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The Origins and History of Modern Western Astrology

Basic Understanding of Astrology & Horoscopes

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The Origins and History of Modern Western Astrology

Since the dawn of time when man first looked up at the stars and planets and was awestruck by their beauty people have tried to understand their significance. This is the basic origin of modern astrology and in part of modern astronomy.. The history of astrology reaches back to antiquity and has played a part in many cultures all through out human history. The idea that events in the heavens and the sky have an effect on the affairs of people here on Earth was and among many still is widely believed. Given the importance of the obvious relation between the cycles of the Sun and Moon and the crop seasons here on Earth early man tried to improve his understanding of the movements of the heavenly bodies.

This quest for knowledge led the ancient Babylonians to make a study of the movement of the planets and other celestial bodies and in this capacity they were the first astronomers. The system the early Babylonians developed was based on simple observations and the keeping of simple written records. If a particular event such as the defeat of an enemy army coincided with the rising of a planet it was assumed the rising of the same planet at a later date would signal favorable conditions for battle. If the Moon or a planet rose or set sooner or earlier than predicted it was taken as an ill omen. Little did the Babylonians know these discrepancies were the result of errors in their records due to the lack of precise astronomical instruments such as the telescope which was not invented until many centuries later.

The spread of the Babylonian study of the sky through the middle east and into Europe was accelerated when it was absorbed and expanded upon by the ancient Greeks. The modern word horoscope is derived from the Greek word horoscopes which actually means the ascendant. The most important contribution the Greeks made to astrology is the concept that much can be learned about an individuals future or fortunes by the position of the stars and planets at the time of their birth. This is known as horoscopic astrology and is the basis of the western astrological tradition. Many of the famous ancient Greek mathematicians and philosophers including most notably Ptolemy himself studied astrology which was in a sense the astronomy of their day. Their contributions to modern western astrology also include an exact solar calendar with standardized houses and the twelve sun sign of the zodiac. Just as significantly the Greek astronomer Hipparchus discovered the precession of the equinoxes.

During the middle or dark ages astrology like many other arts and sciences was more or less lost for a time. It was not until the Renaissance that astrology and many other lost works were returned to Europe from Arabia where much of it had first originated. Combined with the advent of more modern scientific astronomical instruments including of course the telescope the Renaissance astrologers were able to chart the stars and planets with greater accuracy then ever before. They included the celebrated Galileo Galilei, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler who not only practiced astrology but laid the foundations of modern astronomy.

The past one hundred years has seen a great rise in interest about astrology and a great demand for horoscopes. The new mass media has provided widespread access to astrology and horoscopes are now published in newspapers, magazines and the internet. The latest astronomical technology has been put to use producing ever more accurate star charts and new planets have even been discovered and incorporated into the astrological techniques. Today astrology is more popular than ever before with about one third of the people saying they believe in it. The effect of astrology on the course of human history is difficult to estimate but astrology is certain to be practiced well into the future.

Article Source: Articlebase.com

Basic Understanding of Astrology & Horoscopes

Astrology existed since time began. Through the study of the planets and signs of the zodiac your future can be forecasted and an understanding of your real self can be known. This is commonly known as horoscopes

At your exact time of birth all the planets, the moon and sun are in a certain pattern, this can be thought of as a birth chart or natal chart and can be used to discover your personality and pathway. Some see this chart as an interpretation of the life that is to be lived before you and the challenges that you will have to overcome. As your main reason for your existence is to learn and gain experience the birth chart can help explain what these experiences will be. It can also explain lessons to be learned and issues that will need to be faced in certain areas of a person's life. But what ever these may be it is important to remember that all of the lessons and trials you will experience are there to aid you in your growth and further you in life's experience.

You will also be able to see strengths that you have to aid you, these strengths are normally in areas you have already mastered and like the new strengths you acquire in this life will be there to help you forever.

Through the use of the information contained in your horoscope you can also obtain information on why you behave the way you do and why you are drawn to certain types of work and people. By understanding your self better you can make greater use of the things you are good at performing and have a more in depth idea of the things you don't. This can be of great benefit in showing us the right path rather than us taking years to find it ourselves.

A horoscope can never show how you are going to "play" this hand. While you usually have freedom of choice or free will, the horoscope does reflect natural inclinations that you have to live with, lessons you have to learn, issues to be faced, and problems to be solved.

The horoscope can also be useful when you require a better understanding about others around you. You can discover just what makes them act the way they do and whet would really make them happy. It can also be interesting to find out why they act the way they do. While astrology can provide incredible keys to understanding, but it doesn't provide clear and simplistic answers to any problems with which you may be dealing.

What ever your use of the horoscope and astrology, the information will give you an insight into a world that you may have little knowledge of and provide a valuable source of information. In continuing you can take various paths depending on the information you seek and the time you wish to spend on it.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com
The writer John Lloyd used to write for Universal Psychic Guild the online psychics and astrology sites which offer private psychic readings, online psychics through chat, psychic advice and a lot more.