Reddit reviews A History of Horoscopic Astrology

Of course.

From Babylonian Astrology

>By the 16th century B.C. the extensive employment of omen-based astrology can be evidenced in the compilation of a comprehensive reference work known as Enuma Anu Enlil. Its contents consisted of 70 cuneiform tablets comprising 7,000 celestial omens. Texts from this time also refer to an oral tradition - the origin and content of which can only be speculated upon.[4] At this time Babylonian astrology was solely mundane, and prior to the 7th century B.C. the practitioners' understanding of astronomy was fairly rudimentary. Because of their inability to accurately predict future celestial phenomena and planetary movement very far in advance, interpretations were done as the phenomena occurred or slightly before.[citation needed] By the 4th century, however, their mathematical methods had progressed enough to calculate future planetary positions with reasonable accuracy, at which point extensive ephemerides began to appear.

Utilizing an omen and observation based system of astrology means there was no casting of charts. It also means they had no understanding or utilization of invisible, mathematical points like the Nodes or Lots.

From Horoscopic Astrology

>Based on literary sources, it is held that Horoscopic astrology first appeared in the Mediterranean region, likely Hellenistic Egypt, sometime around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE.

This is where we have the introduction of actual astrological charts and it was very definitely a Greek invention.

So, just from these two pieces of information alone we know for certain that Draconic Astrology charts are not Babylonian in origin. Following that same line, the only technique that is remotely similar is the Hellenistic technique of setting charts from the Lot of Fortune (where its position serves as the Ascendant) which is utilized in certain eminence and timing techniques. So, not only is the Draconic chart not Babylonian in origin, but it also has no techniques that look remotely like it throughout the recorded tradition of astrology from Manilius (1st century CE) to Lilly (17th century CE).

All that aside, though, the really big tell that this is a New Age-y astrological concept is that the Draconic chart is characterized as some sort of spiritual chart. This is based on a modern astrological redefinition of the Nodes as seen in the likes of the school of Evolutionary Astrology which redefined the Nodes to place them within a religious ideology focusing exclusively on reincarnation. In the late 1800s, the Theosophical Society took many Eastern religious concepts (like reincarnation and karma) and attempted to encapsulate them within astrological works, unfortunately they didn't bring along a lot of the details with them and so the use of the Nodes in the West is very unlike how the Nodes are used in the East (Evolutionary astrology claims the North Node is what you're trying to achieve in this lifetime and encourages you to move towards that, while Vedic astrology [from whom evolutionary astrologers often claim this idea comes from] see the North Node as a dog-hungry head that the individual feels compelled to strive for, but will never find satisfaction therein.)

For more information about the history of astrology, I recommend The History of Horoscopic Astrology by James Holden and The History of Western Astrology by Nicolas Campion.

Your best bet will probably be in book form. This book covers the known history of Horoscopic Astrology: http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Horoscopic-Astrology-Herschel-Holden/dp/0866904638

Probably best to be aware though that the astrology of the Hellenistic period had become more of a chart reading exercise than an observational, astronomical one. The Mesopotamians were the real skywatchers of Western astrology. So it will be hard to say when exactly it split with Astronomy. I'd say, for sure, that the ironically-named "Enlightenment" period while not an out-of-the-blue separation, should be considered the death knell for that particular relationship.