The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science (2025), 1–21
doi:10.1017/S0007087425000159
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Is as ology uni e sal? Ea ly mode n globaliza ion and
he dis up ion o adi ional knowledge
Luís Campos Ribei o
ERC Ru e P ojec , Cen o In e uni e si á io de His ó ia da Ciência e Tecnologia, Faculdade de
Ciências, Uni e sidade de Lisboa, Po ugal
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
The ma i ime expansion o he ea ly mode n pe iod and he disco e y o new con inen s necessi-
a ed a p o ound e ision in adi ional cosmology, b inging in o ques ion he millennia-old p ac ices
ha we e amed a ound ha cosmology. Among hese p ac ices was as ology, which in he ea ly
mode n pe iod eached an unp eceden ed le el o popula i y h ough he de elopmen o he p in -
ing p ess. The applica ion o he as ological co pus in opical and sou he n la i udes ques ioned
many o he ounda ional P olemaic concep s. A he co e o his p oblem was he e e sal o he
seasons in he sou he n hemisphe e. Since P olemy had i mly g ounded he na u al explana ion
o as ological a ibu es o he zodiac and he plane s on he seasonal quali ies, hei e e sal
would imply a comple e change in he zodiacal and plane a y p ope ies. Au ho s such as Gi olamo
Ca dano, Tommaso Campanella and A hanasius Ki che add essed his ma e , bu i ne e became
a cen al poin o deba e in he as ological li e a u e o he pe iod. Howe e , p ac i ione s in he
New Wo ld, whose empi ical iew was e y di e en o ha o Eu opean au ho s, eached di e -
en conclusions. This p oblem o e s an example o he di icul y in econciling adi ional au ho i y
wi h new knowledge. A he same ime, i exposes he sha p con as be ween he heo e ical pe -
spec i e o Eu ope-based au ho s and he ac ual expe ience o as ologe s p ac ising in he New
Wo ld.
Conside o a momen ha you a e a cosmog aphe bo n in he six een h cen u y, well
ained in ma hema ics, as onomy, geome y and geog aphy by he bes schola s. You li e
a a ime when, in a ma e o decades, he wo ld would become much la ge han had been
p e iously concei ed. One o you essen ial du ies is o p ognos ica e he wea he and he
condi ions o he yea using as ology, s udying he changing con igu a ions o he plane s,
eclipses and he occasional come . As an expe in you ield, you a e sen by you king o
a dis an new land benea h s a s ne e seen by you p edecesso s. Howe e , he clima e in
his new land beha es di e en ly om wha you ha e lea ned, and i s quali ies a e new and
unexpec ed. I s wea he u ns you no he n sp ing in o a sou he n au umn, and he s a s
whe e come s wande a e unknown o he cen u ies-old canons you apply o you s udies.
Wha do you do? How can you pe o m you du ies whe e na u e has been u ned upside
down?
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2 Luís Campos Ribei o
This was p obably he so o challenge aced in 1589 by En ico Ma ínez (c.1550–1632),
cosmog aphe o he king o Spain, when he a i ed in New Spain.1He discussed his
expe ience o his ma e in 1606 when he published he i s almanac o he New Wo ld
in Mexico, he Repo o io de los iempos, y his o ia na u al des a nue a espana.2This ex ol-
lows he expec ed s uc u e o he Repo o io gen e, bu pe haps o he i s ime in his
con ex , i includes impo an conside a ions ega ding he New Wo ld and i s implica ions
o as ology. I p esen s an ex ended discussion o he p oblems conce ning he p ac ice
o as ology in he New Wo ld and, mos impo an ly, in he sou he n hemisphe e, o e ing
p ac ical guidelines on how o esol e hem.
By he ime Ma ínez w o e his ea ise, mo e han a hund ed yea s had passed since
Eu opeans had eached he sou he n hemisphe e, egions ha my h and assump ion had
held o be uninhabi able. The i s c ossings o he equa o by he Po uguese o he coas
o A ica we e made in he 1470s, and he i s desc ip ions o s a s in sou he n la i udes
appea ed in manusc ip o m in 1500 and in p in by 1506. The e o e, by 1606, his was
no no el y.3Ye he impac o he new hemisphe e on he as ological canons was ha dly
men ioned un il he se en een h cen u y. Since he sou he n hemisphe e expe ience was
unp eceden ed in Eu opean as ology, i was no a mino ma e . The ounda ional p inci-
ples ha P olemy had laid down in he second cen u y and we e suppo ed by A is o elian
na u al philosophy we e a s ake. Ma ínez, wo king in Mexico since 1598, was no he i s
oconside howas ology should be applied o heNewWo ld,bu heo e s he i s empi i-
caldeba eon hechallengesas ologe s acedwhenp ac isingin henewlycolonizedlands.
An in-dep h compa ison be ween his iews on he subjec and hose o o he well-known
scien i ic ac o s o his pe iod p o ides a map o his lesse -known discussion and i s ecep-
ion, p o iding an in e es ing example o he clash be ween he adi ional cosmological
models and he New Wo ld concep s b ough o wa d by ea ly mode n globaliza ion.
In he las decades, many academic s udies ha e been p oduced on he impac o ea ly
mode n globaliza ion on Eu opean science, add essing a a ie y o subjec s om as on-
omy o zoology and bo any.4Despi e his wide- anging his o iog aphical deba e on he
ob ious impac o he New Wo ld on adi ional Eu opean knowledge, as ology, wi h
i s complex echnical language, has been o e looked, despi e he ac ha he subjec
1F ancisco de la Maza, En ico Ma ínez: Cosmóg a o e Imp eso de Nue a España, Mexico: Ediciones de la Sociedad
Mexicana de Geog a ía y Es adís ica, 1943.
2The i s would ha e been he Luna io y Regimien o de Salud (1604) also by Ma ínez, which does no su i e
bu is e e ed o in he Repo o io de los empos. B uce S anley Bu dick, Ma hema ical Wo ks P in ed in he Ame icas,
1554–1700, Bal imo e: Johns Hopkins Uni e si y P ess, 2009, pp. 186.
3Fo ea ly desc ip ions see he le e o King Manuel I o Po ugal by physician and as ologe Mes e João
Fa as, who sailed wi h Ped o Ál a es Cab al o India and B azil in 1500 (Lisbon, A qui o Nacional da To e do
Tombo, Co po C onolo gico, Pa e III, mc. 2, no. 2); And ea Co sali, Le e a di And ea Co sali allo illus issimo Signo e
Duco Iuliano de Medici: enu a Dellindia del mese di Oc ob e Nel M.D.XVI, Flo ence: Pe lo. S ephano di Ca lo da Pauia,
1516: Elly Dekke , ‘The ligh and he da k: a eassessmen o he disco e y o he Coalsack Nebula, he Magellanic
clouds and he sou he n c oss’, Annals o Science (1990) 47(6), pp. 529–60.
