MESOPOTAMIA ASTROLOGY
The Sumerians in Mesopotamia, a historical region of Western Asia, were the first to notice the movements of the planets and stars. Around 3000 BC, they recorded and identified prominent constellations and patterns. In Mesopotamia, the Babylonians (also known as the Chaldeans) became the first great astronomers. Continuing the research of the Sumerians, the Babylonians created the first zodiac wheel. At the end of the 5th century BC, Babylonian astronomers divided the ecliptic into 12 equal "signs" corresponding to the 12 months of the year, each of 30 days. Each sign contained a 30° celestial longitude, which formed the first known celestial coordinate system. Each episode was usually identified by the name of an animal. The Greeks later coined the term zodiac by defining it as Zodiakos Cyclos, also known as the "animal circle".
HELLENISTIC EGYPTIAN ASTROLOGY
After the invasion of Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Egypt came under Hellenistic rule. In the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, scientists combined Babylonian astrology with the Egyptian Decanic zodiac tradition to create Horoscopic astrology. This system included the Babylonian zodiac wheel, but included the Egyptian concept of dividing it into 36 segments of 10 degrees each. The Egyptians emphasize the ascendant dean, the Greek system of planetary deities, the zodiac rulership, and the four elements. In ancient Hellenistic astrology, the calculation of the degree of the Eastern horizon rising against the floor of the ecliptic at a given moment is known as "ascendant". The Greek word for "ascendant" is horoscope, and this is where the English word "zodiac sign" comes from. Early horoscope astrology was used to draw astrological charts that visualized the positions of the stars, sun, and moon at the time of a person's birth. These birth charts were used to read a person's character traits and even their destiny.
ANCIENT GREEK-ROMAN ASTROLOGY
Around 280 BC, Berossus, a priest of Bel from Babylon, moved to the Greek island of Kos to teach the Greeks astrology and Babylonian culture. In the 1st century BC, two versions of astrology were widely practiced: horoscope reading and theurgical astrology (literally meaning "god work"). The former sought information about the past, present, and future, while the latter was concerned with the ascension of the soul and personal transformation. The Greeks played a crucial role in bringing astrological theory to Rome. The first emperor reported to be a court astrologer was the emperor Tiberius, who recruited Thrasyllus of Mendes in the 1st century AD. In the 2nd century AD, astrologer Claudius Ptolemy was so focused on predicting the correct horoscope that he began making precise world maps to plot the relationship between one's birthplace and the stars. Prior to this, charts were mostly descriptive and symbolic, so in search of astrological meaning, Ptolemy helped develop the charts we know today. He even coined the term "geography." In 140 AD, Ptolemy published the Tetrabiblos, one of the most famous astrology books ever written. It explains the basic elements of astrology used to date, including planets, zodiac signs, and houses.
VEDIC (INDIAN) ASTROLOGY
Greek astrology was transferred to India through several Sanskrit translations in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The first astrological documents written by Yavanajataka in AD 260/270 are unlike their Hellenistic counterparts. The Indians substituted divine revelation for the philosophical foundations of Greek techniques. They modified the predictions that were originally intended to apply to Greek and Roman society to make sense to them. In particular, they took into account the caste system, the doctrine of metempsychosis (transmigration of souls), the Indian theory of the five elements (earth, water, air, fire, and space), and Indian value systems.
AZTEC-MAYA ASTROLOGY
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican knowledge of astrology dates back to the 6th century BC. The first calendars were used by the Zapotecs and Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs. The distinctive Mayan calendar used two main systems; each is linked to an elaborate astrological system that encompasses every aspect of life. On the fifth day after the birth of a boy, Mayan astrologer-priests used horoscopes to see what his profession would be: soldier, priest, official, or victim. Venus was generally viewed as an ominous and inauspicious influence, and Mayan rulers often planned the start of the war to coincide with Venus rising. There is evidence that Maya also watches the movements of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter and has some kind of zodiac. The most famous Mayan astrological observatory still intact is the Caracol observatory in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in present-day Mexico.
MÜGE AYDIN
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