Mysterious Mesopotamia (the rise and introduction of the astrology)

Talk from Mesopotamia

It was said about 10 thousands years ago, people lived in the plain of Mesopotamia could observe the astronomical phenomena. They were curious and suspicious in the rising of the sun, the circulation of the moon and the changes of other stars. Such thoughts to the planets not only made them creating mythology, but also formed the scientific study, that was named astrology.  

The earliest ancestor of the astrologist, Chaldean

The curiosity and study to the planets, astronomical phenomena and climates were developed in the Mesopotamia plain, Babylon began to have systematized study of star charts, especially the Chaldean distributed in the southern Babylon. It was said that they created the astrology of zodiac that was used today commonly. Some people thought they were the earliest ancestors of astrologists.

The Chaldean were good at astrology and mathematics. The ephemeris (recorded the locations of all the planets that moved everyday) was made according to the rules of the planets was very precise and reached a high level. The same as Chinese numerology, the earliest astrology did not focus on the divination of personal destiny. The research of the astrology was to predict wars, famines, floods and so on. Most of the works are mainly on national events. The only one that mapped to the personnel matters might be the prediction of the rising and declining of royal family.

The Greek enhanced and glorified the legend of astrology

Next, the Egyptian astrology was developed and was continued using, edited, developed and glorified by Greek. For example, the mythology of planets and constellation were edited through drama, and the stories are made common people to learn astrology with easy words. This system also was continued using by Rome people. Therefore, currently the symbols of astrology and English that used today are kept from the period of Greek and Rome.

Except the symbols and system, after absorbing the knowledge of astrology, the Greek created a perfect order and sacred world view. Plato thought there must be one perfect hand in the universe, and that was an ideal world. The God used the fire, earth, wind, and the water to create the earth and the universe. All of the things must have their regularity. The things that people can see in the earth could be verified in the heaven, and vice versa. Such idea was just expressing the same idea as the belief of ancient Chinese that if one star fell down, there must be one man dead.

The important scientist in the Ptolemaic astrology

According to the textual research from modern people, the earliest academic work of astrology was the book of “Tetrabiblos” which was written by Ptolemaic in A.D 150. He inherited the traditions of Plato and Aristotle, and he created a world view of Ptolemaic system (the planets in the universe circulated around the earth) for 1400 years. Therefore, the Greek merged the planets, zodiac and constellation, and explained in scientific methods. Such theory is used till now. Except the Ptolemaic system was replaced and modified by the Coperician (the earth circulates around the sun) of Copernicus, nothing was changed. From that time, people started to use astrology to count personal fate, and around the time, it was the most important phase of shaping the astrology.

Astrology and Christianity

Before the vigorous development of the Christianity, the obstruction of spreading and learning of astrology was very small. People can study relations between the national rules of the heaven and the personal matters with no doubts. Yet, after the Christianity rising, all the things became the order of the God. People cannot guess the will of Heaven. As a result, the astrology became the knowledge of devil. The religious conscience started to attack astrology. Augustine was a pope who opposed astrology with great exertion. But the irony is that he was an emperor who indulged in astrology deeply in his early years.

In the middle age, the astrology was emphasized again. The important theologians such as Thomas studied and focused on the astrology made the theory to be emphasized again. It was said that at that time, the courses of astrology are set on many schools in Europe, for example, the Bologne University which was the school of Dante was one of them. The astrology recovered its position in science saintly. And in the structure of the theology, it combined the science and the mystery science.

The rising and declining of modern astrology

Good times don't last long. After 17 centuries, the Enlightenment rose. The astrology was gradually rejected by academic circles. They thought the astrology was unreasonable and non-science study. The astronomy delimited boundaries with astrology. Till now, the astronomer would still tell you “ no matter the stars circulated in the sky, they do not have any relations to the earthquake and seaquake in the earth”. Till the middle of 19 centuries, the astrology was in the status of hiding and suffering beating by others still. Many important scientists, e.g., Newton, did not dare to open their studies in astrology even if they had deeply understood, for they feared to be attacked.

Till the latest period, the astrology was emphasized again. One way, people put the astrology into their lives and entertainments suitably. In another way, people gradually know there is magnetic field in the universe and it might affect the health of human bodies. Though, in the course of university, there is seldom a name with astrology appeared by open, yet the courses of “the effect of the heavenly bodies to the human bodies” and “the power of the planets” can be accepted by people gradually. The astrology is gradually to be open and becomes a way of life.

The knowledge that everybody wants to know

In modern world, due to the development of mass media, people prefer the fast food of culture. Therefore the earthen astrology (only studies the twelve constellations for the sun) received great echo widely. Yet such narrowing astrology does not have the effect of discussing and judging fates. In the astrologists’ eyes, this is a behavior of destroying astrology. Yet some astrologists with open attitude think it can be regarded as a good way to spread astrology. With the basic understanding, many people might want to learn the real star charts gradually. With the view of current trend, it is really true. The earthen astrology cannot satisfy the curiosity of the people in destiny. And the real divination of astrology is the course that people want to know.