4S ua B. Schwa z, Implici Unde s andings:Obse ing,Repo ingand Re lec ing on heEncoun e sbe weenEu opeans
and O he Peoples in he Ea ly Mode n E a, Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 1994; Se ge G uzinski, Les
qua e pa ies du monde, Pa is, Edi ions de La Ma iniè e, 2004; Da id N. Li ings one and Cha les W.J. Wi he s
(eds.), Geog aphy and Re olu ion, Chicago: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 2005; An onio Ba e a-Oso io, Expe iencing
Na u e: The Spanish Ame ican Empi e and he Ea ly Scien i ic Re olu ion, Aus in: Uni e si y o Texas P ess, 2006; Jo ge
Cañiza es-Esgue a, Na u e, Empi e, and Na ion: Explo a ions o he His o y o Science in he Ibe ian Wo ld, S an o d, CA:
S an o d Uni e si y P ess, 2006; Ha old Cook, Ma e s o Exchange: Comme ce, Medicine, and Science in he Du ch Golden
Age,NewHa en,CT:YaleUni e si yP ess,2007;Ma íaM.Po uondo,Sec e Science:SpanishCosmog aphyand heNew
Wo ld, Chicago: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 2013; Pamela Smi h and Paula Findlen (eds.), Me chan s and Ma els:
Comme ce, Science, and A in Ea ly Mode n Eu ope, New Yo k: Rou ledge, 2013; Ka l A.E. Enenkel and Paul J. Smi h
(eds.), Zoology in Ea ly Mode n Cul u e: In e sec ions o Science, Theology, Philology, and Poli ical and Religious Educa ion,
Leiden and Bos on: B ill, 2014; S ephen G eenbla , Ma elous Possessions: The Wonde o he New Wo ld, Chicago:
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 3
was no in ulne able o hese changes and o new knowledge. As a pe asi e elemen
o ea ly mode n socie y, i e lec ed i s demands and cul u e. The e a e no able di e -
ences be ween medie al and ea ly mode n as ological p ac ices, o example. F om he
mid- i een h cen u y onwa ds, he e was an inc easing appeal o c ea e mo e ma he-
ma ical o ms o as ological in e p e a ion. Keple ’s Ha monice Mundi (1619), in which
he in oduces new geome ical ela ionships be ween he plane s, is pe haps one o he
bes -known examples.5Ano he new elemen is he inc easing ocus on he indi idual, as
pu o wa d in he w i ings o Ma silio Ficino (1433–99) and expanded by se en een h-
cen u y au ho s.6Ye , like he o he o ms o knowledge, i was g ounded in he es ab-
lished P olemaic–A is o elian sys em. As Da el Ru kin pu i , as ology’s a ionale was
buil a ound ‘well-es ablished s uc u es o as ologising A is o elian na u al knowledge’.7
Thus any challenges o his sys em would a ec as ology’s doc ines and me hodologies.
Au ho s such as An hony G a on ha e highligh ed he cen al ole o as ology in ea ly
mode n socie y and used i as a case s udy o adi ional knowledge challenged by he
adap a ion and ans o ma ion o he classical adi ion.8Ye as ology is deba ed mainly
ega ding i s use in lea ned con ex s, scien i ic c edibili y and e icacy. I s in e nal con-
cep s and ules a e omi ed om hese s udies o only men ioned in a e y gene al manne .
Howe e , he disco e y o he New Wo ld and he coloniza ion o e i o ies in sou he n
la i udes p esen ed, abo e all else, an impo an echnical challenge wi h he po en ial o
sha e as ology’s ounda ions. To unde s and i s magni ude and implica ions, a s udy o
as ology’s in e nal easoning is necessa y.
The ole o as ology in he coloniza ion o he New Wo ld has been add essed in impo -
an con ibu ions by Jo ge Caniza es Esgue a and Claudia B ossede . Thei ocus was on
how na u al philosophy engaged wi h he as ological desc ip ion o he new e i o ies
and he social and poli ical impac o such na a i es on how Eu opeans iewed he inhabi-
an s o he New Wo ld, bo h na i e and C eole.9Thei s udy de ails he social implica ions
Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 2017; Ralph Baue and Jaime Ma oquín A edondo (eds.), T ansla ing Na u e: C oss-
cul u al His o ies o Ea ly Mode n Science, Philadelphia: Uni e si y o Pennsyl ania P ess, 2019; Ma cy No on, The
Tame and he Wild: People and Animals a e 1492, Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess, 2024.
5Da idJus e,‘Musical heo yand as ological ounda ionsinKeple : hemakingo henewaspec s’,inLau ence
Wuida (ed.), Music and Eso e icism, Leiden: B ill, 2010, pp. 177–95.
6S e en Vanden B oecke, ‘Ca holic spi i uali y and as ological sel -ca e in se en een h-cen u y F ance: Jean-
Bap is e Mo in’s As ologia Gallica (1661)’, Lias (2020) 42(2), pp. 119–41; H. Da el Ru kin, Sapien ia As ologica:
As ology, Magic and Na u al Knowledge, ca. 1250–1800: I. Medie al S uc u es (1250–1500): Concep ual, Ins i u ional, Socio-
poli ical, Theologico- eligious and Cul u al, Cham: Sp inge In e na ional Publishing, 2019.
7H. Da el Ru kin, ‘How o accu a ely accoun o as ology’s ma ginaliza ion in he his o y o science and
cul u e: he cen al impo ance o an in e p e i e amewo k’, Ea ly Science and Medicine (2018) 23(3), pp. 217–43,
239.
8William R. Newman and An hony G a on (eds.), Sec e s o Na u e: As ology and Alchemy in Ea ly Mode n Eu ope,
Camb idge, MA: MIT P ess, 2001; An hony G a on, Ap il Shel o d and Nancy G. Si aisi (eds.), New Wo lds, Ancien
Tex s: The Powe o T adi ion and he Shock o Disco e y, Camb idge, MA: Belknap P ess o Ha a d Uni e si y P ess,
1992.
9Jo ge Caniza es Esgue a, ‘New wo ld, new s a s: pa io ic as ology and he in en ion o Indian and C eole
bodies in Colonial Spanish Ame ica, 1600–1650′,Ame ican His o ical Re iew (1999) 104(1), pp. 33–68; Claudia
B ossede , ‘Be nabé Cobo’s ec ea ion o an au hen ic Ame ica in colonial Pe u’, in William J. Bulman and Robe
G. Ing am (eds.), God in he Enligh enmen , Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2016, pp. 83–106; B ossede , ‘Reading
he Pe u ian skies’, in B endan Mau ice Dooley (ed.), A Companion o As ology in he Renaissance, Leiden: B ill, 2014,
pp. 399–427; B ossede , ‘As ology in se en een h-cen u y Pe u’, S udies in His o y and Philosophy o Science Pa C:
S udiesinHis o yandPhilosophyo BiologicalandBiomedicalSciences (2010)41(2), pp.146–57. See alsoMa ga i a Suá ez
Espinosa, As os, humo es y come as: Las ob as de Juan Je ónimo Na a o, Joan de Figue oa y F ancisco Ruis Lozano (Lima,
1645–1665), Lima: Pon i icia Uni e sidad Ca ólica del Pe ú, 2019, pp. 35–41; and Espinosa, ‘As ología y Pode en
la Co e de Lima, Siglo XVII’, in Ca men Be na d, Edua do F ança Pai a and Ca men Salaza -Sole (eds.), Se ge
G uzinski: Le passeu pe sé é an , Pa is: Edi ions du CNRS, 2017, pp. 113–22.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
4 Luís Campos Ribei o
o his o m o colonial science bu engages e y li le wi h he echnical aspec s o as o-
logical p ac ice o i s p inciples. The adap a ion o as ology o he New Wo ld was also
discussed by Tay a Lanuza Na a o, who explo ed he case o En ico Ma ínez, p e iously
e e ed o by Caniza es Esgue a.10 This s udy ocused on Ma ínez’s o iginal p oposal o
he as ological quali ies o New Spain and i s ecep ion, bu i did no add ess he ma e
o as ological p ac ice in he sub opical egions, which Ma ínez also deba es. P e iously
I engaged wi h his opic in mo e de ail om he in e nalis pe spec i e o as ological
doc ine, showing he exis ence o wo posi ions ega ding as ology in he sou he n hemi-
sphe e: one s emming om he heo e ical P olemaic a ionale unde lying as ological
doc ine and ano he esul ing om empi ical obse a ion by p ac i ione s.11 Following
his line o s udy, his pape will expand and de elop his discussion, demons a ing how
he coloniza ion o he sou he n hemisphe e a ec ed as ology.
