HOROSCOPE HISTORY
WHAT
IS ASTROLOGY? A BRIEF HOROSCOPE HISTORY
You've probably been reading your horoscope in the paper since
you
were old enough to read the funnies, haven't you? Why? It's fun,
and sometimes it's RIGHT on target, too.
Have you ever wondered where the practice of horoscope
readings
started? Or exactly how the prediction is cast? We've put together
here a brief horoscope history and expose' on astrological
technique for you.
The history of the zodiac is pretty interesting, actually...
the practice
came into being
because of
man's innate curiosity.
They say that what separates man from beast is his knowledge
of his
own mortality. Perhaps the knowledge that he will one day die also
spurred his quest for the meaning of life...why he is here, and where
he is going...had to know...
Since the beginning of recorded history, we know that man has
looked to the heavens for answers to these questions. And just
looking up wasn't enough...no, he had to chart the movements of the
sun, moon and stars, find patterns in those movements...and make
sense
of it all.
Eventually, he started correlating the activities of the
heavenly
bodies with human behavior...and thus formed the beginnings of
astrology.
A BRIEF HOROSCOPE
HISTORY


Horoscope history...
Astrology is a form of divination based on the theory that the
movements of the celestial bodies influence human affairs and
determine the course of events.
The sun, moon, planets and stars have been the object of
religious
worship since earliest times. Astrology seemed to develop in
different civilizations independently. The Chaldeans, who lived in
Babylonia (now Iraq) recorded one of the first known forms of
astrology as early as 3000 bc.
The Chinese were practicing it by
2000 bc. Other varieties of
astrology appeared in ancient India and
the Mayan civilization in
Central America. It spread throughout the
Middle East, Asia and Europe to become widely recognized as a
basic way of knowledge.
The theory is that ancient peoples observed that certain
celestial
bodies, particularly the sun and moon, affected the change of
seasons and the success of their crops. They then developed a
broader system by which the movements of all the heavenly bodies,
including
the planets, affected additional aspects of their lives.
By the 500s bc, astrology had spread to Greece, where such
philosophers as Pythagoras and Plato integrated it into their studies
of religion and philosophy.
The rise of Christianity cast some doubt on the validity of
astrology. But it remained widely practiced, and astrologers were highly
respected during the Middle Ages, despite condemnation by the
Church. Most scholars still accepted the tenets of astrology up until
the 1500s. Astrology and astronomy were sciences that went hand-
in-hand at that time.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Christian theologists waged
war
against astrology. Astronomical discoveries by Copernicus and Galileo
at this time also
began to undermine the basic tenets of astrology.
The practice of Astrology fell into some disrepute, and gradually
declined.
HOROSCOPE HISTORY

ASTROLOGY TODAY
Horoscope history...
Although "hard sciences" discount the validity of astrological
principles, the practice of astrology is very much alive today. With
the modern discoveries of new planets, Uranus in 1781, Neptune in
1864, Pluto in 1930 and Chiron in 1977, new material was calling out
to be integrated into astrological technique, giving rise to the
Humanistic movement in modern Western Astrology.
This trend
paralleled the humanistic movement in psychology, which
was
fathered by Dane Rudhyar, philosopher, musician and astrologer.
Today, we use astrology as just one tool for understanding the
mysteries of our existence. We read our horoscopes with broad
acceptance and a sense of fun, and encourage you to do so as well.
HOROSCOPE
HISTORY

...THE NUTS & BOLTS

Horoscope history...
Astrologers believe that the position of astronomical bodies
at the
exact moment of your birth and movements thereafter reflect your
character, and therefore, destiny.
A horoscope is created, which maps the position of the
heavenly
bodies at
certain times, like the time of your birth. It is illustrated
by a circle, the ecliptic, which is the plane on which the earth orbits
around the sun
in a year. The ecliptic is divided into 12 sections,
the signs of the
zodiac.
Astrologers then assign every planet, sun and moon with a
particular sign, depending on where the planet appears on the
ecliptic
at the time the horoscope is cast. Each planet represents
basic human
drives, and each sign represents a set of human
characteristics.
Your zodiac sign, like Leo for instance, is actually your
sun sign, or
the sign the sun occupied when you were born.
The horoscope is also divided into 12 houses, which make up
the 24
hours the earth rotates in one day. Each house deals with certain
aspects of your life, such as health, romance, travel, work, etc.
The astrologer casts your horoscope by interpreting the
position of
the astronomical bodies within the signs and houses of the horoscope.
It's all very complicated and tedious, involving astronomical
charts,
degrees of latitude and longitude, time zones, etc. Guess ancient
man had a lot of time on his hands, you know...no computers to play
with...
We believe that astrology can help you achieve a clearer
understanding of yourself and the people around you. It will help you
handle your affairs with imagination and speculation. We presented this brief
horoscope history to help in your understanding.
We also do not feel
that dabbling in astrology is incompatible with
religious belief. To the
contrary, if you lack spiritual faith, the
emphasis Astrology places
upon the belief in a Higher Intelligence,
directing man to a better
circumstance, may help you find it.

Anyway, that's it! We've done all the work for you. Read your
horoscopes, check out our
zodiac compatibilities, integrate
it into your life...but don't let it control you. And as we said in
the
beginning...the only rule is...have fun with it!