The first men who ever studied the stars in the heavens, thousands of years ago, believed that the stars were gods. They were known as astrologers which means “students of the stars.”   Such a belief paved the way to the deeper study of astrology that continues to this day.  Astrology falls in a category all by itself.  Somehow, some way, they are convinced that life in general is influenced by the positions of the stars in the heavens at the moment one is born, at which time, a horoscope is cast, figuring out the appearance of the sky at the time of birth.  Based on the horoscope,  the astrologer foretells the person’s future, his character, as well as the exact times that are considered propitious (lucky) or unlucky for him.  Apart from predicting what is in store for the person,  astrologers also predict future political events.

A French astrologer by the name of Nostradamus who lived about 400 years ago, (1503 to 1566), made a number of predictions that seemed to come true in the 20th century as well in the present.

Interestingly, kings and other famous people appointed astrologers to advise them on what exactly they should do. Today, many American newspapers allot spaces devoted to astrology. There are millions of books and magazines on astrology, many of which are widely circulated and sold.   Men of science give no credence whatsoever to such a study and consider it to be a superstition; even harmful.

Zodiac:  The zodiac is a name given to an imaginary circle in the heavens above the earth.  Within this circle, the sun, moon and some of the other planets are viewed at different times of the year, in different sections of of the heavens.  Constellations or groups of stars are displayed, each of which is given a name by the ancients. The zodiac is divided into twelve parts or “houses.”  Each of the twelve parts bears the name of the main constellation, or group of stars, seen in that part of the zodiac.  The names are as follows:

Aries, The Ram; Taurus, The Bull; Gemini, The Twins; Cancer, the Crab; Leo, The Lion; Virgo, The Virgin; Libra, The Balance; Scorpio, The Scorpion; Sagittarius, The Archer; Capricorn, The Goat; Aquarius, The Water-Bearer; Pisces, The Fishes.

The Zodiac circle is drawn with twelve sections, each of which has a special sign, representing the constellations in that section, a feature that is considered to be indispensable to the profession.