Age of aquarius you and astrology

HHHFranklyn M. Branley

• illustrated

by Leonard Kessler

Age ofAquarius \bu and Astrology

38

^^^^B^m^mamm S6.95

Do

make good leaders? Is a more likely to be an outgoing

Scorpios

Sagittarius

world traveler than a Leo? By knowing the date and time you were born, astrol-

ogers believe they can

tell

many

things

about your personality and your destiny.

In this livek account, noted astron-

omer-educator

Franklyn

M.

Branley

takes an objective look at the changing role of astrology

from the time of the

ancient Babylonians to the present. light of

In

our expanded knowledge of the

solar system, he considers

what

astrolo-

do as well as their limitations.

The author explains how an astrologer constructs a horoscope, how you can make your own chart, and makes clear

gers can

and understandable why astrology has been so popular yet controversial throughout the ages.

Leonard Kessler's ture

the

lore

intriguing subject.

0-690-0 M87-3

0-690-03988-3

(I

droll pictures cap-

and fascination

of

this

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2011

http://www.archive.org/details/ageofaquariusyouOObran

Age of Aquarius You and Astrology

By Franklyn M. Branley and Leonard Kessler

A Book of Astronauts for You A Book of Flying Saucers for You A Book of Mars for You A Book of Moon Rockets for You A Book of Outer Space for You A Book of Planet Earth for You A Book of Planets for You A Book of Satellites for You A Book of Stars for You A Book of the Milky Way Galaxy for You A Book of Venus for You Age of Aquarius: You and Astrology

Aquarius You and Astrology

by Franklyn M. Branley

Thomas

Y.

Crowell

New York

Age

You and Astrology

of Aquarius:

©

1979 by Franklyn M. Branley Text copyright Illustrations copyright 1979 by Leonard Kessler

©

in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Thomas Y. Crowell, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, N. Y. 10022. Published simultaneously in Canada

All rights

reserved. Printed

or reproduced in any

by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Toronto.

Designed by Joyce Hopkins FIRST EDITION

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Branley, Franklyn Mansfield,

Age

of Aquarius:

1915-

you and astrology.

Bibliography: p.

Includes index.

summary:

Basic information about the roots

of astrology and the beliefs of astrologers today, with directions for casting your 1.

own

horoscope.

Astrology-Juvenile literature.

IJ(£Ssk?rri*STTOrd=e^J920- II. -BT:T708.1.B72 197^> 133.5

[1.

Astrology]

Title.

78-22511

ISSN" 0-690-03987^ ISBN 0-690-03988-3 lib. bdg.

Dudley Branch Library 65 Warren Street Roxbury,

MA 02119

/

*

^

P7)

"

/y

A

strologers believe that our lives are tied closely to the planets

and the If

the

lucky.

may

stars.

There are good planets, they believe, and bad ones.

good planets were If

the

the sky

wrong ones were

when you were

born, you're

there, that's not so good. But things

get better later on, for the planets will

tions. Astrologers lives,

in

move

into

new

say that the planets are very important

as also are certain signs

Do you know what your sign

in is?

posi-

in

our

the sky.

Do you know

or a Taurus, a Gemini or a Libra?

If,

for

if

you are an Aries

example, your birthday

comes between July 23 and August 22, you are a Leo. Leo is the Latin word for lion. People who believe in astrology say that anyone born under the

sign of the lion will

be

like

the king of the beasts.

1

He

be brave and

will

but he can also Find

"show

where the date

signs given below,

are

will

work

his

hard. At times he will be playful,

claws" and roar when he's angry.

of your birth

falls in

the descriptions of the

and then read what the astrologers believe you

like.

March 21- April 19 ARIES, the

A ram

is

a

male sheep that

butts other

are a pusher, you get things done.

enjoy being a leader. You in

many

like to try

different kinds of sports.

ram

sheep with

his horns.

You make many out

new

ideas,

So you

friends,

and

and are good

April

20-May 20

TAURUS, the bull Like a bull, a Taurus

is

steady and strong.

You do

things yourself,

and do not depend on other people. You are slow people get out of your that at

a

way when you

you are healthy and are

are angry.

solidly built.

school and also at home. Like a

good business head and work

bull,

You

you

to anger, but

The chances are

are a hard worker

like to eat.

You have

well with finances.

May 21-June 20 GEMINI, the twins

A

Gemini,

time.

You

like twins,

often does

two or more

things at the

same

one

friend

are changeable; you go easily and often from

to another,

from one sport to another, or one hobby to another.

You are

are active; you like to go places rather than stay at

good

at

home. You

jobs that require handwork, such as model making,

sewing, and piano playing. The double nature of your interests

cause you to

start

more

things than

you can

may

finish.

June 21-July 22

CANCER, the crab

Like a crab,

you are a Cancer you keep

if

stubborn, and curious.

them very would

well. Travel

rather be at

have money ested as

You

in

in sports,

swimming,

is

home.

the bank.

sit

Like a crab,

interest, for a

and

are

Cancer

you hold onto things and so

are a collector, and not

unless they have something to

fishing,

You

back and study people, so you know

only of passing

You

to yourself.

skin diving.

much

inter-

do with water, such

July

23- August 22

LEO, the lion

•

V

'

You have already read something about a Leo. In addition, you are very active and work hard to excel in whatever you do. You may

show

off at times, but

able to rings

do

things well.

you do not need

You

like

and necklaces. Also, you

times what you try

may prove

actor or producer; or a

good

to

because you are

really

clothes and adornments such as

try everything, risky.

A

leader, for

even though some-

Leo would make a good

example, a class president.

August 23-September 22 VIRGO, the virgin

A

Virgo

likes to find things

friends, but they are

out for himself. You have only a few

good ones. You

enjoy them more than rock and ing, riding,

like

roll;

good music and

plays,

and

your favorite sports are hunt-

and climbing. You are a good student, you read a

and though you enjoy a joke, you smile rather than laugh

lot,

loudly.

September 23-October 23 LIBRA, the scales

A

Libra

is

a weigher, a balancer, a

and interested

in

doing things

good umpire devoted

right.

to fair play,

You work hard and long

at

times, then relax

and then

diet

helping others.

and do nothing. You are apt

and get

Team

thin.

You

sports are

hobbies are apt to include raising or doing experiments

problem easily

is

in

to eat

and get

are well liked, and are always

most appealing fish

and your

to you,

or animals, designing clothes,

chemistry or other scientific

that as a Libra

fat,

you are unable

to

fields.

One

make up your mind

because you can see both sides of an argument.

October 24 -November 22

SCORPIO, the scorpion

A

Scorpio

is

determined. You work toward a goal, and nothing can

stop you or change your mind.

You

like

privacy;

comfortable by yourself. You make decisions

energy and lean

vitality to

and sinewy and

carry out your plans. to enjoy sports

You

you are very

easily,

and have

are inclined to be

where you compete

against

a clock or a record (pole-vaulting, for example) rather than against

an opponent. You are successful everything you do.

in

school and,

in fact,

in

most

November 23— December Og

21

SAGITTARIUS,

.

the archer

*v» •%%

A

You make friends easily and like people so much that you can see no wrong in them.

You are outgoing and so would make a good actor or singer, or a Sagittarius

is

a sharp person, like an arrow.

salesperson.

Money

and used.

passes through your fingers, yet you always

It

is

not important, except to be spread around

have some. You love to be active involved.

You

like to travel,

in

seem

to

clubs or wherever people are

but not alone.

December 22— January

19

CAPRICORN, the goat

A Capricorn,

like

a goat,

is

surefooted.

You

pick your

and are eager and ambitious. Perhaps you work

weekends 8

to earn

money. You are very

practical

way carefully,

after school or

on

and so are always

prepared.

You

like

doing something worthwhile; your hobbies are

useful ones, such as

cooking or repairing

trains

You have good

and other

have hard muscles and make a good wrestler. You also health.

Some

Capricorns get so involved

being practical, that they

fail

in

toys.

following rules, and

to participate in

"fun"

activities.

