Astrology

Jean Limburg: The Anatomical Man, from the Book of Hours of the Duc de Berry, 15th century. The signs of the zodiac correspond to each part of the body, starting with Pisces, the feet, and working up their way to the head, with Aries, the ram, that has sacred connotations. In each top corner are painted the arms of the Duke of Berry. Each area is complemented by four Latin inscriptions describing the properties of each sign according to the four complexions (hot, cold, wet or dry), the four temperaments (choleric, melancholic, sanguine and phlegmatic) and the four cardinal points: "Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are warm and dry, choleric, masculine, Eastern" in the upper left; "Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are cold and dry, melancholy, female, Western" in the upper right; "Gemini, Aquarius and Libra are hot and humid, sanguine, masculine, Southern" in the lower left; "Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are cold and wet, phlegmatic, feminine, Northern" in the lower right.

Astrology (Greek: αστρολογία - literally the study of the stars, today strictly distinguished from the purely scientifically oriented astronomy - Greek: αστρονομία - literally the lawfulness of the stars) is based on the systematic interpretation of the relationship of certain cosmic constellations, especially the position of the planets in the zodiac, to the earthly life of man. The stars, however, only have an influence on the bodily and, to some extent, also on the soul members of man, especially on the astral body, which is burdened with karma, but not on the I, the spiritual core, in which the freedom of the human being is founded. About the meaning and limits of astrology, therefore, Thomas Aquinas already said:

„Most men follow sensuality, on which the heavenly bodies have an influence. Few are wise, so that they resist the passions. That is why astrologers can predict the truth in many cases, especially when the prediction concerns the general. They cannot, however, predict individual actions, because every man can resist passion in individual cases. That is why the astronomers themselves say that "the wise man rules the stars," in so far as he resists his passions.“

– Thomas Aquinas: Sum of Theology I, 115, 4

The origin of astrology

The origin of astrology lies in the Egyptian-Chaldean period.

„Then we come to the third post-Atlantean period, which we characterised yesterday as the one in which the souls were stimulated to their knowledge by the beings of power that shone forth from the stars, where the mystery of the world was no longer merely seen in the supersensible relationships of the being of time, but where one already entered into the senses and saw in the senses, in the course of the stars and in the writing which they inscribe in the space of the world, the harmonising, the melodising of world events. I would like to call this world view astrology. Chronology was followed by astrology. And all that the real, true chronology of Zarathustrism reveals, all that the real, true astrology of the Egyptian and Chaldean mysteries reveals, all that was stimulated by the mysteries that were active in the world through the threefold Christ-deed before the great Atlantean catastrophe.“ (Lit.:GA 149, p. 64)

Tropical and sidereal astrology

Jean Limburg: The Anatomical Man, from the Book of Hours of the Duc de Berry, 15th century, shows the connection of the human form with the signs of the zodiac.

The signs of the zodiac divide the zodiac into 12 sections of exactly the same size, each 30°. At the time of their naming about 2500 years ago, the signs of the zodiac were largely congruent with the corresponding constellations, if one disregards the different sizes of the individual constellations, which are not always exactly 30°. Due to the precession of the Earth's axis, the signs of the zodiac shift in relation to the constellations by one whole sign each in about 2160 years. Only after a Platonic world year of about 25920 years (= 12 x 2160) is the original state restored.

Occidental astrology, which is also called tropical astrology, traditionally continues to reckon with the original system of the signs of the zodiac, as it actually existed astronomically at the time around the birth of Christ, despite the shift in relation to the corresponding constellations. The tropical zodiac begins with the vernal equinox, which is invariably equated with the beginning of the zodiac sign Aries. In fact, however, the vernal equinox today is astronomically already far in the constellation of Pisces, (cf. Age of Pisces). The future entry of the vernal equinox into the constellation of Aquarius stands for the 6th cultural epoch that will soon begin (cf. Age of Aquarius). Tropical astrology has thus abandoned the spatial relationship to the actually visible constellations and instead orients itself to the course of the year, i.e. to a purely temporal rhythm. A spatial relationship does exist, however, in that the signs of the zodiac are determined by the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. The transition of the Sun to the North across the equator has Aries character and so do the following 30 days. The summer solstice of the Sun has the character of Cancer, and so on. It is assumed that the sky in the direction of the Sun has the quality of the signs of the zodiac in each case, but this is only a fictitious projection, since only the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun is relevant. For example, if Venus is in conjunction with the Sun, and the Sun has just moved northwards across the equator, then Venus is in Aries.

