Astrology Through Time – Why It Still Matters

An Ancient Tool for a Complex World

Few subjects provoke as much enduring controversy as astrology. In many cultures across Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe, astrology has historically been woven into spiritual life, medicine, governance, and philosophy. In contrast, much of the modern Western world has relegated astrology to the margins, dismissing it as superstition or entertainment and, at times, casting its practitioners as charlatans. This dismissal is striking when viewed against the long and complex history of astrology, which predates Christianity by at least three millennia and developed alongside astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, and religion.

Astrology did not emerge as a fringe belief system. It arose as an attempt to understand humanity’s place within an ordered cosmos, one governed by discernible patterns and cycles. For much of recorded history, astrology and astronomy were inseparable disciplines, practised by the same scholars and supported by religious and political authorities. This essay traces the evolution of astrology, examining its origins, transformations, periods of decline, and modern re-emergence, while addressing the cultural and philosophical forces that have shaped its place in society.

Ancient Foundations

The earliest recorded roots of astrology lie in Mesopotamia. By c. 2872 BC, during the reign of Sargon of Agade, astrologer-priests were already engaged in celestial observation for predictive purposes. These early practitioners were not concerned with personal horoscopes, but with omens affecting the king and the state. Eclipses, planetary groupings, and unusual stellar phenomena were observed over time, correlated with events, and then interpreted as messages from the gods, reinforcing astrology’s original role as a tool of political authority and religious order.

In ancient Egypt, astrology evolved alongside an advanced cosmology and sacred architecture. During the reign of Rameses II, between c. 1300 and 1236 BC, there is evidence of awareness of fixed cardinal points later associated with Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. While the zodiac had not yet developed into its later form, Egyptian priests recognised solstitial and equinoctial alignments and encoded them into temples, rituals, and royal ideology. These ideas later influenced Greek astrology through cultural transmission.

The earliest surviving individual horoscope, dated to c. 668 BC in Babylon, marks a decisive shift. Astrology shifted from collective interpretation to individual destiny, introducing the notion that the moment of birth held symbolic significance. This conceptual leap became foundational to all subsequent astrological traditions.

The Classical World and Systematisation

Astrology reached intellectual maturity in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Between c. 120 and 180 AD, Claudius Ptolemy authored the Tetrabiblos, the most influential astrological treatise in Western history. Ptolemy sought to frame astrology as a rational, philosophical discipline governed by natural law rather than divine caprice. His systematic approach to planets, signs, houses, and predictive principles shaped astrological practice for nearly two millennia.

Yet even at this height, astrology was contested. St. Augustine, writing between 354 and 430 AD, initially accepted astrology but later rejected it forcefully. His objections centred on free will and moral accountability, most famously expressed through his argument concerning twins born at the same moment yet living divergent lives. Augustine’s theological concerns, rather than empirical refutation, shaped the Church’s enduring scepticism towards astrology.

Around c. 450 AD, Gaius Julius Solinus produced an extensive interpretation of the horoscope of Rome itself, demonstrating the continued belief that cities, empires, and nations possessed astrological identities. This tradition survives today and is called Mundane Astrology.

Preservation and Expansion in the Islamic World

With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, astrology might have been lost had it not been preserved and expanded during the Islamic Golden Age between the eighth and tenth centuries. Arab scholars translated Greek, Persian, and Indian texts, integrating astrology with advances in mathematics and astronomy. Astrology flourished in major centres such as Baghdad and Cairo, supported by rulers who valued its applications in medicine, agriculture, and governance.

In the tenth century, Ibn Yunus of Cairo compiled the Hakemite Tables, among the most accurate planetary tables of the medieval period. His work significantly improved astronomical precision and influenced both Islamic and European scholarship, reinforcing astrology’s technical foundations.

Medieval Europe and Academic Legitimacy

Astrology re-entered Europe through Arabic scholarship and rapidly gained institutional legitimacy. In 1125, the University of Bologna established a formal chair of astrology, confirming its status as a recognised academic discipline. Astrology was closely allied with medicine, with physicians expected to understand planetary cycles when diagnosing and treating illness.

Thomas Aquinas adopted a nuanced position during the thirteenth century, rejecting astrological determinism while accepting celestial influence on the material world. His assertion that the stars incline rather than compel (often cited in Latin as Astra inclinant, sed non obligant) allowed astrology to coexist with Christian doctrine for centuries.

At Cambridge University, founded in 1225, astrology was taught from around 1250, integrated with astronomy and mathematics. This reflects astrology’s role in mainstream intellectual life rather than as a marginal pursuit.

The Renaissance and Ecclesiastical Paradox

The Renaissance marked another high point for astrology. Pope Sixtus IV and several subsequent popes openly supported and consulted astrologers, despite official theological reservations. Papal courts routinely elected auspicious dates for coronations, military campaigns, and major building projects, highlighting the paradox of astrology’s simultaneous endorsement and condemnation by the Church.

In England, John Dee served as astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, selecting the date and time of her coronation. Dee exemplified the Renaissance synthesis of astrology, mathematics, navigation, and philosophy, embodying a worldview in which celestial order and earthly affairs were inseparable.

