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Assignment 2 | Breanna Nowen

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This Britannica Encyclopedia goes into depth explaining what Astrology is and how it works. Articles in this website include information on the Nature and Significance such as Purposes of Astrology and Significance of Astral Omens. As well, the website includes information on Historical Development such as Astrology after the Hellenistic Period, Astral Omens in the Middle East, Astrology in modern times and more. This is a very professional website that includes an abundance of information and accurate content regarding Astrology.

CONNECTION:

The original purpose of astrology is to inform individuals on the course of their life on the basis of the positions of the planets and of the zodiacal signs (the 12 astrological constellations) at the moment of his birth or conception. This gives people an EMOTIONAL CONNECTION to their zodiac sign since they want to believe that their zodiac is the reason for why they are the way they are, even though it's not 100% proven to be accurate. It gives people clarity for the reasons why they're happy or sad, and they can even blame their zodiac sign on the times they have been in the wrong. Therefore, people have a strong emotional connection to their signs and will stand by their zodiac sign while turning a blind eye to the fact that the information behind it could be false.

I believe this website has a connection with CLAIRVOYANCE, though there isn't a specific physical person that is telling the future but instead the stars and the zodiac constellations are able to tell things to people about their future. Horoscopes are made to tell a person exactly how their day, week, or month is going to be and the ups and downs that are going to happen to them. This connects with Clairvoyance since it gives people the ability of clear-sightedness, and the ability to see events that are distant in time or space. Horoscopes and Zodiac Signs predict events that can happen in peoples futures.

The website also explains some of the history about how Astrology has evolved, this connects to the red flag ANCIENT WISDOM. In Ancient China, noblemen looked at eclipses or sunspots as portents of good or bad times for their emperor, though it’s thought that those signs had less application to the lives of other individuals.

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astrology, type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Devotees believe that an understanding of the influence of the planets and stars on earthly affairs allows them to both predict and affect the destinies of individuals, groups, and nations. Though often regarded as a science throughout its history, astrology is widely considered today to be diametrically opposed to the findings and theories of modern Western science.

Nature and significance

Astrology is a method of predicting mundane events based upon the assumption that the celestial bodies-particularly the planets and the stars considered in their arbitrary combinations or configurations (called constellations)-in some way either determine or indicate changes in the sublunar world. The theoretical basis for this assumption lies historically in Hellenistic philosophy and radically distinguishes astrology from the celestial omina (" omens") that were first categorized and cataloged in ancient Mesopotamia. Originally, astrologers presupposed a geocentric universe in which the "planets" (including the Sun and Moon) revolve in orbits whose centres are at or near the centre of the Earth and in which the stars are fixed upon a sphere with a finite radius whose centre is also the centre of the Earth. Later the principles of Aristotelian physics were adopted, according to which there is an absolute division between the eternal, circular motions of the heavenly element and the limited, linear motions of the four sublunar elements: fire, air, water, earth.

Special relations were believed to exist between particular celestial bodies and their varied motions, configurations with each other, and the processes of generation and decay apparent in the world of fire, air, water, and earth. These relations were sometimes regarded as so complex that no human mind could completely grasp them; thus, the astrologer might be readily excused for any errors. A similar set of special relations was also assumed by those whose physics was more akin to that of the Greek philosopher Plato. For the Platonic astrologers, the element of fire was believed to extend throughout the celestial spheres, and they were more likely than the Aristotelians to believe in the possibility of divine intervention in the natural processes through celestial influences upon the Earth, since they believed in the deity's creation of the celestial bodies themselves.

The role of the divine in astrological theory varies considerably. In its most rigorous aspect, astrology postulates a totally mechanistic universe, denying to the deity the possibility of intervention and to man that of free will; as such, it was vigorously attacked by orthodox Christianity and Islam. For some, however, astrology is not an exact science like astronomy but merely indicates trends and directions that can be altered either by divine or by human will. In the interpretation of Bardesanes, a Syrian Christian scholar (154- c. 222)-who has often been identified as a Gnostic (a believer in esoteric salvatory knowledge and the view that matter is evil and spirit good)-the motions of the stars govern only the elemental world, leaving the soul free to choose between the good and the evil. Man's ultimate goal is to attain emancipation from an astrologically dominated material world. Some astrologers, such as the Harranians (from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Harran) and the Hindus, regard the planets themselves as potent deities whose decrees can be changed through supplication and liturgy or through theurgy, the science of persuading the gods or other supernatural powers. In still other interpretations-e.g., that of the Christian Priscillianists (followers of Priscillian, a Spanish ascetic of the 4th century who apparently held dualistic views)-the stars merely make manifest the will of God to those trained in astrological symbolism.

