Astrology and the Western World

Western world is waking up to the concept of using Astrology to improve their lives. It is perceived to be more materialistic than the Eastern world. People in the advanced economies of the world give more importance to the tangible things in life rather than the intangible ones. Eastern countries like India and China, on the other hand, give more importance to intangible things in life like love, affection, emotions etc. This difference is clearly evident if we see the lifestyle of a Western or an Eastern person. For example, for an average Indian, life is not imaginable without the concept of God. The Western countries, on the other hand, are full of Atheists and Agnostics. The Western mind has always been inquisitive and believes only on exact sciences. For them, a theory is not acceptable unless proved by scientific experiments. Well, that is quite normal. But still there are a few things which cannot be proved by scientific experiments.
There is a point after which science has to give way, and the concept of God takes over. In spite of advancements in science, the scientists still are not able to give life to a person who is dead. They also cannot explain a simple thing like electricity. There are many mysteries for which there are no scientific explanations available. But they do exist. So, it is not entirely possible to always rely on science. Therefore, issues on divine intervention cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, the eastern philosophy relies too much on the esoteric phenomena. This creates a clash with the western phenomenon. There has to be a combination of the eastern and western philosophies so that a proper balance is maintained. The good news is that we are at a time when Eastern world is beginning to accept the western philosophy and vice versa. Eastern world is trying to have a more materialistic viewpoint on life and the western world is beginning to open up to the possibility of using once esoteric phenomena such as Yoga and Meditation.

fact In Astrology

Astrology is almost certainly the oldest and most widespread of all pseudosciences. Its origins can be traced back to the first half of the Hammurabi dynasty in Babylonia about 3,500 years ago.

In its modern form astrology asserts that the positions of the solar planets at the time an individual is born are somehow correlated with his or her personality, activities, preferences, and even major life events (accidents, marriages, divorces, etc.). There is no general agreement among astrologers as to how or why this can be. Nor is there agreement as to precisely which planetary positions lead to which specific traits or experiences. It is almost certain that no two astrologers will "cast" an individual's horoscope with precisely the same result. The predictions that do result are often so vague that verification is impossible, anyway.

Astrology is best understood by learning how it began. Like most urban, agricultural peoples, the Babylonians had a pantheon of many gods. They also had a well- developed science of observational astronomy, which served the highly utilitarian purpose of providing a calendar, times to plant and to harvest, times of religious festivals, etc. In this observational scheme each planet was important, and the priests whose task it was to make the observations named the planets for the gods in their pantheon -- Marduk, Isthar, Nergal, etc. By about 1000 B.C. there was an extensive Babylonian literature of "planetary omens." Since Nergal (Mars) was the god of war, a summer in which Nergal shone down brightly from the sky was a good time to wage war (or a time in which risk of war was great). Since Ishtar (Venus) was the goddess of love, a spring night in which Ishtar shone high in the West after sunset was a good time to make love.

Ayurveda And Hindu Astrology

Ayurveda and Hindu astrology are closely related aspects of Vedic science. Many astrologers in India have practiced Ayurveda and many vaidyas, Ayurvedic doctors, have been astrologers. Even when not trained in Ayurveda, astrologers still consider disease and its treatment. Even when not trained in astrology, Ayurvedic doctors refer to astrology and astrological treatment methods.

Vedic astrologer can determine the physical constitution and appearance of the individual from the birth chart. They can figure out basic health, longevity and disease tendencies. They can see which planets have the power to cause disease, what kinds of diseases are likely to occur, what parts of the body are likely to be affected, and when these problems are likely to occur.Medical astrology is one of the main branches of Hindu Astrology.

As it includes remedial measures for harmonizing planetary influences, it is perhaps the most practical branch as well. It includes the entire astrology of healing. Not only Hindu astrology helpful for ordinary disease conditions, it also has means of diagnosis and treatment for diseases that are not curable by usual medical methods.

Learn Astrology

There are several institutions and astrology gurus who teach Astrology online. Besides learning Astrology through self-effort by reading astrology books and magazines, you can contact one of the online teachers or institutions and learn astrology. You only need to log on to Internet and you will find numerous offers to teach you astrology online. These people send the astrology lessons online for their students to study. They also hold periodic tests and award the certificates on successful completion of the course. You do learn a lot by studying online.

