Astrology: Fact or Fiction
In Joanna Martine Woolfolk’s book titled The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need, she begins her introduction to the world of Astrology by using a Shakespearean example. A person’s Sun sign, or Zodiac, is like a character part given in a drama. Their life is a play that they enter into at the time of birth, and the role they are playing is their Sun Sign. To prove that the science of Astrology is a non-fictional study, she gives detailed information to the history and background of the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
The study of the Sun, Moon, and stars began before history was ever recorded. Traces of bones from the Ice Age show attempts to draw out the phases of the moon. Evidence of horoscope predictions has been found in Egypt dated before the pyramids were even constructed. In ancient civilizations, astrology and religion were almost always intricately linked. What we now call astrologers were known back in those times as priests. Egyptians, Druids, Hindus, and Incas were all sun worshipers. The center of their worship became observatories, built primarily to study and chart the skies. Today, however, mankind scrutinizes the idea of looking to the heavens for guidance, omens, or meanings. This is in all probability due to the fact that technology and modern science based on cold hard facts has dominated the way society thinks and functions.
The concept of a Microcosm, coined by Greek philosophers thousands of years ago, states that "everything in nature has a parallel in human beings, and thus mankind and the universe are linked together in a system of correlations" (Woolfolk). This shows that the Sun sign a person is born under does affect what type of person, emotionally and mentally, they are. For example, if a child is born between the days of March 21st through April 19th, they most likely will be an active, optimistic, excitable, and impulsive person. This is because they are ruled by the planet Mars, astrologically known as the Zodiac Aries.
The Sun sign is the dominant symbol to lead a person, just as the Sun is the core of our solar system. Within the space of a year the Sun moves through all twelve signs of the Zodiac, spending one month in each sign. In retrospect, Astrology led to the birth of Astronomy. There is nothing supernatural about casting a horoscope; most of it is done according to precise astronomical and mathematical principles. It is an undisputed scientific fact that the planets have a notable magnetic, gravitational and electromagnetic relationship to the earth. In all theories though, there are exceptions to every rule. Most people will read a description of their Sun sign and claim that some, but not all of it is true. This is where the Moon sign comes in.
The position of the Moon in your horoscope is second only in importance to the position of the sun. Most people’s Moon sign will be different than their Sun sign. The Sun sign is what is most visible on the surface and is what others see; the Moon sign is the part that is hidden, and is a person’s true nature. Most people will debauch astrology when their Sun sign reading is incredibly inaccurate, but this is usually because they fail to see the flip side of the coin. The author goes into describing this lesser known side of astrology by relating it to Sigmund Freud’s theory of ego and the id in human personality. According to Freud, " the ego is a person’s consciousness (symbolized in Astrology as the Sun), and the id represents a person’s instinct (the Moon)" (Woolfolk).
Every person is a complex and unique creature. Even if every detail is drawn from a Sun and Moon chart, some error is inevitable because human beings change every day and with every person they meet. Although tragedy and success alters who we are, the essential person, characterized by the Sun and Moon signs, remains fixed. No rules or restrictions to any science pertaining to human nature can be infallible, and astrology is science, not fiction.