January 20-rebruary 19

AQUARIUS, the water bearer

£*W«

'//*AV.l Ivy

fivvTOv

w*,.

iCTT,

v

!»»»•

An Aquarius is lucky, for you carry wisdom (the water in the jar).

You change a lot, and sometimes are active with others and sometimes want to be alone. You are very liberal, and believe that people should do as they please. You like to help others, either with money or in a job. You like to solve puzzles, mysteries, and riddles.

Being ordinary bothers you, for you would rather be different, lead the way.

February 20-March 20 PISCES, the fishes

A

Pisces

is

deep,

like

change quickly from happy

good one

at

Few people

the ocean.

to sad,

from active to

among

adapting yourself to others:

of the

most

quiet;

are probably interested

your favorite. And

among in art

some

inactive.

most

You

You are

active.

You

swimming

kind. In sports,

be an actor or be

you'll either

you.

quiet people, you are

active people, the

of

know

realK

in

some

is

trade

related to water.

These are

just a

few of the things

know about you when they under.

In

addition, your sign

that astrologers believe they

find out

tells

what

ble; for

especially strong or weak,

example, strong-willed

Why

you were born

an astrologer which planets affect

vou the most, what your favorite colors

body are

sign

are,

what

parts of

your

what metals you most resem-

like iron

or flighty like quicksilver.

Astrology Began

Such ideas are not new. Astrology began thousands of years ago.

Long before the

10

birth of Christ,

people called the Babylonians (and

—

the Chaldeans before them) gazed into the sky. stars

and planets and believed

that they

They watched the

had strong

effects

on

their

lives.

The Babylonians

lived in a river valley that lies east of the

terranean Sea. The valley

(between the

rivers)

The Babylonians

them by

in

a place that

cuneiform

was

called

by the Greeks, and which

built large cities.

Mesopotamia

we now

They grew crops and

made

building canals. Artists

signed pottery.

beautiful statues

The Babylonians developed a system

—and

they learned

and planets

how

to

were advisors

events. Certain priests stars

is

call Iraq.

irrigated

and de-

of writing

keep a written record of

to the king.

to forecast events in the

Medi-

life

They used the

of the king.

The

priests

started astrology.

The Babylonians, their

gods

for help of

like all

many

other ancient peoples, looked to

kinds. For

god or another was responsible the king, his son, and

And suppose the son

members

slipped and

example, they believed that one

for

whatever happened. Suppose

of the king's court fell

to his death in a

were hunting. deep canyon.

11

—

Why was

it

who

the king's son

fell

and not someone

be because a powerful god was punishing the

done something lieve in

king.

else?

It

must

He must have

Ancient people did not be-

to displease the god.

chance. There must be a reason for everything that hap-

know why

pened. People wanted to

they

became

were floods and famines. They sought help

in

sick,

warfare,

why in

there

planting

crops and harvesting food. They always turned to the gods, for they

who managed

believed there

was

lives. All told,

the Babylonians had four thousand gods.

The king.

god

lives of

The

king

himself.

It

with the gods.

a

god

the people

was but

were

a notch

was important It

was thought

each separate part of

their

closely tied to the fortunes of the

below the gods; perhaps he was a

for

him

communicate somehow

to

that the

gods could warn him of a

calamity such as an invasion of locusts, severe droughts or floods,

an attack from an enemy. The king would thus be able to prepare for the future, Priests

and so protect

his

people.

were important members

of the king's court.

It

was

through the priests that the gods could send messages about the future.

One way

of doing this

goats, lambs, calves

The organ

—

of the liver

that is

was by

using the livers of animals

had been sacrificed to please the gods.

filled

by the ancients as the seat of

with blood, and so life itself,

Through observing the "signs" on a enter into the mind of the god to

it

was regarded

the center of

all

activity.

particular liver, the priest could

whom

the sacrifice

was made.

Then, since he knew the mind of the god, the priest also knew what the god might do.

Suppose the

The 12

priest

sacrifice

had been made to Ninurta, the god of war.

would "read" markings on the

liver that

would

foretell

whether a

battle

because

liver

would end

on the

A

livers differ.

creased harvests, but

it

in

victory.

swollen

The liver

could read the

priest

generally

meant

in-

could also mean a flood. Usually markings

were favorable, while those on the

right side of the liver

left

were unfavorable.

Whatever the

on the

signs

liver

might

mean was

learned from

experience. Suppose a priest examined a liver and found a deep,

mark on the

straight

observed

was

a rich harvest, and plenty of food for everyone.

The god supply. priest

of harvest

Or

was

made

god might be

the king

letting

Sin,

the

of

all

cities.

in

that

to the

god of

life,

that

he was to have a strong

moon), Shamash (the

Nebo

night to night.

was The

one of the most important

The next most powerful god was the son

of the

of the sun. Each of the five planets that

was Marduk

see without a telescope

(Saturn),

god of war, the

the king to go ahead

changed from

the city of Ur,

moon, Shamash, the god

we can

that

large

in

the four thousand Babylonian gods

moon god

followers of Sin lived

ancient

telling

meant.

child.

The most important Zu-en or

to the

was made

know

it

would be food

foretelling that there

the sacrifice

If

Whenever that

he would know what

might decide that the god was

with his war plans.

all

priest,

the sacrifice had been

if

and healthy

he had

that after

mark, something favorable happened. Perhaps there

this

mark was seen again by the

of

And suppose

right half.

sun),

also an important god. Sin (the (Jupiter), Ishtar

(Venus), Ninib

(Mercury), and Nergal (Mars) were the seven gods

of the sky.

These heavenly gods were of special importance to the

They were the ones

that affected

most strongly the

king's

priests. life

and 13

happiness, and through him the lives and happiness of

who

gods,

These

all.

controlled the skies, brought sunshine and pleasant

weather, without which there would be no crops.

gods brought

rain;

it

fell

the gods well, for the

from the heavens.

same gods could They could

It

And

same

the

was important

to treat

also cause destruction.

crops with strong winds and

could flood the

rivers.

violent storms.

They could even cut the crops

ruin

They

to pieces with hail-

stones.

The

priests

pened on

connected what occurred

and Shamash

earth. Sin

(the

the sky with what hap-

in

moon and

moved

the sun)

smoothly and evenly across the sky. They produced law and order the sky, and on the earth as well.

in

gods

were not

(the planets)

as

The movements

smooth and

indicated to the priests that the planets

causing

all

of the other

motion

regular. Their

were

active; they

kinds of events to occur on the earth

were

—good harvests

or bad, peace or warfare.

The

task of the priests

was

to figure out

which events

heavens were connected with events on earth; planets

were close

together,

it

for

example,

in

the

if

two

might be the sign of the birth of a

prince, or of a period of dry weather, or of a victory in battle.

It

mean almost anything, depending upon what had previously happened when the same two planets were close together. The

could

interpretations often included the bright stars in a constellation. For

example, suppose

in

springtime Mars

especially bright star.

prince

was born. Ever

that star

would be

a

And suppose

to

move toward an

that about the

afterward, the

movement

good omen meaning

the royal family. Eclipses, too,

14

was seen

a son

were especially

same

time, a

of

Mars toward

was

to be born to

significant. All

man-

ner of events on earth,

good and bad,

that occurred during that

time would be connected to the eclipse.

The The later

priests kept a record of sky events

priests'

explanations were originally based upon

upon written records

victory

in battle

took place

would end

The

what had taken place

of

may have occurred when From

close together. battle

and earthly occurrences.

when

Jupiter

were

priests

and Mars were if

a

and Mars were close together

it

had before.

it

giving explanations by relating

another, even though

A

the past.

in

that time on, the priests believed that

victory, just as

in

Jupiter

memory, and

one had nothing

one event

do with the

to

to

other. For

moon might have risen in a cloudy sky and so appeared orange-red. A day or so later, there may have been long, example, the

full

steady rain that saved the crops from drying out. Thereafter, an

moon became a good omen

orange-red

individuals.

upon the

was

felt

priests,

the early astrologers,

king.