In Indian astrology, on the other hand, the signs of the zodiac are firmly linked to the constellations, which is why this is called sidereal astrology. In this system, the original direct spatial relationship of the zodiac signs to the constellations is preserved and they move together gradually through all seasons in the course of precession.

A mixed form was used by the now deceased Maria Thun to create her sowing calendar.

The meaning of the horoscope

In the horoscope (Greek:  ωροσκόπιο, via Latin: horoscopiumfrom Ancient Greek horoskopeion "the seer of the hours"), the position of the most important stars of our planetary system at a certain point in time is shown in their relationship to the zodiac from a topocentric point of view, i.e. related to a very specific earthly observation point. The angular relationships between the planets in the zodiac, the so-called aspects (from Latin aspectus = sight, view), are evaluated positively or negatively. Square (90°) and opposition (180°) are generally regarded as tense and problematic, trine (120°) and sextile (60°) as particularly harmonious, and conjunction (0°), where the forces of the planets come together, is also regarded positively, with a few exceptions.

„The compilation of the horoscope is based on the truth that the connoisseur of these things can read the forces according to which man finds his way into physical existence. A certain horoscope is assigned to a human being because the forces that have led him into existence are expressed in it. If, for example, Mars is above Aries in the horoscope, this means that certain Aries forces are not allowed to pass through Mars, that they are weakened. Man is therefore placed in physical existence, and the horoscope is what he follows before he enters into earthly existence. This matter, which seems so daring in our present time, should not be touched upon without drawing attention to the fact that almost everything that is now being done in this direction is the purest dilettantism - a true superstition - and that for the outer world the true science of these things has to a great extent been completely lost. One should not, therefore, judge the fundamental things which are said here according to what at present often leads a questionable existence as astrology.

What drives man into physical embodiment are the effective forces of the starry world. When the clairvoyant consciousness observes a human being, it can perceive from his organisation how this is actually a result of the interaction of cosmic forces. This shall now be illustrated in a hypothetical form, but one which corresponds entirely to clairvoyant perceptions.

If one were to take out the physical brain of a human being and examine it clairvoyantly as to how it is constructed, so that one would see how certain parts sit in certain places and send forth projections, one would find that the brain is different in every human being. No two people have the same brain. But imagine that you could photograph this brain with its whole structure, so that you would have a kind of hemisphere and all the details would be visible, and this would give a different picture for each person. And if you photographed the brain of a human being at the moment he was born, and then also photographed the celestial space which lies exactly above the place of birth of this human being, this picture would show quite the same as the human brain. Just as certain parts are arranged in the brain, so the stars are arranged in the celestial image. Man has in himself an image of the celestial space, and each has a different image, depending on where he was born, at this time or that. This is an indication that man is born out of the whole world.“ (Lit.:GA 15, p. 72f)

Literature

• Lars Steen Larsen/Erik Michael/Per Kjærgaard Rasmussen: Astrologie – Von Babylon zur Urknall-Theorie, Böhlau Verlag Wien/Köln/Weimar 2000, ISBN 3205991869
• Gisela Gorrissen: Astrologie aus anthroposophischer Sicht. Eine Einführung, Urachhaus Vlg. Stuttgart 2000
• Gisela Gorrissen: Astrosophie des Tierkreises und der Planeten. Der Mensch im Spannungsfeld zwischen Kosmos und Erde, Urachhaus Vlg. 2001
• Heinz Herbert Schöffler: Rudolf Steiner und die Astrologie, Vlg. am Goetheanum, Dornach 1996
• Heinz Herbert Schöffler: Gibt es eine anthroposophische Astrologie? Über die zwölf Häuser, Vlg. am Goetheanum, Dornach 1994
• Bernd A. Mertz: Grundlagen der klassischen Astrologie, mvg-Verlag, München 1996
• Dorothée Koechlin de Bizemont: Karma-Astrologie. Das Horoskop als Spiegel vergangener Leben, Knaur TB-Vlg., München 1985
• Werner Bohm: Sternenwirken im Menschenschicksal, Goldmann Vlg., München 1991
• Suzanne White: Neue Astrologie. Die 144 west-östlichen Tierkreiszeichen, Wilhelm Heyne TB-Vlg., München 1996
• Dane Rudhyar: Die Astrologie der Persönlichkeit: Ein neues Verständnis astrologischer Konzepte in Bezug auf zeitgenössische Philosophie und Psychologie. Chiron-Verlag 2001, ISBN 3925100636
• Dane Rudhyar: Das astrologische Häusersystem. Heinrich Hugendubel Verlag; Auflage: 4. Aufl. (1993) ISBN 3880340994
• Dane Rudhyar: Die astrologischen Zeichen. Der Rhythmus des Zodiak. Hugendubel Heinrich GmbH; Auflage: N.-A. (Januar 1996), ISBN 3880342075
• Liz Greene: Saturn. Hugendubel; Auflage: 8. Aufl. (1991) ISBN 3880340986
• Stephen Arroyo: Astrologie, Karma und Transformation. Die Chancen schwieriger Aspekte. Hugendubel,; Auflage: 12. Aufl. (1996), ISBN 3880347077
• Howard Sasportas: Astrologische Häuser und Aszendenten. Knaur (Januar 1987), ISBN 3426041650
• Thomas Ring: Astrologische Menschenkunde. Chiron; Auflage: 1. (2002), ISBN 3925100717
• Wolfgang Reinicke: Praktische Astrologie. So erstellen Sie ihr Horoskop selbst, Ariston Vlg., Genf/München 1991, ISBN 3720511510
• Software: AstroStar Profi 5.1, United Soft Media Vlg.(Lizenzausgabe der AstroGlobe GmbH, Freiburg), München 2013 (für WinXP/WinVista/Win7/Win8), - mit Begleitbuch des Astrologen Christopher A. Weidner
• [1] Mündliche Aussage von Rudolf Steiner 1910 gemäß "Der Europäer": Was sagt die Geisteswissenschaft zur Astrologie?
• Gunter Sachs: Die Akte Astrologie - Wissenschaftlicher Nachweis eines Zusammenhangs zwischen den Sternzeichen und dem menschlichen Verhalten, Goldmann Vlg., München 1997
• Rudolf Steiner: Die geistige Führung des Menschen und der Menschheit, GA 15 (1987)
• Rudolf Steiner: Lucifer – Gnosis. Grundlegende Aufsätze zur Anthroposophie und Berichte aus den Zeitschriften «Luzifer» und «Lucifer – Gnosis» 1903 – 1908, GA 34 (1987)
• Rudolf Steiner: Okkulte Untersuchungen über das Leben zwischen Tod und neuer Geburt, GA 140 (2003), ISBN 3-7274-1400-6 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Christus und die geistige Welt. Von der Suche nach dem heiligen Gral, GA 149 (2004), ISBN 3-7274-1490-1 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Zeitgeschichtliche Betrachtungen. Das Karma der Unwahrhaftigkeit – Zweiter Teil, GA 174 (1983), ISBN 3-7274-1740-4 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Heilpädagogischer Kurs, GA 317 (1995)
• Rudolf Steiner: Mensch und Sterne. Planeten- und Tierkreisentsprechungen in Mensch und Erde, Sieben Vorträge, ausgewählt und herausgegeben von Heinz Herbert Schöffler, Vlg. Freies Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2006

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.