What is Astrology?

Astrology is the study of the positions and movements of planets (such as Mercury and Mars), asteroids and other celestial bodies, and luminaries (the Sun and Moon) in order to gain extra insight into a person's life. Astrology applies to everyday life in many ways, the most common application being the reading of a Birth Chart. A Birth Chart is a specific diagram or map that is made by an astrologer for a particular person and is a visual representation of the planets and their relationships to each other at the exact time of a person's birth. Birth Charts can be used to identify key weaknesses and key strengths of a person's character. They can calculate potential problems in areas such as career or love and can also guide a person into correcting mistakes and choosing the right path.

Another familiar application of astrology is in the more general daily or weekly horoscopes, which predict how the day or week ahead will develop according to the calculated movements of the planets.

Before we can answer this question, we need to select one of the three great astrological traditions whose history we wish to explore. Western Astrology, our main focus, began in ancient Babylon and was a natural extension of a religious culture concerned with the changes of the seasons. This culture saw divinity in the constellations and planets visible from Earth. This astrological tradition eventually spread from the Middle East to Europe, where it was interpreted through a Greco-Roman understanding of the planets and heavens.

More ancient perhaps than Western astrology is the Vedic system developed in India, although there is evidence of significant interaction between both systems. Chinese astrology is different from both Western and Vedic astrology in that it has five rather than four elements and allocates signs to individuals based on the year rather than the month of birth. Astrology continues to develop to this day, and relatively recent innovations include the addition of newly discovered planets and asteroids to the interpretation of horoscopes.