Astrology
The ancient craft of astrology, is a based upon the premise that a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs that claim that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related angles can provide information about personality, human affairs and other "earthly" matters.
Astrologers
Myself and others in my field believe that celestial placements can aid in the interpretation of past and present events, and help to frame possible conditions for the future. But this is not prediction, it is about greater information and awareness.
Astrology and Science
By many the art form is considered a pseudo-science or superstition especially those in the scientific community and yet up until the scientific revolution of 1666, astronomy and astrological analysis were considered one and the same.
The word "astrology" comes from the Latin term astrologia ("astronomy") which in turn derives from the Greek noun αστρολογ?α: ?στρον, astron ("constellation" or "star") and -λογ?α, -logia ("the study of"). The word "starcraft" has also traditionally been used to describe this.
Those who believe...
A survey published in The Times revealed that around 25% of people actively believed and read their horoscope. However, earlier surveys have calculated a following closer to 60%.
Many educated people that I have got to know over the years have been very surprised to learn more about how the practice really works in our discussions, as opposed to their assumptions of what it was. Mind, not that I'm an evangelist, because I am anything but.
Knowing your natal chart gives you power
Indeed my own background in management and means that by nature I am a sceptical "cookie" yet, many thousands of hours of study and analysis have taught me to greatly respect, the power of knowing what is contained in your natal birthchart.
However, one of the biggest issues is when people challenge zodiac signs, with some believing that they are nonsense. It's true that there IS a lot of trivial stuff written, but no one believes that everyone, of any given zodiac sign, will have the same experience each day.
Myself and other astrologers do, I hope, skilfully show the backdrop energies that are "generally" at play, which can provide a small insight, and an emotional pit-stop in an otherwise busy day, week or month for people and you won't find me saying "now then Leo, you've been very naughty!" For your FREE NATAL Horoscope Wheel...
Astrophysics
In terms of how the movement of the stars affects us in the here and now, Dr Percy Seymour, then a physicist at Plymouth University in the UK, in his acclaimed work The Evidence of Science, found that planetary activity affecting the magnetic field on earth, WERE a very real factor.
The Lunar Cycle
Sun flare activity too, is incredibly powerful. The world is governed by magnetic poles, or else we'd all spin off into space. Furthermore there are tides, the lunar cycle which fits closely with women's menstrual patterns, and navigation which are all closely linked to planetary movements, so the surprise to me is that so many "educated people" are the biggest doubters.
So by gaining an awareness of how planetary movements affects we are not using an emotional Sat Nav, but just an old fashioned road map, one which gives a general idea of the route we may take. At the end of the day, it's our own choices and decisions which are so key and there are many different ways of reaching our destination. We don't need to be be ruled by a belief in the stars, but enjoy the fun of it, and continue to work on our personal development and taking as much responsibility for our lives as we can.
So while astrology looks to keep us informed, and there can be fortunate phases, but that old saying is equally true, "the harder we work, the luckier we get".