Does Astrology Predate The Zodiac?

Astrology, a method of predicting mundane events based on the assumption that celestial bodies, particularly planets and stars, are considered in their arbitrary combinations or configurations, has its roots in ancient Babylon and evolved through Greek, Egyptian, and Roman influences. It became more personalized over centuries, providing insights into love, career, and self-care. The earliest evidence for astrology dates back to the 3rd millennium BC, with roots in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications.

Astrology became a fundamental part of culture by the Middle Ages, practiced by doctors, astronomers, and mathematicians. India and China developed their own versions of the astrological houses, which were connected to mythical Greek and Egyptian figures called Tetrabiblos. The modern names for planets and zodiac signs come from Greek literature, with Ptolemy publishing Tetrabiblos in 140 A.D. Astrology is not a science, but there is a fascinating history behind humans attaching meaning to the stars.

The main reason astrological signs fail to line up with the zodiac is a wobble in the Earth’s rotational axis called precession. Artworks incorporating astrological images have been around for as long as astrology itself, and archaeologists have found what they say is the oldest astrologer’s board, complete with ivory zodiac signs, in a cave in Croatia.

How old is astrology?

The Silk Roads played a significant role in cultural exchange and the development of various scientific disciplines, including medicine, mathematics, geography, cartography, and astronomy. Astrology, a broad field concerned with the search for meaning and predictive information in the sky, was one such discipline that was widely accepted in political and cultural circles.

During the Tang (705-907 CE) period, foreign systems of astrology were adopted in China, particularly the practice of ‘horoscopy’, predictions made by an astrologer based on the position of the sun at the time of a person’s birth or the calendar significance of an event. Astrology often acted as a medium of transmission of other knowledge bases, predominantly from Indo-Iranian sources, especially within astronomy and the close mathematical observation of stars and planets.

Indian astrology was often introduced into new regions of Central Asia, the Iranian Plateau, and China alongside the introduction of Buddhism, another significant shared legacy of these trade routes. Early Islamic astrologers included numerous Indian theories in their works, most of which reached them via texts written in Middle Persian during a time when direct translations into Arabic of many scientific texts from Ancient Greek and Indian sources were made.

In Medieval Central Asia, two distinct versions of the discipline emerged: one focused on mathematical theories and precise astronomical measurements, and the other on the interpretation of magical elements to make predictions. Al-Biruni, a polymath, differentiated astrology from astronomy, arguing that the former was more of an art or practice and criticizing its weak mathematical and scientific foundations. He also emphasized his theory that astrology is not a science through analysis of astrological doctrines from Ancient Greece, the Indian subcontinent, the Iranian Plateau, and Central Asian regions.

Did God believe in astrology?

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus asserts that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. This contradicts biblical wisdom, as chasing after false gods is a sin. There is no biblical evidence that God has given authority to stars or astrologists. Pursuing predictions about our destiny or personality is biblically sinful, as it takes power from God and gives it to something other than God. A horoscope cannot change what God has already ordained before we were even created.

What zodiac was Jesus?

The age of Pisces, which began around AD 1 and ends around AD 2150, is associated with the birth of Christ and is often depicted as the fishes. Christ, who bears many traits of a Piscean, is considered an archetype of the Piscean. The twelve apostles were called “fishers of men”, early Christians called themselves “little fishes”, and Jesus’ code word was the Greek word for fish, “ΙΧΘΥΣ ICHTHYS”. This period, known as the “Great Month of Pisces”, is considered the beginning of the Christian religion.

Saint Peter is recognized as the apostle of the Piscean sign. The Venus exalted in Pisces is represented by divine love in Dante’s Purgatorio. Pisces is also the subject of Luca Della Robbia’s 15th-century Plate with the Month of February and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetic work.

How old is the zodiac?

The zodiac system, developed in Babylonia around 2, 500 years ago during the “Age of Aries”, was initially interpreted as sidereal with signs fixed to the stellar background or tropical with signs fixed to the Sun’s March equinox. Western astrology uses the tropical approach, while Hindu astrology follows the sidereal one. This results in the original unified zodiacal coordinate system drifting apart gradually, with a clockwise precession of 1. 4 degrees per century. The tropical zodiac in Western astronomy and astrology places the tropical sign of Aries within the constellation Pisces.

