Astrology is the study of the relationship between the relative positions of certain celestial bodies and life here on earth. Because the word astrology comes from the Greek words astron, meaning ‘star’, and logos, meaning ‘word,’ we can literally translate astrology as the language of the stars; a language and practice that has been developed over thousands of years by numerous cultures throughout the world from its earliest recorded beginnings in the third millennium BC.

Indian or Jyotish The foundation of Jyotisha is based on the Sanskrit bandhu of the Vedas which describes the union between the inner and outer world. As with western astrology, Jyotisha is based on the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm. The microcosm is life on earth, while the macrocosm is the universe.

the history of astrology

Although the terms astrology and astronomy have long been synonymous, astrology actually predates both astronomy and psychology. The earliest known astrological records date back to Babylon from 1645 BC. However, the history of astrology does not follow a particular timeline, but rather three independent branches which we refer to as Western astrology, Indian or Jyotish astrology, and Chinese or East Asian astrology.

Chinese

Like Western and Indian astrology, Chinese astrology is believed to have originated in China in the third millennium. Similar to the Hermetic law, “as above, so below,” Confucius said, “Heaven sends its symbols good or bad and wise men act accordingly.” Astrology in China later merged with the Chinese practice known as Feng shui.

western

The study of Western astrology was believed to have been first practiced among the ancient Babylonians in the third millennium BC. The Babylonians believed that the gods were responsible for all atmospheric phenomena, such as rain and sunlight. Egypt also has a very important place in astrological history. Star maps dating from 4200 B.C. C. prove that Egypt has an ancient history with astrology. Even the pyramids are oriented towards the North Pole of the sky as they served as astrological calculators as well as burial places for astrologically minded pharaohs. In fact, Ramses II is often credited with fixing the positions of the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Some zodiac signs are even said to be of Egyptian origin, including Aries and Leo.

Houses and Signs of the Zodiac that remain practically unchanged today.

As Europeans became literate, various newspapers and almanacs began to publish astrological information. Notable authors included Galileo and Copernicus, both practicing astrologers and founders of the modern scientific movement. However, the more popular astrology became, the more analyzed it was. And when the main astrological predictions did not come to pass, astrology began to fall out of favour.

It was not until much later with the birth of Princess Margaret in 1930 that astrology experienced a renaissance. To commemorate her birth, the British newspaper London Sunday Express published the astrological profile of the princess, thus giving birth to the modern newspaper’s horoscope column.

Horoscope

Developed in Hellenistic Egypt, horoscopic astrology uses a visual representation of the heavens called a horoscope, derived from the Greek word horoskopos, meaning “a glance at the hours.” This visual representation usually takes the form of a graph or diagram (below) depicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects, and angles at the time of a particular event, such as a person’s birth.

Horoscopic Astrology is divided into the four main branches of Natal, Mundane, Elective and Horary.

1. Natal Astrology is the most commonly practiced form of horoscopic astrology and is based on the idea that each individual’s personality or life path can be determined by constructing a birth chart for the exact date, time and place of a person’s birth.

two. mundane astrology is one of the oldest forms of astrology and takes its name from the Roman word Mundus, which means “the world”. Mundane Astrology is based on the idea that there is a correlation between individuals and world events, world affairs (wars, murders, etc.) and even geological phenomena such as earthquakes.

3. electoral astrology is the practice of determining the astrological profile of an individual to determine how and when to participate in a particular company or event, such as opening a business.

Four. horary astrology is the practice in which the astrologer attempts to answer an individual’s specific question by constructing a horoscope centered on that specific question. For example, “Am I going to get a promotion at work?”