Evolution of Astrology
Astrological belief systems date back to 3000-2001 BC, the period of time corresponding to the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Astrology was founded based on the observations of celestial movement and terrestrial events, such as seasons, calendar systems, and weather predictions. As you will read below, astrology was a commonly accepted practice among political and cultural groups, and the concepts of astrology were integrated into other fields of study, such as alchemy and traditional medicine. In fact, in my own research I found it interesting that Hippocrates, “The Father of Medicine'' in Ancient Greek Civilization, wrote the Hippocratic Oath and relied heavily on astrology with his work as a physician! This oath is something that modern physicians no longer recite, but still incorporate aspects of his teachings today - such as confidentiality, medical records, medical terminology, and many other aspects. Hippocrates is still considered to be one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He taught his students that every disease had only natural causes, and insisted that students study astrology, stating “He who does not understand astrology is not a doctor but a fool.” Personally, I would love to have a medical doctor that still utilized the teachings of medical astrology!
Below, I have compiled BRIEF descriptions below to help you gain a better understanding of the history and evolution of astrology. Astrology is ever-evolving, and to this day, we continue to learn and evolve in the field to help inspire others in the future of this work.
Babylonian Influence
Babylonian astrology is the earliest recorded system of astrology. Written on cuneiform tablets, there were 7,000 celestial omens documented during this time. The omens were concerned with the prediction of weather, political matters, and seasonal tasks. Their celestial observations and mathematical records improved, and they were able to calculate future planetary positions with reasonable accuracy. They also learned the art of divination through the process of astrology, such as finding blemish marks on the liver of animals to interpret symbolic meaning between the Gods and the King.
From Babylonian astrology, a type of ‘essential dignities’ of the planets were birthed, particularly, the exaltations, the triplicities of the signs, and the importance of the eclipses. The concept of ‘mundane’ astrology was created through the Babylonial concept of celestial divination and study. Mundane astrology is one of the oldest branches of astrology, and refers to geographic orientation, specifically applied to countries, cities, and nations, and is wholly concerned with the welfare of that body of peoples and the governing head.
Hellenistic Influence
After the death of Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Egypt came under Hellenistic rule and influence. During this time, Ptolemaic scholars of Alexandria were creative writers, and merged Babylonian astrology with the traditions of Decanic astrology to create ‘Horoscopic Astrology’. This was created utilizing the Babylonian zodiac with its systems of planetary exaltations, triplicities of the signs, and the importance of eclipses; the Egyptian concepts of dividing the zodiac into thirty-six decans of 10 degrees each; and the Greek system of planetary Gods, sign rulership, and four elements. In 2 BC, the astrologer Claudius Ptolemy was so dedicated to the accuracy of his horoscopes that he began the first attempt to make an accurate world map so that he could chart the relationship between the person’s birthplace and the celestial bodies. While doing this, he coined the term ‘geography’.
Greece and Rome Influence
The conquest of Asia by Alexander the Great exposed the Greeks to the knowledge of cosmological ideas relating to Syria, Babylon, Persia, and central Asia. Part of this learning came from translating astrological concepts from cuneiform to Greek. Around 280 BC, a priest from Babylon named Berossus moved to Greece in order to teach astrology and Babylonian culture to the Greeks, moving astrology west, to the Hellenistic world of Greece and Egypt. By 1 BC, two varieties of astrology were utilized: one being horoscopes to understand past, present and future, and the other ‘theurgic’ meaning “God-work’ - emphasizing the soul’s ascension to the stars. Among the Greeks and Romans, Babylonia (also referred to as Chaldea) became identified with astrology, and the term “Chaldean wisdom” became a common phrase for ‘divination using planets and stars.
One of the first astrologers to bring Hermetic astrology to Rome was Thrasyllus, who acted as the astrologer for the emperor Tiberius in 1 BC. Tiberius was the first emperor reported to have had a court astrologer, although Augustus utilized astrology as well. It’s important to note here, that during this time, there was a prohibition on astrology to a certain extent.
In Greek culture, medicine was second to mathematics. Ancient Greek Civilization was at its peak during the 400s BC. During this time, individuals who became ill would go to the temples dedicated to Asclepius, the Greek God of Healing. Hippocrates of Kos often called the “Father of Medicine”, was a Greek physician of the classical period. He is still considered to be one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He began teaching that every disease had only natural causes, and insisted that students study astrology, stating “He who does not understand astrology is not a doctor but a fool.” He believed that each of the astrological signs (along with the sun and moon), are associated with different parts of the human body. Additionally, many plants are referred to in old herbals as being "under the influence of" some planet. This was used as a codification of the plant’s properties and used to create mixtures specific to different diseases.
Islamic Influence
Astrology was enthusiastically accepted by Islamic scholars following the collapse of Alexandria. The city of Baghdad was founded to act as a center of learning, and included in its design a library-translation center known as Bayt al-Hikma ‘Storehouse of Wisdom’. In the 9th century, Persian astrologer, Albumasar, was thought to be one of the greatest astrologers at that time. He created practical manuals for training astrologers, which profoundly influenced Muslim intellectual history, and through translations, western Europe in the 10th century. Another Persian astrologer, astronomer, mathematician, and geographer named Al Khwarizmi, who helped in the advancement of star names that are commonly known today, such as Aldebaran, Altair, Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Vega. Persian culture developed the list of Hellenistic lots, an important feature of Hellenistic astrology.
