Astronomy is the study of celestial bodies outside of the earth’s atmosphere, such as planets, stars, asteroids, and galaxies, as well as their attributes and relationships. Astronomers conduct their study and observations. Astrology, on the other hand, is the notion that the positions of the stars and planets have an impact on how events unfold on the planet. Astronomy is the field to consider if you’re interested in the solar system and planets, other celestial objects such as asteroids and comets, other galaxies and the rest of the universe, what makes up space, and the possibility of alien life or space travel.
In This Article...
What do astronomy and astrology have in common?
As a result, even though astronomy and astrology are vastly different presently, they both have their roots in antiquity. Astrology and astronomy have another thing in common: they both deal with the study of the universe. By definition, though, these fields of study are vastly distinct.
Why isn’t astrology regarded as a science?
Astrology is a collection of belief systems that assert that there is a connection between astrological phenomena and events or personality traits in the human world. The scientific community has dismissed astrology as having no explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientific testing has discovered no evidence to back up the astrological traditions’ premises or alleged effects.
People believe in astrology for a variety of reasons.
Self-Discovery It’s likely that people study astrology in order to gain a better understanding of themselves and increase their self-awareness. Astrology has been shown in studies to significantly impact and even validate a person’s self-concept, as well as improve their confidence in their unique characteristics.
Is astrology based on zodiac signs?
The solution is actually rather straightforward. It’s all about the distinction between astronomy and astrology.
Astrology is an old art of interpreting the impact of the Sun and Moon while they are in a certain zodiac sign. According to astrology, the sky is divided into 12 divisions, each measuring exactly 30 degrees. The signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces are all named after significant constellations located within the astrological circle. The 12 zodiac signs are listed below. Astrologers think that the Moon’s and Sun’s positions within these twelve divisions have an impact on what happens on Earth, ranging from the personalities of persons born under a particular sign to the chance of certain types of endeavors succeeding.
Astronomy, on the other hand, is the study of matter in space from a scientific standpoint. Astronomers do not attempt to deduce the meaning of the Moon’s or Sun’s location in the sky; instead, they attempt to depict it as accurately as possible. As a result, instead of dividing the sky into 12 equal slices like a pie, astronomers simply identify the constellation in which the Moon appears closest on any given night. The Sun can even stray into constellations that aren’t part of the astrological zodiac, such as Sextans, the Sextant, or Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, in astronomical terms.
That’s why, on an astronomical map, the Moon could be in Ophiuchus while on an astrological map, it could be in Sagittarius. Furthermore, because astrological placement is constant throughout history and ignores the precession of the equinoxes (the “wobble” that the Earth’s axis describes over a 26,000-year interval), the Sun’s position in astrology frequently differs significantly from its real position in astronomy.
What does the Bible have to say about the zodiac signs?
I believe that God created astrology as a tool for us to better understand ourselves and to use as a spiritual tool. Numerous bible texts, in my opinion, support astrology. As a Christian, I try to remember what Jesus said. “There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars,” Christ predicted in Luke 21:25, referring to the importance of astrology. He explains the value of astrology with his pupils, as well as how it might be used as a sign of his return. Why would Jesus provide us this critical knowledge if we are not intended to understand the energies of the planets and signs, and if he was actually against it? Just as the three wise men knew Jesus would be born under the star in the sky that led them to him lying in the manger, Jesus warned us that when he returns, there will be signals in the sky.
Who is the inventor of astrology?
Jones stated, “This is possibly older than any other known case.” “It’s also older than any of the written-down horoscopes from the Greco-Roman period,” he said, adding, “we have a number of horoscopes written down as a kind of document on papyrus or on a wall, but none of them as old as this.”
The discovery was presented in the most recent edition of the Journal for the History of Astronomy by Jones and StaoForenbaher, a researcher at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb.
