Born Under a Bright Star: Astrology in the Christian World
Astrology wasn't always forbidden.
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”
Genesis 1:14
Jesus was born under a special star. This star guided the “Magi” astrologers and shepherds in the fields to behold the King’s birth. When Jesus died, the sky darkened from noon to 3pm, denoting an eclipse. These heavenly signs prophesied that Yeshua had indeed returned.
Natural uses of astrology were accepted by the Catholic Church into the Renaissance period.
Fifteen Popes either were astrologers or studied astrology.
Saint Thomas Aquinas discussed astrology and its effects on humans and events in his work, Summa Theologica.
Catholic monks devised some of our current astrological house systems. There is a rich history in Catholic paintings, stained glass, church architecture and manuscripts depicting astrological symbols.
In the Book of Hours, artwork with zodiac signs and seasonal labors were depicted in its pages.
Chartres Cathedral in France
A common architectural feature in many church windows is that of stained glass Rosettes divided into 12 sections like a zodiac wheel.
Stained glass windows from the 13th Century at Chartres Cathedral in France depict the zodiac signs.
Chartres Cathedral also has an astrological clock on its exterior.
Synagogue at Hammath Tiberias
Astrological artwork can be found in Jewish synagogues as well. The synagogue at Hammath Tiberias was excavated by the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society in 1920-1921.
The mosaic floor they discovered depicts a Zodiac panel. Experts date this discovery as 4th century CE.
Astrology has been incorrectly established as off-limits to Christians.
This is largely based on faulty interpretations and the desire to control the populous.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states that “divination is the seeking after knowledge of future or hidden things by inadequate means. The means being inadequate they must, therefore, be supplemented by some power which is represented all through history as coming from evil spirits.”
Many bible quotes testify that God placed the stars in the sky, including Genesis 1:16-18. It says, "And God made two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness."
Some scholars believe that in Romans 10, Paul asked how it is possible that the entire world has been given the message about God and his word.
In Romans 10:18, Paul writes: “But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for ‘Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’”
What was Paul referring to?
The answer is found in Psalm 19: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. One day imparts that message to the next, and night conveys that knowledge to night. All this occurs without speech or utterance; no voice can be heard. Yet their message goes forth throughout the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”
Astrology is God’s story in the stars.
Astrology cannot be considered divination by the Christian biblical definition because it did not come from evil spirits. It comes from God’s creation. Astrology is the study of what God has placed for our understanding.
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. One day imparts that message to the next, and night conveys that knowledge to night.”
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Astrology goes back to Moses. History tells us the Hebrews got it from the Greeks. But I found a fascinating video years ago in which the author said the opposite and showed much evidence that not the Greeks but Hebrews had this information - which makes more sense to me. The biblical astrologers were given information about the star of Bethlehem. Much is kept from us.