It must, however, be noted that no amount of self-study or online learning can take the place of learning astrology from a guru. If your astrology teacher is also a psychic, which usually the master astrologers usually are, it would mean adding luster to pure gold. A psychic astrologer is a multidimensional personality. Besides making mundane mathematical -astrological calculations, he uses his psychic and spiritual powers to predict the future of his clients. In this way he confirms the correctness of his astrological predictions through his psychic abilities such as intuition and clairvoyance. In fact he uses his supernatural powers at every step while casting a horoscope or interpreting the movements and positions of the planets or the houses through which they pass.

The Meaning Behind Astrology

Astrology symbols are not the discovery of the century. People knew about the astrology symbols for many years. For many years astrology symbols have been used to stand for the different signs of the zodiac. Once you have learned the meaning behind astrology symbols you realize that they are easy to remember and to recognize. The astrology symbols represent certain zodiac signs so that zodiac signs can be distinguished from one another.

Aquarius is believed to be the most discernable astrology symbol. This astrology symbol is always presented with figures, which resemble water. Someone can relate the waves on the astrology sign’s image with an aquarium but not with water. However, the Aquarius astrology sign is probably the easiest to remember.

Other easy to remember astrology signs are Taurus and Aries. The Taurus astrology sign image represents a bull. Its name can be easily remembered because the Spanish word for bull is the same. A sphere with two bull-like horns is usually the picture of the Taurus astrology sign. On the other hand, the Aries astrology sign is associated with a goat and its image shows horns on a goat’s head.

A Basic Introduction To Astrology

Astrology is without a doubt one of the most popular of the occult sciences in the world today. Think I'm kidding? All you have to do is open your front door, pick up the daily newspaper, open it up to the leisure section and there you will find your daily horoscope.

In addition to newspapers, you'll also find this information in magazines, online, on the television and just about anywhere you go. In this article, we're going to cover the basics of astrology, as a comprehensive overview is way beyond the scope of any one article. Hopefully, after reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea if this is something that you want to get into. It is a most fascinating occult science.

The basis of Astrology stems from the planets in our solar system, as well as our own son. When we're born, these planets are all in a certain position. This is what determines our astrological sign at the time of our birth.. The sun and the planets all govern a different area of our lives.. This all goes back to Greek Mythology, as the Greek Gods all ruled different planets.

How to Learn Astrology

There are several institutions and astrology gurus who teach Astrology online. Besides learning Astrology through self-effort by reading astrology books and magazines, you can contact one of the online teachers or institutions and learn astrology.

You only need to log on to Internet and you will find numerous offers to teach you astrology online. These people send the astrology lessons online for their students to study. They also hold periodic tests and award the certificates on successful completion of the course. You do learn a lot by studying online.

It must, however, be noted that no amount of self-study or online learning can take the place of learning astrology from a guru. If your astrology teacher is also a psychic, which usually the master astrologers usually are, it would mean adding luster to pure gold. A psychic astrologer is a multidimensional personality.

Besides making mundane mathematical -astrological calculations, he uses his psychic and spiritual powers to predict the future of his clients. In this way he confirms the correctness of his astrological predictions through his psychic abilities such as intuition and clairvoyance. In fact he uses his supernatural powers at every step while casting a horoscope or interpreting the movements and positions of the planets or the houses through which they pass.

Vedic vs. Western Astrology

The configuration of the Zodiac is also different in a Vedic approach to astrology. Rather than the tropical configuration that is common in western disciplines, the Vedic form of astrology makes use of what is known as a sidereal version of the Zodiac. This is understood to allow for divining more specific details and calculating results based on a more focused evaluation of the procession of heavenly bodies.

While not well known in the west, Vedic astrology has begun to capture more attention outside of India over the last few decades. Part of this has been due to the increased interest in Eastern religion among persons in the West.

At the same time, persons who are devoted to astrology in general have begun to consider study of the Vedic tradition to be a means of tapping into a whole new concept of how to employ the process. Without a doubt, people will be hearing more about this ancient form of astrology in the years to come.

