I don’t actually go into technical things as a matter of course, but often these subjects do help a technical practice anyway. The biggest shocker may be this, astrology is not about the stars. Astrology is in essence the same sort of discipline as feng shui or other forms of natural study. It’s based on the realization that our world, our very universe itself, operates as a whole. That whatever sets order to the stars operates on our planet also and even in our minds. Astrology itself is a whole language of symbolism that has made record of cycles that have repeated themselves in the world for a very long time.
Astrology was held in common with many survival necessary bodies of knowledge and calendars were made by astrologers not scientists. Though in times past there wasn’t any difference. Astrology itself is both a history of the worlds development both in thought and in observing natural rhythms. Even sociologists observe that any given year has a certain character that does indeed effect everyone born in that year. It is part of your experiences.
Does this include the Mayan calendar? Yes, and they had star signs connected to it and there were multiple cycles in each season.
Reminds me also of the Chinese with “year of the rat”, etc.? Yes. In the Chinese system they have not only a lunar calendar, but a cycles based one based on the motion of the outermost planet they could observe at the time. They noticed it had a very slow cycle, but that it did still complete a cycle of the sky. Much of Taoist lore is astrological. They were very concerned with it.
The Arabs used fixed stars? Their systems did differ, though in my experience they don’t run counter. Nor does the Arabic with the Mayan. If anything is out of kilter it’s the Gregorian calendar which was more the product of politics than natural observation.
Is it because they were nomadic, where as farming communities had different needs? Excellent observation, but some of what could be considered middle eastern cultures were farmers and still used the fixed stars of the Arabic system. In Egyptian astrology, I was born under the sign of Anubis. For the Egyptians they even tracked the hours of the day and night.
Feng shui even follows the pulse or rhythms of chi, in part through the use of astrological observations. They are very concerned with the constellation Draco though I’m not sure why.
How did they determine those linkages? Some of it was natural magic. We knew Mars was red before we ever landed the probe. Some of it is an observation, “Hey look everyone’s being crazy and the red star is in the sky.” So just drawing simple connections. Also color affecting psychology has been proven even outside of metaphysical practices. They also sighted things we just recently located. Our ancestors didn’t ignore feeling. They didn’t have GPS systems and what not. Feeling was often the difference between life and death.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~