The

was

king

all-important; If

was

people would share

fortune.

were

priests

in his

likely to

good

happen

were astronomers

in

whatever affected him

moon, and

favor with the gods, If

the king

all

his

was out of favor,

to everyone.

as well as astrologers.

omers they studied the motions of the planets,

of the gods

the positions of the sun,

planets indicated that the king

The

were not involved with

They were concerned with the influence

throughout the land.

calamities

foretelling

would be saved.

that the crops

Babylonian

—the gods were

sun,

As astron-

moon, and the

visible

and they learned much about them. As astrologers they

read the skies for meanings, meanings that would affect the fate of the king and so the fate of the entire kingdom.

15

How

Astrology Spread

In

Babylonia astrology was reserved for the king and the court. But

in

other lands, and at later times, the fate of individual persons

concerned. The trend started with the Egyptians,

was

who broadened

the importance of astrology to include not only the rulers but the

masses of the people. The sun, moon, and Egyptian religion.

in

One

stars

played large parts

of their principal gods

was

Ra, the sun

god. (They had three different sun gods: Horus, god of the sun;

Atmu, god of the

setting sun;

rising

and most important, Ra, god of

the noonday sun.) The Egyptians believed that the dead were

reborn as different objects; they appeared Egyptian sign for soul *

,

16

which

is

is

*.

You can see

our present symbol for a

in

that star.

it

the sky as is

stars.

The

closely related to

Egyptian priests

knew about

motions. The Great Pyramid,

up with what was

changed

the positions of the stars and their

built

thousands of years ago,

time the North

at that

position over the centuries.

its

and so have a clue to when

of change,

turns out to be about

4700

The Egyptians knew the in their lives

The North

lined

Star has

Today we know the pyramid was

this

rate

built.

It

B.C.

skies well,

were influenced by the

of the ancient world.

Star.

is

and they believed

that events

So did most other people

stars.

Among ancient people,

the Creeks developed

astrology most widely.

Much

of

modern

Greeks learned

comes from

astrology

their astrology

from teachers

Greece from Babylonia. Much

later, after

The

the Greeks.

it

who were was

early

brought to

well established,

Greek astrology was written down by the Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy,

who

lived in Egypt, in the city of Alexandria. At that time

Egypt, along with

many

other countries,

Ptolemy was an observer of the also

lists

of the stars

ment

means "the

One

greatest."

It

stood

still,

explained

why

first

sky

and

all

maps and

written by

them was called the AlmaThe book described the arrangeof

was

at

the center

the planets, the sun and the

moon and

the stars circled about the earth.

emy

of the

of the planets. Ptolemy said that the earth

of them.

it

Some

ruled by the Greeks.

were made by him. Two books

Ptolemy became very famous. gest which

sky.

was

The viewpoint was

the objects appeared to

move

incorrect, but

as they did. Ptol-

included information about stars and star positions. For hun-

dreds of years the information was valuable to navigators and to other watchers of the skies.

Ptolemy was an astronomer.

He was

also an astrologer. His

17

—

second famous book was called the Tetrabiblos. {Tetra means four,

and biblos means books.)

on the Influence of the

Stars.

astrologers; they contain

we

It

was divided

into the Four

Books

Even today these works are used by

most of the knowledge

of astrology that

have today.

The Greeks were fascinated by lines in a person's

fortune-telling of

all

kinds:

by the

way one's hair parted, one's appetite best way of telling one's fortune was to

hand, the

for certain foods. But their

use the stars and planets. The Greeks changed Babylonian astrol-

ogy It

is

in

many ways.

For example, they developed the horoscope.

a chart of the positions of the planets and

called zodiacal signs

—

at

and

signs

the time of a person's birth.

The Babylonian astrologers made sky charts 18

stars,

for the

day of a

king's birth,

and also

charts for everyone.

so

it

would seem

for special times in his

Many people

life.

The Greeks made

same

are born on the

that the stars should foretell the

each of them. But that obviously could not be

same so.

day, and future for

The Greeks

solved the problem by making charts not for entire days, but for a certain hour of the day, and even for a certain minute. They used

word horoscope for the chart, and for the meanings that they The word horoscope means "a look at the hour," the read from

the

it.

"hour" being the moment when a person

is

born.

At the same time that the Greeks were developing the horoscope, they were learning about botany and zoology, about astron-

omy, medicine, and anatomy. They grouped astrology along with these sciences.

The Greeks

refined ancient beliefs

each of the planets. They kept sociating

alive the

the special influence of

Babylonian idea of as-

each planet with a certain color. They also connected the

planets to certain metals,

page 32. They taught that

and

to parts of the body, as

this influence

whether the planets were high the

in

moment when

a person

Interest in astrology

was

in

you see on

changed depending upon

the sky, just

rising,

or setting at

was born. transferred from the Greeks to the

Romans when the Roman legions defeated the Greek armies. But the takeover was not immediate, for the Romans were strong believers in the kind of fortune-telling that depended upon the behavior of birds,

insects,

and animals. These were the objects

foretold the future, they said.

They

also believed, as

that

had the

Babylonians, that the future could be told from a study of the

organs of animals that had been sacrificed to one of their gods. At

19

first,

the idea that objects

in

the sky could determine the fortunes

make sense

of a person did not

to them.

However, toward the end

become popular

of the second century B.C., astrology started to

throughout the lands of the Romans.

many centuries Rome flourished, and so did astrology. The Romans spread their ideas over thousands of miles, all along the Mediterranean Sea. More and more people regulated their lives according to their horoscopes. Eventually the Roman Empire fell.

Barbarians came out of the north. They attacked the Romans and For

defeated them. The barbarians destroyed books and ideas, including the

ways the ancient

had found to "read" the

priests

stars.

People entered a period called the Dark Ages. For several hundred years, learning stopped.

There were no schools, and people could

neither read nor write.

In

more and more

for

lightning, the

came

ignorance they

to believe

by the birds and animals and

fortune-telling

in

magic, just as the early

and

their

Romans had done. When

there

was thunder

gods were angry; they were punishing the people

some wrong committed.

During the Dark Ages the server o( knowledge.

churches.

Roman

Catholic church

Whatever records remained were kept

And knowledge was passed from one

The church prohibited prohibited because

it

was the

a kind of magic;

it

was

in

the

priest to another.

belief in magic. Astrology

was

pre-

was therefore

fortune-telling by

the stars.

While astrology was becoming

mained important

in

20

important

the Eastern world.

as India, for example,

Greeks had thought

less

it.

it

In

was considered

Indeed,

in

in

Europe,

Arabia and as

it

re-

far east

a science, just as the

Arabia there were only four

and

sciences: arithmetic, geometry, the structure of the universe, astrology.

During the Dark Ages

in

Europe, the Arabian world kept alive the

writings of Ptolemy, including the Tetrabiblos.

Around the year

200 the Dark Ages ended, and the Arabs reintroduced astrology to Europe. Written records were translated into Latin, the language 1

of scholars.

The schools

that

were being revived often taught

as-

trology.

Learning spread rapidly across Europe. People were interested

medicine and anatomy, and

in

in

astronomy. Sky observers were

soon to learn the true movements of the sun, moon, and planets.

Eventually Galileo

was

to see the phases of

Venus and four of the

moons of Jupiter through his newly invented telescope.

And astrology reached a new level of importance. It was just

13

as

important to people of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as it

had been to the Romans and the Greeks and Babylonians. Once

more, kings would not make decisions without counsel of a court astrologer.

To

gain support from the ruler, astronomers had to

practice astrology. Kings

and studied maps of the give to

all

sorts of help to

happen

in

would not sky, as

aid

someone who simply made

astronomers did. But they would

someone who could

tell

the king what

was

the future, as astrologers did.

21

—

Most astronomers made horoscopes and used them

to advise

Many of them also believed strongly in the magic of astrology. Others made horoscopes for the kings not because they believed in the teachings, but because was a way their kings.