Using Astrology to Save Astronauts' Lives

Millions of astrologers around the world know that Saturn brings limitations and Jupiter brings success. Uranus brings technological advancements. (trines & sextiles are good, squares & oppositions are bad, conjunctions vary with planets). Just have a look at some of the following dates:-

4th Oct 1957: Sun and Jupiter sextile Uranus.
Sputnik I launched successfully.

3rd Nov 1957: Sun square Uranus
Sputnik II launched successfully but the dog, Laika, died after a week in orbit.

12th Apr 1961: Sun and Venus trine Uranus
First human in space, Yuri Gargarin, launches successfully.

20 Feb 1962: Sun having just opposed Uranus
Successful but there was an unexpected electronic malfunction with the heat shield warning system (Uranus rules electrical equipment).

15 May 1963: The exception: Sun square Saturn
Several things went wrong with the Project Gemini trip.
Gordon Cooper's space-suit persistently overheated.
The water supply system failed.
He felt dehydrated and dizzy.

The automatic steering refused to work and had to be operated manually.
(Note: These are all typical Saturn-related problems!)

22 Jul 1969: Jupiter exactly conjunct Uranus: First humans on the Moon
Mission successful, a giant leap for mankind. Is this beginning to form a pattern?

So, the lesson seems to be to attempt rocket launches when Uranus is favorably aspected to give the expedition the maximum chance of success.

Value of an Astrology Birth Chart

An Astrology birth chart is something meant for predicting your future. Whether you believe it or not, there is a grain of truth in all these talk about birth signs and horoscopes. I wasn’t a believer until recently, when some strange events happened to show me that actually my horoscope has indeed predicted, to a great extent, the consequences that ensued!

I started to search for more information about astrology birth charts, and I soon became huddled with information. I also decided to make my personal astrology birth chart, just to take a look and see if things were similar. The astrology birth chart is done with the personal information about the time of birth, date, place and location of birth.

You can have your astrology birth chart drawn in a format that is easy to comprehend. Although each specific civilizations devised its own astrology birth chart based on the celestial chart as seen from that specific region, there is a lot of sense making things in European and Chinese birth charts. It just depends on the perspective you choose to look through. You can find a meaning in both astrology birth charts, and even gain some important information about yourself from analyzing them.

Astrology birth charts are different according to which astrology system they are related. Chinese and oriental charts bring different meaning, European charts have another hidden treasure for you. It just depends on your personal preference: you may believe in both of them, as long as you find something to learn from them, it doesn’t matter whether you consider yourself a Leo or a Rat.Astrology birth charts cannot tell you your precise future, but they can give you some advice and can show you deeper levels of your personality. By just reading them you can get insight about hidden characteristics in your soul, and can gain better understanding of yourself.

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Astrology - The First Science

Astrology soon became an incredibly complex practice. By 2000 B.C., the magi of Mesopotamia believed that everything in the universe was connected. Besides studying the stars, magi's looked for omens in the weather, predicted the future by using the liver & intestines of animals. They also believed that they were able to hear the words of trees, dogs, cats & insects.

Astrology was used to explore the position of Earth & other heavenly bodies, long before other sciences came along. Astrology & astronomy were considered one science in the ancient times. Astrologers were thought of as the best educated people, they understood; math, astronomy, spiritual symbols and mystic meanings, psychology, and human nature.

Astrology was taught in colleges until the 1600's, it was at this time that "rational science" took over. Most astrologer, today are still well-educated & have degrees in many different fields. Most frequently astrologers have been trained in psychology and counseling. They also have in-depth knowledge in astrology & a great deal if spiritual understanding.

In astrology, the connections between the signs & parts of the body hold together the cosmos, as the way the body parts hold together the human body in "rational science". Shakespeare's Hamlet summed it up when he said, "What a piece of work man is".

Tips For Finding The Best Astrology Book

Astrology is a vast topic and the features of the topic cannot be covered in a single book. There are different types of Astrology and each type of astrology can be explained in several books together.

Here are certain tips for purchasing the best astrology book for yourself.

