Beliefs about astrology and horoscopes were first begun by the ancient Greeks thousands of years ago. They developed the proposition that the position of the planets around the sun had an effect on the lives of people, and future events could be predicted based on the location of the heavenly bodies. Millions of people around the world today still hold those beliefs.
The word "astrology" means "science of the stars" in the original Greek term. Astrology was employed by the Chaldeans, a society that lived in Babylon in about 3000 B.C. These are the people who first noticed that the position of the sun influences the seasons, and affects the planting cycles of agricultural pursuits. People in Asia, particularly China, later became interested and began to practice astrology.
Around the year 500 B.C., the philosopher Plato began to use astrology and study it further. His pursuits helped to keep astrology alive, and its popularity spread throughout the ages. However, when Galileo Galilei was the first sky searcher to use astrology in a telescope, in the 1500s, the popularity of astrology took a downturn. But it flourished later around 300 B.C. in Egypt. During the Middle Ages, as the Christian church grew into a powerful voice in the new world, astrology was quietly tucked away as a secret. It wasn’t until the mid-1600s, when an astrologer by the name of William Lilly gave a new name to it - "Christian Astrology" - to avoid angering the church and to make the practice more acceptable. Lilly’s actions were instrumental in popularizing horoscopes and astrology as we know it today.
Astrology and the predictions it has led people to believe have impacted formal education, printing, books, and many methods of communication. A horoscope is related to the time, date, and year of a person’s birth, as well as which of the twelve Zodiac signs that were in place when the birth occurred. The year is divided into twelve equal parts, with each part named after a constellation prevalent in the sky during that time of year. Each Zodiac sign has positive and negative characteristics that apply to the person.
The twelve horoscope signs (signs of the Zodiac) are:
1. Aries (March 21-April 19)
2. Taurus (April 20-May 20)
3. Gemini (May 21-June 20)
4. Cancer (June 21-July 22)
5. Leo (July 23-August 22)
6. Virgo (August 23-September 22)
7. Libra (September 23-October 22)
8. Scorpio (October 23-November 22)
9. Sagittarius (November 23-December 21)
10. Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
11. Aquarius (January 20-February 19)
12. Pisces (February 20-March 20)
Each sign indicates the astrological qualities and attributes a person is said to possess. For instance, the "scales" constellation of Libra is said to indicate "balance" in an individual born beneath that sign. Leo, the lion, is purported to be strong and fearless, just like a lion. Some of the Zodiac signs have characteristics that are similar or overlapping, but generally if historical records and languages are examined, there are specific attributes that have stabilized over time for each sign.
Many people think astrology and horoscopes are just fanciful, mindless entertainment. But others read their horoscope faithfully every day and their life revolves around what the stars say the future will hold for them. Who can know whether or not there is any truth to the notion that the positions of heavenly bodies control our destiny? Whether or not there is anything to be gained or lost by believing or not believing, horoscopes are fun, interesting, and may be very accurate.
The word "astrology" means "science of the stars" in the original Greek term. Astrology was employed by the Chaldeans, a society that lived in Babylon in about 3000 B.C. These are the people who first noticed that the position of the sun influences the seasons, and affects the planting cycles of agricultural pursuits. People in Asia, particularly China, later became interested and began to practice astrology.
Around the year 500 B.C., the philosopher Plato began to use astrology and study it further. His pursuits helped to keep astrology alive, and its popularity spread throughout the ages. However, when Galileo Galilei was the first sky searcher to use astrology in a telescope, in the 1500s, the popularity of astrology took a downturn. But it flourished later around 300 B.C. in Egypt. During the Middle Ages, as the Christian church grew into a powerful voice in the new world, astrology was quietly tucked away as a secret. It wasn’t until the mid-1600s, when an astrologer by the name of William Lilly gave a new name to it - "Christian Astrology" - to avoid angering the church and to make the practice more acceptable. Lilly’s actions were instrumental in popularizing horoscopes and astrology as we know it today.
Astrology and the predictions it has led people to believe have impacted formal education, printing, books, and many methods of communication. A horoscope is related to the time, date, and year of a person’s birth, as well as which of the twelve Zodiac signs that were in place when the birth occurred. The year is divided into twelve equal parts, with each part named after a constellation prevalent in the sky during that time of year. Each Zodiac sign has positive and negative characteristics that apply to the person.
The twelve horoscope signs (signs of the Zodiac) are:
1. Aries (March 21-April 19)
2. Taurus (April 20-May 20)
3. Gemini (May 21-June 20)
4. Cancer (June 21-July 22)
5. Leo (July 23-August 22)
6. Virgo (August 23-September 22)
7. Libra (September 23-October 22)
8. Scorpio (October 23-November 22)
9. Sagittarius (November 23-December 21)
10. Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
11. Aquarius (January 20-February 19)
12. Pisces (February 20-March 20)
Each sign indicates the astrological qualities and attributes a person is said to possess. For instance, the "scales" constellation of Libra is said to indicate "balance" in an individual born beneath that sign. Leo, the lion, is purported to be strong and fearless, just like a lion. Some of the Zodiac signs have characteristics that are similar or overlapping, but generally if historical records and languages are examined, there are specific attributes that have stabilized over time for each sign.
Many people think astrology and horoscopes are just fanciful, mindless entertainment. But others read their horoscope faithfully every day and their life revolves around what the stars say the future will hold for them. Who can know whether or not there is any truth to the notion that the positions of heavenly bodies control our destiny? Whether or not there is anything to be gained or lost by believing or not believing, horoscopes are fun, interesting, and may be very accurate.
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