ASTROLOGY

WHAT IS ASTROLOGY? AN ANCIENT PRACTICE FOR MODERN TIMES

Astrology can be defined as the practice of reading the movements and patterns of the planets and other celestial bodies and correlating them with life on earth. It rests on a view of the cosmos as holistic and interconnected.

Astrology past and present

Many people today view astrology as archaic and irrelevant, belonging to a bygone era. Yet the practice of astrology has persisted and, indeed, has found new relevance in the 20th and 21st centuries. In the heart of the scientific age, there is perhaps more than ever a need for an alternative view that addresses our human desire for meaning and spiritual connection.

The kind of astrology practiced today, based on the concept of the birth chart or “horoscope,” has its roots in the ancient world of Babylon and Greece. To the Babylonians, we can credit the invention of the zodiac and the practice of attributing meaning to the movements of the planets as conveyors of divine will. These ideas were subsequently taken up by the Greeks after the conquests of Alexander in the 4th century BCE and, shaped by Greek cosmology and beliefs, they eventually gave rise to the horoscope we are familiar with today.

What is a horoscope?

A horoscope is a stylized picture of the heavens, drawn for a particular time and place. It is a geocentric or Earth-centered model—a view of the sky that puts the observer in the center of the wheel with the heavens arranged around them, above and below the horizon. It is thus a person-centered view of the cosmos that acknowledges a meaningful link between the two.

In this picture will be found the 12 signs of the zodiac as the bounding wheel of the horoscope, plus at least the Sun, Moon, and the planets from Mercury out to Saturn (and often Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, too), plus any other celestial bodies that the astrologer drawing the chart would like to include, arranged around the wheel according to their position in the sky.

The word “horoscope,” meaning “watcher of the hour,” originally referred to a very particular point in the birth chart—the rising sign (that is, the zodiac sign that is rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth). Later, the word came to signify the whole birth chart, and this is the meaning it still has today. A horoscope can also be called a birth chart or natal chart.

What your horoscope tells you

The birth chart is a holistic image of you. Its symbols describe both inner and outer circumstances and all levels of your personal history and experience, from the physical to the psychological. Everything you are and do is somehow contained within its dynamic picture.

Your chart is thus a reflection of your unique character. It acknowledges and validates your deepest feelings, concerns, and desires, showing what is meaningful to you and how you can find ways to shine.

ASTROLOGY - THROUGH THE AGES

A BRIEF HISTORY

Astrology began in Mesopotamia. From the melting pot of the ancient world, it spread to Europe via Islamic scholars, flourishing in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Falling from favor during the Enlightenment, it has re-emerged in modern times.

The origins of astrology

Most cultures have practiced some form of sky watching, using knowledge of planetary movements as inspiration for religious rituals and monuments and to chart the passage of time and the changing seasons. There is evidence, for instance, that lunar cycles were being recorded as early as 25,000 years ago. It seems a natural part of human experience to seek meaning in the sky. The Babylonians were skilled astronomers who carefully documented the cycles of the planets. It is from the Babylonians that we have the zodiac, a device based on the constellations through which the Sun travels during the year and created to regulate the calendar and to chart future planetary movements, making prediction possible. Gradually, the zodiac became unhooked from its constellational backdrop and became the collection of 12 equal-sized zodiac signs we recognize today.

The ancient world: Greece & Rome

Astrology spread from Babylon to Greece and Egypt. Alexandria became the intellectual center of the ancient world, and it is here that the concept of the horoscope was born. It brought together the Babylonian zodiac with Greek notions of the four elements and the celestial sphere, alongside Egyptian symbolism. It also infused astrology with Neoplatonist philosophy, with its belief in a magical correspondence between sky and Earth.

By the 2nd century CE, horoscopic astrology was fully formed and popular in Rome, where it was favored by emperors and commoners alike.

Astrology in the Middle Ages & Renaissance

After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the fall of Alexandria, astrology was kept alive by Islamic scholars who translated astrological works into Arabic. Their work was in turn translated into Latin, eventually finding its way into Europe during the 12th century.

The Medieval and Renaissance periods were a high point in astrology’s history. It was taught in several universities as one of the seven liberal arts and formed the basis of many medical practices. Every court had its astrologer-astronomer, and even popes consulted astrologers for advice.

However, the Renaissance also brought a new spirit of humanism and a search for scientific knowledge.

Astronomers such as Johannes Kepler practiced astrology but sought a more scientific version of it. Philosophers such as Bacon, Descartes, and Kant emphasized rationality and science as the route to truth.

As Europe moved into the Enlightenment, astrology fell out of favor.

The 19th and 20th centuries 

Astrology saw a marked revival toward the end of the 19th century with the increased interest in spiritualism and Eastern religion and philosophy.

The psychiatrist Carl Jung was powerfully drawn to astrology. Drawing on Jung’s theories of archetypes and the unconscious, the 20th century saw the development of what is known as “psychological astrology.”

Astrology in the 21st century

While astronomers reach literally for the heavens, astrologers understand the cosmos to be as much within as without, the two things inextricably linked. As in ancient times, contemporary astrology emphasizes how we might fruitfully live our lives in rhythm with the heavenly pattern.