1.Understand your interest:- Spending money on any book related to astrology can be a waste of time. You need to understand that there are several types of astrology. You need to understand the essence of each type of astrology and the one you would be most interested in, prior to purchasing a book.

2.Research:- You need to make a lot of research before you purchase a book on astrology. Visit as many book stores as you can and compare books according to your interests and specification mentioned on it.

3.Internet:- Internet is the best option for purchasing a book on astrology. You can find endless options online and even look for the ratings of each book before purchasing one.

4. Recommendations and rating:- This is really important when purchasing a book on astrology. Always look for lists of recommended books and books referenced in bibliographies. Don’t forget to have a look on ratings given to different books on astrology by the readers.

5. Author:- Make sure that the author of the astrology book you are purchasing is reputed and recognized widely for his/her work.

The key is to find a good book on astrology and the one that holds your interest. You must also find out whether there is a book on the lines you are studying that you have enjoyed reading in the past.

Astro Myths

Astrology is as old as civilisation, and as its history shows, it incorporates many cultures and beliefs.Man has always looked to the stars for answers. We in the west have named the planets in our solar system after the gods of ancient Rome, whose counterparts are found in Greek mythology.People at that time believed the earth was flat, and in the centre was Mount Olympus from where the gods reigned. Their stories and exploits held fascination for the people then, as our current interest in the lives of our gods of society is so fascinating today.

Mercury - After the Sun and the Moon (of which there are many myths and beliefs), Mercury, the planet of communication is named after the Roman Mercury, messenger of the Gods (Hermes in Greek mythology).

Saturn - Saturn is the equivalent to the Greek Cronus, whose name is seen in crone, old woman, and chronological, and as such there is an association with time and old age.

Venus - In Roman mythology, Venus was the daughter of Jupiter and Dione, the Greek equivalent is Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. In other cultures, she has a more sinister role particularly in Mayan mythology.

Uranus - This planet is named after the sky god and he ruled over the starry night sky. In the beginning, there was Chaos and then there was earth, represented by Gaea.

Mars - Mars was the rebellious son of Jupiter and Juno, the equivalent of Ares, the father of Romulus and Remus and held in high regard by the Romans.

Neptune - Neptune is named after the god of the sea, the Greek equivalent being Poseidon.

Jupiter - Massive Jupiter was named after the king of the gods; his equivalent is Zeus in Greek mythology, but the Romans did not place so much emphasis on his amorous exploits.

Pluto - This is the furthest planet in our solar system and is named after the god of the underworld, Hades in Greek mythology. Although some believe it was named after Walt Disney's famous dog!

Why To Blame Astrology

Well, I certainly believe in the science of astrology. And this does not mean that I adore astrology as if it is all in all in my life. For, I very well know that stars only impel, they do not compel.

The common question proposed by the school against astrology is- Do stars create your destiny? The answer to this question is- Yes and No. For, the answer depends upon the circumstances and many other variable factors.

In reality, you are the creator of your destiny, not the victim. Have a deep thought.
Your inner world and the outer world are absolutely interconnected. Let there be no doubt about it. If you are unable to understand this aspect, don't blame one and all for your ignorance.

Why persons born on the same day will not have identical future? Why, please investigate and find out. Don't blame astrology for that.

Astrology influences your works in a varied way. Just because you are unable to understand these subtle movements, these finer vibrations, don't again blame astrology. If at all, make sincere efforts to understand them.

The science of astrology was drafted by the ancient sages. These sages are the Realized Souls who have crossed the mind barrier. Once they reach there, they can speak nothing but truth. All your quarrels, differences of opinion are mind-level creations. How the science of astrology as perfected by them can give you wrong conclusions?

Sun square Moon

Sun square Moon ... a stressing astrological aspect but with an extraordinary evolving potential.
The square aspect (or quadrature) between two planets shows us the existence of a strong internal conflict between the energies of the involved elements.
Any square to the Sun in a person chart is a very damaging aspect because the person primary of source of energy is blocked or is not in resonance with the other planet energy. His self-expression is blocked and the person is finding hard to express his potential.

The Sun-Moon square is even more stressing than any other square because of the direct connection between those two elements. If the Sun is our inner self, the conscient , the primary resource of energy the Moon represents the subconscient, our emotions.

