It originated in Mesopotamia (c. 3rd millennium bc) and spread to India, but it developed its Western form in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. Astrology entered Islamic culture as part of the Greek tradition and was returned to European culture through Arabic learning during the Middle Ages.
Mesopotamia: The Mesopotamians not only invented astrology but also astronomy when they began studying the cosmos and recording the stars and planets. Scientific findings and observations came from the study of omens and eclipses.
The practice probably began as soon as humans first started to observe astronomical cycles, with some of the earliest evidence dating from the 3rd millennium BCE. Throughout much of history, and up until the 17th century, astrology was considered an academic discipline across much of Eurasia.
The earliest treatise on Jyotisha, the Bhrigu Samhita, was compiled by the sage Bhrigu during the Vedic era. The sage Bhirgu is also called the 'Father of Hindu Astrology', and is one of the venerated Saptarishi or seven Vedic sages.
One of the religions that influenced the zodiac was Taoism. In the Taoist beliefs, they use constellations and space to determine a person's "future." This applies to the zodiac because in Chinese astrology, they believe that the positions of the things in space can affect a person's destiny.
Believing in the power and authority of astrology goes directly against biblical wisdom and Scripture clearly states that chasing after false gods is a sin (Matthew 24:24, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Exodus 20:3). There is no biblical evidence that God has given authority to the stars or astrologists.
Although astrology is not generally permissible in Islam, early Muslims relied on the sun and moon to determine things important such as the direction of Mecca, fasting times for Ramadan, and the beginning and end of each month.
Most human civilizations – India, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Persia, among others – based their culture on complex systems of astrology, which provided a link between the cosmos with the conditions and events on earth.
Astrology has been rejected by the scientific community as having no explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientific testing has found no evidence to support the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions. Where astrology has made falsifiable predictions, it has been falsified.
Albumasur or Abu Ma'shar (805 - 885) was one of the most influential Islamic astrologers. His treatise Introductorium in Astronomiam (Kitab al-Mudkhal al-Kabīr) spoke of how '"only by observing the great diversity of planetary motions can we comprehend the unnumbered varieties of change in this world".
We have all of your answers, science has answers for astrology because astrology itself is entirely based on scientific calculations associated with planetary movements and constellations, it's all about studying the planets and it's movements that have been occurring over more than a hundred years.
The earliest recorded usage of astrology is around 1000 BC as part of a uncomplicated 'omen' divination system where various terrestrial, meteorological and astrological phenomena were combined to foretell the future.
Astrology in Rome
Like so much else, astrology came to Rome due to Greek influence. Among the Greeks and Romans, Babylonia or Chaldea was so identified with astrology that "Chaldaean wisdom" became the synonym of divination through the planets and stars. Astrologers became very much in vogue in Imperial Rome.
The connection between astrology and Egypt was already recognised in antiquity: the Egyptians were often credited with the discovery of astrology. The invention of the art was ascribed to the higher echelon of Egyptian society.
Astrology goes back to ancient times. There is no exact idea of who came up with the idea first, but one of the original regions that made astrology popular among its people was Greece. The concept of the connection between the position of the stars and the fate of a person is an irresistible idea to most.
The division of the ecliptic into the zodiacal signs originates in Babylonian astronomy during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. The zodiac draws on stars in earlier Babylonian star catalogues, such as the MUL. APIN catalogue, which was compiled around 1000 BC.
Here at NASA, we study astronomy, not astrology. We didn't change any zodiac signs, we just did the math.
If diagnosis is done carelessly or if the astrologer is not fully conversant with astrological techniques, the predictions may fail. For this, the science of astrology cannot be blamed because like any divine knowledge, astrology is complete in itself. It is only the human interpretation that can be questioned.
Astronomers study the actual stars and planets, but have found no evidence supporting astrological theories.
In ancient times, astrology often served as the foundation of religious beliefs, and you'll find ancient religions that used astrology such as Zoroastrianism and the religion of Mayans.
The original purpose of astrology, on the other hand, was to inform the individual of the course of his life on the basis of the positions of the planets and of the zodiacal signs (the 12 astrological constellations) at the moment of his birth or conception.
In addition to predicting meteorological events and guiding business decisions, astrology was used as a tool for both treatment and diagnosis of any number of aches and pains.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church maintains that divination, including predictive astrology, is incompatible with modern Catholic beliefs such as free will: All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future.
Astronomers base their studies on research and observation. Astrology, on the other hand, is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth.
No research has shown that the zodiac signs are truly accurate on a person's mood, attitude, or personality.