Astrology
Astrology is an ancient practice that involves charting the positions and movements of celestial bodies, such as the sun and moon, to draw connections between these cosmic events and human experiences. It has roots in various civilizations, including ancient Egypt, China, and the Mayan culture, and has historically been regarded as a respected field, often consulted by royalty for guidance on important decisions. Central to astrology is the belief that celestial patterns can influence human behavior and events, which has sparked ongoing debate regarding its validity.
Contemporary astrology often focuses on the creation of horoscopes, which are personalized charts based on an individual's birth date and time. These horoscopes provide insights into personality traits and the likelihood of success or challenges in daily activities. Despite being dismissed as pseudo-science by the scientific community, astrology has maintained a following, with some studies indicating a growing acceptance among the public. Cultural psychologists suggest that astrology may fulfill a spiritual need or provide comfort in managing life’s uncertainties, even as most practitioners acknowledge its limitations compared to scientific methods. Thus, astrology serves as a fascinating intersection of history, culture, and personal belief, appealing to many despite scientific skepticism.
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Astrology
Astrology—charting the stars and the movement of heavenly bodies, particularly the sun and moon—is historically among the oldest of the sciences and has been part of virtually every civilization since ancient Egypt. Indeed, crude star charts have even been discovered among cave paintings. In early times, much like alchemists, astrologers were among the most respected and educated people of their time, routinely consulted by royalty about matters ranging from war to predicting the weather. In the Christian tradition, the three wise men who follow the star to the manger are learned astrologers. But it is not the fascination with understanding the patterns of movement in the skies but rather the idea, central to astrology, of linking celestial patterns to human events and human behavior that has sustained the centuries-long controversy over the worth of astrology.
Background
Astrology has a long and rich history in non-Western civilizations (most notably among the ancient Chinese, the Mayans in Central and South America, the Hindus in India, and the medieval Muslim nation-states). Contemporary Western astrology is based on predicting events and defining character on the basis of movements and relative position of celestial bodies in the night sky. The horoscope thus is a representation of time, of a specific moment—most familiarly the date of birth. For instance, those born between February 19 and March 20, under the sign of Pisces, are said to be selfless, romantic, and easygoing.
Astrologers have been consulted to determine whether the alignment of the stars and planets on the day of a particular event—a wedding, planting a crop, or launching a military campaign—promises favorable results. Newspapers and websites publish daily horoscopes that offer general advice about the probabilities of success or failure in endeavors undertaken that day, predictions theoretically based on reading planetary positions for each zodiacal sign. Despite its dismissal by the scientific community as frivolous pseudo-science, astrology itself can be quite complex—each sign is measured by specific planets, tied to specific ancient mythological characters, and ultimately related to physical matter on earth, such as water or fire.
Astrology has always faced criticism. For centuries, the belief that stars and planets determined events and behavior was at radical odds with Christianity’s foundational premise of free will. Catholicism was particularly strident in its theological opposition, defining astrology as demonic. Like palm reading, tarot cards, communication with the dead, and other acts of clairvoyance and expressions of occultism, astrology represented to the institutional church a heretical usurpation of the presumed omniscient power of God. At the height of the Catholic influence, prominent astrologers were actually burned at the stake.
The rise of science in the post-Renaissance era was a more significant challenge to astrology. By the sixteenth century, science had separated astrology (the predictive reading of star and planet patterns) from astronomy (the careful measuring of star and planet movement). Although astrology buffs regularly point to scientific evidence of planetary influence (the moon and its effects on the earth’s tides, for instance), dozens of commissioned research teams have investigated parallels between birth dates and behavior and have found no substantive evidence to suggest that stars and planets actually influence human events.
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In 2014, through its Science and Engineering Indicators report, the National Science Foundation revealed that Americans' skepticism regarding the science of astrology had declined. According to the report, slightly more than half of respondents believed that astrology was "not at all scientific" in 2012, while this number had been around two-thirds in 2010. In 2022, a YouGov survey showed that 27 percent of US adults believed in astrology. Some debate was sparked over whether these results were accurate and whether respondents understood the difference between astrology and astronomy. Regardless, given the significance of science in the contemporary world, the reach of space exploration, and theoretical astronomy, the question arises why astrology still commands such a wide appeal. Many cultural psychologists see it as a determined rejection of the domination of science, an expression of spiritual need rather than scientific precision. Language theorists cite the vague wording of horoscopes and how believers can interpret the deliberate generalities in a way that empowers them to feel as if their days and lives are directed and have consequences. Psychologists point out that those who regularly consult their horoscopes are better able to manage stress and anxiety. Most astrology buffs understand that astrology is not science, that horoscopes cannot be held to any level of accountability, and that astrology itself is a harmless and risk-free amusement.
Bibliography
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Leslie, Tom. "Astrology Shown to Be No Better than Random Guessing." New Scientist, 19 Aug. 2024, www.newscientist.com/article/2444456-astrology-shown-to-be-no-better-than-random-guessing/. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
Mooney, Chris. "More and More Americans Think Astrology Is Science." Mother Jones, 11 Feb. 2014, www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/public-opinion-astrology-dumb/. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
Orth, Taylor. "One in Four Americans Say They Believe in Astrology." YouGov, 26 Apr. 2022, today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/42292-one-four-americans-say-they-believe-astrology. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
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