A square between this two elements show us the presence of a blockaje between our conscient side, our will and our emotions or subconscient. The person with this aspect tends to be permanent unhappy and nothing that is doing bring her peace and happiness. He(she) is trapped in a situation that seems without exit point: when he is decided to do something in a conscient manner knowing that this action is the best possible way there is still a inner voice that is saying "No!No! Don't do it". The vice-versa is also aplicable: if the person is feeling something from the emotional point of view, the mental or the conscient of that person is denying it.

This situation may lead to distructive reactions and actions...the person may project his internal dillema to the outside world. He or she will start to think that this internal problem may be caused by external factors like friends, children, husband or wife. And this might be the start of the end....

You may feel happy and secured that in your chart you don't have this Moon-Sun square :)
But I got news for you...You may experience this aspect for the duration of a year .... in your Solar Return....if you have Sun-Moon square in a SR chart you will have to deal with this internal conflict.
I'm talking from experience. In my last Solar Return I had this aspect ...and it was no funny. Especially if you are not aware for of it from the first time. I lived with this aspect fro over 6 months until I've discovered the source of my stress.

Now back to your title...Surviving Sun-Moon square

The solution consist in becoming conscient about your self and about this inner conflict. First thing to do is to accept it and becoming aware that this is an internal not external conflict. Any unhappiness or stress is inside you...not in your outside world. Don't blame the others for something that is depending entirely on you.

Yor Zodiac Sign...

ARIES - The Liar Outgoing. Lovable. Spontaneous. Not one to mess with. Funny. Excellent kisser EXTREMELY adorable. Loves relationships,
TAURUS - The Tramp Aggressive. Loves being in long relationships. Likes to give a good fight for what they want. Extremely outgoing. Loves to help people in times of need. Good kisser. Good personality. Stubborn. A caring person. One of a kind. Not one to mess with
GEMINI - Irresistible Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners Very Good in the you know where... Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you out. Trustworthy. Always happy. Loud. Talkative. Outgoing VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE
CANCER - The Cutie MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high appeal. Love is one of a kind. Very romantic. Most caring person you will ever meet! Entirely creative. Extremely random and proud of it. Freak.
Spontaneous. Great telling stories. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out if it comes down to it. Someone you should hold on to

LEO - The Lion Great talker. Attractive and passionate. Laid back. Knows how to have fun. Is really good at almost anything. Great kisser. Unpredictable. Outgoing. Down to earth. Addictive. Attractive. Loud. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Not one to mess with. Rare to find

VIRGO - The One that Waits Dominant in relationships. Someone loves them right now. Always wants the last word. Caring. Smart. Loud. Loyal. Easy to talk to. Everything you ever wanted. Easy to please. The one and only


LIBRA - The Lame One Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! However, not the kind of person you want to mess with... you might end up crying

SCORPIO - The Addict EXTREMELY adorable. Intelligent. Loves to joke. Very Good sense of humor. Energetic. Predict future. GREAT kisser. Always get what they want. Attractive. Easy going. Loves being in long relationships.

SAGITTARIUS - The Promiscuous One Spontaneous. High appeal. Rare to find. Great when found. Loves being in long relationships. So much love to give. Not one to mess with. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing in the you know where..!!! Not the kind of person you want to mess with- you might end up crying.

CAPRICORN - The Passionate Lover Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Predict future. Irresistible. Loves being in long relationships. Great talker. Alwaysgets what he or she wants. Cool. Loves to own Gemini's in sports. Extremely fun. Loves to joke.
AQUARIUS - Does It In The Water Trustworthy. Attractive. Great kisser. One of a kind. Loves being in long-term relationships. Extremely energetic. Unpredictable. Will exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out.