They had

to.

it

to support their

The methods

work

in

astronomy.

that these

European astrologers used

in

making

horoscopes had grown out of the astrology of ancient Babylonia, Greece, and Rome.

And they

are

still

used today.

Signs in the Sky As

we saw

earlier,

Aries, Taurus, Leo, sky.

there are twelve signs that an astrologer uses

and so on. Each

sign

The regions are connected, so altogether they make

goes from west to east

all

a belt that

across the sky.

Each sign has a symbol that represents these symbols originated, but they

22

assigned a region of the

is

may

it.

We

are not sure

well have

how

come from

an-

—

cient picture writing, as old as the Babylonians or older. find the

modern symbol

symbol

in

the

list

The twelve Babylonians.

worshiped

all

for

your sign and also the ancient picture

on page 29.

signs of astrology In

were probably

many

addition to having

started

by the

gods, the Babylonians

monstrous creatures. There was a

sorts of

a man's head, dogs and goats with fishes' at

You can

tails,

with

bull

wolves that foamed

the mouth, and scorpions with gigantic stingers. Altogether there

were twelve monsters.

Gods must live somewhere. Ancient people, the Babylonians among them, believed that some of their gods lived in the trees or behind big rocks. Other gods might houses, or perhaps

in

down upon

moon and

their

of Sin

were

It

them were the

path of Sin and Shamash, but

— Marduk,

it

Ishtar, Ninib,

there, they

the part of the sky through

—

Sin

and Shamash

(the

thirty-six stars;

"chiefs." This region of the

priests.

For not only

was the home

was

it

the

of the other major

Nebo, and Nergal. These, you

will

are the five planets that can be seen without a telescope

Venus, Saturn, Mercury, and Mars. Whenever

planets, they are close to "the right in

in

could be identified by

was observed constantly by the

Jupiter,

From

of the

and Shamash was called "the way of Anu," Anu

the brightest twelve of

recall,

the sky.

most important gods

being the king of the gods.

gods

in

One

the sun).

The path

sky

was

of certain

everyone. The homes of the twelve special

creatures of the Babylonians

which moved

rooms

bushes or inside certain animals.

best places for the gods to live

could look

live in certain

it.

When

way

of

we see these

Anu." Sometimes they are

the Greeks took up astrology, they adopted "the

23

wax

of Anil,"

Thev changed others

nians.

choosing.

It

them are

of

and manv of the "signs" or creatures of the Babylo-

turns out that of the twelve objects identified as animals or people.

manv

the Scales. Since there are so

Creeks called

it

zodiakos

for a living being or

—the

animal

is

in

"creatures"

in

belt,

the

ele\en is

Libra

belt,

the

The Creek word

belt of the animals.

zoion

the

The exception

— vou can see the same root

zoologv (the study of animals), and of course

in

own

to creatures or objects of their

in

zoo 'zoological

an animal park.

park',

The zodiac

is

the imaginarv belt of the twelve signs that astrolo-

gers use to locate the sun, the

moon, and the

planets. (Also,

it

is

the belt of twelve clusters of stars or constellations that bear the

same names.'

So, for

the ram, Taurus the

ram or

like a

example, there

bull,

is

the constellation of Aries

and so on. The

do serve

a bull, but thev

groups do not look

star

to identify

each region

in

the

skv.

Each of the planets moves along the

moon. Each passes from one

signs, to lations, rest.

same order

as the constel-

beginning with Aries, then Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and the

Aries

was

do the sun and

of the twelve constellations, or

another. The signs maintain the

is

number one.

entered Aries It

this region, as

a

in

In

springtime.

good time

the davs of the Babvlonians, the sun

When

happened, the vear began.

that

to start the vear,

because dav and night were

about the same length, seeds were planted, there was a revival of trees

and plants

that

had been dormant during the winter. Also,

Aries

was

that

was leader

The

first

centuries,

24

a

ram

dav of the vear

New

(to

Year's Dav

of the flock.

the Babvlonians)

came

in

March.

came In

in

our

March. 'For

own

land

it

wasn't changed to January

1

until

1

Day has become the first day of ancients, the sun was in Aries in March.

Year's

in Pisces.

is

now

in

spring. In the time of the

Now

it is

the constella-

in

you and me, spring actually begins when the sun

tion Pisces. For is

New

753.) Today, the ancient

The sun over the centuries has

Pisces from

trologers distinguish

March 14

between the

shifted

to April 12.

make forecasts as though the sun had not sun was in Aries for most of this time interval still

position.

However, most

and the

sign

its

—

just as

it

as-

They

constellation.

shifted; as

It

though the

was

a long

time ago.

As the year goes from

seems

to

move from

Sagittarius to Capricorn, to Aquarius, Pisces,

around the

Your

gers.

by, the sun

Some

The path the sun follows

sky.

sign tells

you where the sun was

astrologers think the

the future. So

its

moon

our

lives.

To them,

it is

at the

all

is

in telling

birth.

about

something else

most astrologers think the planets

if

you

will

know where

the planets

be making an important

decision, the astrologer wants to find out in will

time of your

very important

necessary to

were when you were born. Or,

and so on,

important to astrolo-

location at the time of your birth

that they like to find out. Also, affect

is

is

sign to sign,

which

signs the planets

be when you make that decision so you can be advised.

These locations are always changing. The planets move through

one

sign of the zodiac to another as they

solar

system

is

quite

flat;

it

is

move around

shaped more

like

a saucer than a

For this reason the planets are always close to the the sun

moves

along. Each therefore

is

always

the sun.

in

same

one

The ball.

line that

of the twelve

signs.

Astrologers believe that the planets rule certain signs.

If

at

the

25

moment

of one's birth, a planet should

of the zodiac that

would be

it

rules,

especially strong.

happen

to

be

in

the sign

conditions connected with that sign

The chart below shows the

signs of the

zodiac and their ruling planets.

You Pluto

will

Ruling Planet

Aries

Mars

Taurus

Venus

Gemini

Mercury

Cancer

Moon

Leo

Sun

Virgo

Mercury

Libra

Venus

Scorpio

Mars

Sagittarius

Jupiter

Capricorn

Saturn

Aquarius

Saturn

Pisces

Jupiter

notice that three of the planets

— are not included. That

until after in

Sign of the Zodiac

is

— Uranus, Neptune, and

because they were not discovered

the telescope had been invented. Uranus

was discovered

1781, only about two hundred years ago; Neptune was found

sixty-five years later, in

1

846; Pluto, the most recently discovered,

was found in 1930.

Modern astrology is based upon Creek astrology; the ancients knew nothing about those three planets, so many astrologers pay 26

no attention

to

them today. That

is

why we have

left

them out

of

the chart.

The

five planets

and the sun and the

moon were

considered to

be seven special gods. They were so important to the ancients that

each was given a day

—a

special

day during which

it

was the

week and their ruling planets are listed here. (Their Old English names have also been included so that you can see how we arrived at the modern names for the days supreme

ruler.

The days

of the

in English.)

Days of the Week Planet

Old

Moon

Monan Daeg

Tuesday

Mars

Tiwes Daeg

Wednesday

Mercury

Wodnes Daeg

Thursday

Jupiter

Thunres Daeg

Friday

Venus

Frige

Saturday

Saturn

Saetern

Sunday

Sun

Sunnan Daeg

The order of the days forth

Name

Day Monday

English

Daeg Daeg

— Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so

—was not accidental. The order of the planets was based on

the time each planet needed to circle the earth. Saturn took the longest and therefore

so

it

was

in

first.

Jupiter took the next longest,

second place. The sequence was Saturn,

sun, Venus, Mercury, their

came

moon.

It

was the opposite

supposed distances from the

earth, the

Jupiter,

and

Mars,

of the order of

moon

being consid-

ered the nearest and Saturn the farthest. (See page 18.)

27

Each planet (god) was assigned

its

own day

as

shown on

the

list.

