Charles Harvey, Astrologer

Charles Harvey, astrologer One of the most influential astrologers of the late 20th century.
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Charles Harvey (b. 9.16 am BST, 22 June 1940 - 22 Feb 2000)^[1] British astrologer, teacher, organizer, author, researcher and counsellor. In his work as a consultant, he specialised in financial astrology and the astrology of world affairs.^[2]

As a visionary leader

Charles Harvey at William Lilly's Cottage

Charles Harvey, outside William Lilly's Cottage 1998. Photo by Robert Currey.

His connection with the Astrological Association and with John Addey (who became his mentor) began in 1963. In 1966, Harvey earned his Diploma at the Faculty of Astrological Studies (London) and set up as a full-time professional astrologer.

In 1973, he became President of the British Astrological Association. His enthusiastic, engaging and inclusive nature, made him an ideal networker internationally and a central focal figure within the British astrological community. Under his care and visionary guidance throughout his 20 year Presidency, the organization grew to over 1,500 members. In 1994 he stepped down as the AA President, to become Patron and to concentrate on his invaluable work with the Urania Trust.

During his Presidency, he expanded the Annual Conferences, the Astrological Journal, the Journal Correlation (the world's first journal of scientific research into astrology) and many other innovative events such as Research Conferences and Kepler Days. He was one of the founders of the astrological charity, the Urania Trust. Through this role, he established the Astrology Centre at 396, Caledonian Road, London and later the pioneered the foundation of the Sophia Trust, dedicated to the establishment of Astrology in the mainstream of British University Life.

Tributes from his peers

"Charles Harvey was, in his quiet but highly effective way, an important and even essential figure in our culture and in the spiritual awakening of our time." ~ Professor Richard Tarnas, Professor of philosophy and psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies ^[3]

Harvey was a tireless ambassador for astrology and was frequently called on to deal with astrology's bad repuation." ~ Maggie Hyde, The Guardian, 2 March 2000 ^[4]

"Charles Harvey influenced the course of 20th century scientific research into astrology more than anyone else. His eminence within astrology, and his enthusiasm for scientific research, led to his becoming a key figure in the astrology-science debate." ~ Arthur Mather and Dr Geoffrey Dean ^[5]

As an Author

Harvey's dedicated work in support of astrology and his work as a teacher, left little time for him to put his great knowledge into books. However, he was co-author of "Mundane Astrology" (1984) with Nicholas Campion and Micheal Baigent - a book that explores astrology's role in the analysis and prediction of politics, economics and world affairs. It was followed in 1990 by a second title with Mike Harding was published: "Working With Astrology" - a book about contemporary technical methods of horoscope interpretation such as midpoints and harmonics.

With his wife Suzi, Charles wrote two popular introductions to astrology: Sun Sign, Moon Sign (1994), and Principles of Astrology (1999). Anima Mundi: The Astrology of the Individual and the Collective is published by the CPA Press posthumously, created from edited transcripts of two of Charles' seminars and extracts from two articles which he had published in Apollon magazine.^[6]

As a Teacher

For many years, he taught at the Faculty of Astrological studies (where he was vice-president) and in 1992 became co-director of the Centre for Psychological Astrology in London with legendary astrologer, Dr Liz Greene.

"Charles Harvey taught brilliantly on basic interpretation, midpoints, harmonics and especially their application in human personality and mundane and business astrology." ~ Roy Gillett, a subsequent and current (2011), President of the Astrological Association (GB),^[7]

Charles Harvey was both a Neo-Platonist and a lover of science. Though his dream of the unification of both world-views eluded him during his lifetime, the possibility of objectively demonstrating a continuum between the two is closer now than during the 20th century. Charles's scientific mind drew him to the German astrological field of Cosmobiology, where he assisted in the translation of Ebertin's "Combination of Stellar Influences" into English.

Family & Personal Life

Harvey was born in the 14th century Half-Moon Cottage in Little Bookham, Surrey. His tyrannical father was a scholar in mediaeval architecture and history. He was also a pagan who wore a long green cape for New Year rituals and held anarchic views on the hollowness of academia. Harvey junior attended a grammar school near Leatherhead, but had a disrupted education and ran away at 16.^[4]

From 1999, Harvey suffered from non-Hodgkin's lymphatic cancer. He died peacefully on 22nd February 2000 aged 59, at his home in Frome, Somerset. He is survived by his wife, astrologer Suzi Harvey and his three children: daughter Natasha and sons Giles and Alexander. He was much loved here and elsewhere. Over 300 people attended his memorial service in St James Piccadilly.

Everything that Charles did in the world of astrology reflected his deep love and devotion to astrology itself, to all that is Good and True and Beautiful, and to the greater unified cosmos of which he understood astrology to be a symbol. ~ Dr Liz Greene, astrologer, teacher and author who partnered Charles Harvey as co-director of the CPA^[8]

Co-Authored Books

Mundane Astrology, Charles Harvey, Nicholas Campion and Michael Baigent, Aquarian Press, (1984) ISBN 0850303028
Working with Astrology: The Psychology of Midpoints, Harmonics and Astrocartography, Charles Harvey and Mike Harding, Penguin Arkana, (1990) ISBN 0140192131
Sun Sign, Moon Sign. Discover the personality secrets of the 144 sun-moon combinations, Charles Harvey and Suzi Lilley-Harvey, Aquarian Harper Collins, (1994), ISBN 1357918642
Principles of - Astrology: The only introduction you'll ever need, Charles Harvey and Suzi Lilley-Harvey, Thorsons (1999) ISBN 0722533640
Anima Mundi - The Astrology of the Individual and the Collective, Charles Harvey, (Edited by Liz Greene), CPA Seminar Series, CPA Press (2002) ISBN 1900869217

Also ...

Charles Harvey was born on the same day as popular British TV presenter and erstwhile MP, Esther Rantzen. Esther was however, born at 12 noon (I got this from her directly when I did a chart reading in 2008 at her home for a TV series) which moved the Sun from Charles's earlier spiritual 12th house to the career and public oriented 10th house. Astrologer, David Fisher observed that Rantzen's tenure as presenter of That's Life! one of Britain's most popular TV shows (1973 to 1994) coincided with Charles Harvey's tenure as President of the Astrological Association. Her husband, Desmond Wilcox also died in the year 2000.
Image: Charles & Researchers (including Jonathan Cainer & Patrick Curry) in 1983.

Sources

[1] Astro Data Bank "Charles Harvey"

[2] Miller, Martin Ed. The Best of British Men, Bath Press (1993) p.267 ISBN 0951863118
[3] Tarnas, Richard, Obituary, Feb. 2000

[4] Hyde, Maggie. Charles Harvey, Astrology in a modern framewowork, Obituary, The Guardian, 2 March 2000
[5] Dean & Mather, Patron of research. A tribute to Charles Harvey. 1940-2000 Astrological Journal 42(6), 45-46, Nov/Dec 2000.
[6] Centre for Psychological Astrology, Life of Charles Harvey

[7] Gillett, Roy, Obituary

Gillett says Charles was born at 8:15 (presumably GMT?) Fetcham.
In addition to the AA Journal (25 pages) and Correlation (Simon Best), obituaries were published in the Times and the Guardian.
[8] Greene, Liz. In Memoriam Charles Harvey, Tribute to Charles, by Liz Greene (Zurich, 2000)

Robert Currey