Lesson Two: Astrology
Astrology is one of the most well-known and well-used methods of divination. Chances are, at least once in your life you have read a horoscope predicting what might come of your day, week, month, or year. To most people, astrology is an interesting art that peaks the curiosity of what may be in store for us in the future. That's why astrology is a great method for our first discussion.
What is Astrology?
As stated in the previous lesson, astrology is the method of using the positions of celestial bodies; including the sun, moon, planet, and stars; to predict future events, personalities, relationships, work, and health. Humans have been using the sky as early as 25,000 years ago, when lunar cycles were drawn on cave walls. As knowledge of the sky and constellations grew, so did the methods of astrology. Babylonians were the first to create an organized system of astrology in the second millennium BC. They used omen-based astrology to predict weather and political matters, depending on which planets the omens were attached to and the gods representing those planets. Egyptians shared a Mesopotamian influence in astrology and Babylonian astrology later adopted the Egyptian practice to create the Horoscopic astrology we know of today as the Zodiac. This Egyptian astrology divided the zodiac into thirty-six decans (small constellations) with ten degrees each, a rising decan emphasis, Greek planetary Gods, sign rulership, and four elements. In the fourth century BC, astrology was introduced to the Greeks and was considered a science. Soon after that, it was introduced to the Romans and Arabs and it quickly spread to the rest of the western world.
Meanwhile, Chinese astrology formed a few centuries later (somewhere between second century BC to second century AD), but is based more on the yearly calendar, philosophy, and astronomy. It focuses on five planets, twelve animal signs, and the yin and yang concept. We'll delve deeper into this later in the lesson.
Astrology is a method that is used in both types of divination: human and centaur. We'll be exploring both versions during this month's lesson.
Meanwhile, Chinese astrology formed a few centuries later (somewhere between second century BC to second century AD), but is based more on the yearly calendar, philosophy, and astronomy. It focuses on five planets, twelve animal signs, and the yin and yang concept. We'll delve deeper into this later in the lesson.
Astrology is a method that is used in both types of divination: human and centaur. We'll be exploring both versions during this month's lesson.
Astrology with Centaurs
Centaurs have studied celestial bodies in the sky for hundreds of years. Centaurs believe that astrology should only be used to foretell major events that would change the world, and they have learned to see these signs after spending so much time observing the skies. They think that the human ideal of using astrology to predict the more commonplace events in peoples' lives does not matter enough for the planets to have an effect on those events. It takes a centaur as much as a decade to learn all of the astrological ways and to have confidence in what the interpretation means.
Centaurs teach a serious rule for using astrology to predict the future: one shouldn't trust a prediction blindly, because it was easy and very possible to misinterpret signs.
Centaurs teach a serious rule for using astrology to predict the future: one shouldn't trust a prediction blindly, because it was easy and very possible to misinterpret signs.
Human Astrology
Human astrology is much more complicated. Wizarding astrology focuses more on the creation of charts. During their fourth year, students at Hogwarts studying Divination would create a personal chart, circular in nature, that showed the position of the planets at the time of their birth. They would have to calculate angles and pore over timetables to make their charts. After finishing, they could look at where the planets were in the current sky and where they will be in the future in order to figure out their own horoscopes.
Astrology is of course featured in the Daily Prophet with horoscopes and a feature called Astro News. It is also seen at the Ministry of Magic, where employees list sun and moon signs instead of their birth dates.
There are many parts to human astrology and many branches. We could spend months on them, and there have even been classes dedicated to it on HOL in the past (and probably future). Today, let's look at two of the most popular types of human astrology: western and eastern astrology.
Astrology is of course featured in the Daily Prophet with horoscopes and a feature called Astro News. It is also seen at the Ministry of Magic, where employees list sun and moon signs instead of their birth dates.
There are many parts to human astrology and many branches. We could spend months on them, and there have even been classes dedicated to it on HOL in the past (and probably future). Today, let's look at two of the most popular types of human astrology: western and eastern astrology.
Western Astrology
As stated earlier, western astrology was based on the practices of Babylonian, Egyptian, and Roman and Greek astrology: the western part of the world. Western astrology mainly focuses on horoscopes and the zodiac, which we will be covering today.
There are diverse amounts of methods and beliefs in western astrology. Mundane astrology examines world events to make predictions about international affairs. Interrogatory astrology is used to make prediction and analyzation of specific objectives or event in a person's life. Natal astrology uses a person's birth to make predictions for that person.