PISCES - The Partner for Life Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. High appeal. Has the last word. Good to find, hard to keep. Fun to be around. Extremely weird but in a good way. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. Always lets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet

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Predict Your Future With Chinese Astrology

This basal aeon has been complete from two cycles, such as the 10 adorable stems, i.e. the 5 elements in their yin and yang forms and the 12 alluvial branches, or the 12-year aeon of animals referred to as the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese beastly zodiac operates on a aeon of the moon in a ages and hours of the day. This zodiac refers to a authentic calendrical cycle. In this there are agnate constellations like those of the occidental zodiac. In age-old times there were astrologers who watched the sky for adorable symbols and again would adumbrate the future. The predictions ceramics done on abounding things like the state, but this was a absolutely altered convenance of divination from the accepted abreast methods.

In fact, these age-old astronomers accompanying 5 above planets by the names of the aspect they were associated with. The planet Venus corresponds to metal decidedly with gold; Jupiter to wood; Mercury to water; Mars to blaze and Saturn to earth. According to Chinese astrology, a person's afterlife can be bent by the position these planets, forth with the positions of the sun, moon, comet and the person's time of bearing and zodiac sign.

One’s fate and afterlife are predicted by bearing date and bearing hours, and the arrangement is still acclimated in avant-garde day Chinese astrometry to adumbrate fortune. The 28 Chinese constellations are actual altered from the 88 western constellations. For example, the big buck or Ursa Above is accepted as dǒu; the belt of Orion is accepted as shēn, or the happiness, fortune, constancy leash of demigods. The seven arctic constellations are referred to as xúanwǔ. Xuan Wu is aswell accepted as the spirit of the arctic sky or the spirit of baptize in Taoism belief.

What If Astrology Really Worked?

There is a large population which looks at todays forecast the first thing in the morning newspaper. Every one of them desires to find out about their day in the columns. Do the predictions come true? Let me talk about this. Most of the forecast columns have four to five predictions. Practically no body writes down all of them and compares the forecast with actual happening at the end of the day. What we do is to remember something of the forecast and if anything comes true, we are delighted. We forget that the other three to four forecasts did not come true.

That is human nature. We want to believe something and find ways to prove that right. This is what we do with forecasts. None of us wants to critically analyze them because we are subconsciously worried that they can prove to be largely false. We also like to hear about what good may happen. We are all tired with worries and anxieties that we want some assurance that things are not that bad and they will improve. Astrologers use that weakness very intelligently.

What if astrology really worked? What if every astrologer made absolutely correct predictions? Say my prediction for today is that I may meet today with an accident. I will believe that and not move out of the home at all. If my prediction says that i may get a windfall soon, I will stop all my work and begin buying Lottery tickets or waiting for a rich relative to die. But despite all the reading of the predictions, none of us acts like this. That proves that we do read the columns to feel good and give no value to them as far as real life is concerned. Some people may be exceptions to this, but this is true for a very large majority. The biggest fun of life is in unexpected happening. That continues.

Impacts Of Astrology

Astrology is a type of divination based upon the idea that information about the future or about a person’s personality can be discovered through the examination of heavenly bodies such as stars, planets, the moon, comets etc. Astrology means the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of heavenly bodies on human affairs. American Heritage Dictionary defines Astrology as the study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs. The practice of astrology was prevalent in the ancient times too. Some of the well-known civilizations of the world used this field extensively. For example, the ancient Chinese civilization, the Egyptian civilization, the ancient Indian civilization, etc all practiced astrology at some point or the other. Arabs too practiced Astrology before the advent of Islam. The ancient Babylonians were probably the first to use Astrology. After that this science moved to countries like China and India. Greek astronomer Ptolemy was the first ever person to write a book on Astrology. He codified the sun sign astrology that we know today. Ptolemy tried to predict the positions of celestial bodies relative to each other and the earth through knowledge of their orbital motions. During his time, astrology was a part of astronomy. Later, astronomy became an exact science and Astrology remained a part of Theology. Planetary observation is the basis of Astrology.

