The Chinese calendar, which is related with Chinese astrology and ancient religion, is the basis for the zodiac’s history. Taoism was one of the religions that impacted the zodiac. Constellations and space are used in Taoist beliefs to identify a person’s “future.” This is relevant to the zodiac because, according to Chinese astrology, the placements of objects in space can influence a person’s future. They used the sun to determine how all of the zodiac signs would function in relation to the dates and periods.
A yin-yang symbol is frequently incorporated in the middle of various zodiacs, which reflects any two opposing principles in the cosmos and how everything works. The religion Taoism is the source of the yin-yang. It’s one of Taoism’s most well-known symbols, which holds the notion that “a man is a microcosm for the universe.” The yin-yang is linked to the zodiac because it is used in conjunction with the five components of the Zodiac to read the ten stems, which are used to tally days, months, and years. The yin-yang influences the traits of the 12 zodiac animals when they are combined.
Buddhism is another example of how religion and the zodiac are linked, with one tradition claiming that Buddha invites all the animals chosen for the zodiac. This is significant in Chinese culture since this religion, which has had the biggest religious impact on China, is practiced by the majority of the population. The influence of religion has had a significant impact on how the zodiac is structured and what it has evolved into.
In This Article...
Is astrology a form of religion?
I’ve been asked numerous times over the years to speak about the compatibility of astrology and religion by clients who are deeply religious. Despite the fact that some passionately religious people consider astrology to be heretical, I’ve noticed an extraordinary ideological connection between organized religions and the orderly world of astrology.
Astrology is completely compatible with a strict religious belief system. It’s a graceful jump to assume that a God created the universe, with noble ideals guiding even the planets and stars.
The study of the planets and stars precedes and has influenced religious belief and practice around the world, according to evidence from ancient texts, sculptures, and stained glass art. Symbols of astrological signs and planets can be found in our earliest ancient religious sites. Significant religious luminaries including Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Buddha, and Mary Baker Eddy were born within astrological alignments that synchronistically confirmed their arrival.
Some devoted religious believers’ opposition can be traced back to a time when priests and religious authorities sought to interpret and mediate all religious experiences from their positions of authority. Our forefathers sought divine inspiration straight from the stars and considered themselves to be an intricate part of an active universe evolving before the development of male-dominated organized religion. Astrology as a technique and a belief system founded on an enchantment with the divine orchestrations of the heavens was open to anyone. Astrology does not necessitate the worship of a single deity or figurehead; rather, it assumes the existence of an infinite and purposeful intellect that pervades the heavens and the earth in a grand symphony of meaning.
Religion comes from the Latin term religio, which meaning “to connect together.” What could be more inextricably interwoven than celestial motions and human experiences and events?
The meanings of the 9th and 12th houses, as well as the archetypes of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, all honor the importance of religion and spirituality in astrology. The 9th and 12th houses represent areas of life where religious or spiritual guidance, experience, and/or ordainment may be sought. Jupiter can represent a powerful spiritual or religious figure, Saturn a harsh God image, and Neptune mystical experiences and religious rapture.
A trustworthy, unbiased astrologer can assist a client in strengthening their confidence. Through an examination of their chart, I’ve assisted several clients in reclaiming and activating their religious roots, leading them toward the power that comes from following a religious path. Religion is a cornerstone of psychological and mental well-being for some people.
Unlike many organized religions, astrological ideas and practices are free of sexism, racism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression. Even the old astrological metaphors of masculine and feminine planets and energies have been redesigned as receptive and active energies that are not gendered in expression. Every human has a strong seat at the table of the universe, just as every planet and star has a position in the sky.
Astrology and organized faiths are both:
- Are you looking for a way to express yourself?
- Are not backed up by scientific evidence
- Thousands of years have passed
- Are based on legend and folklore.
- Have spawned works of art and poetry that are both inspired and stunning.
- Give people a sense of belonging and identity
- Assist folks who are going through a lot of pain and loss.
- Investigate the concepts of fate and free will.
- Have a history of group rituals?
- Keep track of important dates on your calendar.
In contrast to religion, astrology:
- There are no places of worship.
- There are no membership requirements or vows.
- There are no moral edicts.
- Has no claim to superiority based on merit
- Is there no human saint?
- There is no such thing as a hierarchy of worthiness.
