George, Llewellyn (1876-1954)

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George, Llewellyn (1876-1954)

Prominent astrologer and founder of the Llewellyn Publishing Company. He was born in Swansea, Wales, on August 17, 1876. After his father's death his mother remarried and the family moved to the United States. He grew up in Chicago, but moved to Portland, Oregon, around the turn of the century. He studied astrology with L. H. Weston and in 1901 founded the Llewellyn Publishing Company and the Portland School of Astrology. In 1908 he began issuing the Astrological Bulletina. He later moved his business to Los Angeles.

George emerged as the champion of a more scientific astrology. He attempted to move away from an astrology based on hermetic philosophy and build instead upon newer understandings of gravitational and other forces operating in the solar system. Eventually, however, as science had little to offer, he had to fall back on occult speculations.

George wrote a score of works on astrology, beginning with, The Planetary Hour Book in 1907. He followed with a set of books to assist the new astrological student, The A to Z Horoscope Delineator (1910), Practical Astrology for Everyone (1911), and The Student's Chart Reader (1912). Among his more important books are How Planets Affect People (1921) and Astrology: What It Is and What It Is Not (1931).

His most well known publications are the Moon Sign Book (published annually since 1905) and the Astrological Bulletin, a quarterly magazine, which he edited for nearly twenty years. He also founded the Llewellyn College of Astrology, which greatly expanded the audience for astrology by offering home study courses.

Llewellyn Publications emerged as a major center of astrological publishing. Prominent astrologers published by George over the years include Donald Bradley (Solar and Lunar Returns ) and Grant Lewi (Astrology for the Millions and Heaven Knows What ).

After George's death in 1954, the Moon Sign Book was edited by Sydney Omarr. In 1960 the company was purchased by Minnesota businessman Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, well known as an astrologer and occultist, who moved the company to St. Paul, Minnesota, as Llewellyn Publications, now one of the largest publishing and wholesaling organizations of occult books in the United States.