Robert Hand
Encyclopedia
Robert Sterling Hand is an American astrologer
, author, translator, and lecturer, who received the Regulus Award for his life's work at the "United Astrology Conference" in Denver in 2008.
in history from Brandeis University
and attended Princeton University. He is currently studying at the Catholic University of America for his Ph.D. in medieval history.
Hand began studying astrology
in 1960 at the age of 17. His father, Wilfred Hand, taught him the basics of casting astrological charts
, saying he was a specialist in heliocentric
astrology and cosmobiology
; his father also claimed to have used astrological cycles for use in forecasting the financial and stock markets. In 1972 Rob began practicing astrology as a full-time profession.
He began writing programs
for microcomputers in 1977 in order to bring the benefits of fast and accurate calculations to the practice of astrology. Out of this effort, he founded Astro-Graphics Services in 1980 which later become Astrolabe, Inc.(see also Astrology and computers
).
Mr. Hand has also served as Chairman of the National Council of Geocosmic Research, and holds membership in other organizations including the Association for Astrological Networking (AFAN), the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR), the Astrological Lodge of London, the Astrological Association of Great Britain (as a patron of the Faculty of Astrological Studies). He is the current Chairman of the Board for Kepler College of Astrological Arts and Sciences.
Robert Hand lectures in conferences, seminars, and workshops worldwide and operates an astrological consulting practice in the Washington, D.C area. He offers professional astrological services to astrologers and the general public, using tropical, heliocentric
, sidereal, Uranian
, cosmobiological
, Astrological Mapping and in mundo techniques with classical, medieval and modern methods.
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
, author, translator, and lecturer, who received the Regulus Award for his life's work at the "United Astrology Conference" in Denver in 2008.
Early life
Hand was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. He graduated with a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
and attended Princeton University. He is currently studying at the Catholic University of America for his Ph.D. in medieval history.
Hand began studying astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
in 1960 at the age of 17. His father, Wilfred Hand, taught him the basics of casting astrological charts
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
, saying he was a specialist in heliocentric
Heliocentrism
Heliocentrism, or heliocentricism, is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around a stationary Sun at the center of the universe. The word comes from the Greek . Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed the Earth at the center...
astrology and cosmobiology
Cosmobiology
Historically, the term 'Kosmobiologie' was used by the German medical astrologer Friedrich Feerhow and Swiss statistician Karl Krafft in a more general sense "to designate that branch of astrology working on scientific foundations and keyed to the natural sciences"....
; his father also claimed to have used astrological cycles for use in forecasting the financial and stock markets. In 1972 Rob began practicing astrology as a full-time profession.
He began writing programs
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
for microcomputers in 1977 in order to bring the benefits of fast and accurate calculations to the practice of astrology. Out of this effort, he founded Astro-Graphics Services in 1980 which later become Astrolabe, Inc.(see also Astrology and computers
Astrology and computers
Astrology software is a type of computer programs designed to calculate horoscopes. Many of them also assemble interpretive text into narrative reports.-History:...
).
Current work
Hand founded the Archive for the Retrieval of Historical Astrological Texts (ARHAT) in 1997, an archive that publishes translations of ancient and medieval texts pertaining to the ancient/classical/medieval study of astrology. ARHAT Media Inc. and The Robert Hand Library now house the original texts and translations of dozens of ancient, classical, and medieval astrologers/astronomers, philosophers, and scientists.Mr. Hand has also served as Chairman of the National Council of Geocosmic Research, and holds membership in other organizations including the Association for Astrological Networking (AFAN), the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR), the Astrological Lodge of London, the Astrological Association of Great Britain (as a patron of the Faculty of Astrological Studies). He is the current Chairman of the Board for Kepler College of Astrological Arts and Sciences.
Robert Hand lectures in conferences, seminars, and workshops worldwide and operates an astrological consulting practice in the Washington, D.C area. He offers professional astrological services to astrologers and the general public, using tropical, heliocentric
Heliocentric Astrology
Heliocentric astrology is a method of astrology based on birth charts where the Sun is at the center.Standard forms of astrology are geocentric and the geocentric birth chart is drawn with the Earth at the center, and the planets are placed around the cartwheel in the positions that they would...
, sidereal, Uranian
Uranian astrology
Uranian astrology is a relatively recent methodological approach to astrology based on teachings of German surveyor/astrologer Alfred Witte , founder of the Hamburg School of Astrology. Witte revived and further developed the use of mathematical midpoints...
, cosmobiological
Cosmobiology
Historically, the term 'Kosmobiologie' was used by the German medical astrologer Friedrich Feerhow and Swiss statistician Karl Krafft in a more general sense "to designate that branch of astrology working on scientific foundations and keyed to the natural sciences"....
, Astrological Mapping and in mundo techniques with classical, medieval and modern methods.
Partial bibliography
Hand is the author, editor, and/or translator of several books. His major works to date include:- Planets in Transit: Life Cycles for Living. (Whitford Press, 1976) ISBN 978-0914918240.
- Planets in Composite: Analyzing Human Relationships. (Para Research, 1975). ISBN 978-0914918028.
- Planets in Youth: Patterns of Early Development. (Para Research, 1977). ISBN 978-0914918264
- Essays on Astrology. (Schiffer Publishing, 1982). ISBN 978-0914918424.
- Night and Day: Planetary Sect in Astrology. (ARHAT Publications, 1995).
- Horoscope Symbols. (Para Research, 1981). ISBN 978-0914918165.
- Whole Sign Houses: The Oldest House System. (ARHAT Publications, 1999).