- Does not indicate that there is an afterlife.
- There is no specific code of social conduct outlined.
- There is no formal consensus on the amount of training that must be completed.
- There are no official uniforms or costuming for practitioners.
- It does not necessitate worship.
These lists demonstrate how religion and astrology can have a fruitful relationship.
Religion is a Saturn word in astrological terms: it is ordered, spells out right and wrong, and is constructed on and in institutions and agreements. Astrology has a Uranian bent to it:
Is it true that God invented astrology?
Astrology predates both astronomy and psychology as one of the oldest disciplines. It was not made to cause harm to people or to glorify God. God advised humans not to place anything in the outside world above their relationship with him, which includes astrology. The Bible’s references to the occult warn us not to rely solely on psychics for all of our answers.
Is it true that Christians believe in astrology?
Early Christianity supported astrology, but this support waned during the Middle Ages, despite the fact that it still existed. During the Renaissance, support for it rose once more throughout the West.
What is Islam’s position on astrology?
Astrology is the study of celestial bodies’ movements and relative placements, which are thought to have an impact on human affairs and the natural world. According to historian Emilie Savage-Smith, astrology (ilm al-nujm, “the study of the stars”) was “by far” the most popular of the “many activities aiming to predict future occurrences or perceive hidden phenomena” in early Islamic history.
Despite Islamic prohibitions, some medieval Muslims were interested in studying the apparent motion of the stars. This was partially due to their belief in the importance of the celestial bodies, and partly due to the fact that desert inhabitants frequently traveled at night and relied on knowledge of the constellations for navigation. Muslims needed to determine the time of prayers, the direction the kaaba would face, and the correct orientation of the mosque after the arrival of Islam, all of which helped give a religious impetus to the study of astronomy and contributed to the belief that the celestial bodies had an impact on terrestrial affairs as well as the human condition.
The criteria for Islam’s attitude on astrology are laid out in Islamic jurisprudence, the Quran, the Hadith, Ijma (scholarly consensus), and Qiyas (analogy). The idea is further differentiated into that which is either halal (authorized) or haram (forbidden) (forbidden). The view that astrology is forbidden by the authorities, as enshrined in the Quran and Hadith, is shared by all Islamic sects and academics.
What makes people obsessed with astrology?
According to religion anthropologist Dr Susannah Crockford of Ghent University in Belgium, “the growing interest in astrology happens at a time of more social instability.” It is natural for people to seek guidance from a higher power during such moments.
Is astrology a kind of coping?
“When we continually looking outside of ourselves to discover ourselves, whether it’s via food, sex, or astrology, we become hooked to something in a very harmful way, says Jennifer Freed, a California-based psychological astrologer who has studied this topic for more than 30 years.
She stresses that horoscopes aren’t intended to be a one-stop shop for information. Instead, they serve as a springboard for improving your life, which is why bombarding yourself with daily affirmations and social media posts won’t help. “She claims that if you conduct your life based on sound bites delivered by a computer, you’re probably not honoring your inner wisdom. Freed only provides clients one astrological reading every year in order to minimize reliance.
According to Freed, little research has been done on the implications of astrology on mental health, in part because it isn’t taken seriously, which has an impact on research funding in this area. Furthermore, while various certificate programs exist to learn about the science of astrology, there is no formal accreditation process in North America to become an astrologer.
“In general, I believe that if you’re not feeling well, you should seek treatment rather than consult a horoscope, adds McCance. Clients can delve into concerns in talk therapy, for example, and then receive feedback from a skilled mental health practitioner, she explains.” She claims that none of this occurs with astrology.
The Barnum effect, which is typically connected with tarot, horoscopes, and psychics, is a psychological phenomena in which people interpret general personality characteristics as relating directly to them. The Barnum effect was found to be more vulnerable to people who were stressed in the De La Salle study. The danger, according to McCance, is that people will let information that isn’t relevant to their situation affect their decisions. While many people use astrology as a coping strategy, McCance says it’s vital to think about when looking to the stars for answers falls short and when it’s time to seek mental health help instead.
Is astrology considered a science?
This isn’t the first time astrology has had a moment like this, and it won’t be the last. For thousands of years, the practice has existed in various forms. More recently, the New Age movement of the 1960s and 1970s included a heavy dose of astrology. (Some refer to the New Age as the “Age of Aquarius,” referring to the 2,000-year period after the Earth’s passage through the Aquarius sign.)
