About the author
Michael A Ryan is the author of A Kingdom of Stargazers: Astrology and Authority in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon, published by Cornell University Press in 2011 and reissued in 2017. The book is a work of medieval history examining how astrology functioned in the Crown of Aragon, where it was treated as a branch of the magical arts informed by Jewish and Muslim scientific knowledge and viewed with suspicion by Church authorities. It traces the tension between astrology's use by rulers and scholars seeking to read the future in the stars and the orthodox Christian objection to divination. Aimed at readers of medieval and Iberian history rather than practicing astrologers, the book treats astrology as a historical and political phenomenon, tracking how it intersected with questions of religious and royal authority in Aragon.
📖 Where to start with Michael A Ryan
💬 What our editors say about Michael A Ryan's books
“Michael A. Ryan delivers a rigorous, scholarly examination of medieval Aragonese astrology, making it essential for specialists in religious history or royal studies. However, casual readers seeking accessible narratives or…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on A Kingdom of Stargazers
“Ryan provides a dense, scholarly examination of how the Crown of Aragon utilized astrological prognostication to reinforce royal authority amidst ecclesiastical anxiety. While meticulously researched, this text is strictly…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on A Kingdom of Stargazers: Astrology and Authority in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon
