In modern times, astrology has come to be seen as spiritual and dated, something fun to think about, but not a real science. The problem is one of perspective.
Life begins with an interaction between mass and energy. The sun heats matter, and matter creates systems capable of utilizing that energy. This concept is fundamental and infuses everything. Your mood, eating habits, leisure activities, clothing choices, and waking hours are determined by the interaction of the sun with the earth at various times of the year. We think of these patterns as external, perceiving winter as something which happens to us, not a basic part of our genetics, but your body is a system built to maximize efficiency on the earth's surface. Winter is not an externality, it is a pattern your body was designed to exploit.
When a baby is born in the summer, he begins to interact with a warm world. Summer babies absorb extra sunlight, drink milk made from blueberries, and celebrate their birthdays when friends and relatives can easily attend. These factors influence the child's health, emotions and personality. When enough people with summer birthdays compare notes, patterns emerge. These patterns differ from those observed in other humans whose early nutrition and experiences were formed in winter, spring, and fall. Ancient cultures noticed these patterns and tracked them using the position of stars as a ruler. Today this body of knowledge is called astrology, and it is used by every culture.
Americans read daily horoscopes, Hindus practice Jyotisha, and the Chinese assign animal-based personalities to the calendar year. These beliefs summarize observed patterns of behavior with data collected and refined since mankind's earliest days. To say that the position of the sun does not effect your daily life is to ignore the motivation behind your shoe choice, vacation plans, wedding date, and work week. And if the sun is that important, if it literally sustains and controls our world, what about the light from other stars? Is it inconceivable to imagine their energy affects our planet?
The world does not end at the border between atmosphere and space. We are part of a cosmic environment with cycles so long and unfathomable we are only beginning to understand how little we know, and the persistence of horoscopes across time and civilizations points to their importance. Humans do not abandon useful tools. The time and place of your birth matters. It is as much a part of you as the color of your hair. Astrology is not an ancient practice waiting to be forgotten, it is a sacred understanding that the time and place of your position in the universe is one of the most important factors in who you are and what you will become.
