Time is the realm of astrologers. This chart represents the times of day and 12 divisions of a year as well as the symbols and names of the twelve signs of the zodiac.
Time is the realm of astrologers. Time is ordered by the circling of the planets, the rotation of the earth, the phases of the moon. Astrologers kept track of these cycles of time in ancient societies. To mark the cycles, ancient peoples built temples and pyramids, erected stone altars or inscribed rocks.
Because time is the realm of astrologers, astrology has been called the “clock of destiny”.
As beginning astrologer, I was fascinated by the connections of the astrological transits to things that happened in my life. In addition, I easily saw astrological correlations in the lives of family members. Whether real or not, the correlation between celestial events and human ones is the basis for predictive astrology. At times, the practice of astrology has been forbidden, based on a belief that astrologers could predict when a ruler would be vulnerable to harm by enemies. Dating back to at least Roman times, royal astrologers served the ruler and not the general public.
One role for astrologers in India is to pinpoint auspicious (favorable) times for certain activities. Astrologers assist people who want to marry by helping in the selection of a suitable marriage partner. People seek their advice for the correct amulet, prayer or gem that can ward off danger during inauspicious times. In the West, however, though Christianity acknowledges that astrologers from the “east” came to honor the baby Jesus by following his star, detractors have often vilified astrology through the uneven course of its history.
The gods of the “Hindu” pantheon are visible everywhere in Bangalore, a city in the southern part of India. I am reminded of the verse of the Bhagavad Gita, wherein Krishna states his amazing attributes, among them: “Time I am…”. India held to ancient traditions which, in most parts of the world, were overwhelmed by the “scientific” views of the modern era centuries ago. But time has cycles and what was once old is now new. Interest in astrology is waxing like moon!
Visits to Egypt in 1961 and 1965 inspired this blog post. It’s been many years since those visits. I am sure that Egypt has changed a lot in the past 55 years, just as everywhere has changed. Though I’ve spent most of my travel time in other locations, I would love to go to Egypt again. Because I love to travel, visit museums, read history and prehistory, and admire beautiful buildings, Egypt is a choice destination. Egypt has all that and much much more.
Egyptian people forged their identity long ago, long before the Arabs swept through to disseminate the religion of Islam and the Arabic language. While Arabic is the main language of Egypt, our Egyptian friends explained that they consider themselves to be “Egyptian” rather than Arab.
The annual flood cycle enabled agriculture in a rainless desert. During my visits to Egypt, farmers still used the shaduf – a human-powered device that transfers water from the river to the fields. The beautiful green along the Nile contrasted greatly with the beige desert beyond. Away from the Nile River, the land was extremely dry. You can see how barren and dry the ground is in the picture of barefooted young men, taken at Luxor, 1961.
Cairo is a gigantic city
Cairo had over 4 million inhabitants in the 1960s when I was there. Because I stayed in a hotel above Midan El Tahrir (Tahrir Square), I was close to the Egyptian museum and a short walk from Nile.
You must visit the Egyptian Museum
When you go to Cairo, visit the Egyptian museum! The museum houses thousands of years of artifacts – statues, jewelry, and the fascinating small models of everyday life that were placed in the tombs to accompany the deceased and serve them in the afterlife. Although styles somewhat changed over the millennia, the elements of design remained recognizably and consistently “Egyptian”.
Hire a Guide!
We had a wonderful guide in Luxor and Thebes in 1961. I scanned this photo, and others, from slides in 2006.
To get the most out of your visit to the monuments, it’s a good idea to hire a guide. We found that the guides in Egypt take great pride in their work and are knowledgeable in explaining the monuments and the rich history of Egypt. During our time in Luxor, my mom and I had an amazing guide who spoke seven languages and captivated us with his extensive knowledge and fascinating stories about each monument and their builders.
Cairo has an impressive university
Cairo is the home of what has been claimed to be the biggest university in all of Africa, the Al-Ahzar University and Mosque complex. Students from all parts of Africa and the Muslim world study there. We met students there from countries south of the Sahara, including South Africa.
During Ramadan, in the winter of 1965-66, we found the streets alive after sunset. I remember going out for food at 3am. Everything was alive with color and sound and people were everywhere. That night we ate fatira, a kind of thin pancake with a sweet sauce. From the hotel room windows we had a view of Midan el Tahrir square (which is really a circle) right below. Buses, cars and carts passed by day and night. The sounds of the clip clop of horses, harnessed to the their flat bed carts, were common. One day, walking along the street near the square, we were offered a ride and we accepted. This was my first and only ride on the slow moving horse drawn cart. It is but one example of the kind and open generosity that we experienced there.
Looking in a different direction from El Tahrir square we could see the extent of the city. The view below is of the closely packed buildings as they were in 1965.
Cairo in 1965 was a lively and densely populated city. Memories brought by looking through my photos of my visits to Egypt in 1961 and 1965 inspired this blog post
Astrology was the “queen of sciences” of our ancestors. Its practitioners enjoyed high status as wise men or scientists in their societies. Though techniques and meanings varied, many complex organized societies had specially trained astrological specialists. Timing agricultural rites, predicting events, matching suitable marriage partners, determining the course of disease or the fate of an invading army were their specialties. Therefore these wise men had a role akin to scientist/priest. We call them astrologers now. Because their knowledge was so vital to their societies, we say that astrology was the Queen of Sciences of our ancestors. The art of astrology illuminated how the celestial sky interacted with the people and their society.
Eventually scientific advancements revealed that the earth is not the center of the solar system. Consequently, astrology slowly morphed into two disciplines, astrology and astronomy.
In the past, there was no distinction between astrologer and astronomer.
Astrologers were aware of the movements of the planets, the cycles of eclipses, and much more. Vestiges of their ancient observatories are scattered around the globe. Mexico has a few, such as those at Monte Alban and Chichen Itza (shown above). Simpler indications of astronomical observations are inscribed rocks. I visited this one at Rio Puerco Pueblo site in Arizona. The crevasse has an incised spiral that is illuminated during summer solstice. Although we don’t have written documentation, the incised rocks and the purposeful orientation of the monuments tell us a story in stone.
Imagine a world without electric lights, the sky nearly black on a moonless night, thousands of brilliant stars scattered across, with brighter glowing orbs moving slowly against the backdrop of stars. Quiet figures scan the darkness, deciphering the patterns of movement of the wandering planets. These seers in the night build predictive systems over long centuries.
Astrology was the Queen of Sciences of our ancestors. Our ancestors had the vast canopy of stars, undiminished by electric lights, above them
The birth horoscope is a map of the sky at the moment of a person’s birth.
To an astrologer, this chart reveals this individual’s personality in great detail.
The birth horoscope is actually a map of the sky at the moment of birth. I view the birth horoscope as key to personality and potential. Consequently, for viewing past conditions and forecast possibilities the natal chart is essential. The accurate natal chart is key to the rest of the life story.
Scientists, astronomers and mathematicians now and in times past developed the charts and tables that astrologers use for their calculations. Astrological software programs make it simple to do the calculations. This ease in calculation enables the insights provided by astrology to be appreciated by an ever-wider audience. What was once the purview of only a few, is now accessible to the many. For that, I am grateful.