P olemy in he sou he n la i udes
As onomically speaking, he mos conspicuous con as be ween he wo hemisphe es
is an en i ely new se o sou he n s a s and cons ella ions. These s a s we e ou side he
millennia-old canons o as ology, and hei quali ies emained unca alogued. Howe e , he
s a s we e no he bigges p oblem gi en he limi ed use o s a s in mains eam as ologi-
cal p ac ice. The mo e impo an s a s in p ac ice we e hose nea e o he eclip ic which
we e al eady known. The new sou he n hemisphe e s a s, in isible in he no he n hemi-
sphe e, we e loca ed a much highe celes ial la i udes and, like hei ci cumpola no he n
coun e pa s, would be less signi ican .
The eal challenge o as ology was he no able di e ence in he seasons, om he inde-
e mina e wea he o he opical egions o hei comple e e e sal in empe a e sou he n
la i udes. Since P olemy’s Te abiblos, he na u al explana ion o as ological concep s was
ied o he seasonal cycle. Al hough hese concep s p eceded P olemy by se e al cen u ies,
in his wo k he di ec ly links he seasons o ounda ional p inciples such as he choice o
a opical zodiac, he modal quali ies o he signs, and he associa ions o plane s o signs
known as ule ships o essen ial digni ies (Figu e 1).12
Acco ding o P olemy, he signs ha begin he seasons a e called mo eable since hey
deno e he mo emen om one season o ano he ; hose ha co espond o he middle o
he season a e known as ixed since seasonal a ibu es a e consolida ed he ein; he end o
he season is ma ked by he double o common signs, ep esen ing he change o one sea-
son o henex .The plane a y ule ships, o domiciles, o he plane s,a ede ined byse ing
he lumina ies, he sun and moon, as ule s o he signs ha ha e he g ea es numbe o
day ime hou s: Leo and Cance espec i ely. In he opposi e signs, which ep esen he ime
o yea when nigh has he longes leng h, Sa u n, he u hes plane om he lumina ies,
becomes he uling plane . The emaining plane s a e assigned hei ule ships in he signs,
ollowing hei sequence in he celes ial sphe es: Jupi e , Ma s, Venus and Me cu y. Excep
o he wo lumina ies, all plane s ha e wo signs o ule ship: one masculine and diu nal,
one eminine and noc u nal. The digni y o exal a ion ollows a simila a ionale, associ-
a ing he sun wi h A ies, whe e he leng h o he day begins o inc ease, and Sa u n wi h
Lib a, whe e he days dec ease; he emaining plane s a e associa ed wi h signs belonging
o a season concu en wi h hei essen ial quali ies o hea , cold, mois u e and d yness.
10 Tay a Lanuza Na a o, ‘Adap ing adi ional ideas o a new eali y: cosmog aphe s and physicians upda ing
as ology o encompass he New Wo ld’, Ea ly Science and Medicine (2016) 21(2–3), pp. 156–81.
11 LuísCampos Ribei o,Jesui As ology:P ognos ica ionand ScienceinEa lyMode nCul u e,Leiden and Bos on:B ill,
2023, pp. 208–16, 232.
12 Te abiblos I.17–19. P olemy, Te abiblos ( . F. E. Robbins), Camb idge, MA and London: Ha a d Uni e si y
P ess, 1940, pp. 79–91.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 5
Figu e 1. T adi ional able o ule ships,exal a ions and o he essen ial digni ies o he plane s,used o measu e he
plane ’s s eng h in a cha and o es ablish as ological meaning and nuance in he as ological judgemen . Johann
Sch
one , Opusculum As ologicum ex di e so um lib is summa cu a p o s udioso um u ili a e collec um, Nu embe g: Iohan.
Pe eium, 1539.
Since hey aligned wi h he accep ed A is o elian iew o he cosmos, P olemy’s easons
became he p incipal explana ion o as ological doc ine un il he se en een h cen u y.
The e o e, ollowing hisaccep ed explana ion, he indis inc seasons in he opicso hei
comple e in e sion in he sou he n hemisphe e would comp omise he doc ine o he
quali ies o he signs and plane a y ule ships.
Is as ology uni e sal?
The e appea o be no signi ican e e ences o he sou he n hemisphe e in as ological
li e a u e un il he middle o he six een h cen u y, mo e han i y yea s a e i s ini ial
disco e y and explo a ion. Acco ding o Ma y Ellen Bowden, au ho s used he sou he n
hemisphe e o c i icize as ology.13 Howe e , he example ocuses only on Ch is ophe
Heydon (1561–1623), whose wo k b ie ly add essed he change in he seasons, discussing
none o i s epe cussions o as ological doc ine. Such a gumen a ion could ha e become
a c i ical s ike agains as ology’s e icacy i i s c i ics had engaged wi h he p ac ical
consequences o such an in e sion. Ye i as ology’s an agonis s e e employed such an
a gumen i was no in p in . Nei he Gio anni Pico della Mi andola (1463–94) no la e
c i ics, such as Beni o Pe ei a (1536–1610), Ma in Del io (1551–1608) o Alessand o de
13 Ma y Ellen Bowden, ‘The Scien i ic Re olu ion in as ology: he English e o me s, 1558–1686′, PhD hesis,
Yale Uni e si y, 1974, 80, 135.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
6 Luís Campos Ribei o
Angelis (1559–1620), men ion he p oblem o he e icacy o as ology in he sou he n
hemisphe e.14
On as ology’s side, Gi olamo Ca dano (1501–76), whose wo ks on ma hema ics,
medicine and as ology a e well known in he his o iog aphy, appea s o be he i s
as ologe o men ion his ma e and i s p ac ical consequences, a leas in p in and in an
as ological ex .15 In his commen a y on Te abiblos, published in 1554, when discussing
he a ibu ion o he plane a y houses o ule ships, Ca dano s a es,
F om his, i ollows ha in he Aus al hal , Cap ico n is he domicile o he moon,
and Aqua ius ha o he sun, Pisces and Sagi a ius o Me cu y, A ies and Sco pio
o Venus, Tau us and Lib a o Ma s, Gemini and Vi go o Jupi e , Cance and Leo o
Sa u n.16
In his e y sho no e and ollowing he p ecep s o P olemaic doc ine, Ca dano e e ses
he ule ships o he signs o accommoda e he seasons o he sou he n hemisphe e. Ye ,
despi e he p o ound p ac ical implica ions o his e e sal, mos as ological ex s, e en
he main books o ins uc ion, make no e e ence o i . I could be specula ed ha he p ac-
ice o as ology in he sou he n hemisphe e was negligible by 1554, bu he coloniza ion
p ocess had been well unde way since he beginning o he cen u y. E en i he omission
is mainly due o a lack o p ac ical necessi y, he magni ude o his p oblem o as ology is
so g ea ha i s nea -comple e omission seems odd and di icul o explain.
Almos eigh decades la e , Tommaso Campanella (1568–1639) appea s o be he i s o
pickupand u he de elop hisconcep o he e e salo digni ies.Hede o esasegmen o
his As ologico um lib i VII (1630) o discussing and de eloping he concep o he in e sion
o essen ial digni ies, ex ending his idea o he equa o ial egions.17
Following he same a ionale gi en o he sign ule ships by Ca dano, Campanella
e e ses all he o he essen ial digni ies. Fi s , he exal a ions, whe e he sun becomes
exal ed in Lib a (ins ead o A ies), he moon in Sco pio ( he opposi e o Tau us), Sa u n
in A ies ( he opposi e o Lib a), Jupi e in Cap ico n, Ma s in Cance , Venus in Vi go and
Me cu y in Pisces. The iplici ies ollow whe e he e e sal ex ends o he signs, which
a e adically changed in hei elemen al quali ies. The i e elemen is a ibu ed o Lib a,
Aqua ius and Gemini (ins ead o A ies, Leo and Sagi a ius), becoming he iplici y o he
sun and Jupi e . Sco pio, Pisces and Cance ep esen he abode o he ea h elemen ( a-
di ionally Tau us, Vi go and Cap ico n), wi h he moon and Venus assigned as hei ea h
iplici y. The ai signs encompass Sagi a ius, A ies and Leo (in place o Gemini, Lib a and
Aqua ius), while Sa u n and Me cu y se e as hei iplici y ule s. Cap ico n, Tau us and
Vi go ans o m in o signs o he wa e elemen ( adi ionally Cance , Sco pio and Pisces),
comingunde he iplici y ule shipo Ma s,wi h he in ol emen o Venus and hemoon.
