Many people have speculations about astrology. But astrology continues to gain popularity. 40% of Americans believe there’s scientific evidence to prove astrology’s effectiveness.
So, what is astrology? In its simplest form, astrology is the study of movements and positions of celestial bodies. This is dictated by our astrological signs or the position of the sun and moon during our birth.
The belief is that these movements affect us and nature in many ways. This includes influence in our lives, our personalities, and some even believe astrology can predict future events.
So, how does astrology work? Here’s how you can use astrology to empower your life.
The History of Astrology
Astrology has an incredible history. The study of astral and celestial bodies dates back to the Mesopotamia and Babylon era, all the way to 3000 BC.
These groups started observing the sky and the celestial movements. These observations not only introduced astrology but also introduced the study of modern-day astronomy.
The Babylonians created what is known today as the zodiac, which is a belt divided into 12 equal divisions, or the different astrological signs.
The Greeks took this belief a step further. Ptolemy created the Ptolemaic System.
He claims the earth is the immovable center of the universe and the sun, moon, and five planets are attached to crystal spheres that dictate the movements of these bodies.
Today, we know Ptolemy’s theory isn’t true. But his text led future astronomers to study our celestial bodies in depth.
How Does Astrology Work?
When thinking of astrology, most people think of the horoscope. A horoscope is a chart that shows the location of the heavens at a particular moment. For most, that moment is one’s birth.
Astrologers believe that person will carry certain influences from the heavens throughout their whole life.
These influences are dictated by one’s sun and moon sign. These are broken into the 12 zodiac signs:
- Aries
- Taurus
- Gemini
- Cancer
- Leo
- Virgo
- Libra
- Scorpio
- Sagittarius
- Capricorn
- Aquarius
- Pisces
Most horoscopes are determined by one’s sun sign. This is the position of the sun during your day of birth. Your sun sign dictates your personality and the sun is the main sign influence that directs you throughout the celestial positions.
Fortunately, the sun stays in a similar position throughout one month; as long as you know your birth date, you can figure out your sun sign.
However, some people are born on a cusp, meaning the sun changed positions on their day of birth).
There is also the lesser known moon sign. The moon sign dictates your inner mood and your emotions. Figuring out your moon sign is a little more tricky.
You’ll need your birth date but also your time of birth. That’s because the moon changes position every two days.
What About the Horoscope?
When you search for “horoscope,” you’ll find many different horoscopes that correlate with your sign. These include daily horoscopes, monthly horoscopes, yearly horoscopes, love horoscopes, career horoscopes, and many more.
We mentioned at its simplest, the horoscope is a chart that documents the position of celestial bodies at a given moment, which is usually your birth.
Astrologers believe these positionings determine many details, such as the subject’s personality, their life, and even their future.
There are different types of astrology, the most common one is natal astrology. Astrologers use the celestial positioning at birth to make predictions based on a given day, year, your love life, your successes, etc.
The most accurate predictions include not only the sun’s position but also the moon’s position and even the positions of the other planets.
But most only use the sun’s position to represent their horoscope. You’ll search for your horoscope based on your sun sign and read the predictions the astrologer provided.
The Benefits of Astrology and the Horoscope
Many people are quick to debunk astrology and there’s no scientific evidence of its effectiveness. But this doesn’t mean astrology can’t benefit our lives.
First, astrology helps us better understand ourselves.
Even if you don’t fully believe in astrology, you can’t deny your personality is similar to your sign. In addition, astrology gives us better insight into others in our lives, such as our significant others, our family, and our friends.
This goes on to our next point. Many people use astrology to determine their relationship compatibility.
Love horoscopes are the most common example. You can enter your sun sign and your partner’s sun sign to determine the success of your relationship.
Love relationships aren’t the only type of relationships you can measure compatibility. You can use relationship compatibility horoscopes to determine your relations with friendships and even business relationships.
Finally, horoscopes help us look into the future.
None of us knows what the future has in store for us. While these predictions may not come true, they help us prepare for future events by explaining what energies lie ahead and what we can do to prepare.
How to Read Your Horoscope
Most people can do a quick Google search and find a myriad of websites that offer free horoscopes.
But some prefer reading their natal chart and making the predictions on their own. This will take some studying and some time, but anyone can gauge their life on a natal chart.
If you want a professional horoscope reading, there are many astrologers who can help you out. Click here to find professional horoscope and astrological readers.
Your Horoscope Says to Read Our Blog!
There’s lots of skepticism about astrology. How does astrology work? Astrology is more complex than many people may think. It has a rich history, pre-dates modern astronomy, and believes celestial forces can guide us through life.
Most people use astrology in the form of horoscopes. Horoscopes can determine many aspects of our life, such as relationship compatibility and even what to expect in the future.
Overall, horoscopes help us understand ourselves and our lives. There’s another way to seek guidance in life. Read our blog for more life advice!