WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?
“Astrology is the music of the spheres.”
- Dan Waites, creator of the World Astrology Report
I love this quote from astrologer, Dan Waites. Astrology is the language and the music of the cosmos. It’s astonishing that the cosmos would speak to us in a way that feels magical and synchronistic, but, indeed they do. We don’t know why astrology works, we just know that it does.
“Astrology: it shouldn’t work, but it does.”
- Chris Brennan, Host of The Astrology Podcast
The why can never be answered because astrology is not an exact science. Nor is it a religion. It has elements of science, but it is not a science in the way that we relate to science. Nor is astrology a religion, but it can be classified as spiritual.
Spirituality is broad. There are different types of spiritualities, different spiritual beliefs and practices. I define spirituality as a connection to our soul and life beyond our physical, human existence.
By that definition, astrology IS a spiritual philosophy and practice. Astrology is an act of divinity. It is a tool of divinity. The planets act as signs giving us powerful insights into our lives.
The origins of Western Astrology began with the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia around 4,000 years ago who saw the planets as signs or omens revealing to us events on earth. Ancient astrologers did empirical research where they noted what the planets were doing and what events coincided with those planetary transits, and they noticed patterns based on that.
“Astrology is the study of celestial recurrences, where the alignment of the planets will correlate with an important event, and then a similar event will happen when the same alignment repeats in the future.”
- Chris Brennan, Host of The Astrology Podcast
Astrologers were the first astronomers. Astrology existed before the mathematical science of astronomy and led to the invention of astronomy. Astrology was a common practice in ancient Egypt and it’s been practiced in India for thousands of years.
Ancient humans were actively engaged in a relationship with the planets in a meaningful way believing that the stars symbolized and guided events on earth before astronomy was invented.
Pop modern astrology isn’t in touch with ancient civilizations and how they practiced astrology, so it makes sense that many people would think of astrology as fluff. But, what I find undeniable and magical is that astrology has existed since the beginning of human civilization. That alone is something we need to take seriously.
And, astrology has been practiced all over the world since ancient times in one form or another. Indigenous people all over the globe have had a relationship with the cosmos. Most cultures have practiced some form of astrology for a long, long time. There are ancient archeological sites all over the world that were deliberately constructed and aligned with the cosmos.
I’ve witnessed the magic of astrology works in my life, my clients’ lives and the world at large. Astrology doesn’t have to speak to everyone though. I don’t think everyone needs to practice it. But, for those of us who do feel a connection to it, I think it’s a special experience that, ultimately, brings us closer to our soul deepens our relationship with the spiritual.
“It may be that astrology is best utilized as a processing tool rather than a predictive one. That is to say, use the chart to interact with reality as it manifests. Use the symbols to understand more deeply what is actually being experienced. Do this to generate solace and epiphany.”
-SJ Anderson, Professional Astrologer
While astrology can be used to predict events, it’s often best used as a tool of reflection to help us process our experiences. There’s something incredibly powerful and reassuring that astrology gives us when we use it to reflect on our past and present.
Astrology has this incredible ability to affirm both the joyous and challenging events in our life and everything in between.
There have been multiple debates since the beginning of human civilization about the philosophy of astrology, do the planets cause events to happen or are they merely signs showing us our reality? Personally, I think they’re both, but I think we need to be careful on how we think about the causal relationship so that we don’t fall prey to thinking that the planets are out to get us when we are having challenging experiences.
We know that we have a causal relationship with the Moon because of the tides as I talk about in this blog post. The effects and power of the Moon is real and the more we pay attention to what the Moon is doing, the more we can take of our needs.
We also have a causal relationship with the Sun with the seasons, but do we have a causal relationship with the other planets? I’m not sure. Aside from the Moon and Sun (our luminaries and guiding lights), I find it more useful to emphasis the symbolic nature the planets have on our lives, and the tool of divinity that is at our disposal if we so choose to use it.
Astrology is largely a mystery. The planets and our solar system are full of mysteries. That’s part of the beauty and fun of it all. If we didn’t have mystery, it would be a boring world. Mystery connects us with the unseen world, with the more intuitive side of intelligence, life and ourselves.
Want to get to know the various layers of your birth chart and what the planets reveal about your life?