Indian/Hindu Influence
The earliest use of astrology in India is recorded during the Vedic period, and is listed as ‘jyotiṣa’ (Astrology) in the Vedanga, a branch of the Vedas of the Vedic religion. The only work of this class that survived is the Vedanga Jyotisha which contains rules for tracking the motions of the sun and the moon in the context of a five-year intercalation cycle. The earliest treaties on Jyotisha is called the Bhrigu Samhita, compiled by the sage Bhrigu - known as the ‘Father of Hindu Astrology’ - during the Vedic era. The documented history of these works are considered to be modern horoscopic astrology styles, associated with the interaction of Indian and Hellenistic cultures.
China Influence
The Chinese astrological system is based on native astronomy and calendars, and came to flourish during the Han Dynasty of 2 BC and 2 AD. Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy and the three harmonies - Heaven, Earth, and Water, as well as the principles of yin and yang. Astrology was traditionally highly regarded in China, and Confucius is said to have treated astrology with respect. Earliest accounts of the use of astrology date back to the Shang dynasty (1766 BC - 1050 BC) and utilized a 60-year cycle combining the five elements with the twelve animal signs of the zodiac. Additionally, Oracle bones have been found dating from this time period with the inscribed date according to the 60-year cycle, the name of the diviner, and the topic being divined.
Mesoamerica Influence
Dating back to the 6 BC, the calendars of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica were based on a system commonly used throughout the region. The earliest calendars were built by peoples such as Zapotecs and Olmecs, and later the Maya, Mixtec, and Aztecs. Mayan extensions and refinements to the calendar were considered to be the most sophisticated, best documented, and most understood.
The Mayan calendar uses two systems, one organizing the solar year of 360 days - governing the crops and domestic matters, and the other called the Tzolkin, lasting 260 days - governing rituals. On the fifth day after the birth of a boy, the Mayan astrologer-priests would cast his horoscope to see what his profession would be, either a soldier, priest, civil servant, or sacrificial victim.
A third calendar of 584 days was tracked for the cycle of Venus - documenting the appearance and conjunctions. This calendar was utilized in the planning of warfare to coincide with the time Venus rose. Mayans also tracked other planets and constellations, and were thought to have possessed a zodiac of their own.
Medieval and Renaissance Europe Influence
While astrology in the East expanded across cultures, Western astrology had become ‘unsophisticated’. This was partly due to the loss of Greek scientific astronomy, and partly due to the condemnations by the Church. By the 13th century, astrology had become an important aspect of medical practice, where doctors combined Galenic medicine with studies of the stars. By the end of the 1500s, physicians across Europe were required by law to calculate the position of the Moon before carrying out complicated medical procedures, such as surgery or bleeding.
Influential works of the 13th century include the Italian astrologer Guido Bonatti, who served as an advisor to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. His text-book Liber Astronomiae (Book of Astronomy) was regarded as “the most important astrological work produced in Latin in the 13th century”. In medieval Europe, a university education was divided into seven distinct areas, each represented by a particular planet and referred to as the seven liberal arts. The arts were seen as operating in ascending order, and the planets in decreasing order of planetary speed: Moon- grammar, Mercury - dialect, Venus - rhetoric, Sun - music, Mars - arithmetic, Jupiter - geometry, and Saturn - astrology/astronomy.
Native American Influence
This area is challenging for me to provide a description, as there are many different Native American communities that hold different knowledge and perspectives. I encourage you to learn from communities who practice this, as they hold the sacred knowledge in their own, protected way. In North America, aboriginal tribes have different views on the meaning of stars - some hold the belief that celestial bodies hold spiritual significance, and some believe that twinkling objects have characteristics relating to humans. Astronomy has always played an important role in the early native American culture, and was often the basis of governance and agricultural practice. The study of stars has also led tribes to theorize about the origin of life in the universe.
Western Influence
This system is the most popular system of astrology in Western cultures, and is historically based on a combination of the works of Ptolemy, Hellenistic, and Babylonian traditions. Western astrology is mostly horoscopic, and is utilized as a form of divination based on an individual’s ‘Natal Chart’, consisting of a person’s date of birth, exact time of birth, and location of birth. With this information, astrologers believe that various cosmic bodies have an influence on the individual’s personality and physical attributes. Pop-culture astrology is often reduced to ‘Sun Sign Astrology’ which only considers the individual’s date of birth.
Astrology was a widely accepted field before the Age of Enlightenment during 17th and 18th AD. Astrology is now considered a ‘pseudoscience’ meaning that it “consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual, but are incompatible with the scientific method.”
Final Thoughts
These are BRIEF descriptions of the history of astrology, and are written here to give credit to the evolution of the field. I encourage you to explore these areas further, and to continue to do your own research on the history and philosophy of astrology, as there is no possible way I could explain each area to its full value. Additionally, my personal beliefs on astrology are NOT reflected in any one aspect of those mentioned above. I do believe that there is wisdom in all branches of astrology, but do not believe that one branch or style encompasses all of the wisdom, how could it? I believe that we are all spiritual beings with souls who are living as humans at this time to undergo a spiritual journey of return to the soul, and that means that the knowledge of the past, present, and future is always evolving.
I wholeheartedly believe that each individual has a unique perspective, and a unique journey to navigating home to the soul.