In case you have very little experience in the zodiac, there are twelve sun signs. Each person has one sun sign, decided by where the Sun is positioned during his or her birth. Below is a chart of the twelve sun signs, their celestial body, their element, and the sun's period of position inside each sign. Clearly, these signs are based on twelve constellations found in the sky that the sun passes through every year.
There are diverse amounts of methods and beliefs in western astrology. Mundane astrology examines world events to make predictions about international affairs. Interrogatory astrology is used to make prediction and analyzation of specific objectives or event in a person's life. Natal astrology uses a person's birth to make predictions for that person.
In case you have very little experience in the zodiac, there are twelve sun signs. Each person has one sun sign, decided by where the Sun is positioned during his or her birth. Below is a chart of the twelve sun signs, their celestial body, their element, and the sun's period of position inside each sign. Clearly, these signs are based on twelve constellations found in the sky that the sun passes through every year.
Sun Sign | Celestial Body | Element | Sun's Position Period |
---|---|---|---|
Capricorn | Saturn | Earth | December 22-January 20 |
Aquarius | Saturn | Air | January 21-February 19 |
Pisces | Jupiter | Water | February 20-March 20 |
Aries | Mars | Fire | March 21-April 20 |
Taurus | Venus | Earth | April 21-May 20 |
Gemini | Mercury | Air | May 21-June 20 |
Cancer | Moon | Water | June 21-July 21 |
Leo | Sun | Fire | July 22-August 21 |
Virgo | Mercury | Earth | August 22-September 21 |
Libra | Venus | Air | September 22-October 21 |
Scorpio | Mars | Water | October 22-November 22 |
Sagittarius | Jupiter | Fire | November 23-December 21 |
As you study the chart, you will notice there are only four elements: fire, sun, air, and earth. In astrology, you can use these to predict a person's personality:
There are also qualities given to each of the twelve zodiac signs, and while too lengthy to list here, can be found in various places on the Internet and in many books and magazines.
Using these signs, one can not only predict a person's personality but also a person's fortune. A horoscope charts the positions of the Sun, Moon, Planets, angles, and other similar aspects in order to interpret or foretell events in a person's life. Think of the chart as a map showing exactly what the heavens looked like during an exact time and location in one moment in time. Planet locations are determined, as well as zodiac signs and fixed stars, in order to interpret fortunes. To create a horoscope, you must determine an exact time and place of the subject's birth - by specific, that means the time must be in Universal time and the place must be in Latitude and Longitude. Then, you would chart the exact positions of the celestial bodies, constellations, houses, and aspects (angles) that were found in the sky at that specific time and place. The picture to the left is an example horoscope based off of Harry Potter's birth. You'll see the date, the time, and the location noted. From there, determining meaning from the chart is achieved by looking at planetary transits through houses and other planets, progressions of celestial bodies, and solar returns.
- Those under the Fire element are considered to be great leaders and their positive qualities are expected to be enthusiasm, extroverted, rebellion, passionate, and brave. Negative qualities are expected to be hot-tempered, snappy, uncontrollable, and angry.
- Those under the Earth element have positive qualities of being calm, practical, hard-working, brave, smart, wise, stable, and patient. Their negative qualities are stubborn, possessive, nearsighted, and harsh.
- Those under the Air element are expected to have positive qualities in kindness, communication, intelligence, and social. Their negative qualities are selfishness, viciousness, superficiality, and insensitive to others' emotions.
- Those under the Water element have positive qualities of being imaginative, emotional, nurturing, sympathetic, empathetic, and intuitive. Their negative qualities are being cold, moody, irrational, sentimental, sensitive, escapist, and jealous.
There are also qualities given to each of the twelve zodiac signs, and while too lengthy to list here, can be found in various places on the Internet and in many books and magazines.
Using these signs, one can not only predict a person's personality but also a person's fortune. A horoscope charts the positions of the Sun, Moon, Planets, angles, and other similar aspects in order to interpret or foretell events in a person's life. Think of the chart as a map showing exactly what the heavens looked like during an exact time and location in one moment in time. Planet locations are determined, as well as zodiac signs and fixed stars, in order to interpret fortunes. To create a horoscope, you must determine an exact time and place of the subject's birth - by specific, that means the time must be in Universal time and the place must be in Latitude and Longitude. Then, you would chart the exact positions of the celestial bodies, constellations, houses, and aspects (angles) that were found in the sky at that specific time and place. The picture to the left is an example horoscope based off of Harry Potter's birth. You'll see the date, the time, and the location noted. From there, determining meaning from the chart is achieved by looking at planetary transits through houses and other planets, progressions of celestial bodies, and solar returns.
Eastern Astrology
Eastern astrology is otherwise known as Chinese astrology. Though not as widely used and acknowledged as the Western Zodiac, it can still be helpful to consider and use when practicing astrology.