Forenbaher told LiveScience that the crew was working near the entrance of a Croatian cave in 1999, a site well known to archaeologists and residents of the surrounding hamlet of Nakovana who simply named it “Spila,” which means “the cave.”
Nobody realized at the time, however, that the cave featured a part that had been locked for over 2,000 years. Forenbaher’s girlfriend (now his wife) dug under the rubble and discovered a broad, low passageway that ran for over 33 feet in the dark (10 meters). “The unique King Tut experience, arriving to a spot where nobody has been for a couple of thousand years,” Forenbaher said of passing down the corridor.
When Forenbaher entered the cavern, “there was a very thin limestone crust on the surface that was splitting under your boots,” indicating that “nobody had gone there in a very, very, long time,” he added.
The researchers eventually discovered that it had been blocked off in the first century B.C., presumably as a result of a Roman military effort against the locals.
The archaeologists discovered a phallic-shaped stalagmite, as well as countless drinking containers deposited over hundreds of years and something more. “These very small bits and pieces of ivory came out in the course of that dig,” Forenbaher explained, “and we didn’t even recognize what we had at the time.”
The group got to work. “It took years to piece them together, find more bits and pieces, and figure out what they were,” Forenbaher explained. They ended there staring at the ruins of the world’s oldest known astrologer’s board.
Archaeologists aren’t sure how the board got inside the cave or where it came from. The Babylonians developed their own version of horoscopes around 2,400 years ago, which is where astrology began in antiquity.
Then, around 2,100 years ago, astrology went to the eastern Mediterranean, where it became popular in Egypt, which was ruled by a dynasty of Greek monarchs at the time.
Jones explained, “It gets transformed very much into what we think of as the Greek style of astrology, which is really the present type of astrology.” “The Greek style of astrology is the foundation of astrology that spans the Middle Ages, modern Europe, modern India, and beyond.”
The ivory used to produce the zodiac images dates back to 2,200 years, just before the advent of this new kind of astrology, according to radiocarbon dating.
The location of the board’s manufacture is unknown, though Egypt is a possibility. They believe the ivory came from an elephant that was slain or died in the area around that period. Because ivory is such a valuable commodity, it would have been preserved for decades, if not a century, before being utilized to make the zodiac. These signs would have been adhered to a flat (probably wooden) surface to form the board, which could have featured other features that did not survive.
It could have been loaded onto a ship sailing through the Adriatic Sea, a vital trade route that the cave overlooks. Illyrians were the people who resided in Croatia at the time. Despite the fact that ancient writers had a negative view of them, archaeological evidence reveals that they interacted with surrounding Greek colonies and were a vital part of the Mediterranean civilization.
An astrologer from one of the Greek colonies may have visited the cave to make a prediction. A consultation in the cavern’s flickering light would have been a powerful experience, if not particularly convenient for the astrologer.
Jones commented, “It doesn’t sound like a very practical site for performing horoscope homework like calculating planetary placements.”
Another hypothesis is that the Illyrians acquired or stole the astrological board without fully comprehending its use. The board, along with the drinking containers, would have been presented as an offering to an unknown deity worshipped in the cave.
“This astrologer’s board could have shown up as an offering along with other exceptional items that were either bought or robbed from a passing ship,” Forenbaher speculated. He noted that the drinking cups discovered in the cave had been chosen with care. They were made in another country, and only a few cruder amphora storage vessels were discovered with them.
“It nearly appears that someone was bringing out wine there, pouring it, and then discarding the amphora away because they weren’t good enough for the gods, or to be deposited in the shrine,” Forenbaher said.
The phallic-shaped stalagmite, which may have formed naturally on the site, appears to have served as a focal point for these offerings and rituals held in the cavern. Forenbaher cautioned that all stalagmites appear phallic in some way, and it’s difficult to know what significance it had to the cave’s inhabitants. “It surely meant something important,” he remarked.
“This is a spot where goods of local importance were deposited with some type of supernatural power, transcendental being, or whatever.”
