Western Astrology in Brief

Western Astrology was the founder of today's Astronomy. In man's past he has always looked to the skies with awe and found that during certain significant events that an sign from the heavens heralded its arrival. The most widely known is the star that guided the 3 wise men to the birthplace of Jesus.

Today we use the knowledge gathered by our predecessors to guide us through our daily lives, you can see this by the amount of star sign columns in newspapers and magazines. Astrology explores the actions of celestial bodies upon animate and inanimate objects, and their reactions to these influences. Astronomy is a 'subjective' science, it deals with the planets and their observed effects upon humanity.

The 12 signs are a way of dividing the heavens, so too are the houses and they are different for each person, arranged by the placement of the heavens at your birth. Astronomy teaches us that there is harmony and symmetry in the universe and that everyone is part of the whole. Astrology is therefore a philosophy which helps explain life. The purpose of astrology is not to blame the planets for what happens to us but to learn about ourselves by the planetary indications.

"...[Ancient] Mediterranean intellectual and religious life was pervaded by astrological beliefs. It was widely believed that the stars and planets were living gods, and that their movements controlled all aspects of human existence. In addition, at this time most people believed in what scholars call "astral immortality": that is, the idea that after death the human soul ascends up through the heavenly spheres to an afterlife in the pure and eternal world of the stars. In time, the celestial ascent of the soul came to be seen as a difficult voyage, requiring secret passwords to be recited at each level of the journey..."
- David Ulansey (Author of The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries)

Recommended Reading