Deciphering the Codes Hidden in the Stars
Without light pollution, the night sky must have been an amazing sight with constellations stretching miles, so why not create a system revolving around the beautiful balls of fire (Waxman)? Whether you believe in astrology or not, many believe that the stars hold some power over us (Waxman). This power can be shown through the hidden messages the stars hold within each constellation (Sommer and Christie). Astrologers have been trying to decipher the messages the stars create since the beginning of astrology in ancient times (Sommer and Christie). Since the ancient Babylonians planted the foundation of Western astrology nearly 4,000 years ago, the practice of looking to celestial bodies for answers and predictions has changed and evolved as humans continue to be captivated by the stars; tracing the history of Western astrology can help to understand both how the practice has evolved over time and how Western astrology will likely advance in the future. “But who first looked up at the sky to make sense of what was happening down on the ground and why their fellow humans were behaving in certain ways?”(Waxman).
Although Western astrology does not have a distinct beginning it can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians and Mesopotamians (Tester 11). The ancient Babylonians form of astrology was based mainly on the stars, constellations, and the moon (Tester 12). They used algebraic algorithms to format their zodiac wheel (Sommer and Christie). Although the Babylonians were content with their new found way of understanding the world, many modern day astrologers say there system lacked structure (“Astrology: An Introduction”). The ancient Mesopotamians form of astrology was mainly focused on the moon and eclipses (Tester 11). They used a mathematical and theoretical version of astrology (Tester 11). They believed that the stars held omens and it was the priest’s job to interpret the omens and find a way to keep the “peace” between the heavens and earth (“Astrology: An Introduction”). The ancient Egyptians heard about astrology from their neighbors, the Babylonians, and decided to create their own form of astrology (Sommer and Christie). The ancient Egyptians form of astrology focused on using pictorial symbols, planets, and incorporating their gods and goddesses into the system (Tester 21). All of these forms of astrology were brought to Greece, and their the practice of astrology was refined and perfected.
Alexander the Great unintentionally brought all of these forms of astrology together while building his empire (“Astrology: An Introduction”). The Greeks decided that the algebraic algorithms were not working as well as they should, so they made the switch to geometric algorithms (Sommer and Christie). They also created the zodiac names were are familiar with today: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces (Waxman). The names came from what they called the constellation associated with each sign (Waxman). The Greeks assigned dates to each sign based on when they were visible from their point on earth and put all twelve in order (Waxman):
First Aries shining in his golden fleece
Wonders to see the back of Taurus rise,
Taurus who calls, with lowered head, the Twins,
Whom Cancer follows; Leo follows him,
Then Virgo; Libra next, day equaling night,
Draws on the Scorpion with its blazing star,
Whose tail the Half-horse aims at with his bow,
Ever about to loose his arrow swift.
Then comes the narrow curve of Capricorn,
And after him Aquarius pours from his urn
Waters the following Fishes greedily use,
Which Aries touches, last of all the signs. (Tester 31)
The Greeks assigned each zodiac one of their gods or goddesses (Tester 34). Each zodiac sign received an element: water, air, fire, or earth (Tester 94). Along with those, each zodiac sign was decided as either masculine or feminine (Tester 35). This newly refined form of astrology was given to the Romans by the Greeks (Tester 96). The Romans then spread this form of astrology to the Middle Eastern nations and the nations of Europe (Tester 96). Once the modern form of Western astrology was created, it spread throughout parts of the world and it was accepted by many.
The Renaissance Era marked the peak of Western astrology (Boner). Western astrology was seen as a science and was a well-respected practice (Boner). Many academics in this era were astrologists: Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Johannes Kepler (Sommer and Christie). As the study of science progressed during the Era of Enlightenment, astrology was no longer considered a science (Boner). The Era of Enlightenment marked the decline or collapse of Western astrology (Boner). During this time, there was much debate between astrologers and other scholars over the reliability of Western astrology, whether it was scientific, and if it conflicted with religion (Boner). After the debate ended, all forms of divination were abandoned due to the lack of scientific evidence and unreliability (Boner). Western astrology was not talked about or practiced for two hundred years.
After Western astrology’s two hundred year break it was revived (“Astrology: An Introduction”). In the 1970s, Western astrology reentered the public eye (“Astrology: An Introduction”). This was due to the finding of ancient astrological scrolls and the translating of said scrolls (“Astrology: An Introduction”). During this time, more people were educating themselves on the matters of Western astrology and were learning about Western astrology in ancient times (“Astrology: An Introduction”). Although people were practicing Western astrology, it was not seen as a science. It was seen as more of a hobby and something fun to do to pass the time (Sommer and Christie). Western astrological horoscopes were incorporated into newspapers and magazines. Western astrology had no debate over the aspects of the practice until 2016 when a new constellation was found (Painter). NASA discovered a new constellation and many people confirmed that it existed, but some believed it should become a zodiac sign (Painter). Ophiuchus was the name of the constellation (Painter). This dilemma caused much confusion in the astrological community (Painter). Eventually a depiction was reached to not include it in Western astrology because ancient astrologers would have been able to see the constellation but chose to leave it out (Painter). However, if you practice Vedic astrology than Ophiuchus would be added as a zodiac sign (Painter). People have now forgotten about and disregarded the so-called thirteenth sign and Western astrology resumed as if nothing had every happened (Painter). The timeline of astrology is now simple to understand and helps us understand where astrology has come from.
From the Babylonians to the Greeks and from the Renaissance Era to now, Western astrology has changed and evolved over time (Sommer and Christie). The way we view Western astrology has too (Sommer and Christie). The secret messages hidden within the constellations have given us entertainment and answers to some of our questions (Sommer and Christie). Over the course of nearly 4,000 years, the practice of Western astrology has been refined and perfected; humans have kept this practice alive throughout the years and have learned what the practice could be like in the future based on past events. This information helps us understand how astrology could become more complex through the involvement of other celestial bodies.