Abstract

Bearing the enlightened mind of a typical ilustrado, Isabelo de los Reyes spoke of astrology as an old science to be replaced by a new one, astronomy: “Later, its [folklore’s] scope was expanded not only to serve anthropological and ethnographic research but also to enrich other existing sciences such as Medicine, and perhaps, to create new ones, like Astronomy from Astrology [las de la Astrología, las Astronomía], Chemistry from Alchemy, as the folklorist Dr. Machado y Alvarez would say. In short, folklore provides a general archive at the service of all sciences” (El Folk-Lore Filipino, 1889-1890). However, during the first half of twentieth century, what occurred seemed to be the opposite. Along with the vernacularization of astronomical geography (starting with Mamerto Paglinawan’s 1913 Bulatlupang Tagalog), astrology books made their way through the reading Filipino public. My presentation delves into these books, particularly Crispulo Trinidad’s Aclat ng mga Capalaran (1919) and Lihim ng Kinapal (n.d.), Mansueto Porras’ Signosan (1919), Rosendo Ignacio’s Aklat ng Karunungan o Mga Lihim ng Kalikasan (1921), Honorio M. Lopez’s Lunario ng Kapalaran (1950), Fernando Guirnalda’s Planetario (n.d.), and Brigido Alfar’s Karaang Napta (1950). Written in Tagalog, Ilokano, and Cebuano, these texts show how astrological knowledge had been received, vernacularized, and appropriated by interested Filipinos. Further contextual and intertextual insights can be drawn by relating these texts to colonial calendars (such as Dimasalang Kalendariong Tagalog and Almanaque Panayanhon) and indigenous astrology charts (such as the Maguindanao and Basilan kutikah). Such history of Philippine astrology attempts to explain its continuous popularity and relevance despite the criticisms from institutions, both traditional and modern.

This session is onsite only.