I personally categorize astrology (and things like it) as magical thinking. Astrology works because people think it does. Admittedly this is a naive point of view, since I know little about astrology, so maybe it is a prejudice. However...

Among all of the prominent teachers of reality-creation, I have seldom heard them even mention these kinds of devices; when they do, they describe them as negative attachments.

The real question is, is it all magical thinking?

Maybe the world is only as we see it, but I like to think that, while we are here, we live in a world that obeys certain principles that are consistent with themselves, and that, while we are here, we can (more or less) rely on these principles.

In other words, science works because it is reliable. Astrology doesn't because it isn't.

If the "prevailing wind" of your life that is your "fate" (I say that because you do have free will to change, but sometimes you're already moving headlong in a particular direction, and it may take awhile to turn the boat around) can be predicted, I am more inclined to think that it can be predicted more effectively by tapping into the Universal directly, rather than relying on artificial mnemonic devices like Astrology for guidance.

As to the predictive nature of the personality profiles associated with the astrological signs, it is pretty easy to test their effectiveness. All you have to do is give the profiles to a group of people in a classroom, but with the astrological signs randomly shuffled so that each profile is associated with a randomly-selected astrological sign. What you will find is that the predictive nature of the profiles is just as good as if you had given each person their "real" profile.

In other words, people identify and connect with the parts of the profile that apply to them, and conclude that the entire profile must be accurate.

Well a lot of things can narrow our character down and maybe even show us some parts of our future, but because of our free will to choose things constantly then the choices we make changes things from day to day from moment to moment.

But there are things and ways of maybe a guidance system, but it will not be an accurate system because of your choices you will or will not make.

The wise men did know of Jesus Christ's birth because of watching the sky and studying the stars; they say they were called magi. The angels told some people of the birth like the shepherds.

Sometimes you are revealed what you need to know at the time you need to know it. God knows all answers to all questions.

I too studied astrology for quite some time. The concept is that you have various "planetary" influences that direct your present inclinations.

For instance there was a particular constellation "rising" when you were born. Actually the constellation did not "rise" but it was on the horizon when you were born. This presupposes that we do know the exact moment of birth, because with 24 hours, the rising sign changes every two hours as the earth rotates.

My rising sign is Leo with Jupiter conjunct in the First House. So in a broad brush, what I show the world is a Leo type personality, bolstered by the planet Jupiter. I look like a Leo, tall, fair complexion. I like drama, acting and playing games.

My Sun sign is Scorpio. This has to do with underlying influences that would in a pure sense make me introverted. Somewhat of a conflict with my rising sign of Leo.

My moon is in Sagittarius, the religious mystic with a penchant for long distance travels.

I am painting with a very large, broad brush here and my definitions are about 35 years old when I studied astrology. But the foregoing can give a basic idea about astrology. The interpretation could be very complex. Where the planets appear, in which of your 12 houses as well as how the planets relate to each other. You might have two planets together, a conjunction (that could strengthen and support), or 180 degrees apart, an opposition (that could cause stress). You can also have a variety of other angles and deeper interpretations.

Drawing an astrological chart in those early pre-computer days, was a chore. A great deal of mathematics, base 12 and When I did charts for people I was quite accurate in interpreting them.

The idea was that once a person is aware that the astrology chart has certain aspects, they can compensate for their inclinations in those areas.

However, I consider Astrology, Tarot, I Ching and other divination methods to be methods to train yourself to be more in touch with your subconscious, inner self, or whatever you call it.

It is not an accurate representation of reality. The basic concepts have little to do with waht is actually going on in the sky. The basic mathematics governing how astrology is written derives from long ago. And these mathematics have been carried forward in time for a very long time, but do not account for the movement of our solar system, through the constellations, the precession.

So if you determine that you were born in the time when your sun sign is Libra, and you ask an astronomer what constellation was the sun in, at that time, you will get a totally different answer.

Does this invalidate astrology? No, it is still valid, but it is your mind, your connection with Source that is working. For instance I did a chart on a man. I interpreted it for him and he said I was very accurate. But as we finished, he took a more careful look at the chart and said that the year the chart was drawn for was NOT his birth year! Yet I was right on and meaningful! But my painstaking calculations were very much in error.

So, does astrology determine your fate? Your destiny? Maybe. If that is your focus, that belief, then it does.

I believe the planets are not close enough to have an "influence" on us. This doesn't negate astrology though and here is my reasoning on this. Right now we are moving, I am moving my hands typing this, the earth is moving the planets are moving, everything all together in perfect motion like gears all dependent on each other to turn. Now our bodies have these cycles called biorhythms, maybe there are different cycles that match the astrology signs. Since everything moves together then it can become possible to read of things in health of a person that could be inclined toward from the stars. This is not so much a prediction as much as saying it is a possibility that could plausibly manifest in your future some time so you may avert it.

Originally astrology was for medical diagnosis I have a very old book from a man that did this.

The Wise Men following of the stars is Astronomy. Astrology and Astronomy are not the same even though they pertain to heavenly bodies.

as family impresses by
acculturation, at first
breath stars endow a
vibrational greeting

unique for that time and place