While that planet ruled over the entire twenty-four-hour period, a

the day

was named

after sunrise.

worked out

this

way:

whatever planet ruled during the

first

hour

was assigned

different planet

after

to

The next planet

in

each hour.

It

order ruled the second hour, and

so on, throughout the twenty-four hours.

For example,

us start with Saturday (Saturn's day). Saturn

let

Jupiter

was

especially important. During the third hour, the ruling planet

was

Mars; during the seventh hour, the moon. The eighth hour,

was

ruled over the entire day, but during the

second hour

it

Saturn again.

Count the planets and going to again, until

the

last

Jupiter,

in their

sequential order, starting with Saturn

Mars, the sun,

etc.,

and then

you reach twenty-four. That

will

hour of that day. The next object

start

be Mars, the

after

Mars

is

twenty-four hours after Saturn's day begins, the sun the ruler; then

it

count along the

will list

ruler of

the sun. So, will

become

be Sunday. Beginning with the sun, once again to twenty-four. That takes

you

to Mercury, the

ruler of the last

hour of Sunday. The following object

The next day

therefore

is

with Saturn

Monday, and so on,

for

is

the

moon.

each of the seven

days of the week.

Astrological Signs and Their the signs

zodiac

is

and

28

their symbols. Each of the twelve signs of the

identified

symbols came

Meanings

by a symbol.

into being.

We

do not know how these

Probably they were derived from ancient

picture writing that existed long before the Babylonians. of the signs, the symbols, relate to

The names

and the ancient picture writing

that

may

them are shown below:

Symboi

Ancient Picture Writing

Taurus

b

cr

Gemini

x

Cancer

<5

Sign Aries

JX

Leo

Libra

TT* r^=

Scorpio

yy\>

Virgo

Sagittarius

X*

Capricorn

f)

Aquarius

AAA

Pisces

\~k

KD

The chart on page 32 shows how the zodiac different signs.

other clues

is

divided into twelve

Along with these signs and the planets, there are

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;elements,

parts of the body, colors

the chart. Later on, you will see

horoscope, using

this

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

that are part of

how you can make

your

own

information.

29

the planets

and

their symbols.

the god of time. This

The planet Saturn was named

was because

it

was the slowest-moving

after

of

the seven "planets" that the ancients could see. The symbol sickle, a

all

is

reminder of the scythe carried by Father Time.

*> Mercury

Two

9

the

wound around a wand. This is symbol of the wand carried by the god serpents

Mercury, the bearer of tidings and messages.

Venus

A hand

mirror.

It

is

proper that Venus the

goddess of love and beauty should have a

hand

mirror.

Mars Mars was the god of war. The symbol

is

supposed to represent a shield and a spear.

Jupiter Jupiter is

was the

supposed

to

king of the gods.

The symbol

be a great thunderbolt.

Sun

O

The sun was considered

was represented by Later, a

perfect,

and so

it

a circle standing alone.

dot was added;

it

probably

came

from early maps of the solar system, which

showed

30

the sun moving around the earth.

a

Moon

4

The symbol,

moon

of course, represents

—

fire,

the

appears during the crescent phase.

elements. The ancients believed that the world basic substances

how

earth,

was made

of four

and water. Astrologers con-

air,

nected these elements with the signs of the zodiac. They began by assigning fire to Aries, earth to Taurus, and so on, around the

twelve

signs.

parts of the body.

It

was believed

that a person's health

was

affected by the influence of the planets. Beginning with the head

—the center

that controlled

body were assigned

all

others

—the various

to the different signs: the

parts of the

head to

Aries, the

neck to Taurus, shoulders and arms to Gemini, and so on

around the zodiac feminine

—

until

—

all

the feet were reached.

and masculine. Almost all

living things are either

feminine

or masculine. Early astrologers believed that the signs should be

divided

in

a similar way. Starting with Aries, which they termed

masculine, the astrologers alternated the two. the bull and Capricorn the goat

became

In this

way Taurus

feminine, even though

they are usually considered masculine. This contradiction did not

bother ancient astrologers. Most modern astrologers, however, do not use these terms. Instead, they electric,

and feminine

in

masculine signs positive or

signs negative or magnetic.

colors. The Greek astrologers important

call

felt

that certain colors

a given horoscope than

were other

born under Capricorn, for example, was

were more

colors.

partial to

deep

A

person

blue.

The

31

WATER.

/

K£o»J

\ Alft

\

ANKLES, SHINS

FIRE

FEIA-

MASC-

HIPS,

VIOLET

6LUE VIOLET

AAA&C LIGHT BLUE

KVUTABLE.

LEAD

T|N

MUTA&LE TIN

\ TUMP

JASMINE

JAOE

PEARL, JASPER, 6aM\ CBLOOOSTONE)

HEAD

/SAASC./ PCS T 1

I

GOLDEN ROD TURQU0IS6 (TUftquoiSE)

'CoweA AljDOMtlJ FEMVGREEN- 8cu€ Fixep

JUPiTSk

V£

REP cao.oinau iron

IRON

^

BUTTERCUP

Honeysuckle

TOpAl

mHJW?

(O'AMOND?

AIR Lowea HACK MASC

NECK-

-

NEifr-

GRfctM

RED ORAN6e FIXED COPPER. DAISY

AM6THXST

copper VIOL6T

.PIAMOND

^

'

FiRe

f AM

HeArt.T,SPiwt

AlR

F6M.

SHOULOERS, AftMS

/

MASC. /

ORAtOGG" AAUTAP>L£

OPAUO£-Y£UoW CAO-OIMAL SILVER.

KAOONPLOVAJEB.

AQOAMAAiu6 LlLY-OF-THfcVAUf/ E-MEftALD / (PGAftL)

/

(toPAt)

6 PM

EARTH PefA./

H P*H

^

'WATER.

v

fire

fcA/A_

THi&HS

'2

C ftOftY)

Am

/

\ ABDOKEM FEK\.

MUTABLe

FI%ED

MERCURY

\

MAftlOOLO

RvRx (sardonyx) MiDS/lfrHT

Spm

EiAfi-TH

MASC YELLOW (SOLD

(^OPAL.)

\

AXALGA Sapphjre.

CS/vpOKiBC)

ICpM

—

colors of the spectrum

assigned

in

—

red, orange, yellow,

and so on

— were

order, beginning with Aries.

personalities.

It

was believed

that

temperamentally people be-

longed to one of three categories: pioneering and forward-looking (cardinal), firm

and unchanging

(fixed),

or changeable (mutable).

These characteristics were incorporated diac.

The

into the signs of the zo-

astrologers began by assigning cardinal to Aries, fixed to

Taurus, mutable to Gemini, and so on, around to Pisces.

metals. Each of the signs

was

related to a metal. Aries

strong and unbending; Taurus

Gemini was mercury

was copper

—quick and

the zodiac, including flowers and gems.

names

have been changed.

of the original

iron

and polished;

shiny.

flowers and gems. Astrologers assigned

of these objects

— hard

was

just

about everything to

Over the In

centuries,

some

parentheses after the

gems are the modern gems now ascribed

to

the signs.

houses. Ancient astrologers believed that there were twelve compartments

was

—or houses—

ruled by a sign

in

and a

a person's planet.

the sign that happened to be

in

life.

The

them

And each

of the houses

position of the houses

at the

and

time of one's birth are

important to astrologers. The twelve houses that govern a person's life

are indicated by the

numbers around the center

of the circle.

33

TH£ SKX Rotate

SEtfAS

west to

TO

froi-\

east

EAST TOUR. HOR05CbP6 CkAP) is

a

pu-at

Picture

op the sky T^e -r-ooiAC;

AND

Tk+S POSITION

OPTUE PLACETS

Casting Your Horoscope

when you were born helps an astrologer to "tell your fortune." And there are many other conditions that he uses. In order to make a forecast, an astrologer prepares a horoscope for you. This is a map of the positions of the sun, moon, and planets at the moment of your birth. Then from the locations and from the way the planets were Knowing the day

moving

of the

week

as well as the hour

at that time, astrologers predict future

events

in

your

life.