ASTROLOGY TODAY - A REVIVAL OF INTEREST IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

Most people first encounter astrology via Sun-sign columns and yet this is a relatively recent invention, a commercial application whose simplicity belies the complexities of the full horoscope.

The Sun-sign column

In 1930, an astrologer named R. H. Naylor wrote an article for a Sunday newspaper about the horoscope of the new princess, Margaret. The article proved popular, and he was asked to produce more, this time writing a piece that predicted an aircraft disaster later that year. When a British airship crashed in France, Naylor was applauded for his accuracy and offered a weekly slot. Soon other British newspapers started their own astrological columns.

Naylor invented a system based on the 12 zodiac signs. He placed in order each sign in the position of the first astrological house, noting where the planets fell around the wheel. Thus, for anyone born with the Sun in Aries, the sign of Aries is placed in the position of the 1st house; for anyone with the Sun in Taurus, the sign of Taurus is placed in 1st house position; and so on. This allowed him to create 12 short forecasts based on the one piece of information everyone knows: their own birth date.

Sun-sign columns have waxed and waned in popularity. Many professional astrologers reject them as too simplistic while acknowledging that without them, most people would never know that astrology exists at all.

Traditional and psychological astrology

In recent times, older traditional forms of astrology have been revived and renewed for a contemporary audience. Perhaps the most significant development though has been the incorporation of depth psychology, resulting in “psychological astrology”, which has flourished over the past few decades. Psychology has provided what astrology naturally lacks—a theory of human behavior and personality development. For instance, Jung’s theory of the unconscious, the concept of archetypes, and the Self as the product of an individuation process have made a very fruitful marriage with astrology.

Astrology now

Astrology is now enjoying a surge in popularity, particularly among the millennial generation—and with unprecedented access to astrological information online, for many, this curiosity now stretches well beyond Sun signs to include awareness of the whole birth chart. Many no longer see it as throwaway entertainment, but as something with substance, meaning, and the ability to provide answers in times of crisis.

Uncertainty about the future certainly pushes many to seek life wisdom from beyond the usual orthodox sources, reaching out to nonmainstream belief systems and spiritual traditions that feel more relevant to the zeitgeist. This renewed interest in magic and mysticism permeates literature, fashion, film, and many other areas, with astrology as a significant strand in this upsurge of alternative spirituality. It addresses deeper questions of meaning and purpose but allows each person to decide for themselves what kind of cosmic force or mechanism might be at work. It is a practical tool that can be learned and applied to every kind of life context, but it also speaks to our need for mystery and spiritual connection, a counterpoint to the rationalism of modern science.

ASTROLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY - UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR CHART

Astrology is an imaginative yet practical art, applicable to all aspects of life. The symbols of the chart connect inner psychology to outer circumstances—thus, the better we know ourselves, the more harmonious and productive our lives can be.

Astrology as a guide for life

We all need a little guidance now and then. Most of the time, life might run smoothly, but in times of crisis or uncertainty, it is useful to have a tool that allows you to glimpse underneath the surface to see what might be going on at a deeper level.

It is this level of life, the inner meaning of events, which psychology seeks to address and which astrology also speaks to with its unique language of symbols.

Astrology encourages self-knowledge and self-reflection, a more thorough understanding of who you are and why you do what you do. It can also help you to understand better the people around you, enhancing your relationships or at least showing you what the purpose of those relationships might be in terms of your own personal story.

It is also eminently practical. For example, if Saturn is active in your chart, it suggests this is not a time to expand and branch out, but a time to focus your energies and knuckle down. If Uranus is active, the best way to respond might be to assert your will, even if this puts you out of step with others around you.

Following the tides

Astrology allows you to sense and follow the tides; it shows the appropriate time to act and how to make the most of a given set of circumstances.

Nothing we do occurs in a vacuum— our actions are set within the context of our lives and shaped by our particular needs and desires. Whether or not you believe in the idea of the soul’s evolution, or even in the idea of soul in the first place, life surely has different phases and cycles and an underlying sense of growth and development.

The one constant in the universe is change, and we are all subject to it. Astrology frames this in terms of planetary cycles, the planets circuiting the chart and marking out the chapters of our lives, putting each experience and each phase into its proper context.

Astrology and psychology

The birth chart shows both inner and outer circumstances, making the link between the two—thus, it shows how you can change your outer circumstances through a better understanding of your inner psychology and motivations.

With astrology, the emphasis is on personal understanding and personal growth, so that you are not just reacting to life but fully living it by being yourself, becoming who you are meant to be.

How to use astrology

The main practical application for natal astrology is character delineation— identifying skills, potentials, and psychological motivation.

Forecasting then allows you to glimpse into the future—not telling you what will happen, but showing you which way the tide is flowing and suggesting, in symbolic terms, the path you might most fruitfully take.

In "Astrology - Using the Wisdom Of The Stars In Your Everyday Life", DK (a division of Penguin Random House), USA, 2018, US Editor Kayla Dugger, excerpts pp. 12-19. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.