The study and place of Astrology in human affairs, has a long history. Once upon time and for many thousands of years, human beings would look up at the stars as a guidance for their existence. Whether it was in a search for meaning, or to measure time through the rising and setting of the sun and the movement of planets in the sky, astrology has a fundamental position in our understanding of ourselves and our world.
In fact, the origin of astrology dates to these ancient civilizations that used the stars to predict events on Earth. The Babylonians are attributed as being the first civilization to develop an early version of the horoscope. The ancient Egyptians, and concurrently pre-Columbian civilization in the Americas such as the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas, used astrology to understand individual and collective destinies. The Greeks, in their intellectual and philosophical pursuits, were the first to rationalize Astrology and began drawing similarities to the celestial beings and human characteristics. It was the Romans who diffused Astrology as part of the culture, intertwining it with mythology and religion and contributing to its cultural significance today. Throughout the ages, Astrology was present, used by Islamic scholars during the Middle Ages who translated astrological works into Arabic, eventually making its way to Europe and being translated in Latin. Astrology was widely referenced and used throughout the Middle Ages.
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When the Renaissance and the age of Enlightenment happened in Europe, a new spirit of humanism was introduced with focus towards scientific thought and practice and Astrology began to fade as a field of study, to give rise to hard science and a revived focus on Astronomy. Astrology went into disregard in this period and would fade into oblivion until the late 19th century. It was revived first in the Eastern world through religion and philosophy and then significantly re-introduced into Western societies thanks to Carl Jung and his psychological analysis of the human spirit in the early 20th century. It is thanks to this early insight and connection on the development of the self, through both psychology and astrology that in the present day, we can continue to view Astrology as a useful frame for understanding self.
In present day western society, the type of astrology most referenced and used is tropical astrology. Tropical astrology aligns with the seasons of the northern hemisphere and uses the vernal equinox as a fixed point from which to define the placement of the 12 zodiac signs against the calendar months of the year. This is the traditional view of astrology that dates to its origins and history with the ancient Babylonians. This lends astrology to be predominantly sun-signed based with each calendar month represented by a specific sign and with the horoscope used to explain or give meaning to events happening in one’s life.
Astronomy tells us that the earth is tilted on an axis, which means that the sky moves based on the earth’s precession. To account for this more accurately, there is also Sidereal astrology which considers the constellations and their movement and present position in the sky. This is however, a less commonly used form of astrology and does not have the same reach or acceptance in the mainstream. It is a fact that Astrology is a pseudo-science, meaning it is not scientifically sound. One can argue it is more fiction than fact and yet as a field of study has been part of the human experience for many ages, making it significant and impactful. Using Astrology for self-development is meant as a tool or framework to exploration of the self. The examination of the birth chart serves as a springboard for discussions about who you are as a person. It gives opportunity to take the time to get to know yourself, both the external facing characteristics that are evident, as well as your internal world that is more hidden and less exposed. This is what Jung did, connecting deep psychological analysis of the self with the models of the archetypes of self and the shadow self and relating them to astrological divination.
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In our modern-day society of self-help, self-understanding and personal development, there are many types of personality tests that are used to define who you are and how you behave. These tests are also not based on any scientific evidence and yet are hugely popular, despite being relatively new. In fact, the most renowned of the personality tests, the Meyers-Briggs Assessment, is based on Carl Jung’s work, which in turn was influenced by astrology. Getting to know yourself using the lens of Astrology and exploration of your birth chart, serves the same purpose, it is a vehicle for self-exploration. Unlike Astronomy, which has explored the tangible and material space beyond earth, Astrology asks us to reflect on the intangible and immaterial elements in space. The former is hyper focused on the external and pursues the quest for what life is out there beyond our earthly existence; the latter requires us to refocus inward and asks us to consider what if the meaning of everything is found within.
Understanding the sky, the position of the planets and celestial bodies at the time of your birth, is the beginning of your story.
