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1828-1899
Luke Broughton was an influential American astrologer although
he was English by birth. He came from a family of well-know
astrologers and his paternal grandfather was a disciple of Nicholas
Culpeper. He was the first astrologer in America to use horoscopes
of famous Americans to teach and illustrate astrology.
Broughton was born in Leeds, England in 1828. He began
studying astrology in his teens. It is thought that Broughton
came to America in 1854 when he was 26. He settled in Philadelphia
where he studied natural medicine and graduated from Eclectic Medical
College. He practiced homeopathic medicine for most of his
career
In 1860, Broughton revived his brother, Mark’s, periodical Broughton’s
Monthly Planet Reader and Astrological Journal. He continued
to publish this Journal until 1869. After anti-astrology
laws were passed in Philadelphia, Broughton moved his medical office
to New York City in 1863, which then became his home for the rest
of his life. In 1866, he started to teach astrology emphasizing
astrological medicine.
As astrology grew more controversial, Broughton defended astrology
and also attempted to protect it from incompetent astrologers. In
addition, he became a leading teacher of astrology in America and
he appeared as a witness in court on the behalf of astrology.
Broughton was the first astrologer to identify the “20-year cycle”
of US presidents dying in office. In 1864, his prediction
of the death of Abraham Lincoln in his Monthly Planet Reader was
widely publicized, however his chart for George Washington was found
to be inaccurate and the data was incorrect.
Broughton predicted his own death on September 22, 1899 and made
final arrangements and concluded his business on the day before
in New York City. When Broughton died in 1899, he left his
astrological practice to his daughter. She had overseen the
publication of his most important book, The Elements of Astrology,
in 1898, the last year of his life and later carried on his work.
Text reads:
"I shall die September 22 at 4 o'clock in the morning. The sun, Saturn and
Mars will be in such positions at that time that I cannot possibly survive. I
give warning, as there is no possible hope of my surviving that date. Let us be
prepared for the end and meet it calmly." -- Statement made to his family August
22 by Dr. Luke D. Broughton, astrologer, who died on the day and at the hour he
had set.
Click here to
see Broughton's Birth and Death charts
(click above to read his book)
Planetary Influence in 1893
Remarks on Astrology & Astromedical Botany in 1880 (a twelve-page
pamphlet)
BIRTH AND DEATH DATA:
BIRTH: Two different
dates for birth found:
April
24, 1828 in Leeds, England at 10:00 A.M. Source:
By
David Ovason’s in his book, The Secret Architecture of our Nation’s
Capital, this birth data was as recorded by Broughton.
April
20, 1828 at 10:00 am in Leeds, England Source:
Astrodatabank
DEATH: He
died on September 22, 1899 in New York City. (AstroData Bank)
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