Olivia Barclay

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Olivia Barclay (born December 12, 1919 in Essex – died April 1, 2001 in Kent) was an English astrologer whose enthusiasm for the revival of classical astrology in the late twentieth century, in particular the work of William Lilly, had considerable influence on her generation. In her personal life, she was known for her passionate love of animals, and often used astrology to find lost pets. In the latter part of her life she lived in the village of Great Mongeham, in Kent, England.

In 1980, Barclay obtained an original copy of Lilly's magnum opus, Christian Astrology and arranged to have it re-printed in a facsimile edition, in 1985. The dissemination of Christian Astrology led to a late twentieth-century renaissance of traditional astrology, stimulating the unearthing of techniques that had been lost in various cultural transitions since the Enlightenment, and also encouraging wider researches into the astrological traditions of the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Arabs, and Western medieval and Renaissance practitioners.

In addition to working as a professional astrologer, Barclay taught horary astrology, and many of her students made an impact on contemporary astrological thinking. Most practice of astrology at that time was influenced by twentieth-century psychology. The publication of Lilly was an attempt to reintroduce astrology to its traditional roots.

Barclay founded a correspondence course, which led to the qualification "QHP" (Qualified Horary Practitioner). This consisted of twelve lessons, the last of which required students to make a successful prediction using horary astrology.

She wrote Horary Astrology Rediscovered, first published in 1990, a detailed description of the theory, practice and history of horary astrology, which included material from her correspondence course.

Barclay's advocacy of Lilly also brought about an elevation of horary astrology (which is the main focus of Christian Astrology) from obscure occultism to mainstream astrological practice.

[edit] Sources

James Holden, A History of Horoscopic Astrology, American Federation of Astrologers, 1996. ISBN 0-86690-463-8

http://www.AstrologyNotes.org/Olivia_Barclay

"The Traditional Revival in Modern Astrology: A Preliminary History", by Nicholas Campion
Article from Astrology Quarterly, Volume 74, No. 1, Winter 2003

http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/astro/quarterly/traditionalrevival.html