Spirit of Partridge, The.
Or Astrologer’s Pocket Companion and General Magazine: Including the First Part of Partridge’s Opus Reformatum, with Eleven Curious Nativities; Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Men: Observations on the New Planet Hershel, from Practice, with other valuable Remarks on Astrology not extent.
Other titles: Astrologer’s Pocket Companion and general Magazine
1824—1825 Weekly, then bi-monthly after no. 16
London, England. Publisher: Scientific Press for the London Astrological Society; Davis and Dickson. Editor: Mr. Dixon. Corporate author: London Astrological Society
1/1, August 5, 1824 - 1/17, January 15, 1825. 24 pp., 4d. an issue.

This was a tiny (in page size) "pocket" journal, devoted to the technical explication of astrology along the lines laid out by "Placidus" (Placido de Titi, 1603-1668) a century before in attempting to rid astrology of fantasy and restore it to the rationality of Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, and regularly featuring excerpts from and short biographies of the great astrologers of yore. It was decidedly critical of its contemporary (for a time) journal, The Straggling Astrologer, and even had the effrontery to poke fun at "Raphael" (Robert Cross Smith, 1795-1832) by name, even though it published a letter by Raphael and an article by him on the horoscope of George IV -- accompanied by a critical letter on the work by John Worsdale. In the preface to the first issue the journal described its purpose as "to elucidate the Science of Astrology, by a selection from the best and most esteemed Authors, with remarks and improvements suggested by long practice. To persons acquainted with the Science, it must be obvious that some Work of this nature is imperiously called for, to rescue the Astral Art from the disgrace likely to be thrown it, by a recent Publication of a most singular nature(*): no nonsensical hieroglyphics are given, as it must be plain to every one that they can answer no purpose but this, that by being of an obscure nature, they may afterwards be explained in any way which may best agree with succeeding events." Lest there be any a doubt as to the reference, the footnote specified: "* The Straggler." The journal contained essays on the utility of astrology, on weather, nativities of Lord Byron and Queen Caroline and others, with remarks, correspondence, an introduction to astronomy, and a serial reproduction of John Partridge’s Opus Reformatum, etc. Partridge (1644-1714/5) whose name was taken for the journal, was a polymath astrologer and maker of almanacs, whose"quackery" had elicited the venom of Jonathan Swift. Sibly called Partridge "the immortal Partridge, who was certainly the greatest English professor of this science in the last century." The "Mr. Dixon" who is said to have edited the journal is unknown but, as Kim Farnell has opined, would seem to have been the otherwise unknown Dixon who put out a bootleg, unauthorized edition of Raphael’s Prophetic Messenger in 1833, after Raphael’s death. An indefatigable researcher has concluded that Dixon is "Joseph Dixon." Northwestern University.

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