14 Gio anni Pico della Mi andola, Dispu a iones ad e sus as ologiam di ina icem, Bologna: B. Hec o , 1496; Beni o
Pe ei a, Ad e sus allaces &supe s i iosas a es, id es de magia, deobse a ionesomnio um& de di ina ione as ologicalib i
es, Lyon: ex o icina Jun a um, 1590; Ma ín An oine Del Rio, Disquisi ionum magica um lib i sex, Lyon: Ge a dus
Ri ius, 1599; Alessand o de Angelis, In as ologos coniec o es lib i quinque, Lyon: Ho a io Ca don, 1615.
15 An honyG a on,Ca dano’sCosmos:TheWo ldsandWo kso aRenaissanceAs ologe ,Camb idge,MA and London:
Ha a d Uni e si y P ess, 2001.
16 Ge olamo Ca dano, In Cl. P olemaei Pelusiensis IIII de As o um iudiciis, au , u ulgo ocan , Quad ipa i ae
Cons uc ionis, lib os commen a ia, quae non solum As onomis & As ologis, sed e iam omnibus philosophieae s udiosis
plu imum adiumen i ad e e po e un , Basel: Hen ic Pe ina, 1554, p. 78: ‘Ex hoc andem sequi u quod in Aus ali
medie a e Cap ico nus e i domus Lunae, & Aqua ius Solis, Piscis & Sagi a ius Me cu ij, A ies & Sco pio Vene is,
Tau us & Lib a Ma is, Gemini & Vi go lo is, Cance & Leo Sa u ni.’
17 Tommaso Campanella, As ologico um Lib i VII, F ank u : Gode idus Tampachius, 1630, pp. 35–42.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 7
Despi e Campanella’s s ic adhe ence o P olemy’s seasonal a ionale, he change in he
elemen al quali ies o he signs would implya p o ound and somewha shocking shi in he
as ological sys em and i s p ac ice. All he usual judgemen s based on he elemen al qual-
i ies o hea , coldness, mois u e and d yness would be adically di e en o he sou he n
la i udes.This included he assessmen o complexion, whichwaspa o medical diagnosis;
he judgemen o pe sonal inclina ions; and mos me hods o wea he o ecas ing. The las
sys em in which Campanella p oposes he in e sion is ha o he e ms, despi e conside -
ing hem o be o li le impo ance.18 He e he gi es he e ms o one sign o he opposi e
one. Following he same a ionale, ano he o his de elopmen s is a comple ely di e en
se o ule ship associa ions o he opical egion, whe e he sugges s ha bo h A ies and
Lib a become domiciles o he sun, and Cance and Cap ico n hose o Sa u n.19 Despi e his
de ailed discussion o he changes o he associa ions o he signs, Campanella o e s no
p ac ical examples and de elops no sugges ions on how o inco po a e hem in o p ac ice.
On he con a y, he lea es i as a heo e ical p oposal needing expe imen a ion.
Ano he au ho who deba es his ma e in simila de ail is he Jesui polyma h
A hanasius Ki che (1602–80) in A s magna lucis e umb ae (1646).20 A e a p esen a ion o
he adi ional elemen al quali ies o he signs, Ki che discusses his iews on as ology in
he sou he n hemisphe e. He belie es ha hese p inciples canno be applied wo ldwide
because, al hough hey ‘we e cons i u ed e y wisely by he ancien s, i is no possible o
d aw om his a uni e sal science’.21 The ancien au ho s, who had no knowledge o he
sou he n hemisphe e, hough ha he e ec o he wel e old di ision o he signs was
he same e e ywhe e, in which hey ‘we e e y much hallucina ing’.22
I he wel e signs a e imbued wi h such and such quali ies om hemsel es and om
hei na u e, hey will p oduce he same e ec e e ywhe e. Bu oday, expe ience
eaches us ha ou An ipodeans and An oecians, like hose amphiscians who dwell
in he o id zone, expe ience all hings di e en ly. A sign which expe ience eaches
us is ho and d y, hey pe cei e i as imbued wi h con a y quali ies, ha is cold and
mois ; and so, a ho and d y sign which b ings us in ense hea wa es will b ing o hem
in ense cold wea he , and consequen ly he e is no way he domicile o he sun can
make any sense o hem.23
He gi es, as an example o his a ionale, he case o Leo, a ho and d y sign, domicile o he
sun, which in he no h b ings o h hea , bu in he sou h p oduces cold. Like Ca dano and
Campanella be o e him, Ki che also belie es ha he domiciles o plane a y ule ships, as
18 The e ms a e unequal di isions o he signs in o i e pa s each uled by one o he i e plane s. By he
se en een h cen u y some au ho s conside ed hem unimpo an o disca ded hem al oge he . Ribei o, op. ci .
(11), pp. 394–6.
19 Campanella, op. ci . (17), p. 36.
20 A hanasius Ki che , A s magna lucis e mb ae in decem lib os diges a, Rome: He nanni Scheus & Ludouici
G ignani, 1646, pp. 521–5.
21 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 523: ‘haec quidem sapien e ab an iquis esse cons i u a, non amen inde uni e salem
scien iam ullam condi posse’.
22 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 523: ‘sed dodecamo ia signo um ubique eumdem e ec um p aes a e a bi a os uisse:
in quo maximè hallucina i sun ’.
23 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 523: ‘Si enim dodecamo ia signo um alibus & alibus quali a ibus ex se & sua na u a
imbu a sun , ubique eundem e ec um p aes abun ; sed expe ien ia hodie doce An ipodes, & An aecos [ ead-
ing An oecos] nos os, u i & illos, qui sub zona o ida amphiscij habi an , omnia alia expe i i. Signum enim,
quod nobis calidum, & siccum expe ien ia docui , illi p o sus con a ijs quali a ibus imbu um epe iun , idelice
igidum, & humidum; i a signum calidum, & siccum ehemen es nobis aes us adducens, illis ehemens igus
causabi , & consequen e domus Solis nulla a ione conuenien e illis cons i ui po es .’
