ASTROLOGY

Astrology is a method of divination (that is, of foretelling the future) that relies on observations of the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, planets, and stars at specific dates and times. Underlying astrology is the belief that the position of celestial bodies influences human actions. There are various systems of astrology, but in the Western world the emphasis is on creating, or “casting,” a daily, weekly, or monthly forecast, or horoscope, for individuals, using a system based on a division of the solar year into twelve equal parts, or zodiacal signs, each connected to one of twelve constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Each of these signs of the zodiac is considered the residence, or house, of a particular planet (the Sun and Moon are considered planets in astrology) and is associated with certain aspects of human existence, such as personality traits. For example, Taurus is associated with stubbornness, patience, and devotion, while Capricorn is associated with ambitiousness, loyalty, and persistence. The placement of the Sun at the time of someone’s birth determines that person’s astrological sign. (Some astrologers assign each person two signs, a sun sign and a moon sign, by considering celestial placements related not only to the solar year but to the lunar year as well.)

Based on an individual’s sign, astrologers say they can make general predictions like the ones often published in daily newspapers. However, in order to cast a detailed, personalized horoscope, an astrologer must perform geometrical calculations based on the relationships between signs, compute and compare the influence of various planets, and consider a number of other factors, including which sign of the zodiac was ascendant, or rising on the eastern horizon, at the time of the person’s birth.

This elaborate system of divination developed over hundreds of years. Astrology began in ancient Mesopotamia, then spread to ancient Greece, where it was promoted by such philosophers as Plato and Aristotle. Soon it travelled to India, Egypt, the Middle East, Europe, preimperial China, and other regions as well. The degree to which people accepted astrology in each of these places varied. For example, the Chinese adopted astrology almost immediately, whereas the ancient Romans at first rejected it in favour of native forms of divination. But even when astrology was accepted, its popularity did not necessarily last. For example, during the Middle Ages European scholars considered astrology to be a science worthy of serious study, but by the seventeenth century they had decided that it was nothing more than a collection of superstitions.

In modern times, researchers have investigated whether astrology can indeed predict the future, or yield any other insights into people’s lives. Of these studies, one of the most notable was conducted by French mathematician Michel Gauquelin in the 1950s. Gauquelin attempted to determine whether a person of one astrological sign was more likely to succeed at a particular job than a person of another sign. To many people’s surprise, in studying the positions of the constellations and planets at the time of various people’s births, Gauquelin found that a statistically significant number of athletes were born when the planet Mars was ascendant, soldiers when the planets Mars or Jupiter were ascendant, and scientists when the planet Saturn was ascendant.

Sceptics, however, point out that a statistical correlation does not necessarily equate to cause and effect; they say that Gauquelin’s findings reflect mere coincidence and that talent in any occupation or pasttime can only be the result of a combination of genetics and training. To believers, however, the positions of celestial bodies are closely tied to events on Earth and can therefore offer valuable information about a person’s destiny.

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