As I noted before, Chinese astrology is based on five planets, twelve animal signs, and yin and yang. As we learn about Chinese astrology, you will see many similarities, but the main difference is that instead of each sign being around a month's time like in Western astrology, Chinese signs last an entire year.
The five planets will remind you of the Western elements. That's because each planet is associated with an element, making up five in the Chinese Zodiac. They are:
Yin and yang is of based on the philosophical belief of the Chinese that opposite forces are complementary to each other. Yin is considered the female/passive/negative principle in nature, and Yang is considered to be the male/active/positive principle in nature.
The twelve animal signs are rotated in this exact order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each of these, just like the 12 sun signs in the Western Zodiac, have individual character traits, positive and negative. This 12 year cycle was built after observing Jupiter's orbit around the sun.
It is easy to interpret what planet element you are, and if you are yin or yang. In Chinese astrology, all years ending with an even number or 0 is considered to be Yang. All years ending with an odd number are considered to be Yin. All years ending in 0 and 1 are Metal, all years ending in 2 and 3 are Water, years ending in 4 and 5 are Wood, 6 and 7 are Fire, and 8 and 9 are Earth. For instance, I was born in 1990. Therefore, I am a Yang Metal.
The 12 animal signs are particularly harder to figure out because they are on a 12 year rotation. Not only that, but because Yin/Yang and Elements are decided in groups of 10, a complete Chinese zodiac calendar takes sixty years to complete! Because of this, I won't post the entire 60 year Chinese calendar for the lesson, but a simple Google will help you find out which Animal sign is your own.
The Chinese use all of this information to determine a person's destiny and fate. Purple Star Astrology uses one's birthday, birth season, and birth hours in order to compute one's destiny and fate and is still used often in modern Chinese astrology. Chinese astrology can also be used for a variety of purpose, like deciding compatibility between other animal signs, which makes it particularly fun to explore.
Nest month we'll be covering two new methods of divination: Crystal Gazing and Fire Omens.
As I noted before, Chinese astrology is based on five planets, twelve animal signs, and yin and yang. As we learn about Chinese astrology, you will see many similarities, but the main difference is that instead of each sign being around a month's time like in Western astrology, Chinese signs last an entire year.
The five planets will remind you of the Western elements. That's because each planet is associated with an element, making up five in the Chinese Zodiac. They are:
- Venus - associated with the element Metal, this planet has the mental qualities of intuition, rationality, and mind along with the emotions of sadness and grief.
- Jupiter - associated with the element Wood, this planet has the mental qualities of idealism, spontaneity, and curiosity and the emotion of anger.
- Mercury - associated with the element Water, this planet has the mental qualities of erudition, resourcefulness, and wit and the emotion of fear.
- Mars - associate with the element Fire, this planet has the mental qualities of passion and intensity and the emotion of happiness.
- Saturn - associated with the element Earth, this planet has the mental qualities agreeableness and honesty and the emotion of love.
Yin and yang is of based on the philosophical belief of the Chinese that opposite forces are complementary to each other. Yin is considered the female/passive/negative principle in nature, and Yang is considered to be the male/active/positive principle in nature.
The twelve animal signs are rotated in this exact order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each of these, just like the 12 sun signs in the Western Zodiac, have individual character traits, positive and negative. This 12 year cycle was built after observing Jupiter's orbit around the sun.
It is easy to interpret what planet element you are, and if you are yin or yang. In Chinese astrology, all years ending with an even number or 0 is considered to be Yang. All years ending with an odd number are considered to be Yin. All years ending in 0 and 1 are Metal, all years ending in 2 and 3 are Water, years ending in 4 and 5 are Wood, 6 and 7 are Fire, and 8 and 9 are Earth. For instance, I was born in 1990. Therefore, I am a Yang Metal.
The 12 animal signs are particularly harder to figure out because they are on a 12 year rotation. Not only that, but because Yin/Yang and Elements are decided in groups of 10, a complete Chinese zodiac calendar takes sixty years to complete! Because of this, I won't post the entire 60 year Chinese calendar for the lesson, but a simple Google will help you find out which Animal sign is your own.
The Chinese use all of this information to determine a person's destiny and fate. Purple Star Astrology uses one's birthday, birth season, and birth hours in order to compute one's destiny and fate and is still used often in modern Chinese astrology. Chinese astrology can also be used for a variety of purpose, like deciding compatibility between other animal signs, which makes it particularly fun to explore.
Nest month we'll be covering two new methods of divination: Crystal Gazing and Fire Omens.