History of Astrology is an important part of civilization and goes back to the early days of the human race. Apart from being centers of learning in medicine, Baghdad and Damascus were also known as centers of astrology and astronomy. Arabs were pioneers in astronomy before the advent of Islam. The Babylonians were the first to name the days of the week after the Sun, Moon, and planets. They were also the first to set out the twelve houses of the horoscope. Egypt was one of the most important places in the development of astrology. It is thought that some of the astrological signs of the zodiac originated in Egypt. Astrology was practiced even in the Vedic times in India. Astrology is one of the six disciplines of vedanga. The Hindus believe that human fortune or misfortune in life is due to karma, and karma is believed to be influenced by the movements of the planets. Among the Hindus, Brahmins are considered to be the best authorities on astrology. In Modern India too, astrology is extensively used to determine the future and improve life.Astrology is studied and practiced by many in India. It is regarded as vital in Indian culture. It is used to make decisions about marriage, starting of new business, and moving into a new house etc. Ancient Hindu Scriptures too gives a lot of importance to the various aspects of planetary motions and its effects on humans. Chinese astrology stresses on the five elements, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Even the zodiac signs used by them are also different from other forms of astrology. China was isolated from the western for a long time. That is why Chinese astrology was unknown to the western world. As Chinese astrology developed independently, a lot of difference can be seen between the western concepts of astrology and the Chinese version.

But the Chinese and Indian astrologers were in touch every now and then. Therefore, these two schools have a few things in common. In spite of the geographical isolation, there are a few surprising similarities between the western and the Chinese thoughts on astrology. It can only be termed as a coincidence. Even though the science of astrology was started and developed in the east, the west was never without its share of astrology. Recently, the trend of reading the daily horoscopes have caught up the western world. Suddenly, the western world has woken up to the possibility of knowing and improving their future with the use of astrology. More and more westerners have started to believe in the possibility of getting affected by the powerful planets and stars. Western scholars have included the subject of astrology in their research. Astrology was never scrutinized and researched ever before the way it has been done over the last few years. The astrologers in India claim that it is a scientific method to predict the future. They still club this field of study within the parameters of Hinduism. They say they can prove that astrological predictions are indeed scientific. Hindus almost unanimously believe in astrological predictions. In fact, religious Hindus cannot imagine life without Astrology. More and more Indians have started to build their houses according to the principles of Vastu Shashtra. This ancient Indian tradition is also governed by astrological implications. Hindus believe that the overall prosperity and benefits of the occupants is dependant on the Vastu principles while building the house.

A Foundation For Astrology

Astrology studies the celestial bodies affects on humanity. In particular human fate, destiny, and personality were described by the celestial influences of the stars and planets. The roots of Astrology can be traced back to the first or second century BC. Many ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese practiced forms of Astrology. Although, the methods of Astrological forecast differed slightly from culture to culture there still remained many fundamental similarities between them.

For example Chinese Astrology which evolved convergent to western Astrology had some major differences. The most fundamental difference being was the use of the moons 28 day cycle through the heavens. The earliest Chinese zodiac divided the lunar cycles into 4 groups each corresponding to a different season and 7 sub groups corresponding to specific “lunar mansions” in the season. The seasons were given animal based names for example: Spring=The Green Dragon of spring, summer=The Red Bird of Summer, fall=The White Tiger of autumn, and winter= The Black Tortoise of Winter.

Even though the use of the moon in Chinese Astrology opposed the use of the suns “movement” through the celestial bodies in the Babylonian and Egyptian disciplines some similarities still existed. These similarities included the use of elemental attributes assigned to the planets. For example Saturn= Earth, Mars=Fire, Mercury=Water, Venus=Metal, and Jupiter=Wood. In addition to this similarity the Chinese zodiac also has 12 signs like its western counterpart.

The western use of the sun as the foci for Astrological studies stemmed from the pre heliocentric model of the universe. In particular Egyptians may have contributed greatly to the earth centered model of the solar system. They believed a giant dung beetle pushed the sun through the sky like a giant piece of dung. This earth centered model of our solar system coincidentally seemed to arise around 1.5 BC right around the time the Egyptian and Babylonian studies of celestial objects began.

As you may suspect there are different schools of thought on Astrology. Moon signs, Sun Signs, and animal signs exist in these various schools. The popular horoscope used in your local newspaper for example is probably based on your sun sign. In contrast the Indian Vedic school of thought would be more concerned with your moon sign. While the Chinese system uses animal signs in their zodiac and is based on the twelve year Jovan cycle. Some even speculate that there may be correlation between Astrological studies and the Tarot deck.