Other Comments: Luke Broughton, an English expatriate, is the father of American astrology. He used to brag that when he came to the US not 20 people could cast a horoscope and since then many thousands could. Like Dizzy Dean used to say, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it." Broughton did it.

This text was first published in 1899 the year of Broughton's death. I'm guessing much of it was cobbled together from articles of his magazine "Broughton's Planet Reader," which would account for the "loose," to be kind, organization. Broughton was described by Robert Zoller as, "Like Lilly, a nuts and bolts astrologer," and that is accurate. There is little, if anything here that is theoretical or even attempts to contribute to theory. Broughton's thrust seems to be to persuade people that astrology is valid, which he attempts with long essays in the beginning of the book, often containing biographical material, as well as helping students advance.

Anyone familiar with early editions of Llewellyn's A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator will recognize quite a bit in this text. I won't say Llewellyn George plagiarized Broughton here and there, but a lawyer might. Broughton did not teach George, but I believe George was taught at one time by John Hazlerigg, a pupil of Broughton's as was the late 19th early 20th century famous financial astrologer Catherine Thompson. His most famous pupil was ne'er do well W.H.Chaney, the Johnny Appleseed of American astrology, and probably father of famed novelist Jack London.

As for technique, Broughton might be described as a fatalist, but I'm not so sure that is entirely accurate. The book is heavy on physical descriptions, which is common in older texts. He is a man of strong opinions not unlike other Victorian era astrologers. For example, he places much emphasis on the Moon describing the wife in a man's chart. He does a splendid job of accurately describing George Washington's wife, Martha, that way, however, modern computer calculation puts the Moon in the chart used in the opposite sign.

But this is nitpicking. Hand calculation was all that was available to him, and mistakes are inevitable, and no typesetter would be sufficiently familiar with astrology to catch them. As the book demonstrates, Broughton was a tireless advocate for astrology who taught several top flight astrologers in his adopted country who in turn developed American astrology. A contemporary astrologer would probably look at this book as old fashioned and of little practical value. A traditionalist would value it as demonstrating ways to get to the point quickly and accurately. Anyone at all interested in how we came to where we are needs this text. Broughton's students took astrology all over the US. It would be difficult to find a more significant astrologer, regardless of our opinion of his techniques, since without him, there might be nothing at all. We're all in his debt.