Why is astrology considered witchcraft?

The conviction in malevolent spiritual entities gave rise to a dual condemnation of magical practices that sought to benefit humanity rather than cause harm, as well as divination techniques of all kinds. This was largely due to the fact that the ability to foresee and predict future events was often perceived as being closely associated with witchcraft.

What came first, astrology or religion?

The evolution of hominid ancestors led to a shift in their field of vision, shifting from the earth to the sky. Climate changes also morphed the hominid environment from thick jungles to open fields savannas, allowing them to witness the movement of planets through fixed stars and constellations. Astrology emerged as a means to provide ritualistic stories about cosmic bodies and seasons. Astrology’s DNA is found in various religions and traditions worldwide, including the Mayans, Aztecs, druids, and ancient Egyptians.

In Islam, Ramadan is celebrated according to the Moon and always falls on the 9th lunar month. Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s birthday on the Full Moon in Vesakha, which usually falls on the Full Moon in Taurus. Christmas is a Christianized celebration of the pagan winter solstice, placing Jesus’ birthday on the solstice along with Mithras, Attis, Apollo, Artemis, and Horus.

Passover is the celebration of the equinox, Easter is celebrated according to an astrological formula, and the Chinese, Islamic, Tibetan, and Jewish New Years fall on a New Moon. The Persian New Year, Nawruz, is celebrated on the spring equinox, the first day of Aries, which is also the astrological New Year. Halloween is celebrated during Scorpio, the sign of death, Earth Day is commemorated during Taurus, Labor Day in the US is celebrated during Virgo, the sign of work and service, and International Cat Day is celebrated on August 8.

Astrology is not a fortune-telling art but rather a tool to help humans survive. It was discovered by a woman or group of women in early human evolution who realized the connection between intercourse and pregnancy. This intuitive woman, the first astrologer, managed to find a connection between the Moon cycles and ovulation, leading to the birth of astrology. The wisdom of the stars astrology helped us survive as a species and ensured our ability to overcome the death that overshadowed birth.

Do astrologers believe in God?

The rejection of theism by atheists and astrologists has resulted in the elimination of one unjustified belief in the existence of deities. However, this does not extend to the complete rejection of all other beliefs.

Is there any truth behind astrology?

Astrology is a belief system that suggests a connection between astronomical phenomena and human events or personality descriptions. However, it has been criticized by the scientific community for lacking explanatory power and lack of scientific validity. Scientific testing has found no evidence to support the premises or effects outlined in astrological traditions. The most famous test, led by Shawn Carlson, concluded that natal astrology performed no better than chance.

Astrology has not demonstrated its effectiveness in controlled studies and has no scientific validity, making it regarded as pseudoscience. There is no proposed mechanism by which stars and planets affect people and events on Earth in the way astrologers claim, which contradicts well-understood aspects of biology and physics.

Who invented the zodiac?

The invention of the zodiac by the Babylonians 2500 years ago involved dividing the sky into twelve areas, each assigned a figure, name, and specific meaning. This led to the creation of the zodiac with its twelve signs, such as Aries, Gemini, Virgo, or Leo. The Babylonian astral scientists created a body of knowledge that allowed them to assign meanings and contexts based on their calculations of planets’ positions in the zodiac at specific times.

Which is older, astrology or astronomy?

Astronomy and astrology are ancient Greek words with roots in disaster, meaning “star”. Astronomy is the study of objects and matter outside the Earth’s atmosphere, while astrology is the divination of the supposed influences of stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events. Astrology is related to astrologaster, a term that was once a derogatory term for someone who purported to study the stars. In modern use, the two words have different meanings, but for hundreds of years, they were synonymous.

The word “supposed” in astrology indicates that astrologers’ claims are widely viewed as unscientific and serves as a placeholder for the screams of anguish from science teachers when students confuse astronomy and astrology.