Where does the horoscope come from, and what exactly is it? Many of us ask ourselves this question. From the Greek, “horoscope” means observing or watching the hour. In astrology, the term refers to a prediction or forecast drawn up from the arrangement of the heavenly bodies in relation to the details of your birth.
Horoscopes are not recognised by modern science, as they offer no clear, indisputable proof that they can be verified.
Critics argue that astrologers exploit cognitive bias and deliberately use vague statements that apply to most of us.
Yet although science rejects astrology and horoscopes outright, horoscope predictions remain extraordinarily popular.
Most of what you read in newspapers or online consists of general descriptions of the zodiac signs and horoscopes for those signs.
Modern astrologers, just as they did centuries ago, focus above all on drawing up and interpreting individual horoscopes for individual clients.
Such a horoscope includes the positions of all the planets as well as many additional points of reference, such as the astrological houses.
Looking back, we know that horoscopes were being cast around 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Babylon and India.
What information is needed for a horoscope? The most important details are your date of birth, the hour and minute, and your place of birth (the town or city, so that its longitude and latitude can be calculated).
With this information, an astrologer can map out the whole of the enquirer’s life, describing their past, present and future in detail. The purpose of a well-prepared horoscope is to show a person their individuality and the life goals they should pay attention to in the future.
Many schools of astrology have existed for centuries. Each school approaches the horoscope differently and places a different emphasis on various matters.
Clearly, everything you see in the sky is in motion, which is why a horoscope refers to a single moment in your life. The point astrology takes as its reference is your exact date of birth. Further points of reference are events that have already taken place or are yet to come.
An individual astrological horoscope is based on the arrangement of the Sun, Moon and planets on the day and at the hour of birth, considered in relation to the place of birth.
Such a horoscope tells you about a person’s character, ambitions, plans, intentions and life goals. It also speaks of their weak points and offers warnings for the future.
Many people don’t believe in horoscopes, and it is only natural that those who know little about the subject and find it implausible hold a negative view of astrology. It is worth noting, however, that astrology is older than any religion in the world today. The only horoscope known to us was made 6,000 years ago, although researchers say that the Inca, Maya and Aztec peoples were also interested in horoscopes and in the influence of the heavenly bodies on our existence.
In every age, astrology has attracted the finest minds. Figures such as Pythagoras, Plato, Confucius, Galileo, Hippocrates, Newton and even Einstein took an interest in astrological knowledge.
Over the centuries, astrology has observed and studied the connections between people’s horoscopes and their characters, as well as the course of their lives.
It is also worth remembering that everything has a cause and an effect. The word “cosmos” means order. There is no room for chance in the cosmos, because then it would not be a cosmos but chaos. Thanks to this order, astrology can make its calculations and, through the horoscope, offer a faithful reflection of human life.
Astrology distinguishes 12 signs of the zodiac. They are:
- Taurus 21 April – 20 May
- Gemini 21 May – 20 June
- Cancer 21 June – 21 July
- Leo 22 July – 21 August
- Virgo 22 August – 21 September
- Libra 22 September – 22 October
- Scorpio 23 October – 21 November
- Sagittarius 22 November – 20 December
- Capricorn 21 December – 19 January
- Aquarius 20 January – 19 February
- Pisces 20 February – 19 March
These signs are divided into four groups.
The first, the Fire group, includes Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
The fourth, the Water group, is made up of Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio
Some groups get along with each other, while others don’t. Looking at the Fire group, you can see that it gets on with the Earth group. The Air group can agree with all the groups, but it fares best alongside Fire.
The Water group gets along with itself and with the Earth group.
The groups also act on one another. If incompatible groups overlap, conflict can arise in relationships between people.
In horoscopes you will often come across the word “Ascendant”. Put simply, it means the zodiac sign that was rising on the horizon at the moment of your birth. It is the most important element of the horoscope. It represents the sphere of the “self” – your very being.
Astrology in its practical form – the horoscope – is made up of several branches:
- Natal astrology – the influence of the planets on the individual
- Relationship astrology – how well two people are matched as partners
- Predictive astrology – identifying the possible future
- Horary astrology – answers specific questions, much like divination techniques such as tarot or the I Ching
- Electional astrology – shows the right moment in life to begin a new stage
- Mundane astrology – studies the influence of the planets on the fate of us all: the planet as a whole and individual countries.
