Dalton, Joseph Grinnell (1828-1898)

views updated

Dalton, Joseph Grinnell (1828-1898)

Boston astronomer and astrologer who became an important figure in the development of astrology by developing and publishing an accurate ephemeris and table of houses, the two basic tabulations needed by astrologers to prepare a horoscope chart. The ephemeris charts the position of the sun, moon, and planets for each day of the year. The table of houses shows the astrologer how to rotate the chart to accurately reflect the exact minute of the client's birth, thus representing the heavens on the client's birthday. Dalton's table of houses, originally published as The Spherical Basis of Astrology (1893), has continued to be reprinted and used throughout the twentieth century under the title Dalton's Table of Houses. Dalton also published the first ephemeris of the newly discovered planets Neptune and Uranus.

Sources:

Dalton, J. G. The Boston Ephemeris. Boston: Occult Publishing, 1898.

. The Sixteen Principal Stars. Boston: Occult Publishing, 1898.

. The Spherical Basis of Astrology. Boston: Arena Publishing, 1893.

Holden, James H., and Robert A. Hughes. Astrological Pioneers of America. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers, 1988.