Students can generate birth charts and use them to establish their ruling planet – and hence their character and job prospects – using (a somewhat fudged version of) early modern astrological methodology. You can ask students to generate birth charts at home and bring a copy to the seminar, but some will inevitably forget, so if possible it’s easiest to do it in class with everyone on a laptop or phone. Guide the students through the instructions in the document above – it’s pretty quick if you have a demonstration screen available. Going through the results is usually good fun. You could use this activity as part of an introductory session (students might reflect on how far their characters diverge from the prediction), or to spark discussion about the beliefs that underpinned early modern faith in astrology.