You can make your own horoscope.

First,

draw

a circle. Inside

the larger circle

in

half

it

draw a much smaller

by drawing a

line

across

horizon. Then divide the circle from top to bottom. of the line

is

noon; the lower end

is

we

have done

in

it.

This

Divide is

the

The upper end

midnight. Divide each of the

four sections of the circle into three parts, and

the center as

circle.

draw

lines

through

the chart on page 36.

Each of the sections between the

lines represents

two

hours.

35

Label each line with the time of day. Begin at the top with noon,

then clockwise 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and so on.

Find the section of the circle that contains the hour

were born. Standard time saving time. of birth.

In

Draw

will

our example,

be more accurate than daylight-

we have

the sun symbol

when you

in

used 1:30 p.m. as the time

that section.

noon 2.PISA

|OfcN\

HPM

ASceNOMTT

ftU0NI6KT

The date

The

of birth gives your sign. Let's say the date

sign for that date

outside that Put 32).

section.

them on page

counterclockwise, opposite to the direction of the hands

of a clock. Start with Gemini, then Cancer, Leo, Virgo, until

you have put

The is

sign in the

in all

twelve

and so on,

signs.

4:00-6:00 a.m. section turns out to be

your ascendant

sign; the sign or constellation that

Libra. This

was

rising at

the time of your birth. Astrologers think this rising sign

important

pened

in

be

to

casting your horoscope, especially in

if

sun,

;

Gemini,

moon, and

number the

in

house number

9.

The house

each other by equal-sided

tached special meaning to If

you draw such a

this

They have

planets

special

happen

in

house

locations of the

triangle,

to

meaning

be located

triangles.

life.

The houses are

Ancient people

at-

shape.

ascendant, the other two corners 9.

sections

planets are important to the astrologer.

Each house regulates a division of a person's related to

very

a planet hap-

counterclockwise. These numbers are houses. Libra was 1

is

that region of the sky.

Beginning with the ascendant section,

number

26.

Gemini. Draw the symbol for Gemini

is

the other signs of the zodiac. (You'll find

in

Go

same

was May

beginning at the center of your will

be

in

houses numbered 5 and

for an astrologer, especially in

if

certain

them.

For example:

Houses

1,

5,

9

Refer to the

body and mind

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;they

astrologer about a person's health.

38

tell

the

Houses

2, 6,

Refer to the home, to a person's posses-

10

sions,

Houses

3, 7,

and what might happen

to them.

Refer to a person's family, friends, and

1 1

relatives.

Houses

4, 8,

Refer to sickness and death; the limits that

12

must be placed on everyone;

If

the sun,

moon, or a planet happens

then the house

to

be

in

one

of the houses,

especially important. For example,

is

planet of love) should be

in

house

7,

losses.

if

Venus

(the

special attention should be

given to one's very close friends (wife or husband for a married person). Also because of Venus, the person will have unusual

a writer, sculptor, painter, musician, or poet. That

artistic ability as is

because these

talents are qualities attributed to

Your horoscope now contains the

do

this unless

signs of the zodiac, the loca-

and the houses.

tions of the sun,

The next step

Venus.

is

You cannot

to put in the positions of the planets.

you have planet

tables.

The astrologer

refers to

listings

of planet positions, similar to ones that an astronomer uses,

to find

where the

We

were

at

any given moment.

invented planetary positions for the sample chart, and put

the symbols for

house number

The

planets

them

in

9, Jupiter

those invented locations. The sun

and Mars

in

house number

4,

Sun 9

in

and so on.

positions of the planets out to Saturn, their houses,

meanings attached

is

and the

to these positions are below:

Possibility of taking a long trip;

money may

be coming your way even though you don't expect

40

it.

MEAMINO OF HOUSES FDft

Home

4

Jupiter

good

You

Mars 4

THE

important

INOIVIOUAL

in

your

saver; like to help

will

life;

you are a

around the house.

probably collect different things;

may inherit money; some troubles in home are likely; perhaps arguments.

Moon

You

2

the

are apt to be extravagant and wasteful;

your savings go up and down.

Mercury

7

You should be successful in science or literature; work with a partner will be successful.

41

Venus 8

For adults there will be great gains (or losses) in marriage or in business; likely to

receive an inheritance.

Saturn 8

Big

gains

work;

if

will

health

come from is

good, long

hard,

steady

life is likely.

some of which were written by Ptolemy, you remember, almost two thousand years ago. There are many other references. Also there are the Astrologers get such information from references,

(AgAnimG op Houses Foe*,

the country

clues

in

your sky chart, the ones we've already talked about. But

there are more. of

one planet

The aspects of the

planets,

which

to another, are additional clues.

is

the relationship

There are many of

them, but these are the principal aspects: 1

.

Conjunction

When two

bodies are together as

at

the

below, and shown as they would be

horoscope

left

in

a

at the right.

ITER.

CONJUNCTION

AS SC6N FRON\ EARTH,

ARS

-roG6THe*

2. Sextile

When two

bodies are separated by 60 de-

grees with earth (the center of your map).

The sun and Mercury are in sextile chart on page 37 a good omen.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

in

the

3.

Square

When two grees

bodies are separated by 90 de-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a square corner with the

earth. In

our example on page 37, Mercury and

Mars are

square. This

in

is

bad

usually a

omen.

4. Trine

When two

bodies are separated by 120

degrees. This

is

most favorable;

ens the information given by

all

it

strength-

signs in the

houses.

5.

Opposition

Two

bodies opposite one another

apart as at the

horoscope

left

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;6

signs

below, and shown

in

a

at the right.

Jupiter

*s Seem fron\ earth, jupiter AND ^ ARS ARE OPPOSITE EACH OTHER

OPPOSITION

The importance

gave to the

that early astrologer-astronomers

aspects of the planets

is

shown

in

the writings of Johann Kepler.

He

was a famous German astronomer who made many discoveries about the orbits of planets.

how

He

also practiced astrology

and studied

the positions of the planets affected the weather.

He

kept

records of the positions of the planets and the kind of weather that

occurred. After eight years

If

two

in

degrees

is

the

air.

what he wrote:

But tomorrow,

does not

one another, nothing

when

reached, a thunderstorm

effect, therefore,

In

is

planets stand at 89 degrees from

happen

angle,

this

come from

will

the

full

square of 90

suddenly

a single

from the harmonious segment of the

will

star,

arise.

The

but from the

circle.

making an actual horoscope, an astrologer does not place a

planet just

anywhere

in

a house.

If it

were placed roughly,

it

might

45

vary about thirty degrees from

degrees

a house, or

in

horoscope

known

and time of

some

and aspects of the

for a person. birth.

But

special event

true location

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

thirty

to the ancients, the twelve signs planets, an astrologer

A horoscope

it

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;there are

a sign.

in

Using the seven planets of the zodiac,

its

is

usually based

can cast a

on one's date

might be based on the date and time of start of

a

trip,

entrance to college, or a

person's marriage. Give an astrologer the time and date of the event, and a forecast can be

Do

objects

do. People

in

Certainly, us.

46

the sky really affect our lives? Astrologers say they

who do

Do

made.

not believe

Objects

in

in

astrology say they

not.

the Sky Affect Us?

everyone agrees that some of the objects

The sun has the strongest

do

effect

on

us.

in

the sky affect

Energy from the sun

keeps us the sun.

All

alive. Plants

And

if

could not grow without heat and

were no

there

we would

plants,

from

light

have nothing to

eat.

our food comes from plants, or from animals that eat plants.

Wood

for heat

plants

and animals

comes from

comes from heat All of

sun

trees. Oil, gas,

millions of years ago.

that lived

that

and coal come from

can be made by burning

oil,

gas,

Electricity

and

coal.

our food and energy can be traced back to the sun. Also, the

is

one

of the causes of tides.

