Origins of Astrology

How long has astrology been around? Historical records have much to say about the origins of astrology and there is consensus that its origins date back to from 3000 BCE to 500 BCE. BCE refers to "Before the Common Era" and is used to refer to the time in history before Jesus Christ was born. To say astrology is very old is an understatement. It is very old!

Astrology is an ancient practice of studying celestial bodies to better understand human affairs. It has fascinated civilizations for thousands of years. As you can imagine in ancient times, a lunar or solar eclipse would have been quite mesmerizing and even alarming for the observers. From the star charts of Mesopotamia to modern-day horoscopes, astrology has shaped cultures, guided rulers, and influenced personal beliefs. But where did it all begin? Let’s take a journey through time to explore the earliest origins of astrology and how it evolved into the practice we know today.

The roots of astrology can be traced back to Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. The Babylonians, one of the most advanced cultures of the ancient world, meticulously observed the night sky and recorded celestial movements on clay tablets called "cuneiform". These early astrologers believed that the stars and planets were divine messages from the gods, influencing earthly events such as wars, famines, and royal successions.

Around 2000 BCE, the Babylonians developed the first known zodiac, dividing the sky into 12 sections based on the movement of the Sun, Moon, and planets. These 12 divisions later became the zodiac signs we recognize today—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and so on.

While the Babylonians laid the foundation of astrology, the ancient Egyptians refined it by associating their deities with celestial bodies. They linked specific stars and planets to gods such as Ra, Osiris, and Isis, and used astrological knowledge for religious ceremonies and predicting floods of the Nile.

Astrology flourished when it reached Greece around 400 BCE. The famous philosopher Plato and his student Aristotle both studied astrology, and it became an essential part of Greek thought. Claudius Ptolemy, a Greco-Roman mathematician, wrote the Tetrabiblos, one of the most influential astrological texts in history. His work laid the groundwork for the horoscopic astrology we use today, where birth charts are based on an individual's time and place of birth.