulated sculptures of Hermes-Mercury and Hades-Pluto.These two images connect thematically with the wall decoration of the elements and the pantheon of the gods on the ceiling.This essay will focus only on the image of Hermes-Mercury.It consists of two parts:the stylistic impact of classical and Renaissance sources of this astral and pagan god in Vasari’s imagery,and the signification of the personification of Mercury associated and interconnected with Cosimo I de’Medici,Duke of Florence.展开更多
Over the past three decades,Dunhuang studies have greatly expanded and transformed our knowledge of early and medieval Chinese religions and society.The analysis of documents discovered in the Mogao'Library cave&#...Over the past three decades,Dunhuang studies have greatly expanded and transformed our knowledge of early and medieval Chinese religions and society.The analysis of documents discovered in the Mogao'Library cave'has led to seminal publications on the history of Buddhism as well as on traditional and parareligious sciences such as divination and medicine.展开更多
A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars.He called himself an astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.He was always busy worrying about the future and villag...A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars.He called himself an astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.He was always busy worrying about the future and villagers often came to him,hoping to know what their future might hold.One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village.His eyes were fixed on the stars.He thought he saw there that the end of the world was near.He lost himself in his thoughts about the future.As he was looking at the stars,he kept walking without looking down.Suddenly,he fell into a ditch full of mud and water.展开更多
基金the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China entitled“A Study on Foreign Astronomy Introduced to China and Its Influence During the Tang and Song Dynasties”唐宋时期域外来华天文学及其影响之研究(Project No.12273039).
文摘This article examines the transmission and influence of Tang-period foreign astrology in China through two representative texts:the Futian Calendar(Futian li符天历)and the Yusi Scripture(Yusi jing聿斯经).The Tang and Song official and private bibliographies,which record numerous works belonging to the Futian system and the Yusi system,indicate that,after the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture were introduced into China in the Jianzhong and Zhenyuan eras,respectively,they were widely disseminated through the practices and manipulations of folk diviners.An analysis of the surviving scattered records that reflect the contents of these two texts suggests that the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture represent two sides of the same coin in the foreign astrology introduced to China:the Futian Calendar supplied the mathematical methods for calculating planetary positions for the fortune-telling aspect of astrology,which is mathematically demanding,while the Yusi Scripture provided the rules for astrological calculations,predicting an individual’s fate based on the configuration of celestial bodies in the ecliptic at the time of the person’s birth as determined by the Futian Calendar.The Yusi Scripture likely underwent multiple translations,reintroductions,and localizations,transforming the practice from predicting fate based on the seven luminaries to doing so with the eleven luminaries.The Tangperiod foreign astrology represented by the Futian Calendar and the Yusi Scripture exerted a profound influence on China’s indigenous astronomy and even its indigenous culture.This influence not only functioned at the broad social and cultural levels but also permeated from the civilian to the official sphere,eventually becoming an integral part of traditional Chinese culture.The study highlights how knowledge exchange and transmission drive civilizational development,and argues that necessary encounters and fusion between local culture and foreign knowledge constitute a healthy condition for preserving cultural independence and diversity.
文摘Yin Ba is director of the Institute of Astrology of the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. By pure coincidence, he became inthtuated with astrology and Tibetan calendar calculation. Later, he has compiled a computerized Tibetan-language astrological data processing system and published a number of monographs on Tibetan astrology.
文摘Synchronicity involves the experience of personal meaning entangled with ambiguous coincidences in time. Ambiguity results from incomplete information about the chances of various events occurring. The problem that this study addresses is the lack of empirical research on synchronicity. This study sought to address this problem by exploring the astrological hypothesis that planetary transits predict synchronicity events. Synchronicities were compared with the probability distributions of planetary transits. In comparison with the base rate prediction, planetary transits were not a significant predictor of synchronicity events. The findings of this study provide new insight into the complex, multifaceted, and ambiguous phenomenon of synchronicity. The concept of ambiguity tolerance plays a significant role in synchronicity research since ambiguity cannot be completely eliminated.
文摘Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of the William Morris Firm, who would transform them into stained-glass panels. The commission was for the decoration of Woodlands, the Victorian mansion of Baron Angus Holden （1833-1912）, a major of Bradford. Presently, seven of the cartoons--The Moon （Luna）, Earth （Terra）, Sol （Apollo）, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Evening Star--are in the Torre Abbey Museum in Torquay, UK, while the cartoon for Mars is part of the collection of drawings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK, and the cartoon for Morning Star is located at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, UK. In the creation of the Planets cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by cultural events of the time such as British scientific astronomical discoveries and British and Italian humanistic sources in literature and visual arts portraying astronomy. This essay art historically and iconographically examines the nine planets as celestial and terrestrial formations and astral spheres of good omen. It is composed of three sections. The first section discusses the history of the artistic commission; the second analyzes the stylistic and iconographical aspects of the Planets cycle; and the third section explains some of Burne-Jones＇s cultural sources for the Planets cycle as manifestations of seasonal transformations, heavenly and terrestrial realms, musical spheres, and visions of a benevolent cosmos.
文摘In 1555,assisted by Cristofano Gherardi,Il Doceno(1508-1556),Giorgio Vasari(1511-1574)designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi,an apartment of Cosimo I de’Medici(1519-1574),Duke of Florence,at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.The Apartment of the Elements is dedicated to the four elements(air,earth,fire,and water),which in antiquity were considered to be the basis of the material of the world.The four elements are personified as a history painting theme on the ceiling and the walls of the chamber.Accordingly,on the ceiling is the element of Air,personified by several events:Its center depicts Saturn Mutilating Heaven and surrounding this scene are The Chariots of the Sun and the Moon,the images of Day and Night,and the virtues of Peace,Fame,Justice,and Truth.On the walls of the chamber,there are personifications of the elements of Earth(north),Fire(east),and Water(south).The frescoes on the left hand wall relate to the element of Earth.In the center of the north wall,the first fruits of the Earth are offered to Saturn.1 On the adjacent wall,east wall,above the fireplace,are scenes relating to the element of Fire:Vulcan’s Forge is depicted in the center of wall.2 On the adjacent wall,south wall,the element of Water is symbolized with The Birth of Venus.3 On the window wall,west wall,are two large niches containing simulated sculptures of Hermes-Mercury and Hades-Pluto.These two images connect thematically with the wall decoration of the elements and the pantheon of the gods on the ceiling.This essay will focus only on the image of Hermes-Mercury.It consists of two parts:the stylistic impact of classical and Renaissance sources of this astral and pagan god in Vasari’s imagery,and the signification of the personification of Mercury associated and interconnected with Cosimo I de’Medici,Duke of Florence.
文摘Over the past three decades,Dunhuang studies have greatly expanded and transformed our knowledge of early and medieval Chinese religions and society.The analysis of documents discovered in the Mogao'Library cave'has led to seminal publications on the history of Buddhism as well as on traditional and parareligious sciences such as divination and medicine.
文摘A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars.He called himself an astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.He was always busy worrying about the future and villagers often came to him,hoping to know what their future might hold.One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village.His eyes were fixed on the stars.He thought he saw there that the end of the world was near.He lost himself in his thoughts about the future.As he was looking at the stars,he kept walking without looking down.Suddenly,he fell into a ditch full of mud and water.
