Most people know what their astrological sign of the zodiac is. Even if you do not believe that the positions of the planets at the exact time of your birth is an indicator of your personality and can determine events that happen to your throughout your lifetime, you have almost certainly met someone who does. So just what is your astrological sign of the zodiac? In western astrology your sign of the zodiac depends on the location of planets and constellations at the moment you were born. Are horoscopes just mystic nonsense or are are you like many others who believe there something to it and do horoscopes truly predict the course of events in your life?

Astronomy and astrology are among the earliest sciences known to man The ancient Babylonians are generally acknowledged to have originated the practice and the science of astrology. There are astrological records that originated in Babylon as early as 1645 BC. The astrological charts they made based on their astronomical observations enabled them to predict the recurrence of the seasons and certain celestial events. The Sun, The Moon and only the five planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were known to them at the time. The Babylonian astrologers believed the planets were Gods and possessed distinct powers. Mars, for example, appeared to be red and was associated with aggression and war while Venus was worshiped as the Goddess of love.

Babylonian astrology was studied by Plato, Aristotle and other important ancient Greek philosophers early in the 4th century BC.  Other cultures, such as the Egyptians, he Arabs and the Romans, developed some of the first calendars and more accurate timekeeping which helped  astrologers cast more accurate charts. This lead to astrology becoming highly regarded as an important study. The Roman names for the signs of the zodiac later spread throughout the entire world.are still used today. The modern word zodiac is derived from a Greek word meaning a circle of animals.

From the time man began to observe and track the world around him, he has also contemplated his own relationship to the earth, stars, planets and elements around him. Early astrologers knew it took twelve lunar cycles, the months of the year, for the sun to return to its original position. They then identified twelve constellations that they observed were linked to the progression of the seasons and assigned them names of certain animals and persons. In Babylonia, for example, the rainy season was found to occur when the sun was in a particular constellation which was then named Aquarius the water bearer.

Astrology may have been one way that the earliest civilizations helped define their place in the cosmos. They perceived it as being greater than themselves and not something to be conquered but to be understood. While earliest astrology was used to bring a sense of order out of apparent chaos, it was soon employed to predict weather patterns, primarily for agricultural purposes. It was eventually widened to include forecasts of natural disasters, war and other events that affect the human condition. Once success in these fields was established it was a natural evolution for astrology to be used as a means of advising  kings and emperors and in time the population at large.

In the beginning and for more than 2,000 years, astrology and astronomy were the same science. While in modern times astrology is seen as new age and not as credible as sciences like astrophysics or chemistry, at one time it was as credible a science as any other. Great astronomers like Galileo and Copernicus who helped shape our understanding of modern astronomy were also practicing astrologers. With the evolution of more quantitative sciences astrology’s position and influence have changed to reflect a different outlook.

Everyone who has read a really good astrological profile of themselves has to admit there seems to be some intriguing coincidences. Can we really pretend our knowledge of the universe is so thorough and complete that we can reject the study of astrology despite it’s long history and adherence by so many great people? Maybe Shakespeare had something there when he wrote in Hamlet, “There are more things on Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.

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