Part of ancestral memory, Astrology and its zodiac constellations can be instrumental in helping us define our purpose in life and lead us to find the meaning of life.
It has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Except that it hasn't- astrology is neither as ancient, nor as meaningful as the boom in the industry over the last few decades suggest, perhaps sparked by Astrologer Linda Goodman' quote in her book, Suns Signs published in the later years of the 60s hippie movement. The author said,
“For all those who believe, expect a miracle.”
Science, it seems, and philosophers tend to agree. Philosopher Immanuel Kant encourages us to distinguish between "that which is mind-dependent and that which is not”. And despite being seen by many as an esoteric or new age type of thinking, scientists and historians have spent a lot of time dissecting astrology. Is astrology's allure simply in our minds, or is there value to this archaic practice that has a devout following globally?
In its broadest sense, Astrology is the exploration of the sky to find human meaning. Attaching meaning to the signs and symbolism in the stars, it seeks to match the stars with general and specific human behavior, proposing that humans on Earth are influenced by the positions of planets and other celestial objects.
A former astrologer, Felicity Carter, explains how her early interest in a book called Positive Magic, building its philosophy around the concept that with good enough intentions, all you have to do is tell the universe what you want for it to materialize (as if) by magic, sparked her short-lived career as an astrologer. Linking astrological meanings derived from a principle called sympathetic magic, the planets were assigned meaning to life on Earth. As Carter puts it, Mars looks red and therefore rules red things. Like blood, which appears when you cut. Hence Mars rules surgery and war.
The origins of Vedic Astrology, also known as Hindu or Indian astrology (Jyotish), emerging between 5,000 BC and 10,000 BC from the Vedantas, are lost in the mists of time. Dravidian culture made predictions by looking at people rather than looking at the stars, but the Aryan culture came with astrology, an interpretation of astronomy.
Yogi and mystic, Sadhguru, reminds us that much is missed when we try to interpret things, leading to misinterpretation.
Jyotish, the Eye of the Vedas, is a means by which our maker has made it possible for us to illuminate our lives and is very much a spiritual science, showing the soul’s progress towards liberation through the cycle of rebirth.
Western Astrology, more specifically its signs and symbolism, was developed by the Babylonians around 1700 BCE according to archeological finds. Hardly ancient times in the light of estimates by Darwin and others of the Earth being between 100 and 300 million years old. Paving the way for astronomy, the Babylonians accurately identified parts of the celestial world as far as the eye could see, and the mapping undertaken before their empire crumbled remains the foundation on which space agencies such as NASA are still pursuing their investigations into the unknown through space exploration in the 21st century, a mere 4,000-12,000 years later.
But in assigning meaning to human life juxtaposed with the position of the celestial bodies, the Babylonians worked on the assumption that the sun revolved around the earth. But after Galileo developed the first telescope this view started changing, leading to the Copernican Revolution which proved definitively it was the Earth revolving around the sun, raining on the previous theories of alignment of the planets as they relate to the position of the Earth and sun.
Still, Astronaut Ed White's understanding shifted after feeling shaken during moments while in space. Some astronauts describe being in space and looking back onto the planet Earth as overwhelming, an almost God-like view that humans probably aren't supposed to have, an intentionally hidden knowledge.
Galileo’s contemporary, William Shakespeare, included the thought-provoking line in Act 1 Scene 5 of his play, Hamlet, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Few could dispute the truth of the bard's words.
Linda Goodman, a recognized authority on Astrology, said, "The stars which shone over Babylon and the stable in Bethlehem still shine as brightly over the Empire State Building and your front yard today."
From its roots in Babylon and India, Astrology advanced to its Western form in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. Through Greek traditions, Astrology entered Islamic culture before returning to European culture in the Middle Ages through Arabic learning.
In the Greek tradition, the heavens are divided into the 12 constellations that make up the zodiac- the bright stars that rise at intervals, casting a spiritual influence over human affairs. Each sign is determined by specific dates in a calendar year and is assigned a constellation. The signs of the zodiac, based on the position of the sun at the precise moment of their birth, are assigned meaning to a particular time of year. Goodman’s "Sun signs" tie up the dates and meanings of star signs.
Star sign meanings:
SUN SIGN | DATES | RULING PLANET | EXPERIENCE | KARMIC MISSION |
Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Mars | The Infant | To lead, in an inspirational way |
Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Venus | The Baby | To organize, in a material way |
Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Mercury | The Child | To communicate, in a mental way |
Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Moon | The Adolescent | To lead, in a sensitive way |
Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Sun | The Teenager | To organize, in an inspirational way |
Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Mercury | The Adult | To communicate, in a material way |
Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Venus | Marriage | To lead, in a mental way |
Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Pluto (but traditionally Mars) | Sex | To organize, in a sensitive way |
Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Jupiter | Knowledge | To communicate, in an inspirational way |
Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Saturn | Experience | To lead, in a material way |
Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Uranus | Idealism | To organize, in a mental way |
Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Neptune | Submission | To communicate, in a sensitive way |
Starting out in this world as an infant, our souls grow, moving upwards or downward as it is reborn, depending on the lessons learned or not learned.
On the next level of interpretation, attention is given to where the other celestial bodies to determine their influence in astrology. An Aquarian for example may have had the moon rising and Mars in retrograde when they were born. This makes up the map on which individual personality traits, lessons, and future predictions are based, assigning meaning to each element.