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8 Luís Campos Ribei o
well as o he essen ial digni ies, should be e e sed: ‘Hence, he houses in which o us he
s a s a e exal ed, in joy, in iumph, o ou An oecians and An ipodeans, hey a e in exile
and de imen because hese digni ies ollow na u e wi h g ea p ecision.’24 He ein o ces
his a gumen s by e e ing o he expe iences o Eu opeans li ing and bo n in he sou he n
hemisphe e. Any c i icisms o his p oposal a e, in his mind, due o he lack o knowledge
o he sou he n egion. Once mo e, he uses he example o he sun in Leo, which b ings
he cold wea he o he sou he n la i udes. Acco ding o Ki che , in he no h, when in
A ies, he sun caused he gene a ion o sp ing, and in Lib a, i b ough he des uc ion o
au umn. Con a ily, in he sou he n la i udes, Lib a caused gene a ion, while A ies caused
des uc ion. Like Campanella, he expands his a ionale o he opical equa o ial egion
because, aking he concep o e e sal as alid,adap a ions mus be made o i s pa icula
condi ions:
As I ecei e om wo d o mou h om he p ocu a o s o ou Socie y unde he o id
zone, like in Pe u, B azil and he Islands o he Philippines, hese said quali ies o
he signs became con used, mois wi h d y, and cold wi h ho , o he poin ha one
could ha dly disce n hem. And so, unde he equinoc ial e ical, he signs A ies and
Lib a a e expe ienced wi h a e y mois and ho complexion, while he opical signs
end mo e owa ds d yness and cold, and he emaining in e media e signs a e each
asso ed o one o he o he ; hence ha om such g ea al e a ion, he exo ic e ec s
ha a e caused a e clea ly dis inc om hose o he empe a e zone.25
He e i becomes clea ha Ki che , like Campanella, ag ees wi h he modi ica ion o he
elemen al quali ies o he signs acco ding o each egion and, consequen ly, he change in
he plane a y ule ships. O he wise, he w i es, an as ologe who judges a na i i y o hese
egions using he adi ional p ecep s will be mis aken:
I someonebasedana i i y igu ein he o idzoneo hesou he nhemisphe eusing
he as ological canons, i is ce ain ha no hing will signi y wha he as ologe s
a i m because in he e, he na u e o he signs o he houses is no he same, no he
digni ies assigned o he plane s, and i is impossible o es ablish legi ima e coo di-
na ion. And so i ollows ha he signs will ha e o be coo dina ed wi h he plane a y
o ces hey will ob ain in hose e y same signs.26
Ki che u he de elops Campanella’s ini ial p oposal o he opics and expands i
in o he pola egions, whe e as onomical condi ions and changes in dayligh a e mo e
ex eme. Besides he na u e o he signs and hei plane a y ule s, he also d aws a en ion
o o he signi ican challenges as ology aces a highe la i udes: he compu a ion o he
24 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 523: ‘Unde domus, in quibus nobis syde a exal an u , gauden , iumphan ; An aecis,
An ipodibusque nos is exi ia sun , & de imen a, cum hae digni a es na u am ad amussim sequan u ’.
25 Ki che , op. ci . (20), pp. 523–4: ‘Sub zona e ò o ida, quemadmodum à Pe uuiae, B asiliae, & Insula um
Philippina um Socie a is nos ae P ocu a o ibus o e enus accepi; i a dic ae signo um quali a es con usae sun u
quod humidum siccum, igidum calidum si , ix dispice e possis. I a sub aequinoc iali e icalia signa [A ie is] &
[Lib ae] maximè humidae, & calidae complexionis expe iun u ; opica e ò signa magis ad sicci a em, & igidi-
a em inclina i; eliqua in e media signa aliud & aliud empe amen um so iun u : unde ex an a a ie a e exo ici
quoque e ec us causan u ab e ec ibus zonae empe a ae p o sus dis inc i.’
26 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 524: ‘Si quis igi u sub zona o ida, au aus ali hemisphae io iux a canones
as ologicos sys ema conde e gene hliacum, ce um es illud nihil p o sus eo um, quae As ologi p omi un ,
signi ica u um; Cum in eo neque na u a signo um eadem, nec domuum, eliqua umque digni a um plane is a ec-
a um legi ima coo dina io ie i possi : a que adeo signa cum plane a um i ibus, quas in ijsdem signis ob inen ,
sic o dinanda o en .’
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The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 9
as ological houses and he unusual mo emen o he plane s acco ding o he ho izon. I
was well known o any compe en ma hema ician and as onome ha he compu a ion o
he commonly used as ological house di ision o he ea ly mode n pe iod – he Ra ional
Sys em o Regiomon anus – began o dis o and ail abo e he la i ude o 66∘.27 This would
make i impossible o calcula e an as ological cha o ha la i ude and he plane s could
spendmon hsabo eo below heho izon.Thiswouldcomple elydis o hei na u alcycle
o ising,culmina ing andse ingobse edin empe a eand opical egions,and he e o e
a ec any as ological judgemen : (Figu e 2)
Hence, he should be laughed a who made asse ions abou he o une o someone
bo n unde he pola egion o he igid zone, o ain, o changes in he wea he in
he same egion while no conside ing he equi ed di ision o he houses no he
p ope ies ha he wel e signs ob ain unde he clima es 5, 6, 7 and 8. Fu he mo e,
when plane s appea o e he ho izon o he cold egion o an in e up ed lapse
o 3, 4, 5 o 6 mon hs, o when hey hide o he same pe iod o ime, ce ainly o
a ibu e o his appea ance o absence he same e ec ha we a ibu e o hem in
he empe a e zone is some hing o a eckless, no o say s upid, pe son. Who does
no know ha his long appea ance o occul a ion o he ligh o he celes ial bodies
would cause many di e en e ec s in hose egions han in ou s?28
Following A is o elian and P olemaic iews o as ology and adap ing i o an expanding
geog aphy, Ki che a gues ha as ology is no uni e sal. I mus be accommoda ed o he
egion o he globe whe e i is p ac ised. He o e s a able whe e, besides he adi ional ele-
men al quali ies o he signs and hei plane a y domiciles and exal a ions o he no he n
empe a e zone, he also p esen s hei a ia ions o he sou he n empe a e zone and he
opical and pola egions. Only by combining his di e se ecep ion o sola and luna ligh
wi h in o ma ion abou he na u al disposi ion o a place, i s geog aphy and he quali y
o he na i e’s pa en s can a p ope as ological p ognos ica ion be made, since as ology
does no ely solely on celes ial causes. This a i ma ion and his en i e p esen a ion o he
p oblem a e embedded solely in P olemaic easoning and he na u al explana ion and logic
unde lying he en i e as ological sys em, e en i i means changing he adi ional sys em.
Howe e , in all o Ki che ’s easoning and ha o Campanella be o e him, he e is no ac ual
b eak wi h adi ion; on he con a y, he P olemaic adi ion is e ained ega dless, e en
when i wa ps es ablished canons o as ology. The e is no up u e bu an addendum o
adi ion.
No wi hs anding he a ionale behind his heo y o in e sion and adap a ion o he
humo al associa ion and plane a y ule ships o he signs, i ul ima ely emains a heo y.
Ca dano makes li le mo e han a sugges ion and p obably ne e engaged in he compu a-
ion and judgemen o a igu e o he sou he n hemisphe e o opical egion. Campanella
and Ki che migh ha e, bu hey p o ide no examples wha soe e o he applica ion o
27 Mos common sys ems o house di ision, such as he s anda d (i.e. Alcabi ius), he equa o ial (i.e.
Regiomon anus) and he e ical (i.e. Campanus) dis o in la i udes abo e he pola ci cle since he eclip ic is
oo close o he ho izon and some o i s pa s do no ise o se .
28 Ki che , op. ci . (20), p. 525: ‘Hinc idendus o e , qui sub pola i egione, seu zona igida sibi quicquam
sponde e ci ca o unam Na i, au pluuias, mu a ionesque empo um; cum eadem plaga, nec domo um ecipia
diuisionem equisi am, neque dodecamo ia signo um eandem, quam sub clima e 5.6.7.8. ob inean , p op ie a em.
Cùm p ae e a Plane ae 3.4.5. au 6. mensium spacio pe pe uo sup a ho izon em zonae igidae appa ean , au sub
illo eodem empo is in e uallo condan u ; ce è hac mani es a ione, au absconsione, eosdem ijs e ec us, quos
nos sub zona empe a a cons i u i ipsis asc ibimus, a ibue e, eme a ij ne dicam s olidi hominis o e . Quis enim
nesci hac pe pe ua luminis side ei appa en ia, el occul a ione, mul os alios e ec us causa i dic is in pa ibus,
quàm nos is in egionibus?’
