Astrology – The Forbidden Knowledge
Religious and political authorities have historically perceived astrology as a threat and persecuted its practitioners. For that reason, many cultures banned astrology and labeled it as an occult and diabolical activity. The main initiator was the Catholic Church, which punished those who practiced this knowledge severely, considering it witchcraft or heresy. As a result, this transformed astrology from a cosmic science to a forbidden knowledge.
What is Astrology?
Astrology is one of Earth’s most mystical and mysterious disciplines. A cosmic knowledge that seeks to understand the correlation between the movements and positions of celestial bodies, such as planets and stars, and how they influence human behavior and events. The Latin word astrologia derives from the Greek word ἀστρολογία, which means ‘star language’ or ‘account of the stars.’ It comprises two words, astron and logia, meaning ‘star’ and ‘study of,’ respectively.
Astrology plays a significant role in identifying areas for improvement and working toward positive change in our lives. Exploring your astrological birth chart can give you insights into your life’s purpose, personality, relationships, and life events. By understanding astrology and its significance, you can use it as a valuable tool for personal growth and self-awareness. Therefore, it helps you to comprehend itself and the world better, allowing you to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives.
Types of Astrology
There are several types of astrology, including Western, Vedic, Chinese, and Tibetan. Western astrology is the most popular type in the Western world and is based on the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth. Vedic astrology originated in ancient India and is also known as Jyotish. Likewise, Vedic astrology is based on the position of the stars and planets at the time of a person’s birth.
On the other hand, Chinese astrology is based on the lunar calendar and assigns each year to one of twelve animals. Similarly, Tibetan astrology is based on the five elements and the eight lunar mansions.
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Western and Vedic astrology differ in their calculation methods and zodiac signs. Western is based on the tropical zodiac, which is determined by the position of the Sun relative to the Earth. In contrast, Vedic is based on the sidereal zodiac, which considers the stars’ position. As a result, the zodiac signs used in Western and Vedic astrology differ.
Moreover, there are several branches of astrology, each with its unique approach and methodology. The most popular branches include Mundane, Electional, Horary, Medical, Psychological, Relationship, and Natal astrology. Each branch focuses on a specific area or aspect of life.
The Ancient History of Astrology
Astrology is one of the oldest collections of knowledge about stars that people have practiced since ancient times. Looking at the sky, they tried to find answers to various questions and causes of various natural occurrences around them and in their lives. As the provider of light and warmth, the Sun was the source of life for everyone. So, they quite easily understood that the seasons depend on their planet’s position in the ecliptic.
The first observers of celestial phenomena tried to discover the influence of other stars and planets on people and life on Earth. They created different methods of connecting the stars and planets with environmental events. Each civilization has harmonized these methods with its culture. Over time, these methods have been changed and supplemented, and some have been preserved under the collective name of astrology.
The Old Records
The oldest records found say that astrology was used even in the Iron Age, specifically in ancient Sumer around 2000 BCE. The Sumerians named many of the constellations we know today and defined the nature of the numerous bodies in the solar system. One of the first records of the study of constellations came when Hammurabi ruled Babylon from about 1792 to 1750 BCE.
Furthermore, the Babylonians and Chaldeans, known as wise men, began making the first personal horoscopes. They also started collecting vast amounts of data and created the Enuma Anu Enlil, a record of 7,000 sky and weather omens. Around 70 clay tablets detailed these omens. The region’s society used it until before 200 BCE when the Enuma Anu Enlil reached India.
Eastern Asia has widely accepted astrological knowledge and integrated it into their religions. Chinese Taoism and Indian Hinduism are religions that based their principles precisely on astrological and astronomical theories.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, astrology gradually spread from Babylon to Egypt and Greece. The Egyptians were masters of astrology; they would build temples and pyramids according to the position of the stars. Modern Western astrology, as we know it today, developed in Hellenistic Egypt as natal astrology.
After the Romans appropriated the old Egyptian and Greek philosophies and beliefs based on astrology, the great philosopher Ptolemy synthesized Greek and Babylonian knowledge with Egyptian to create a combined and rationalized version. The Tetrabiblos’s book was the foundation of Western and Islamic astrology and gained widespread recognition in the medieval period.
The Medieval Era
At the beginning of the medieval era, the popularity of Abrahamic religions increased in the Roman Empire. In the early 4th century CE, the Romans embraced Christianity as their primary religion. They also rejected all other religions and pagan beliefs and initiated the process of Christianization.
The growth of Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries in the Roman Empire led to a severe crackdown on divination, magic, and astrology. As a result, these practices declined in areas where Christianity was dominant.
Fortunately, the Arabs preserved and improved on the old knowledge about astrology. During the Islamic Arab Empire’s expansion into Southern Europe, astrological knowledge was introduced too. They also developed a combination of their beliefs and the Ptolemaic system of astrology. The Arabs conquered Spain and Sicily around the 8th and 9th centuries and established learning centers where subjects like alchemy and other occult knowledge were studied.
