Astrology
is a controversial subject. It is
looked upon as everything from total nonsense to some form of voodoo.
As someone who was “converted” to its legitimacy while attempting to
prove otherwise, I have always wondered why most Christian religions consider it
“evil” or something that originated with “the devil.”
As a truth seeker in all arenas, I couldn’t figure out why something so
useful for understanding people could be considered “bad,” and that was
while I was only tampering with the personality aspects (no pun intended) and
hadn’t even touched the predictive side!

I have never found a conflict with my Christian
beliefs. After all, the order and
beauty of the universe testifies to the hand of a Creator and to me the
additional “order” manifested by astrology is simply further evidence that
the cosmos did not randomly evolve. If
a message lies in their movement, I would expect it to be from God. Peter
Whitefield’s Astrology: A History goes
into vast detail regarding astrology’s Babylonian origins, continues through
the Renaissance and its varying cycles of acceptance and non-acceptance by the
Christian world. At first astrology
was entirely rejected as part of paganism, then further held at bay due to its
apparent conflict with the concept of free will. Gradually, it became more accepted and was considered
influence rather than destiny. Roger
Bacon (c. 1219-1292) was a Christian proponent who claimed that great events
chronicled in the Bible could be shown to coincide with astrological
conjunctions. He urged the church
to use astrology’s resources to plan strategies to defeat its Islamic enemies
and the Antichrist. Opinions varied
greatly over the centuries, however, and it wandered in and out of favor and was
never generally accepted. Differences
of opinion continue today, though modern Christian denominations are more likely
to condemn it than commend it.
I
inadvertently came upon evidence that astrology was not always verboten to
Christians while visiting the Notre Dame cathedral in Strasbourg, France. [NOTE:--This was not “the” Notre Dame Cathedral, which is
in Paris, but another one.] This
magnificent edifice evolved over nearly two centuries, from 1277 to 1439.
One of the features that makes it unique among
European cathedrals is its Astronomical Clock.
Anyone who thinks that people in centuries past were backward needs to go
to Europe and see the architecture and art. Imagine buildings that are still in
use after 2000 years, e.g. the
Basilika built by the Roman Empire in Trier, Germany that is currently in use as
a Protestant Church. The
engineering alone is astounding, especially considering they didn’t have
computers, much less CAD programs. But
I digress.
The
Astronomical Clock tells the year, month, day and hour, among other things, such
as the position of the planets and phase of the moon.
It’s an absolute engineering marvel.
The original version was built in the 1300s, which was replaced in the
1500s. That one ran for 200 years
until the cast-iron gears wore out, and a third version built in the 1800s that
still runs today. And there on one
of its many faces are the astrological symbols of the Zodiac.
When I realized what I was looking at I did a double-take.
The disparity of astrological symbols in a church provoked all the
questions that still cluttered my mind regarding why modern religions were
against it.
The
fact that there are still vast gaps between scientific and religious truths is
no secret. Galileo stirred the pot
centuries ago, as have various others. In
my mind, God and religion is all about truth and I don’t understand why
science is a threat. How many times
have we seen science make astounding, undeniable discoveries?
And eventually religion catches up, or occasionally prevails if the
theories prove wrong. Conversely, sometimes holy writ contains marvelous scientific
truths we’re still learning to understand, whether it’s the Bible Code or
the account of the Creation contained in the Book of Abraham in the Latter-day
Saint Pearl of Great Price that
implies Einstein’s theory of Relativity, millennia before its time.
At any rate, in a perfect world there should be complete reconciliation.
But there isn’t.
IMHO,
astrology is a gift from God. Much
like the Bible Code, anything that complex that has consistently worked as
advertised for millennia would have to be.
Not counting the daily horoscopes in the newspaper or online that are far
too global to have much meaning, personalized versions can help us understand
ourselves, others and human interactions. In its predictive capability it can give us warnings,
incentives and explanations for seemingly unexplained behavior or events on both
an individual and collective level. Can
people abuse this data? Of course
they can. Hitler used astrology,
which certainly didn’t help its reputation any.
But then he was into Old Testament religion, also, and that doesn’t
seem to keep people away from the Bible.
Will some people “blame” the configuration of the cosmos for their
misdeeds and misfortunes? Of course
they will. But that doesn’t make
astrology the cause. The
cause resides in the decisions people make, not the stars.
We
have our free will and can exercise it. We
can study what tendencies are in force astrologically and make better choices.
By being unaware of astrological influences we are far more likely to be
victimized, whether it’s by being too forceful because we have Pluto or Mars
conjuncting our Ascendant, or by buying a car or major appliance that’s a
lemon because Mercury is retrograde at the time.
Knowledge is power. With
more information we can make sounder decisions, understand human dynamics and
exercise our will in the wisest way. No
one knows why it works, but it does. And
has for millennia. Consistently. How
many other ideas can you name with a track record like that?
Perhaps
the objections arise because too much information precludes the need for faith,
which is the cornerstone of religion, Christian and otherwise (though few other
religions have a problem with it). Relying
on God exclusively for guidance is commendable, but the adage “God helps those
who help themselves” implies some degree of self-help.
And if the stars are God’s creation and thus deliver his messages
(after all, it was signs in the heavens that announced Christ’s birth) then
astrology should enhance faith, not threaten it.
If you have enough faith to have a constant, direct line to God for the
information you need on a daily basis, then you clearly don’t need astrology.
But few people are there yet.
Back to the message of the astronomical symbols in the
Strasbourg cathedral, it’s my opinion that in centuries past it was corrupt
religious leaders rather than righteous ones who removed this valuable tool from
our lives. Their own actions were
revealed which put them at a disadvantage.
How much of a stir was created by Gutenburg (who designed his “new
invention” while in Strasbourg) whose creation allowed copies of the
scriptures to reach Christendom as a whole?
How much power did that remove from the hands of religious leaders who
were playing out their own power-hungry agenda?
And how many other supposed “traditions” have been perpetuated
because subsequent leaders never questioned them?
How many other gems were lost in that same way?
Everyone agrees that the Bible was definitely tampered with during that
time. Some believe that specific
references to astrology in a positive sense were removed from the Bible with
various other truths.
I
have always sought my own truth and have been consistently led to the answers.
They are often unconventional and sometimes unpopular, but in my heart I
feel their validity. To me,
astrology is but another witness of God’s existence, His creations, eternal
plan, and love for His children. As
a loving God, He has given us numerous tools to help us achieve our life’s
mission. I am grateful for this
profound gift and how it makes my life not only easier to understand but more
meaningful; I am greatly blessed to be able to share this with others. It’s my understanding
that Christians seek truth and anything that can bring them closer to God by
helping them become better people. In
my experience, astrology easily qualifies.
NEXT:
Spirituality versus Religion
The History of Astrology