Astrology provides us with a richly symbolic, multi-layered language for understanding life – everything from the particulars of our own existence, our impulses and triggers, to the events and contours of our lives.
The practice of astrology goes back thousands of years, to ancient Babylon, when people first began keeping records of their observations of celestial phenomena and the connections they made to events on Earth. During the Hellenistic era around the Mediterranean region, astrologers synthesized ancient Babylonian and Egyptian practices into horoscopic astrology, the three-fold system that we use today, which incorporates signs, houses, and planetary aspects.
This body of astrological knowledge was transmitted over the centuries, from the Greek and Latin-speaking Mediterranean to the Indian subcontinent, the Persian and Arabic-speaking empires, and to Europe through the cultural exchange that accompanied the Crusades. However, some elements were lost in translation, or simply lost.
The Enlightenment split astrology from its earlier place in the sciences and led to a period of obscurity. In the 19th-century, under the growing influences of spiritualism and the nascent field of psychology, astrology experienced a renewed period of interest, leading to the 20th-century era of modern astrology. Modern astrology prioritized a psychological approach over earlier predictive and deterministic orientations, which were rooted in the ancient philosophy of stoicism and the idea of fate or destiny.
Recent translation projects, beginning with Project Hindsight in the 1990s and continuing into the present time through the groundbreaking work of astrologers such as
Demetra George and
Chris Brennen, among others, have reintroduced the original practices of astrology to the contemporary world.
This is an exciting time in astrology, when ancient knowledge and techniques are finally accessible to audiences already versed in the best practices of modern astrology, including counseling strategies and psychological insight.
There has never been a better time to learn about astrology and how it can help you understand yourself and your life trajectory!