Horoscope

A horoscope is a chart or diagram of the positions of the sun, moon, and planets in the sky at the time of a specific event in an attempt to gain insight or foresee the future. Horoscopes are commonly used in the pseudoscience of astrology, the study of the movement of celestial objects through a band of twelve star patterns known as the zodiac. In Western cultures, this heavenly movement is based on a yearly cycle, while Chinese astrological tradition uses a twelve-year cycle. In modern times, astrology has been questioned as a legitimate science, but horoscopes continue to be popular and are published daily online and in newspapers around the world.

Ancient Origins

Mankind has long been fascinated with the heavens. Scientists have found depictions of stars on cave walls painted by primitive man from as far back as seventeen thousand years ago. About four thousand to five thousand years ago, the ancient Sumerians began to record the patterns they saw in the night sky. The Babylonians later adopted many of these constellations and began to develop their own astronomical traditions. They kept detailed records of celestial events such as the movements of the sun, moon, and planets, and observed that these bodies appeared to travel through a 360-degree band around the sky. The Babylonians divided this band into twelve equal segments and gave great significance to the constellations on this heavenly path. The Greeks later called this band of constellations the zodiac, or “circle of animals.”

Around 1800 BCE, the Babylonians began to associate their observations of heavenly phenomena with what they believed were corresponding earthly events. This early form of astrology saw the movements in the celestial sphere as divine omens of what was in store for their society. Over centuries, the Babylonians refined their observations and eventually began ascribing celestial influences to people’s daily lives based on the position of the sun, moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth. This emerging practice became known as called natal astrology.

Other societies such as India and China developed their own astrological traditions, but Babylonian astrology had a significant impact on Mediterranean cultures. In the first century BCE, the practice became popular in Egypt and was also adapted by the Greeks. One of the oldest surviving representations of the zodiac (Dendera Zodiac) comes from an Egyptian temple from about 50 BCE. There are some who believe this was also evidence of an early horoscope used to chart astrological fortunes. In 1999, archeologists discovered thirty ivory fragments inscribed with Greco-Roman astrological figures in a cave in Croatia. The fragments date from at least the first century BCE and are thought to be an early horoscope.

Much of modern astrology has its roots in ancient Greece. The Greeks assigned the personalities of their gods to the planets and introduced the concepts of male and female as well as the four elements—fire, water, earth, and air—into their astrology. The Greek names for the zodiacal constellations are still used—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Astronomy studies also note that Earth’s axial precession has shifted the apparent position of constellations over time, so astrological sign dates do not match the constellations as neatly as they did in antiquity.

Scholars and scientists built upon the foundation of Greek astrology in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. During the seventeenth century, a scientific enlightenment blossomed across Europe. The discoveries of additional planets and the sun-centered solar system challenged many of the central pillars of astrology. Subsequent scientific advancements further called into question its validity. Despite these setbacks, adherents held fast to their beliefs and astrology remained popular into the twentieth century. In 1930, it took a leap into the mainstream when an English newspaper (R. H. Naylor’s 1930 Sunday Express) published the first horoscope column. The feature was enormously popular and spawned a new industry of newspaper astrology that branched into the Internet with the dawn of the computer era.

Types of Horoscopes

Depending upon the criteria, an astrologer can construct many different styles of horoscopes. The most common form of Western horoscopes is based on natal astrology and usually references the celestial landscape at the time of an event or a person’s birth.

The horoscope ascribes meaning to the positions of the sun, moon, and planets in the twelve signs of the zodiac at the moment being observed. Each sign is assigned certain characteristics—Aries is considered a “fire” sign, Pisces a “water” sign, etc. The celestial bodies have their own characteristics as well—the sun represents masculinity, Venus governs romance, and Mars stands for aggression. Western astrology further divides the horoscope into houses and aspects. A house represents the area of a person’s life where the celestial influence will be felt; an aspect refers to the alignment of the planets with the horizon or each other. Taken together, these elements are believed to present a picture of cosmic influence in earthly affairs. For example, the moon, which governs emotions, may be in the “water” sign of Scorpio, which represents intensity, indicating a time of powerful emotions; but the houses and aspects spell out what area of life these emotions will affect and whether they will have a positive or negative impact.

Chinese astrology also uses a pattern of twelve heavenly animals for its horoscope. Because ancient Chinese astrologers used the twelve-year orbit of Jupiter as a guide, the Chinese horoscope operates on a twelve-year cycle. The origin of Chinese astrology is unknown, although legend dates it to about 2600 BCE. Modern reference works note that the exact historical origin of the Chinese zodiac is unclear, though it was firmly established by the later Han dynasty. Each year in the Chinese horoscope has a corresponding animal that is said to bestow certain characteristics on those born under its sign. For example, those born under the “Rat” in 1984, 1996, or 2008 are said to be charming, ambitious, and overly critical; those born in 1989, 2001, or 2013 under the “Snake” are supposedly intelligent, romantic, and cautious. The zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (which usually falls between late January and mid-February every year) rather than on January 1, so zodiac-animal years do not align exactly with the Gregorian calendar; for example, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, but the year starts on February 17, 2026, in the Chinese calendar rather than January 1.

Bibliography

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