Science, Separation, and Survival

The scientific revolution fundamentally altered astrology’s standing. Johannes Kepler, active between 1571 and 1630, revolutionised astronomy while maintaining that astrology was grounded in experience. He rejected superstition but argued that astrology’s effects could not be dismissed by those unwilling to examine them seriously.

The discovery of Uranus in 1781 by William Herschel marked the first planet to be discovered since the ancient world. Its appearance coincided with profound political, industrial, and intellectual upheaval, including revolutionary movements, reinforcing astrology’s symbolic associations with disruption and innovation.

Neptune’s formal discovery in 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle, though it had been observed earlier by Galileo and others, later contributed new symbolic dimensions associated with idealism, illusion, and transcendence.

The Twentieth Century: Decline, Depth, and Renewal

The twentieth century saw both erosion and renewal. Carl Jung’s work between 1875 and 1961 provided a psychological framework for astrology through his concept of synchronicity. Astrology was reframed as a symbolic language of meaning rather than a causal mechanism, restoring intellectual credibility in some academic and therapeutic circles.

‘My evenings are taken up very largely with astrology. I make horoscopic calculations in order to find a clue to the core of psychological truth’ – Carl Jung

In England, Charles Carter founded the Faculty of Astrological Studies, professionalising astrological education. However, astrology suffered reputational damage in 1930 when newspaper sun-sign columns by R.H. Naylor, who wrote What the Stars Foretell for the New Princess (Princess Margaret) in the Sunday Express in London, appeared. Naylor was commissioned in August/September 1930 following his prediction regarding the R101 airship crash. From this point, superficial interpretations overshadow serious practice. Regular columns were soon copied by other British newspapers. It proved to be a huge disservice to the pursuit of serious astrology.

The discovery of Pluto in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh occurred as the great depression was taking hold. It coincided with the rise of global fascism and extreme political change as science began to understand fundamental atomic forces (the key to nuclear power). Hence, Pluto is associated with themes of darkness, destruction, intense power, and transformation.

Although it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, it remains astrologically significant for its symbolic resonance with transformation and power.

Since 1969: Research, Technology, and Cultural Repositioning

The founding of the International Society for Astrological Research in 1969 marked a renewed commitment to empirical inquiry and scholarly dialogue. From the 1970s onward, humanistic and psychological astrology gained prominence, aligning astrology with psychology, counselling and personal development, though often at the expense of predictive rigour.

From the late 1980s, a revival of traditional astrology restored historical techniques and methodological discipline, aided by the translation of classical and medieval texts. At the same time, statistical research by Michel Gauquelin challenged sceptical assumptions, though his findings were largely resisted by the mainstream scientific community.

The document that became known as the STARBABY affair, a controversy that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s involving the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). The affair emerged from attempts by prominent sceptics to empirically refute astrology, specifically the statistical findings of French researcher Michel Gauquelin concerning the so-called Mars Effect.

The document argues that when these attempts failed to disprove Gauquelin’s findings, a shift from scientific testing to reputational defence occurred. According to the primary author, Dennis Rawlins, a co-founder of CSICOP, a planetary motion specialist, and committed sceptic of paranormal claims, dissented. Importantly, Rawlins was not an astrologer. He describes himself repeatedly as sceptical of astrology and the occult. His dissent was not ideological, but procedural and ethical and this culminated in data manipulation, selective reporting, and the marginalisation of internal dissent.

The advent of computer technology in the 1990s transformed astrological practice. Accurate calculations, sophisticated software, and global collaboration became accessible, raising professional standards while also lowering barriers to entry. A pity!

In the 2010s and 2020s, astrology experienced a cultural resurgence, particularly during periods of global uncertainty. Social media expanded its reach dramatically, reframing astrology within wellness, identity, and meaning-making discourses. This visibility brought renewed relevance alongside challenges of oversimplification and misinformation.

The level of misinformation is staggering. For example, I look at what other so-called professional astrologers write and see a common thread of the following, sensationalist bullshit, gross generalisations and for the charts they use to illustrate their knowledge, they don’t even appear to possess one of the highly sophisticated astrology software programs available, used for precision and deep diving into research, go figure!

Summary

Astrology’s history reveals a discipline deeply embedded in humanity’s intellectual and cultural development. Once central to science, medicine, and governance, astrology was marginalised not through empirical failure but through philosophical, theological, and cultural shifts. Since 1969, astrology has quietly re-established depth, technical sophistication, and relevance, even as it continues to grapple with credibility and coherence.

Perhaps astrology’s enduring value lies not in demanding belief, but in offering a structured symbolic language through which timing, pattern recognition, and meaning can be explored. In this sense, astrology may be returning to its oldest role: a framework for understanding humanity’s relationship with an ordered and ever-unfolding cosmos.

References:
Derived from Derrick and Julia Parker, The Compleat Astrologer, 1975
sTARBABY written by DENNIS RAWLINS –
archived from http://www.psicounsel.com/starbaby.html