'There is a certain karma, a kind of destiny or synchronicity to the forces operating at any specific time period. Everything that happens at a particular moment shares the quality of the moment. Hence, in the moment of our birth can be read the quality of our life, just as the nature of a treee can be read in the seed from which it comes.

According to the ancients, time is a movement which possesses a certain rhythm. It is not an abstract vacuum as with Newton. It is the river of life that flows according to the music of the spheres. Time projects the plan of manifestation which eternalises as space. Time gives birth to, sustains and destroys all things, which are just but waves in its flow as it overflows eternity.' David Frawley, author of Astrology of the Seers

It goes without saying, no blog with a section on ancient spirituality can not talk about astrology, the most lingering part of ancient wisdom in modern culture, and so this is for those passionate astrologists and believers (over a third of Americans for instance!). After all, the impressive ancient pyramids and monoliths were generally all built with astrology as the primary motive and astronomy is ancient territory that has survived the modern age and has a huge following even today.

Some even argue astrology to be the original science, the oldest of the systems of knowledge devised by human beings, and that given it shows the basic language of cosmic energy, it can be used to help understand all spheres of life. Astrologists argue principally that our relationship with the stars mirrors our relationship with the cosmos, with our psyche and with our inner self.

The lightest aspect no doubt is the focus on animals as metaphors for what embodies the effect of time and space on earth, and that is what I focus on here. First, though I respect people who struggle to believe in things which are first and foremost unprovable but I want to warn against any condescending comments because many highly educated people took and take astrology seriously, from Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei; to scientists Isaac Newton, Kary Mulis and Carl Linnaeus; from Astronaut Edgar Mitchell; to former US president Theodore Roosevelt; to physiologist Carl Jung; to Arthur Conan Doyle; Nicola Tesla and JP Morgan. So equally this is a curious blog into what I believe to be the unprovable side of mathematics and spirituality for the modern mind. But I do wish to keep it light and fun with an overview of two of what I consider four main astrology movements, as I am not an expert astrologist and so the focus here will be on the symbols of astrology.

First, what do astrologists believe in? In short, practitioners of astrology believe that by studying the movements of the stars and planets and the patterns of the earth’s physical features, we can discover why we act the way we do, and even when and where to act in various situations, from moving house to dating. In this way it is similar to using the weather to decides actions, such as planting in spring and harvest in autumn, only with a focus on stars and light and human behavior.

Starting with the most famously followed Western astrology, the Babylonian zodiac. Lets take a look at the 12 star signs and know how they correspond with animals and your birth-date:

Aquarius (Water Bearer): January 20–February 18 Traits (Air) – Independent, Intellectual, Analytical, Eccentric, Non-Conformist

Pisces (Fish): February 19–March 20 Traits (Water) -Romantic, Imaginative, Pleasure seeking, Mystical

Aries (Ram): March 21–April 19 Traits (Fire) – Bold, Loyal, Positive, Impulsive, Stubborn, Restless, Adventurous

Taurus (Bull): April 20–May 20 Traits (Earth)- Dependable, Good Hosts, Stubborn, Romantic, Good with money

Gemini (Twins): May 21–June 21 Traits (Air) – Socially Adaptable, Witty, Impulsive, Curious, Dual Nature,

Cancer (Crab): June 22–July 22 Traits (Water) – Nurturing, Ambitious, Artistic, Emotional, Loyal

Leo (Lion): July 23–August 22 Traits (Fire) – Confident, Dramatic, Generous, Creative, Stable, High Sense of Honour

Virgo (Virgin): August 23–September 22 Traits (Earth)- Helpful, Perfectionist, Detail-oriented, Sensitive, Skeptical

Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23 Traits (Air) – Moral, Peaceful, Creative, Indecisive, Energetic, Self-Absorbed

Scorpius (Scorpion): October 24–November 21 Traits (Water) – Passionate, Goal-Orientated, Traditional, Unflappable, Self-Aware, Strategic

Sagittarius (Archer): November 22 -December 21 (Fire) Traits - Optimistic, Freedom-Loving, Philosophical, Adventurous, Intellectually Curious

Capricornus (Goat): December 22–January 19 Traits (Earth)- Hardworking, Practical, Wild Visionaries, Selective, Resilient

Moving to the East, the Chinese zodiac instead of providing a cycle for 12 different months in a year, provides a system that shows how ever 12-years each year is represented by a different animal. Legend says that people born in a particular year have similar traits to the animal that represents that year. These are as follows (starting 2022):

2020 – Year of the Rat (metal) - Smart, talented, hot-tempered, jealous, with a strong sense of self-awareness

2021 – Year of the Ox (metal) - Hardworking, active, always busy, and popular among friends

2022 - Year of the Tiger (water) - Has a strong sense of self-esteem and learning ability

2023 – Year of the Rabbit (water) - Gentle, amicable, able to adjust readily to different conditions, but with a weak mindset and principles

2024 – Year of the Dragon (wood) - Introverted, less enthusiastic, and lacking in good relationships

2025 - Year of the Snake (wood) - Orderly, intelligent, with a gift for appreciating the knowing celebrities and a refined taste

2026 - Year of the Horse (fire) - Smart, charismatic, lively, overflowing with enthusiasm, but stubborn

2027 – Year of the Goat (fire) - Amicable, frank, and honest, always making everything clean and tidy.

2028 – Year of the Monkey (earth) - Frank, optimistic, and fearless

2029 - Year of the Rooster (earth) - Lovely, generous, trustworthy, and popular with their friends

2030 – Year of the Dog (metal) - Broad-minded, amicable, and willing to help others

2031 – Year of the Pig (metal) - Conservative, desirable, cautious, and always ready to help others

Another notable Astrology calendar is the Vedic Astrology chart, which is fundamentally different to the Western Zodiac. The signs of the Tropical zodiac are based upon the equinoxes, not the fixed stars (Western astronomy). They measure the heavens according to the Sun-Earth relationship, not that between the solar system and the fixed stars.

The zodiac which corresponds to the actual constellations, or the fixed stars, is called the Sidereal zodiac. Vedic astrology uses this and so can be called cosmic astrology. Its signs are the stellar constellations. Its zodiac measures the relationship betweeen our solar sytem, the fixed stars and the galaxy itself.

A final and perhaps most captivating astrology calander is The Tzolk'in (Mayan and Aztec) Calander. The Mayans predicted the world ending and a new age beginning just at a time where it is most vulnerable and mad, that is now.

Source - https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/