Before readers even reach the title page of The Astrologer of the Nineteenth Century, they encounter trickery: the second edition is deceptively labeled the "seventh" to imply greater success. Written under the pseudonym “Raphael” by Robert Cross Smith, the book compiles articles from a failed astrology journal he once edited. Despite mixed success, Raphael was key to astrology's 19th-century revival, producing an almanac and an ephemeris still widely used by British and American astrologers.

The book is divided into ten “circles,” covering a wide range of occult topics — from necromancy and ghost stories to astrology guides and magical charms (including one for boosting fruit trees using rose seeds, mustard, and a weasel's foot). Raphael, in his intro, says he strongly believes in astrology, somewhat in geomancy, and barely in magic, including the latter mostly for dramatic effect.

He argues that the powerful secretly rely on astrology while publicly dismissing it to monopolize its benefits. The book even blames a balloonist’s death on ignoring ominous celestial alignments.

Carl Sagan, in Cosmos (1980), criticized the lingering popularity of astrology over astronomy, indirectly referencing the kind of thinking Raphael helped popularize.

Whether or not one agrees with Raphael’s beliefs, the book’s intricate and fantastical illustrations remain striking.