What’s Wrong with Astrology?

The zodiac is simply the path of constellations visible from the Earth through which the sun appears to travel throughout the year. So the zodiac year begins with the time of the spring equinox when the sun is in Aries and continues on. Thus the zodiac has been used always in Christian symbolism to indicate the seasons and the passage of time.

The zodiac is also important for traditional, pre-modern views of the universe and of human anatomy as well as of agriculture, since the different zodiac signs were thought to have different effects on the human body: for example, Taurus rules the throat and Scorpio the genitals, by the mediation of the sun, and based on the different sun signs planting and harvesting, as well as fermentation projects, were taken up taking the position of the stars into account. Thus even today you can buy the Farmers’ Almanac that carries information about when and where to plant based on the celestial bodies.

Yes, this is old-fashioned astrology, but it is not contrary to our Faith since it does not imply any denial of human free will or fated destiny. Astrology in its Christian use did not imply any denial of God’s providence or our freedom, but it declined really only because it was understood to be no longer scientifically valid. Even today not everyone is of this opinion. Thus Sacred Scripture written in ancient times assumed the science of the time of their writing to be the standard of expression for certain truths. The Savior even chose to be born under the sign of a miraculous star and to be found and adored by Eastern practitioners of astrology.