This is what led to the foundational principles of astrology and its later formulization into the study of horoscopes. They then assumed that the next time these heavenly bodies moved in similar way, that similar results were to be expected. Whenever the stars moved a particular way, they observed the events that followed. Thus by carefully studying the movements of these bodies, they hoped to determine the “will of the gods” and thereby predict the future. Having established the significance of the heavenly bodies, they developed a belief system where the movements of the stars and planets were considered to represent actions or activities of the gods.

Therefore they named the sun, moon, and planets after their main gods and the stars after lesser deities. The importance of the heavenly bodies was usually given to them by their size, the sun being the largest and the moon second. Similarly, they also concluded that other heavenly bodies must also be equally important for the human beings in the way with which they impact them on a daily basis. It is believed that this ancient civilization had great respect for the sun, as it was clearly essential for their needs. Historians have traced the origins of astrology back to Babylon, approximately around 2000 BC. So in essence, a horoscope is the observation of the hour of birth of an individual, using it to make predictions about his future. In terms of its definition, a horoscope is described as “an astrologer’s prediction of someone’s future, based on the position of the stars and planets at the time of their birth” or alternatively, “a map or diagram showing the positions of the stars and planets at a particular moment in time”. However, despite their immense popularity, how authentic are horoscopes? What in fact, is their origin? And how are they affecting the lives of people in the 21st Century?Īccording to Chambers dictionary, the word “horoscope” finds its origins in the Greek words hora, meaning “hour” and skopos, meaning “observer”. If you were to visit an average bookstore, there too you would find dozens of books, readily available on the subject, predicting the lives of people one day at a time.

Same is the case for magazines, online web portals and morning shows on television. It is no secret that horoscopes and astrology have made their mark in popular culture, to the extent that almost every reputable newspaper today carries a daily section on horoscopes.

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