Ms Carter whose experience reflects above, found that she could interpret material signs and symbols she noticed in her querants with how they may play out. But it was their imaginations that did their own magic on the words before interpreting the outcomes in the so-called predictions. She refers to astrology as being one big word association game and, after a deeply meaningful experience of the humanity and meaning of life embraced by Christianity, eventually redirected her career path. It's conceivable that she found something in Christianity that she may have been searching for all along.
The human experience, the joys tempered with elements of pain and suffering, is the sum of our experiences that lead us to discover the definition of life's meaning, especially in the healing process. Uniquely experienced by every person, some are exposed to brutal wars, others to different brutal actions. Human interaction frequently means inevitable conflicts with others in a free world, sometimes over territory or ideology, other times over resources or things closer to home such as our personal connections with others or our property.
Catholic Cardinal Henry Edward Manning’s view, expressed to the writer Hilaire Belloc, circa 1890 was,
"All human conflict is ultimately theological."
What Manning meant, Belloc said, is that,
"All wars and revolutions, and all decisive struggles between parties of men arise from a difference in moral and transcendental doctrine."
It’s unclear if any wars or revolutions broke out around belief in astrology (definitely a point in its favour), but it may be that Babylon was conquered by the Persian king, Cyrus the Great because it was the ancient world's capital of scholarship and science- which included astrology at the time. But belief systems- astrology, and others, are seen differently by conflicting schools of thought. Some swear by it, others say it's fake science. But for the believer, the hope brings meaning to their lives, lives sometimes crushed that can leave them dealing with the consequences of trauma in the form of PTSD.
Astrology may be seen in different quarters as a science, or a philosophy, but the best-fit category for Astrology may be as a belief system or moral doctrine. Philosophies with hope and meaning for humanity at their core
Hope In Astrology and Other Belief Systems
Believers in astrology and other belief systems hope for meaning and miracles. Hope, or lack of hope, is mind-dependent but features in many of the world's religions, philosophies, and belief systems.
The ancient Sufis described “The Dark Night of the Soul” as those times when we have lost all hope. In Thomas Moore's book of the same name, the protagonist realizes that avoiding feeling emotion comes at the cost of his ability to authentically experience life and connect with his loved ones. The human need to love and hope.
Astrology on hope:
Shakti Carola Navran says that Astrology can be a powerful tool for holding onto hope.
Ayya Yeshe on the Buddist view of hope:
“Often tied into desire and craving, which Buddhists regard as a form of suffering, hope (for happiness) and fear (of suffering), fame and infamy, praise and blame, gain and loss are the eight worldly dharmas—states of mental grasping that keep us locked into deluded ways of being.”
The Old Testament in the Bible on hope:
Isaiah 40:31"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
The New Testament in the Bible on hope:
1 Corinthians 13: “(11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
(12) For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
(13) And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
The Quran on hope:
94:5–6]: “So verily, with the hardship, there is a relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is relief.”
Researchers on hope:
The psychological placebo effect has been scientifically verified. If say 10 sick people are given pills containing only a neutral ingredient, even just water, but but are told that it’s is a powerful new miracle drug and a different 10 people in the group are deprived of the "miracle drug", the ten who think they will get better do, but the ten who think there won't be any difference are no better. Whether you believe you can be cured or you believe you can't, you're right. Your hope- or lack of hope, determines your outcome.
People with higher levels of hope will be less likely to experience symptoms of psychological ailments such as depression and anxiety. Linked to finding purpose and meaning in life, the symptoms of depression and other debilitating conditions are synonymous with low levels of hope but hope and meaning have been linked to several positive outcomes. Higher levels of psychological well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, and meaning in life are a few and if you find hope- in astrology or anywhere is, use it to make a better life.
From its roots in the stars, astrology has developed to the point that it is beamed down to an app from the satellites human beings put in space. This does put the delivery closer to the stars but it takes a very long and winding road to get there.
Yet many people- even people who don't believe in astrology, are addicted to astrology apps. Adherents to the Law of Attraction say that it inspires them to magnetize prospectively fortunate events towards them, and in taking their focus from potential disaster, it could be averted.
But mostly, we are drawn in by the promise of hope and the discovery of the meaning of our lives. For Aries, as an infant with a lot to learn, leading in an inspirational way will bring satisfaction. And if today's horoscope says luck is headed our way, we can rely on the placebo effect to direct it to us.
A good dose of hope and meaning every day sounds pretty shallow, but can be an easily accessible fix for a very addictive thing.
A Life Lived With Meaning, One Day At A Time
A life without hope is difficult to live. Yet there's always hope to be found simply by opening our eyes and looking around us and within ourselves. Stop and smell the roses, be uplifted by their scent, or meditate on their petals, focusing on the inside working out, then returning to the center, to find our centers.
Or start the morning with gratitude, let your heart resonate with the joy in the morning's birdsong or the flow at the heart of noisy traffic. Whether your meaning is found by simply being grateful for waking up this morning, alive, given another day to live, or if your hope can be found in astrology, or if you look up and place your hope in God, hope remains our guide through this beautiful, complicated thing called life. A place where we get to discover that very human thing- the meaning of life.
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