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 horoscope for the month, check out 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!