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16 Luís Campos Ribei o
Ame ica, being in Lib a, i s exal a ion should be swi ched, and consequen ly all o he
digni ies, being in no doub ha by he e ec s we come o know he causes and o he
easons; howe e , being such a lea ned man, he ecognizes ha he speaks only by
epo s and e e s o expe ience. This [expe ience] says ha he essen ial digni ies o
he plane s do no change. Howe e , hey can be al e ed acciden ally, and A ies being
he exal a ion o he sun, Leo i s house, and i s iplici y, he Fie y, is due o na u al
con enience. The app op ia ion ha i has wi h hese signs is no because i is a he
beginningo A iesin hesp ing,no a echangesini se ec sino he egions, lawso
he sun o he signs, bu because o he dispa i y o he egions. This does no p e en
ha when he ac ing causes a e he same, hey will p oduce in all pa s [o he Wo ld]
he same hings.44
Byemphasizing heimmense a ie yo wea he condi ionsandseasonsin hesou he n e -
i o iesalone,hedemons a es ha al hough hema e ialci cums anceso each egioncan
modi y he celes ial in luences, hey do no change hei essen ial quali ies. Consequen ly,
he na u e o plane a y in luence and digni y in each sign emains cons an , ega dless o
he hemisphe e om which hey a e obse ed:
i is wi hou a doub ha he indisposi ion o he elemen ed hing can impede and
di e heceles ialin luences,which,wi hou losingo changing hei quali ies,ope -
a e acco ding o he disposi ion and concu ence o he Elemen s, while he plane s
always keep hei digni ies in bo h hemisphe es.45
Figue oa p oposes a a he adical change o he adi ional P olemaic explana ion o he
as ological sys em.46 In place o an associa ion o he plane swi h he signs, explained by a
na u al seasonally based a ini y as posi ed by P olemy, he sugges s a ‘na u al con enience
and app op ia ion’ o he plane wi h he sign. This would esol e any p oblems o igina ing
om he seasonal in e sion o he sou he n hemisphe e and o he a ia ions in he o id
and pola egions. The a ionale is ha e es ial condi ions should no impac supe io
causes such as he plane s, he signs and hei mu ual a ini ies exp essed by he sys em o
essen ialdigni ies.Byconside ing he sys emo plane a yessen ialdigni iesas apa o he
celes ial causes and no a cons uc de i ed om he seasonal cycle, Figue oa o e s a a io-
nale o i s uni e sal applica ion. Rega ding he ma e o he seasons, he s a es ha hey
a e uni e sal in hei essen ial quali ies (i.e. win e is always cold and mois , and summe is
always ho and d y). Howe e , hey a y in in ensi y om place o place due o he speci ic
ea hly condi ions o each egion. Thus he same occu s wi h as ological in luences:
44 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ols. 13 –14 : ‘Di icul a el Pad e Campanela si las dignidades de los Plane as en es e
An a ico, son unas mesmas que en el A ico; y pa ece que se inclina a demons a , que son las con a ias: y la
azon que dá, es dezi , que el Sol se exal a en A ies, p incipio del Ve ano en Eu opa, y que eniendo el Sol es e
p incipio en la Ame ica, es ando en Lib a, se de e oca la exal acion, y consiguien emen e las demas dignidades:
no siendo de dudas, que po los e ec os enimos en conocimien o de las causas, y ou as azones: si bien como an
doc o, econoce que solo habla po no icias, y emi e a la expe iencia. A que se dize, que las dignidades essenciales
de los plane as no se mudam, aunque po algunos acciden es se al e am, y que el exal a se el Sol en A ies, se su
casa Leon, y su iplicidad la Ignea, es po na u al con eniencia, y annexion que iene con es os signos, no po que
sea, o no el p incipio del Ve ano in A ies, ni el a ia en dis in as Regiones sus e ec os, son de ec os del Sol, ni de
los Signos, sino dispa idad de las Regiones: que no obs a que las causas agen es sean unas, pa a p oduci en odas
pa es unas mesmas cosas.’
45 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ol. 14 : ‘con que no es de dudas que la indisposición de lo elemen ado puede impedi ,
y ex a ia las in luencias celes es, las quales sin pe de ni ansmu a sus qualidades, ob an segun la disposicion,
y concu so de los Elemen os, ob eniendo siemp e los Plane as sus dignidades en ambos Emis e ios.’
46 Ribei o, op. ci . (11), p. 214.
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The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 17
Hence,i is plainly e i ied ha hecomplexions,es ablishedbyeacho he ou qua -
e s o he yea , a e o he same quali ies gene ally in all egions o he uni e se, mo e
o less in ense in some han in o he s and consequen ly, also he doc ines o he
physicians and as ologe s ha w o e on he in luences and he objec …47
The empe amen al quali ies apply o bo h hemisphe es bu a opposi e imes o he yea ly
cycle. This is independen o he sun’s posi ion in he zodiac. Thus he uni e sal na u e
o his phenomenon con i ms he alidi y o he adi ional as ological ules, which can,
he e o e, be applied by physicians and as ologe s in he sou he n hemisphe e.
By accep ing hese p emises, Figue oa is d as ically depa ing om he P olemaic expla-
na ion ha bounded as ology o he no he n hemisphe e and gene a ed he con olu ed
sys ems p oposed by Campanella and Ki che . Being locked wi h he seasonal cycle, his
accoun would imply a cons an change o he ounda ional ules o as ological judge-
men o e e y egion o he globe. The esul would be qui e imp ac ical. Since he ob ains
success ul esul s using adi ional plane a y ule s and sign quali ies, like Mo in and
Ma gg a e,heconcludes ha hispa icula pa o P olemy’sdoc inemus bew ong.Thus
he P olemaic explana ion o hese phenomena, based on he seasons, mus be eanalysed.
Ye , while he depa s om adi ion, he s ill espec s he classical inne logic o as ology,
mixing he inno a ion o a new explana ion o he hemisphe ical di e ences wi h a a-
di ional A is o elian explana ion. He pu s o wa d a mo e canonical A is o elian a ionale
han P olemy, clea ly sepa a ing celes ial (supe io ) causes, such as he plane s and signs,
om e es ial (in e io ) causes, such as local clima e and condi ions. The supe io causes
ac on he in e io , bu despi e he in e io s eac ing di e en ly acco ding o hei na u e,
hey canno ac upon he supe io causes. Thus seasons and local clima e canno de e mine
plane a y ule ships o sign quali ies as P olemy p oposed. In he same manne as Ma inez
discussed he di e ences in seasons by using he commonly accep ed as ological eason-
ing o he ixed s a s, Figue oa uses as ology’s adi ional backg ound o explain why he
signs ha e he same quali ies and ule s in bo h hemisphe es.
Gi en i s complexi y as a ull as ology manual, he Opusculo also o e s a iew o
o he as ological me hods ha needed o be handled di e en ly in he sou he n hemi-
sphe e. The mos ob ious is he calcula ion o he as ological cha , which Figue oa
explains in de ail in Book One, Chap e s 23–25, and he compu a ion o di ec ions
add essed in Book Fou , Chap e 20. All hese equi ed adap a ions o he sou he n
la i udes.
