Ebenezer Sibly
Encyclopedia
Ebenezer Sibly was an English physician, astrologer
and writer on the occult.
He had the M. D. degree
Sibly is celebrated for the natal horoscope
he cast of the United States of America
, published in 1787 and still cited.
As a student of medicine, he became interested in the theories on animal magnetism
of Anton Mesmer, joining Mesmer's Harmonic Philosophical School, and later also Theosophy
and Freemasonry
.
He published the New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences in four volumes, from 1784.
As an astrologer he is said to have used the Placidian system.http://www.forumonastrology.com/jbm-hdiii.html As a student of alchemy
, he translated Bernard of Treviso (the fountain allegory).
His The Celestial Science of Astrology (London: 1776) appeared in a revised edition posthumously as Astrology, A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences by Ebenezer Sibly, M.D. F.R.H.S., Embellished with Curious Copper-Plates, London, 1806 and The New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology (1817).
His brother Manoah Sibly (1757–1840) was a linguist, Swedenborgian
preacher and Bank of England
employee. The Sibly brothers published a number of important astrological texts, including a revision of Worsdale's
translation of the Tetrabiblos
, later known as the "Sibly edition".
Sibly wrote a book called Universal System of Natural History in 1794 in the book he claimed that the White Race was the first on earth he said “We must consider white as the stock whence all others have sprung, Adam and Eve
and all their posterity, till the time of the deluge were white; in the first age of the world no black nation was to be found on the face of the earth.” Sibly believed that no humans had reached Africa till after the dispersal from Babel, that the continents first inhabitants had been white and that Africans had become dark only as a result of the actions of the climate there over successive generations.
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...
and writer on the occult.
He had the M. D. degree
Sibly is celebrated for the natal horoscope
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...
he cast of the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, published in 1787 and still cited.
As a student of medicine, he became interested in the theories on animal magnetism
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
of Anton Mesmer, joining Mesmer's Harmonic Philosophical School, and later also Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
and Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
He published the New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences in four volumes, from 1784.
As an astrologer he is said to have used the Placidian system.http://www.forumonastrology.com/jbm-hdiii.html As a student of alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, he translated Bernard of Treviso (the fountain allegory).
His The Celestial Science of Astrology (London: 1776) appeared in a revised edition posthumously as Astrology, A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences by Ebenezer Sibly, M.D. F.R.H.S., Embellished with Curious Copper-Plates, London, 1806 and The New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology (1817).
His brother Manoah Sibly (1757–1840) was a linguist, Swedenborgian
Swedenborgian
A Swedenborgian is the doctrines, beliefs, and practices of the Church of the New Jerusalem, and is an adjective describing a person or an organization that understands the Bible through the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg....
preacher and Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
employee. The Sibly brothers published a number of important astrological texts, including a revision of Worsdale's
James Worsdale
James Worsdale was an Irish and English portrait painter, actor, literary fraud, and libertine whose lively conversation, wittiness, and boldness allowed him to move among the highest circles of literary life...
translation of the Tetrabiblos
Tetrabiblos
The Tetrabiblos , also known under the Latin title Quadripartitum , is a text on the philosophy and practice of astrology, written in the second century AD by the Alexandrian scholar Claudius Ptolemy ....
, later known as the "Sibly edition".
Sibly wrote a book called Universal System of Natural History in 1794 in the book he claimed that the White Race was the first on earth he said “We must consider white as the stock whence all others have sprung, Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
and all their posterity, till the time of the deluge were white; in the first age of the world no black nation was to be found on the face of the earth.” Sibly believed that no humans had reached Africa till after the dispersal from Babel, that the continents first inhabitants had been white and that Africans had become dark only as a result of the actions of the climate there over successive generations.
External links
- Allen G. DebusAllen G. DebusAllen George Debus was an American historian of science, known primarily for his work on the history of chemistry and alchemy. In 1991 he was honored at the University of Chicago with an academic conference held in his name. Paul H...
, Scientific truth and occult tradition: the medical world of Ebenezer Sibly (1751-1799), Medical History 1982 July; 26(3): 259–278. (online text as PDF)