The main cause moon's

of tides

gravitation

is

the

strong.

move, so

of the earth can

is

it

moon.

piles

up

is

on the

pulls

It

It

at

so close to us that the

The water

earth.

high tide. Differences

moon on different parts of the moon affects us in other ways.

gravitation of the

in

part

the

earth cause the

And the Some people say that patients in mental hospitals do not sleep well when there is a full moon. Others say that the moon affects the way plants grow. A long time ago someone wrote a poem that tides.

tells

how

people

felt

about planting and the appearance of the

moon.

Co plant And you

the bean

But

You If

to this line

if

when

you vary from

will find

will

is

the

moon

is

light.

is

dark,

right;

moon

you always hark;

you are

you always follow

You

the

will find that this

Plant the potatoes

And

when

always have

this rule,

a fool; this rule to

money

the end,

to spend.

47

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

many people believe that the moon affects the weather.

When the moon is changing from new moon to full, they say there will be pleasant weather. For two weeks after the moon has become full, will appear a little smaller each night. Many people Also,

it

believe that there will be unpleasant weather during this period clouds, rain, fog, or snow. Sayings about the think

it

Full

is

moon

related to weather:

moon

in April brings frost.

Clear moon, frost soon.

48

moon

The

full

The

moon and weather change

eats clouds.

together.

tell

how

people

Or

a counter-proverb:

The

moon and

But a change

If

the

moon

gers say,

the weather

in the

causes

moon

tides,

if

may change

does not change the weather.

it

affects the weather, then, astrolo-

can also affect people. And they

it

Astrologers also say, planets affect us,

if

the sun and

and also the

But

stars.

too far away, they say. The sun

because

it

Light takes

If

star

away that

though the that

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;only about

right.

150

is

a star that affects us

million kilometers

away.

about eight minutes to travel from the sun to the earth.

The nearest far

close by

may be

moon affect us, then the many people disagree. The

stars are

is

together,

beyond the sun

light

from

it

stars give off

were not

so, there

is

very

much

farther

away.

It is

so

takes over four years to reach us. So, even

heat and

light,

very

would be no dark

little

nights

of

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

it

reaches

starlight

us.

would 49

the sky at night, just as sunlight

fill

The planets are much closer on us

gers, that they pull

fills

They are so

to us.

moon

just as the

the pull of the planets on the earth

measured. The

moon

distance to Venus

when

we

much

cannot

is

does. That

it

is

true. But

is

it

cannot be

The

so close.

dis-

about 380,000 kilometers. The

is

nearest to us

is still

away than Venus. They

farther

about 35,000,000

away

are so far

that

feel their gravitation.

Also, the planets give off very

planets

close, say astrolo-

hundred times farther away. Most of the plan-

kilometers, about a ets are

it

moon

daytime.

in

so small that

is

on us because

pulls

tance from the earth to the

the sky

comes from

planets, just as

the sun.

moonlight

Each of the planets gives

is

is

It

energy. The

light

from the

sunlight that reflects

from the

little

sunlight that reflects

off

some

from the moon.

amount

heat. But the

very

is

small.

All of

planets

these are reasons

do not

why

astronomers believe the

affect our lives.

Astronomers are

study stars and planets and the ways

in

gers are not scientists; they are people

and movements of the

what

will

happen

stars

and

stars

scientists

and

who

which they move. Astrolo-

who

interpret the locations

planets; they use

them

to forecast

the future.

in

Forecasting the future (fortune-telling) by the stars obviously

does not work.

If

could always win

it

did, calamities

at

gambling games

marriages would be successful, for perfect mate.

The

of every decision,

An 50

could be foretold; astrologers

stars

would

it

(or the stock market);

would be possible

dictate our decisions,

to pick the

and the

good or bad, would be known ahead

astrologer uses

many

of the

same

tables

all

and charts

result

of time. that are

moon and

used by an astronomer. Exact positions of the sun, for

planets,

placed on a chart, an astrologer

some particular make maps of the sky.

was

When

example, must be found.

at

similar information.

is

the positions are

making a map of the sky as

time. In a similar manner, astronomers also

Their

The

maps look

big difference

hold meanings that affect our

The planets were

in

lives.

they contain

different, but is

interpretation.

in

moon, and

astrologer believes that the positions of the sun,

belief.

it

The

planets

The astronomer has no such

these positions, the astronomer agrees.

who happened

But they had no effect on people

to

be born

at that

moment.

particular

Modern

astrology,

you

recall,

began thousands of years ago with

the Chaldeans and Babylonians. They believed that the earth

was

the center of the universe. They had the geocentric, or earth-

centered view.

It

was impossible

of the seven planets (the sun,

for

them

moon,

movements

to explain

Jupiter,

Saturn,

Mercury,

Venus, and Mars) as modern science can. Mystery surrounded them, so

it

was reasonable

moving objects

The

priests

close by.

In

for the ancients to consider the

as gods.

who

had contact with the gods believed they were

Babylonia high pyramids were

of the planet gods,

and was the color

seven steps,

built in

using sun dried bricks. Each of the seven steps

one

seven

was dedicated

to

that the object repre-

sented.

Tiles

were heat-glazed

some

in

the various colors and set

locations the towers

the dried bricks.

In

They were

between heaven and

links

earth.

in

were 200

Temples

top layers were places where the gods might

place upon feet high.

built

on the

rest.

51

who

Priests

climbed to the top of the tower were close to the

gods, and so could

communicate with them. From these towers the

watched the movements

priests

They saw how

of the planets.

movements of the sun and the moon were.

The other objects moved more unevenly. They were called the "wild goats." They were Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. They moved in ways unlike the "tame goats," the stars that steady and even the

the sky.

filled

The Babylonians and people who

why

moved

these planets

when

century

see the planets

around the sun. But

backward

move

is

truth

It

was not

did not

until

know

the sixteenth

began to be learned.

move from west

at intervals

for a while.

The reason

unevenly.

them

Nicholas Copernicus told us that the planets went

around the sun that the

We

lived after

to east in their journey

they seem to stop and then

Then they resume the west-to-east motion.

not because the planets are gods.

at different

move

It

is

because they

speeds around the sun. The inner planets, Mer-

cury and Venus, catch up to us on earth and pass earth catches up to and passes the outer planets.

us.

The

And

in

turn

lines of sight

from one planet to another are always changing, and so directions of motion also

seem

to be changing.

For example, suppose you are on a playground merry-go-round

and you're looking to

move to the

move

to the right.

seems to

at a distant pole.

So

it

is

left.

Then

as

As you go

you go

to the right, the pole

to the

with the earth and Mars, and with

left,

all

the pole seems

the other planets,

too.

Sometimes the planets appeared 52

to

be close together, and

at

other times far apart. There were occasions rose, or set, at the

same moment. The

priests

when two

of

them

gave special meaning

to such events.

Through hundreds of years, astronomers studied these events

and the motions did not It

that

move around

earth. Earth

was merely another

a god, nor

were the

related to those

on

caused them. They learned that the planets

planet that

was not the center

moved around

of everything.

the sun.

were

planets. Events in the sky

It

in

was not no way

earth.

Also, the planets are not near us, as the ancient astrologers

believed.

The moon

is,

and

is

it

earth. But the planets are so far

or the people living

Today we know still

upon

that

close enough to cause tides on

away

it.

all

these things are true. Yet

believe that the planets influence their

what

their

horoscopes

cannot affect earth

that they

tell

lives.

many people

They have

faith in

them.

made many times. One of the tests French scientist. He wanted to know how a

Tests of this faith have been

was conducted by a horoscope would affect the person

He gave

the

same complete

looked convincing, but

it

was

actual positions of the planets.

receiving

it.

chart to several persons. false.

had nothing

It

do with the

to

The forecast was a happy one, and

so the people were pleased with the chart. praised them, and also gave

The chart

them advice

The explanations

that they

were glad

to

follow.

The experiment was not meant

prove that astrology was a

may have done so. depends very much on the

fraud, although

astrology

to

it

But

it

surely

ability of

showed

that

an astrologer to

53

convince a person that he can give good advice, whether or not the stars have actually been consulted.

