What is Astrology?
In a world where pop astrology, memes, and sun sign content dominate social media, it can often be challenging to convey what true astrological practice involves. Astrology is more than just the popular sun sign columns found in newspapers and magazines, it is a profound and intricate field that encompasses various frameworks, branches and approaches. Although it has been recognized as the art of fate and fortune, astrology in practice is the study of celestial bodies, their movement and how they condition nature across their cycles from which their symbology originates.
Astrological practices have been around and survived since the beginning of early civilizations ranging from agricultural forecasts to the development of the astronomical, mathematical, and philosophical fields. In example, Mundane Astrology is the branch of astrology that focuses on predicting and interpreting events and trends that affect nations, communities, and the world at large. Unlike personal astrology, which deals with individual horoscopes, mundane astrology looks at the broader societal, political, and economic influences based on the position and movements of celestial bodies. However, astrology is not a single, uniform discipline nor a replicable science; rather, it is an observational tool similar to modern predictive analytics. As such, it has a wide range of applications including predictive, medical, psychological, and theurgical purposes.
Astrology not only offers foresight but also provides insight into how everything in existence operates by design, with fate playing a guiding role, thus touching on its philosophical implications. It serves as a blueprint for understanding the way time influences all things and can be used in many ways to reflect, foster growth or prepare for life’s unfolding. A central concept in astrology is the principle of correspondence, often expressed through axioms like "as above, so below," "as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul," and "as it is in heaven, so it shall be done on earth."
While astrology is often categorized as a "belief," it cannot be fully understood as such because its phenomena are always in motion with patterns constantly being recognized and correlated. Ironically, it also forms the foundation to many significant cultural and religious traditions. Thanks to astrology, we have calendars, the seven-day week, seasonal divisions, weather forecasts, and a variety of other timekeeping systems. However, this is just the surface of a 25,000-year-old art, one that continues to evolve and expand. Know that it is the observation of celestial bodies that allowed and continues to allow astrologers to prophesize and interpret the messages embedded in the movement of the stars.
