Alan Leo, born William Frederick Allan, (Westminster, 7 August 1860 – Bude, 30 August 1917), was a prominent British astrologer, author, publisher, astrological data collector and theosophist. He is often referred to as “the father of modern astrology”.

His work stimulated a revival of astrology in the Western world after its decline at the end of the 17th century. Leo was a devout theosophist and he worked many of its religious concepts such as karma and reincarnation into his astrology. He used the Theosophical Society’s vast international connections to publish, translate and disseminate his work across Europe and America.

Leo, who took the name of his sun-sign as a pseudonym, is credited with starting the movement towards a more psychologically-oriented horoscope analysis in astrology, being the first astrologer to argue for a loose interpretation of possible trends of experience rather than the specific prediction of events. His influence has been described as marking a ‘turning point’ in horoscope delineation, because, as astrological historian James Holden explains:

Thereafter, what has been more recently called “event-oriented” astrology gradually receded in favor of character analysis and vague descriptions of possible areas of psychological harmony or stress.

In 1890, Leo, invited George R.S. Mead to found an occult lodge in Brixton, South London. Towards the end of his life, in 1909, and again in 1911, Leo travelled with his wife to India where he studied Indian astrology. As a result of his studies in India, he later attempted to incorporate portions of Indian astrology into the western astrological model in Astrology for all.

Leo’s book The Art of Synthesis (1912) was a probable influence on Gustav Holst’s work The Planets. In this book, Leo gave the planets descriptions such as “Mars the Energiser”. His most well-known work, Astrology for all, was a best seller. 

In 1915 Leo founded the Astrological Lodge of London.

Source:
Astrology for all