2017 is a good year for everyone who was born between November 22 and December 21, that is, under the sign of Sagittarius, half human, half horse, according to the myth.
Circle of life
Modern astrology in the form of an annual, monthly, or daily horoscope, as we know, is based on a celestial coordinate system known as the zodiac. It is a Greek word that means "circle of life." And although astrology is believed to have originated in the third millennium BC, it most likely began as soon as the ancient people made the first conscious attempt to measure, record and predict the seasonal changes that they observed each year.
Unlike modern times, where the idea of star signs and horoscopes is often viewed with skepticism, prior to the 17th century astrology was viewed as a scientific tradition. Then her concepts were used in alchemy, mathematics, meteorology and medicine. She was even accepted in political and cultural circles.
But by the end of the 17th century, new scientific concepts in astronomy undermined the theoretical foundations of astrology, which ultimately lost out. This is what influenced the modern status of astrology, which many call pseudoscience, because there are not so many people who would fully believe in the events predicted by it.
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Ancient astrologers
Medieval astrologers told stories, trying to find out something real about the world in which they had to live. But at the same time, they were similar to modern mathematicians, as they made predictions that they hoped could be verified.
One of the earliest Christian authors, Origen, alludes to the presence and pursuit of knowledge about the future that astrologers provide. Origen, who had an uneasy relationship with Christian orthodoxy, speaks of a person's "insatiable desire" to know his future. He complained about the Old Testament of the Israelites, which prohibited "pagan" methods of divination, including astrology, and argued that to understand their future, these people turned to their prophets and the stories they told. Although this was convenient for Origen, as he claims that they predicted the coming of Christ.
Condemnation and skepticism
Several centuries after Origen's death, the bishops at the 561 Christian Council condemned medieval astrologers and their stories for their implicit assumption that the future could be told by looking at the stars. This raised the issue of free will.
Throughout history, astrologers and their stories have been condemned many times. Frequent criticism only makes sense in the context of the spread of astrology in the daily life of the early Middle Ages. In the end, you can only refute what is being practiced.
A tool in the hands of the rulers
Part of the problem was that astrologers' stories and their horoscopes can be dangerous weapons in the hands of kings and emperors. They can use them as monarchist manifestos that describe the tone of their rule. But the meaning of the story, as you know, is perceived in different ways by the listeners.
Astrology in the Middle Ages took an ambiguous position, it could be treated with disdain, but at the same time it caused a general innate desire to know what will happen in the future. She told stories about the world and the lives of people in it, which hinted at true desires and motivations.
What were the predictions of the bishop-astrologer
Nevertheless, amazing stories also happened. For example, Bishop Pierre d'Ailly, who lived around the 1400s, was also an amateur astrologer. And this at a time when the church faced a problem that threatened to tear it in two. The Great Schism was the result of the Pope's desire, and it caused turmoil in the Church and throughout Europe.
In addition, the beginning of centuries and millennia, as a rule, makes people think about stability in the world and its possible end. D'Ailly looked into the night sky, but did not see fire and curses in the near future. Instead, he suggested that the end of the world would happen in the distant future, so other generations would worry about it. Based on his observations of the stars, D'Ailly spoke to everyone who wanted to listen to his comfortable truth: the stars tell us to work on and do something good for this world. And who could argue with that?
What's behind reading the future
For D'Ailly, the prospect of an imminent apocalypse meant the need to repent and pray, and perhaps abandon the institutions that slow the development of our world. At this time, D'Ailly hoped that the world would not disappear, the church would heal after its recent division and continue to do what is good at it, namely, to save souls. Of course, this hope was dictated by an innate human desire for a sense of control in a world of disorder. A person needs to hold on to something when only doubts await him.
Of course, human history is full of predictions about the future, and 2016 showed us that the world is still full of surprises. Thus, although these days not everyone looks to the sky to find explanations for earthly events, as our ancestors did, perhaps we should look into the past to understand people's desire to find the cause of illogical events.
Although astrology has a somewhat problematic relationship with modern science, many predict that 2017 is likely to be filled with as many upheavals as any other.