He also no es some impo an di e ences in some o he concep s and me hodologies
o as ology. A simple one ega ds he ele a ion o he plane by la i ude. While, adi-
ionally, a plane is conside ed ele a ed when i has a highe no he n la i ude, Figue oa
no es, in Book One, Chap e 17, ha in he sou he n hemisphe e he opposi e occu s, since
a plane will be highe in he sou he n ho izon when i has a g ea e measu e o sou he n
la i ude.48 Alsoimpo an isFigue oa’sdiscussiono he alidi yo heas ological–medical
canons o he sou he n hemisphe e in Book Two, Chap e 6. He e, he es a es and de el-
ops some o his a gumen s ega ding he uni e sal na u e o plane s and signs, a guing ha
wea he changes a e linked wi h he egion’s ma e ial pa icula i ies, no a change in celes-
ial causes. He e, he also makes a qui e ele an a gumen ega ding he new s a s o he
sou he n hemisphe e. I seems ha Figue oa is no ce ain o hei quali y, and al hough he
47 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ol. 114 : ‘De que llanamen e cons a, que las complexiones, que en cada una de las
qua o qua as iene el año cons i uidas, son de unas mismas qualidades gene almen e en odas las egiones del
uni e so, mas, o menos in ensas en unas, que en o as: y po consequencia lo son las do inas de los Medicos, y
As ologos, que esc i ie on del in luxo, y el objec o’.
48 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ol. 27 .
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18 Luís Campos Ribei o
lis s henew cons ella ionso he A c ic,he does no add ess hei s a so hei as ological
na u es. Howe e , he makes an impo an conside a ion as o hei use in as ological p ac-
ice.49 He easons ha , despi e hei quali ies being unknown, hey a e al eady included in
he way he signs o he zodiac a e expe ienced since all s a s a e p ojec ed on o he eclip-
ic. The e o e, e en unknowingly, hei quali ies ha e always been pe cei ed as pa o he
signs whe e hei p ojec ion alls; some hing al eady applied o he s a s o he no h:
because he i ue and e icacy o he s a s a e ound in he eclip ic, in he analogue
deg ees ha co espond o hem, o which hei quali ies ha e always been known
by hei e ec s, e en when some ha e no been seen in o he pa s, due o he decli-
na ions, me idians o la i udes o he di e en egions. Simila ly, in he p o inces o
he A c ic, some s a s a e also hidden in some places, and he e is no doub ha hei
quali ies a e known since hey a e inco po a ed in he wel e signs in which all s a s
o he i mamen a e included, and hei in luences a e expe ienced in each sign.50
W i en mo e han hal a cen u y since En ico Ma ínez i s made his obse a ions,
Figue oa’s wo k co obo a es his ini ial commen a y, de eloping hose ideas u he and
o e inga mo econcise explana iono howas ologyisapplied o hesou he n hemisphe e
and, consequen ly, o he en i e globe. Figue oa also suppo s Mo in’s opinions wi hou
men ioninghim. This c ea esan in e es ingpossibleconnec ion wi h Mo in’s le e oPe u
in 1627 since Figue oa was wo king he e. Howe e , he e is no e idence ha hey e e
co esponded.
An un inished deba e
Despi e his, as ological li e a u e emains unclea as o which o he wo iews o as ol-
ogy iumphed. Figue oa’s Opusculo was published when he accep ance o as ology in
academic con ex s was apidly waning. I s ma ginaliza ion as an a ea o scien i ic enqui y
pe haps accoun s o his lack o cla i y, al hough sou he n hemisphe e as ological p ac-
i ione s and he physicians, like Figue oa, s ill conside ed i wo hy. Howe e , doub s ill
appea s o linge . The Opusculo was published in Sou h Ame ica and w i en in Spanish, no
La in, a ac ha migh ha e se e ely limi ed i s impac on he global p ac ice o as ol-
ogy, and he same can be said ega ding Ma ínez’s wo k. An example o his unce ain y is
he Jesui schola Valen in S ansel (1621–1705), who wo ked in Bahia, B azil. A o me s u-
den o A hanasius Ki che , he augh in Po ugal a he colleges o Lisbon and El as be o e
a elling o B azil.51 S ansel e e s o as ology in he sou he n hemisphe e in his book
U anophilus caeles is pe eg inus si e men is u anicae pe mundum side eum pe eg inan is ex ases
49 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ol. 114 .
50 Figue oa, op. ci . (43), ol. 114 : ‘po que la i ud, y e icácia de las Es ellas se halla em la Eclip ica en los
g ados analogos, que las co esponden, com que sus qualidades semp e han sido conocidas po sus e ec os, quando
algunas no ayan sido is as em ou as pa es, po sus a ias declinaciones, po la di e sidade de los me idianos, y
po la la i ude de las egiones. Y semejan emen e en las p ouincias del A ico ay algumas Es ellas, que ambiem se
ocul an a ou os luga es de sus mesmas egiones, sin que jamas se aya dudado que sus qualidades es àn conocidas,
como inco po adas en los doze Signos, en quien odas las Es ellas del i mamen o es àn inclusas, y sus in luencias
expe imen adas po la gene alidad de cada Signo’.
51 Ca los Zille Camenie zki, ‘Esboço Biog á ico de Valen in S ansel (1621–1705), Ma emá ico Jesuí a e
Missioná io Na Bahia’, Ideação (1999) 3, pp. 159–82; Ca los Zille Camenie zki, ‘The celes ial pilg images o Valen in
S ansel (1621–1705), Jesui as onome and missiona y in B azil’, in M. Feingold (ed.), The New Science and Jesui
Science: Se en een h Cen u y Pe spec i es, Do d ech : Sp inge , 2003, pp. 249–70; Ribei o, op. ci . (11), pp. 224–32.
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The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 19
(1685).52 He e, he ollows he ype o na a i e used by Ki che in his amous I e coeles ium,
whe e hemain cha ac e discusses se e alsubjec s wi ha supe na u albeing – in S ansel’s
case, he muse o he hea ens, U ania, and ha o he Ea h, Geonisbe.53 When discussing
he as ological canons o medicine, he muse Geonisbe asks U ania,
How can he o ce o he hea enly bodies and he bad in luence o he s a s be known
o us who li e in Ame ica? Is he e he same o ce o he s a s in Ame ica as in Eu ope
and on he Asians and he A icans? And who, I would lo e o know, eaches ha o ce
a e so many pe iods o yea s and cen u ies, and (wha is mo e di icul ) o hose
who a e loca ed unde a di e en inclina ion o he Sky, han [ he one] he Chaldeans
o he A abs once obse ed? And, a e so many yea s, a e we igno an o how big a
di e ence esul s om he slan ing o he pa s o he sky and he cu a u e o he
Wo ld? And hen, i one can ind ou i hose s a s o which you ha e spoken, cause
somewhe epleasan wea he andsomewhe eelse iolen s o ms;i o [peoplein] he
No h mos ly winds u bulen wi h clouds and os seize he day, while in B azil he
E esian and he Fa onius [winds] blow (se ene ai and mos ly emp y o clouds), how
can any hing ce ain be ound ou om hese by he B azilians, o any hing be lea n
abou diseases? I we see ha some hings a e p oduced by he s a s in he Chaldeans
and he A abs and o he hings in he Sa ma ians and Ge s, and again o he hings in
ou B azilians,doweno co ec lya gue ha he in luence o hes a s isno he same
unde hisand ano he cu a u e[la i ude] o hesky?And i hisisno hesame,how
can a B azilian o Ame ican physician de e mine any hing om he s a s, o consul
hem? I he canno , i becomes clea ha you canons es on a dubious ounda ion,
and wha comes ou om he e; and we do no decla e co ec ly he physicians a e
accused o homicide i hey do no heal diseases a he igh o he w ong ime.54
E en as la e as 1685, S ansel seems somewha unce ain abou his. Pe haps he was caugh
be ween he p ac ical e idence ha he himsel expe ienced in B azil and he iews o
Ki che , his men o . Wha e e his easons, he does no e eal his posi ion. Ye , despi e
his appa en conce ns, S ansel p oduced judgemen s o come s, using isual allego y
o in e p e cons ella ions; epo s om he pe iod also sugges ha he made medical
p ognos ica ions.55
52 Valen in S ansel, U anophilus Caeles is Pe eg inus si e Men is U anicae pe Mundum Side eum Pe eg inan is Ex ases,
Gand: Apud He edes Maxìmiliani G ae , 1685; Valen in S ansel, U anó ilo, o Pe eg ino Celes e ou os êx ases da men e
u ânica pe eg inando pelo mundo das es elas ( . Ca los Zille Camenie zk), Sal ado : Edu ba, 2021.