By around 1050, Europeans began translating Greek and Arabic texts, introducing astrology to the West after translating vast amounts of material. In the 13th century, astrology became common, famous, and widespread knowledge among the elite.
However, during the later period of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church initiated the Inquisition to combat any belief that was not Christianity, as it posed a threat to their power. The Catholic Church forced all those who did not accept their religious standards to renounce their beliefs, or else they faced punishment or execution. As a result, they caused many casualties, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. This era will forever be remembered when the dark side of the Roman Catholic Church evolved.
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The Early Modern Period
The rise of the scientific revolution and renaissance marked the early modern period. The Catholic Church felt threatened by new scientific discoveries that could have destroyed its religious dogma. So, it continued to carry out the Inquisition, which persecuted many scientists who studied astrology and astronomy.
Between 1500 and 1700, the Inquisition tried nearly 73,000 people for witchcraft and executed 40,000 to 50,000 of them in Europe. More than half of all victims, around 22,000, were witches, wizards, astrologers, astronomers, and various other occultists.
The most famous astrologer of the Renaissance, Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, fled away from the Inquisition and miraculously survived.
However, the most infamous story was in 1600 when the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned alive at the stake for supporting the Copernican heliocentric theory and, among other things, his beliefs in reincarnation. This eventually led to the trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Inquisition in 1633.
By the end of the sixteenth century, the Catholic Church would condemn astrology, which would decline in the Catholic countries of Europe. As a result, astrology and astronomy were separated. Astronomy became a science, while the Catholic Church labeled astrology an occult and diabolical activity, dangerous to use and prohibited to every one of the Catholic faith.
Prohibition of Astrology
The Catholic Church actively suppressed astrology’s advancement throughout history, limiting its acceptance as a science. They persecuted anyone who studied it, forcing them to flee the Inquisition.
But what was the real motive behind such a Catholic Church’s decision?
They prohibited the study of astrological science mainly because they did not want to accept that planets and stars influence people since, according to their beliefs, only their God can do that. They also felt it challenged their authority and power. So, further research and acceptance of astrology as a science would be a disaster for the Catholic doctrine and the downfall of their Christian dogma.
However, the Catholic Church continued to use astrology secretly for its own theological and philosophical purposes. Although they understood how astrology works and its power, they kept it to themselves so they wouldn’t lose the religious credibility of the Christianity they had been promoting.
On the other hand, most European political regimes at the time restricted astrology and violently repressed it because individuals could have used astrological techniques to create rumors that could destabilize the government. Some leaders feared that astrologers could use their knowledge to manipulate and control others. As a result, everything related to astrology was prohibited for the general public.
The Modern History
Unfortunately, due to all those negative associations throughout history, astrology has a bad reputation today, primarily in the Western world. In the late modern period, the Catholic Church represented it as superstition and the scientific community labeled it as pseudoscience. Ultimately, it turned into entertainment or deception, promoting various clairvoyants and tarot masters through the media.
For instance, an ordinary daily horoscope in the newspaper has nothing to do with actual astrology. Astrology is much more intricate than that, involving the analysis of several different factors. From the astrological point of view, it’s believed that the influence of constellations and the solar system is behind every religion’s god.
Today, many websites and portals on the internet have numerous texts written by opponents and dissenters of astrological knowledge. For that reason, many people misunderstand astrology and its significance, leading to unfounded criticism. Most of them are people who have no idea what astrology is or write from religious and scientific viewpoints. Still, despite nasty rumors, astrology became more widely accepted as a popular form of divination and self-discovery as time passed.
The Age of Aquarius
After more than 2000 years, Earth is close to entering the Aquarius constellation, more notoriously known as the Age of Aquarius. This age represents a period of significant change and spiritual evolution for humanity. It also signifies a shift towards greater individual freedom, progress, and higher consciousness. People’s awareness has changed drastically after the appearance of the first few generations of Starseed Children.
The belief is that the Starseed Children incarnate in this world to aid in humanity’s healing and thriving. They are unique children who naturally fit into the “New Age” beliefs based on the esoteric definition. Most are free-thinkers and true-seekers who do not want to be enslaved to some imposed religion or political system because they are born exclusively to fulfill their life purpose by contributing to the Age of Aquarius.
Today, with the advent of computers and the Internet, Starseed Children have connected globally. Due to this, astrology and other forms of esoteric knowledge are regaining popularity and widespread recognition. So, many people increasingly seek professional astrologers as advisors and psychologists to answer various questions, valuing their expertise in these areas.
On the other hand, Catholics and other religious institutions are increasingly losing power and authority. Old beliefs will be destroyed, and the world’s largest religions and political regimes will decline globally. The truth will come to light, and the ancient beliefs and structures will collapse, marking the beginning of the Age of Aquarius.
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