What is Astrology?

Astrology is the science and art of establishing the potential of a person or nation by looking at the position of the planets in the heavens relative to the earth below. It studies the relationship between the changing sky and our fate, personal dramas and world events.

The Principles of Astrology

Astrology is a Science, involving mathematics and an understanding of Astronomy. It is also an Art due to the skills of interpretation needed to bring all the different pieces of information together to formulate an idea of the individual's character tendencies and traits.

If you think about the Moon's influence on the ocean tides, it might not seem far-fetched that other planets may have an effect on each of us. There are the personal planets like the Sun, whose 12-month journey through the Zodiac makes imprints on those born under a particular constellation and directs the seasons. Then there are the longer cycles of the slow moving planets such as Uranus, Pluto and Neptune that shape the events and outlooks of entire generations.

The unique energy of the planets used in astrological interpretation attempts to guide us in the direction that is right for us as individuals. The position of the planets within a birthchart tells us what areas of life we should concentrate on, and their daily movement indicates the important changes we should be making within our attitudes and lifestyles at any given time.

Astrology can help with relationship problems, career development, travel plans, financial status, educational worries - the list is endless. It gives us an overview of how we should react to life and is a mirror for the hidden potentials and energies in our lives.

However, Astrology does not compel us to act in a certain way, and it doesn't predict everything about us. More accurately, astrology explains the energy in our lives and its potential challenges and possibilities. It expresses our potential - not our fate.

Astrology in History

The stars and planets have always inspired a sense of mystery and wonder. Astrology appears to have developed independently in different cultures around the world, with the earliest records of most civilisations revealing that their way of life was based on the relationship between the earth and the skies above. Many major ancient buildings appear to have been built so that they were aligned to the stars and planets. At Stonehenge, (built in from around 3300 to 2000 BC), the sun rises up over what's known as the Heel Stone at midsummer and sets on at midwinter on a point exactly across on the circle of great stones. Although the meaning of these alignments have been debated, Stonehenge is considered the first astronomical observatory.

At the Great Pyramids of Egypt (built 2600 BC), it was discovered that the King's burial chamber aligned with both the belt of Orion and Thuban. These constellations gave the pharaoh two pathways of renewal and resurrection.

It is known that 3,000 years ago, the Babylonians in ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq), used divination for agricultural purposes, based on the planets or so-called 'fixed stars'.

The ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian astronomers refined this predictive art into systems which are similar to those used by astrologers today. The Greeks in particular developed it further with schools across the Hellenic world created for its study. The word 'Zodiac' comes from a combination of Greek words meaning 'circle of animals', and these Sun signs became part of common knowledge in the Greek world. Soon Greek astrologers added the time of birth to their calculations, creating a personal portrait that combined both the Sun and Rising signs.

The Greek astrological system spread as far as India, where the Zodiac and many other Greek terms were adopted. This was combined together with an already deeply rooted astrological tradition, which included holding Hindu rites to coincide with spring and autumn equinoxes.

Astrology has since developed as a method of prediction to help us survive in times of uncertainty, and has evolved over the last few hundred years into a system of personal analysis. Awareness that astrology is more than just a guide to the future has caused a tremendous increase in its popularity during the last 50 years and many people today create and analyse their own birthcharts or consult an astrologer.