•  Introduction

If we distinguish between astrology as it was practiced from Late Classical Antiquity until the end of the nineteenth century and astrology as it is practiced during the twentieth century, it is appropriate to say that ancient astrology was more rigidly prescriptive than its contemporary counterpart and more occupied with traditional moral questions. It tended to be specific in its predictions in a manner entirely atypical of modern practice, which primarily emphasizes psychological values. In the interpretation that follows, I have attempted to present a reading of Sabbatai Zevi's natal chart as he himself and his circle would have interpreted it. The horoscope wheel accompanying this analysis is, however, based on late twentieth century techniques.

The interpretations that follow are those of Ptolemaic astrology, as filtered through Greek, Arabic and Hebrew sources and set forth by Abraham Ibn Ezra in 1143 in RESHIT HOKHMAH, "The Beginning of Wisdom", the most widely disseminated, translated and studied astrological text of the mediaeval period; I have gleaned additional insights from contemporary, that is seventeenth century, European astrological theory and practice.

Ancient astrological interpretation abounds in contradictions. In what follows, a representative selection has been made, so that it will be immediately apparent that some of what is said (using the words of the classic text itself) directly applies to the person and life of Sabbatai Zevi and some does not. While the definitive source in English for biographical information remains Gershom Scholem's magisterial Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah, a briefer source is the article Scholem wrote on Zevi for the Encyclopedia Judaica, which has been reprinted a number of times together with all of the contributions by Scholem on Jewish mysticism, under the title Kabbalah. Most recently, Moshe Idel has published Messianic Mystics and Harris Lenowitz has published The Jewish Messiahs. Because of the abundance of readily accessible biographical material, I have not felt it necessary to insert confirmatory biographical comments throughout. I do so however on a limited number of occasions. Even someone with only a basic knowledge of the life, person and ideas of Sabbatai Zevi will readily recognize the degree to which the astrological predictors, taken from the classic source and not modified, related directly to him.

Using Ibn Ezra's techniques, Mercury has been read into the 4th House and Venus has been read into the 5th House.

•  Introduction
•  the Chart
•  Brief Summary
•  Detailed Interpretation
•  Acknowledgments
•  References