Although Dante famously put astrologers in Hell (or did he?), there is an abundance of astrological symbolism in the Commedia, particularly the poet’s use of standard symbols of the planets to depict different dimensions of the human condition – from the most base to the most sublime. We’ll also look at how the classification of the planets influenced the structure of Inferno and Purgatorio and the planetary depictions we see in Paradiso.
About the Presenter:
Joseph Crane stumbled onto the Commedia at the tail end of his freshman year at Brandeis and never quite left the poet. Years later, having become a consulting astrologer, he re-immersed himself in Dante, the result of which was Between Fortune and Providence: Astrology and the Universe in Dante’s Divine Comedy (2012).
Otherwise, Joseph has been an astrologer, teacher, and writer on astrology since the late 1980’s. Over the years he has combined his knowledge of astrological technique and counseling experience to work with hundreds of clients and currently has an active consulting practice.
He is the author of A Practical Guide to Traditional Astrology (1997), Astrological Roots: The Hellenistic Legacy (2007), and Astrology and the Lives of People (2023). He has also written several articles on astrological technique, ancient understanding and practice of astrology, and the relationship between astrology and literature.
He has a BA in philosophy from Brandeis University and an MA in counseling psychology from Lesley University. Joseph has been a Buddhist practitioner since 1980. He lives in southern Rhode Island.
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