All of us

would

like to

know what

the future holds for us. Astrol-

ogy fascinates many people because they believe

that

it

provides

information about future events and helps them to understand

themselves and others. They believe

based upon

beliefs of the earth

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

thousands of years ago

this,

and

beliefs that

even though the idea

stars as

they were

have been

entirely

is

known

changed

by modern science.

Most

scientists

agree that astrology

is

a kind of magic.

It is

magic

based upon the supposed connection between events which truth are not

connected.

It

is

in

same as the ancient belief that someone or something purposely

the

there are no chance accidents;

causes everything.

Astronomy and astrology developed over the centuries beginning with the ancient Chaldeans and Babylonians.

came an important verse. Astrology

Astrology

will

science

to understand the uni-

remained magic. Nevertheless,

it

is

still

popular.

continue to be popular as long as people allow

themselves to believe

54

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; man's search

Astronomy be-

in

magic rather than

in

themselves.

Books

for

Further Reading

Aylesworth, Thomas. Astrology

and

Concise Guide. Franklin Watts, Gallant, Inc.,

Foretelling the Future:

Inc.,

A

1973.

Roy A. Astrology: Sense or Nonsense? Doubleday & Co., 1974.

Helfman, Elizabeth Press, Inc.,

S.

Signs

and Symbols of the

Sun. The Seabury

1974.

55

Jennings, Gary. Teenager's Realistic

Guide

to Astrology. Associa-

tion Press, 1971.

Kettelkamp, Larry. Astrology:

row &

Wisdom of the

Stars.

Co., Inc., 1973.

Livingston, P.

On

Astrology.

Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1974.

Mcintosh, Christopher. Astrology, The Stars

Modern

Guide. Harper

& Row,

Inc.,

and Human

Life:

A

1973 (paperback).

Olesky, Walter, and Babbin, Kenneth. The Universe

A

William Mor-

Is

Within You:

Basic Guide to Astrology. Julian Messner, 1977.

Omarr, Sydney. Sydney Omarr's Astrological Guide for Teenagers.

Shapiro,

New

American

Amy. Sun

lishers, Ltd.,

Stearn, Jess.

1971 (paperback).

The Stars and Your

Life.

Raintree Pub-

1977.

A Time

gan, Inc., 1971.

56

Signs:

Library, Inc.,

for Astrology.

Coward, McCann & Geoghe-

1

7

Index 31, 32 Almagest (Ptolemy), 17

cardinal personality, 33

Anu, 23

colors, 19,

air,

Chaldeans, 11,51

31-33 conjunction, 43

Aquarius, 26, 29, 32 description of, 9

constellations, 14,

Arabia, 20-21

24

Copernicus, Nicholas, 52

32

Aries, 24, 26, 29,

cuneiform,

1

description of, 2

ascendant

sign,

38

aspects, planetary,

Dark Ages, 20, 21

43-46

days of the week, 27-28

astrology:

astronomy and, 15, 21-22, 45, 50-51, 54 constellations

in,

24

forecasts of, 11, 13,

21, 35,

zodiac

Egyptians, 1

4-1

5,

1

8,

23-24

46-54

in,

eclipses,

1

6-1

elements, basic, 31, 32

50

history of, 10-22, truth of,

32 14-15

earth, 31,

fire,

31, 32

fixed personality, 33

23-25, 26, 32

flowers, 32, 33

astronomy, 15, 17, 21-22, 45, 50-51, 54

Galileo, 21

Atmu, 16

Gemini, 26, 29, 32

Babylonians, 10-16, 17, 18-19, 23,

gems, 32, 33

description of, 3-4

24,

51-52

body, parts

of,

geocentric view, 51, 52-53 19, 31,

32

gods, 11-12, 13-14,

51-52

Greeks, 17-19, 23-24

Cancer, 26, 29, 32 description of, 4

Capricorn, 26, 29, 32 description

of,

8-9

horoscope: casting of, origin of,

35-46 18-19

57

7

1

Horus, 16 hours of the day, 19, 28 houses, 32, 33, 38-42,

45-46

Nebo, 13, 23 Neptune, 26 Nergal, 13, 23

New

13,

North

23

Jupiter, 21, 26, 30, 32, 41

gods

24-25

Ninurta, 12

Iraq, 11 Ishtar,

Year's Day,

Ninib, 13, 23

20

India,

Star,

1

44

opposition,

identified with, 13, 23, 27,

personality types, 32, 33

30

Pisces, 25, 26, 29,

45

Kepler, Johann, kings, 12, 15,

description

16,

21-22

description

of,

Libra, 24, 26, 29,

1-2, 5

32

"signs"

of,

12-13

motions

13, 23

Mars, 26, 30, 32, 41

gods

30 identified with, 13, 23, 27,

moon, 25, 50

symbols of, 30-31 zodiac signs and, 23, 24, 26, 32 Pluto,

46â&#x20AC;&#x201D;47 26

Ptolemy, Claudius, 17-18, 21, 42 pyramids,

7

1

rising sign,

Roman

38

Catholic church, 20

Romans, 19-20 1

26, 31, 32, 41, 47-49,

identified with, 13, 14, 23,

mutable personality, 33

58

14, 17, 24, 27, 51,

Ra, 16

30 Mesopotamia, metals, 19, 32

gods 27

of,

identified with, 13, 23, 27,

Mercury, 26, 30, 32, 41

gods

25-26, 27-28, 31,

of,

52-53

plants,

Marduk,

43-46

40-42

33,

description of, 6-7 liver,

of,

influence

Leo, 26, 29, 32

32

10

planets, 1, 17, 19, 26, 40, 49, 50,

aspects Latin, 21

of,

sacrifice,

12

Sagittarius, 26, 29,

32

description of, 8 Saturn, 26, 30, 32, 42

gods 30

identified with, 13, 23, 27,

53

Taurus, 26, 29, 32

Scorpio, 26, 29, 32 description

of,

43 Shamash, 13,

description of, 3

7

Tetrabiblos (Ptolemy), 18, 21

sextile,

14,

23

signs of zodiac, 1-10,

tides,

22-24, 25, 32

trine,

47 44

ascendant, 38

body and,

Ur, 13

31, 32

colors of,

31-33 descriptions of, 2-10

Uranus, 26

elements and, 31, 32

Venus, 21, 26, 30, 32, 40, 42,

gender of, 31, 32 houses and, 33, 38-42, 45-46 personality and, 32, 33

properties of (chart), 32

25-26, 32 22-23, 28-29, 32

ruling planets of,

symbols tokens

of,

of,

square, stars,

description

of,

6

water, 31, 32

32, 33

Sin (Babylonian god), 13, 14,

50 gods identified with, 13, 23, 27, 30 Virgo, 26, 29, 32

23

44 49-50

16,

Sun, 25, 26, 30, 32, 40, 46-47, 49

weather prediction, 45, 48-49 zodiac, 24

Zu-en, 13

gods identified with, 13, 14, 16, 23, 27

59

__ Boston

>K mn!K\1 C

Ifo

Gemini Franklyn M. Branley is a man of many interests and accomplishments, particularly in the realm of the heavens.

Astronomer Emeritus and Former Chair-

man

of the

Amer^an Museum-Hayden

Planetarium, he has written numerous books on astronomy and other subjects for people of all ages. He is also coeditor of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out

Science book Dr.

York

series.

Branley holds degrees from

Columbia

University,

University,

New

and the State University of College live in

at

New

Sag Harbor,

Leonard Kessler pio in

Paltz.

is

and

his

York wife

York.

a witty, intuitive Scor-

who spends many writing

He and

New

New

hours absorbed children's

illustrating

books, as well as designing and painting.

He became

interested

children's

in

books as a result of teaching art to young people.

Mr. Kessler was graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with in fine arts, in

New

painting,

City,

New

Thomas

New

York

a degree and design. He lives

York.

Y.

Crowell

Established

1

S34