astrologie

Astrologie, or astrology, is a belief system that posits a relationship between the positions and movements of celestial bodies and events on Earth. Practitioners interpret the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars to infer personality traits, life patterns, and potential outcomes. Common tools include natal charts and horoscopes.

Historically, astrology has ancient roots in Mesopotamia and Egypt, was refined in Hellenistic Greece, and spread through the Roman world. It later evolved in the Islamic world and in medieval and Renaissance Europe. Distinct traditions include Western astrology, Indian or Jyotisha, and Chinese astrology.

In Western astrology, a birth chart or nativity is calculated from the date, time, and place of birth, mapping planets to twelve houses and zodiac signs. Common tools are Sun signs, planetary rulerships, aspects, and progressions. Horoscopes are generated for daily, weekly, or monthly guidance.

Jyotisha, or Hindu astrology, emphasizes the sidereal zodiac, planetary periods (dashas), and lunar mansions (nakshatras). Chinese astrology centers on cyclical patterns of animals and elements and the lunar calendar, typically displaying fortunes over a twelve-year cycle.

In modern science, astrology is regarded as a pseudoscience because its claims are not supported by reliable evidence. Nevertheless, astrology remains culturally influential and is used for personal reflection, entertainment, and in media. Critics point to cognitive biases, vague statements, and the lack of falsifiability.

Astrologie continues to be studied as part of the history of belief systems and cultural studies.