While astrology didn’t go completely in the decades between the New Age boom and nowyou could still read horoscopes in the back pages of magazinesit “got back to being a little bit more in the background,” says Chani Nicholas, an astrologer in Los Angeles. “Then there’s something that’s happened in the last five years that’s given it an edge, a relevancy for this time and place that it hasn’t had in 35 years.” The millennial generation has taken it and run with it.
Many of the people I spoke to for this article felt that, while the stigma surrounding astrology still exists, it has faded as the discipline has gained traction in online culture, particularly among young people.
“We’ve seen a reframing of New Age activities over the last two years, very much tailored toward a Millennial and young Gen X component,” says Lucie Greene, global director of J. Walter Thompson’s Intelligence Group, which studies and predicts cultural trends.
Broadly’s horoscope traffic, according to Callie Beusman, a senior editor, “has increased very dramatically.” The Cut’s president and editor-in-chief, Stella Bugbee, claims that a typical horoscope article on the site received 150 percent more traffic in 2017 than the previous year.
Astrology is well-suited to the digital age in some aspects. If you feel like plunging into a Google-research rabbit hole, there’s a low barrier to admission and practically infinite depths to plumb. The availability of more detailed information on the internet has given this cultural wave of astrology a level of sophistication. There will be more jokes about Saturn returns and less “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” questions. lines for a pick-up
A quick refresher: Astrology is not a science, and there is no proof that one’s zodiac sign has anything to do with personality. However, the system has its own logic. The positioning of the sun, moon, and planets within 12 parts of the sky, known as the zodiac signs, is given significance in astrology. Even if you’re not an astrology fan, you’re probably aware of your sun sign, the most well-known zodiac sign. It’s determined by the position of the sun on your birthday. However, the position of the moon and each of the other planets at the time and place of your birth adds more shades to the portrait of you that your “birth chart” paints.
Horoscopes are designed to tell you what the planets are doing right now and in the future, as well as how all of this influences each sign.
Susan Miller, the popular astrologer who developed the Astrology Zone website, describes the planets as a cocktail party. “You could have three individuals chatting at the same time, two people arguing in the corner, and Venus and Mars kissing.” I need to figure out what’s going on in those monthly talks for you.
“Astrologers are continually attempting to break down these massive concepts into manageable chunks of information,” Nicholas explains.
These days’ kids and their memes provide an ideal setting for astrology.
Astrology uses the planets and zodiac symbols to express complex ideas about personality, life cycles, and relationship patterns. That shorthand also works well online, where symbols and shorthand are frequently used.
Bertram Malle, a social cognitive scientist at Brown University, wrote me in an email, “Let me say first that I consider astrology a cultural or psychological phenomenon, not a scientific one.” However, “full-fledged astrology,” which goes beyond newspaper-style sun-sign horoscopes, gives you a powerful vocabulary to describe not only your personality and temperament, but also your life’s obstacles and prospects. To the extent that one just learns this vocabulary, it may appeal as a rich method of reflecting (rather than explaining or forecasting) human feelings and life events, as well as identifying some potential coping paths.
In times of stress, people frequently consult astrology. According to a short 1982 research by psychologist Graham Tyson, “those who contact astrologers do so in response to pressures in their lives, notably stress related to the individual’s social duties and connections.” “Under high stress, the individual is willing to employ astrology as a coping mechanism, even though he does not believe in it under low stress.”
Millennials have been the most stressed generation since 2014, according to American Psychological Association survey data, and they are also the group most likely to claim their stress has increased in the past year since 2010. Since 2012, Millennials and Gen Xers have been much more anxious than previous generations. Since the 2016 presidential election, Americans have been experiencing greater stress as a result of the political turmoil. According to the APA’s 2017 survey, 63 percent of Americans are “extremely concerned” about their country’s future. Reading the news stresses out 56% of individuals, with Millennials and Gen Xers being substantially more likely than older people to say so. Political infighting, climate change, global problems, and the prospect of nuclear war have all been prominent in recent news. If stress makes astrology look more appealing, it’s no surprise that more people are interested in it now.
Is astrology a science or a religion?
Astrology has not been shown useful in controlled research and lacks scientific validity, hence it is classified as pseudoscience.