53 Camenie zki, op. ci . (51); S ansel, op. ci . (52), pp. 11–35.
54 S ansel, op. ci . (52), pp. 20–1: ‘Quo pac o, inqui , is Side um, au maligni as S ella um cognosci à nobis
possun , qui Ame icam incolimus? An e ò eadem is As is in Ame ica, quae in Eu opa; eademque in Asia icos,
quae in A icanos? E quis, amabo, hanc im, pos o anno um & seculo um pe iodos, & (quod di icilius) sub
alia Caeli, quàm Chaldaei el A abes olim obse a un , inclina ione posi os, docui ? An e ò nescii sumus, quan a,
pos o anno um cu icula, pa ium Caeli, ex de e gen ia & con exionibus mundi, a ie as ac a si ? Denique si
haec ipsa Side a, de quibus dicebas, alibi empes a em placidam, alibi iolen am & u bidam aciun ; si Bo ealibus
ple umque squallen es nubibus en i & p uinae diem e ipiun , quo empo e B asilis E esiae el Fa onii spi an
(se eno u plu imùm aë e & à nubibus acuo) quo pac o ce i aliquïd ex iis à B asilis e ui po e i , au de mo bis
dece ni? Si alia in Chaldaeis el A abibus, alia in Sa ma is Ge isque u sumque, alia in nos is B asilis, ab As is
e ici idemus, an non ec è a guimus, sub alio a que alio Caeli cu amine, non eumdem esse Side um in luxum?
Quòd si au em non idem es ; quo pac o Medicus B asiliis si e Ame icanus, ex As is aliquid s a ue e, au ea con-
sule e po e i ? Quod si au em non po es , liquidum si , uos illos canones dubio ni i undamen o; & quod exinde
nasci u , non sa is ec è Physicos homicidii eos p onun iamus, quod el non in empo e au in empes i e mo bis
medean u .’ My ansla ion.
55 Ribei o, op. ci . (11), pp. 230–2.
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20 Luís Campos Ribei o
Since an iqui y, he associa ion o a come wi h a pa icula plane a y na u e wasdepen-
den on i s isual appea ance and on he celes ial con igu a ion (usually conjunc ions)
p eceding i s appea ance. In a way, his p ac ice would ei e a e he idea ha he in insic
na u e o celes ial bodies is no a ec ed by he obse e ’s posi ion, as a gued by de ende s
o uni e sali y. Howe e , in none o he p e ious au ho s’ deba es would his ha e made a
good a gumen o he uni e sali y o as ology.56 The un esol ed na u e o his ma e can
also be seen in 1702 in he ex s o ano he Jesui , Luís Gonzaga, who augh ma hema ics
in Lisbon, Po ugal. In his as ological lessons, he b ie ly e e s o Ki che ’s ideas on he
change in he na u e o he as ological signs o he sou he n and o id egions. Howe e ,
once again, he does no discuss he p ac ical implica ions o he sys em.
This ini ial o e iew also e eals ha he Po uguese, Spanish and Du ch we e mo e
equen ly con e san wi h sou he n as ological cha s. Un o una ely, aside om he
p in ed sou ces p esen ed he e – a hand ul o almanacs, pamphle s and one book, he e is
an uncom o able silence in ea ly mode n e idence. So a , only wo Spanish sou ces ha e
explo ed his ma e in dep h. All o he s a e I alian, Ge man and F ench.
In his ma e , he e a e wo iews on he unc ioning o as ology. Fi s is he localized
iew o as ology, which equi es i s heo y and p ac ice o adap o each speci ic egion, as
ad anced by Ca dano, Campanella and Ki che . The second iew ea s as ology as uni e -
sal, adhe ing o he same p inciples in any egion o he globe, as suppo ed by Ma ínez,
Mo in and Figue oa. Au ho s om bo h pe spec i es consolida e hei p oposals wi h log-
ical easoning, conside ing bo h he adi ional ules and he new empi ical in o ma ion
om he New Wo ld. Howe e , he e is a clea di ide. Those ad oca ing he localized iew
a e Eu ope-based, and hei pe spec i e is pu ely heo e ical. They p o ide no empi ical
examples o as ology unc ioning in he manne hey p opose. Ki che ’s es imonies om
hose who had a elled sou h pe ain o di e ences in clima e and he seasonal cycle, no
o as ological p ac ice. Those who adhe e o he uni e sal na u e o as ology a e he p ac-
i ione s such as Ma ínez and Figue oa, who ac ually li ed in colonial e i o ies, oge he
wi h hosewhoadop edanempi icalapp oach o hep oblem,usinge idencede i ed om
he colonies, such as Mo in.
In o he wo ds, his deba e wasone be ween Eu opean-based heo e icians and he colo-
nial p ac i ione s who ac ually needed o apply hose heo ies in he sou he n hemisphe e.
None o he as ological igu es and judgemen s o he sou he n hemisphe e obse ed
du ing his esea ch e idence any applica ion o he in e sion heo ies p oposed by
Campanella and Ki che . E en conside ing ha as ological cha s a e a li le-s udied
sou ce, pa icula ly o he sou he n hemisphe e, he exis ing examples – including se -
e al come a y judgemen s – show no change in he elemen al quali ies o he signs o
plane a y ule s. Thus expe imen a ion by as ologe s and physicians in p ac ice o e -
uled he heo e ical models p oposed, co obo a ing a uni e sal use o as ology whe e
he same p inciples we e applied independen ly o he egion o he globe. Mos o he
p ocess o adjus men o as ological doc ine o he sou he n hemisphe e aligns wi h
G a on’s iews on he ansmission and adap a ion o adi ional knowledge. E en when
o he changes can be obse ed in as ological p ac ices, and despi e such an impo an
challenge ega ding one o i s co e ounda ions, he as ological doc ine did no change.
None heless, he deba e on he uni e sali y o as ology and he in e sion heo y shows
a di e en mo emen . While expe ience challenged he es ablished concep s and sug-
ges ed new explana ions, a he same ime he au ho s used as ology’s own adi ional
56 Al hough he e a e a ew excep ions, in many se en een h-cen u y as ological ex s come s a e s ill
explained as subluna y phenomena. When iewed as celes ial objec s, hey a e conside ed exhala ions om he
plane s, hus acqui ing he plane ’s quali y.
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The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science 21
A is o elian backg ound o suppo he empi ical e idence and o e come he di icul ies in
econciling expe ience wi h as ology’s classical P olemaic a ionale.
Supplemen a y ma e ial. The supplemen a y ma e ial o his a icle can be ound a h ps://doi.o g/10.
1017/S0007087425000159.
Acknowledgemen s. I would like o hank he pee e iewe s o hei sugges ions, and o exp ess my g a -
i ude o P o esso Hen ique Lei ão o his suppo , ea ly e ision and commen s on he pape , as well as o my
eam membe s a he RUTTER p ojec o hei eedback, especially Juan Ace edo o his ad ice on some o he
ansla ions.
Funding. This a icle was suppo ed by he ERC- unded p ojec RUTTER: Making he Ea h Global. The RUTTER
p ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Resea ch Council (ERC) unde he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
Resea ch and Inno a ion P og amme [g an ag eemen No. 833438].
Ci e his a icle: Campos Ribei o Luís, ‘Is as ology uni e sal? Ea ly mode n globaliza ion and he dis up ion
o adi ional knowledge’, The B i ish Jou nal o he His o y o Science (2025), pp. 1–21. h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/
S0007087425000159
h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0007087425000159 Published online by Camb idge Uni e si y P ess
