Astrology and astronomy – the words sound so similar. So why do you get such a stink-eye from your friend the astronomer when you call her an astrologer?
These two fields are like grown siblings on either side of a deep ideological divide.
When people began recording and naming the stars thousands of years ago in places such as ancient Mesopotamia and Rome, astronomy and astrology were like close sisters. Before telescopes, people carefully observed the movements of the stars and planets, and realized they could make predictions.
By 700 BCE, constellations along the ecliptic, the path of the sun, were assigned to the astrological Zodiac. Astrology moved toward interpretation and predictions based on the positions of celestial bodies at the time and date of a person’s birth. For example, my birthday in early June aligns with the sign of Gemini. Astrologically I should have high intelligence and excellent communication skills, although I may also be prone to dishonesty and manipulation.
Early astronomers such as Claudius Ptolemy, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo pursued astronomy alongside other fields such as medicine, math, and astrology. Two of Ptolemy’s famous writings from the second century in the Common Era include an important treatise on astronomy called the Almagest, and a four-part work called Tetrabiblos, which served for a thousand years as a foundational text for astrology. Some 1400 years later, Galileo wasn’t simply improving the telescope and promoting the idea of an Earth-centered solar system. He was also doing horoscopes on the side for patrons, students and family members. You could say that early discoveries made by astronomers were often sponsored by astrology, since that’s what people were willing to pay for.
In the 18th century, skeptics pointed out that astrological predictions could not be scientifically proven and the popularity of astrology started to wane. Astronomy continued on, inventing scientific techniques as needed, and researching everything from how our Earth formed to how and where to look for life beyond it.
Seeking advice in the stars is still common. According to the American Federation of Astrologers, 70 million Americans read their horoscopes regularly. Sadly the percentage of Americans who believe in astrology today is higher than the percent who can see the Milky Way from their own backyard.
Astrologers and astronomers might not see eye to eye, but standing shoulder to shoulder under a starry sky, they might agree on a few things. There are forces much bigger than ourselves at work here. There are some things we can’t explain just yet. The human quest to understand our universe and our place in it goes on, and it is no less important now than it was when these two ancient pursuits were one.
Western Slope Skies is produced by the Black Canyon Astronomical Society and KVNF Community Radio. Music written and produced by Kenny Mihelich (ma-HELL-itch). Intro music by the 5th Dimension.
I’m Alice de Anguera, a park ranger at Pecos National Historical Park.
Image: Robert Fludd, “An Astrologer Casting a Horoscope, 1617” Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