Significance of astral omens

The view that the stars make manifest the divine will is closest to the concept that lies behind the ancient Mesopotamian collections of celestial omens. Their primary purpose was to inform the royal court of impending disaster or success. These might take the forms of meteorological or epidemic phenomena affecting entire human, animal, or plant populations. Frequently, however, they involved the military affairs of the state or the personal lives of the ruler and his family. Since the celestial omina were regarded not as deterministic but rather as indicative-as a kind of symbolic language in which the gods communicated with men about the future and as only a part of a vast array of ominous events-it was believed that their unpleasant forebodings might be mitigated or nullified by ritual means or by contrary omens. The bāru (the official prognosticator), who observed and interpreted the celestial omina, was thus in a position to advise his royal employer on the means of avoiding misfortunes; the omens provided a basis for intelligent action rather than an indication of an inexorable fate.

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Astrology | Definition, History, Symbols, Signs, & Facts

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Astrology, type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Astrology is widely considered today to be diametrically opposed to the findings and theories of modern Western science.

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This website goes into depth explaining how astrology, magic and alchemy are the three occult (in the original sense of hidden) Hermetic sciences. All three are interconnected in practice and share the underpinning of Hermetic philosophy. While magic has a negative connotation in contemporary society (either being ridiculed by science or condemned by religion), theurgy is one of the great Hermetic arts that are said to unite individuals with god. Astrology and alchemy are the other two, so it's no coincidence that astrology became both a vehicle and mechanism for magic.

CONNECTION:

The information in this website has a connection with MYSTICAL ENERGY since many individuals who become serious about astrology seek a spiritual connection with it. Many will find a way to include astrology into their preexisting philosophical or religious ideas and others will allow astrology to alter those ideas. This spiritual, magic power is thought to exist in nature and is utilized to some extent by many religious traditions. Healing stones, gems, metals,  and herbs are manifestations of the astrological magical world. The cosmos is thought to be a series of links that form spiritual chains between superior and inferior bodies. There is one chain for each of the planets, and every object and concept exists in one or more of those chains. Each lower link of the chain draws its power from a higher link so that every thing that exists in all of creation draws its power or likeness from a planet.

As well, astrological magic has a connection with the UNEXPLAINED since even though people claim to have a connection with astrological magic, it is not yet proven or a physical object that someone can believe in, it is just a sense and feeling.

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A different version of the Eighth Book of Moses instructs the user to call upon the "gods of the hours of the day" an early reference to the planetary hours. Greek Magical Papyri, PGM XIII 1-343, Betz, page 173. The use of Moon phases, the orderly waxing and waning of the Moon is probably the most basic form of astrological magic timing, and the use of the Moon in signs and planetary hours are also very typical of the use of astrology by magicians.

The height of astrological magic in terms of complexity of technique appears to have culminated with the Sabians of Harran. Renowned as scientists, philosophers, astrologers and magicians, they preserved the knowledge of pagan antiquity into the medieval period. Sages like Thabit Ibn Qurra in his De Imaginibus explain how to go beyond single factor elections relying on just planetary hours or Moon phases, but how to coordinate multiple electional factors and create full chart elections for astrological talismans for the 7 planets, the fixed stars, the 28 Mansions of the Moon and the 36 decan/faces. The most complex and powerful astrological elections are those for house based talismans which combine multiple houses and their planetary rulerships and may involve over a dozen different astrological factors in the election.

Thus by the early Middle Ages the advanced Islamic civilization of the Middle East concentrated the knowledge of the classical period and created a new synthesis of Hellenistic, Vedic and Persian astrology that included astrological magic. While by no means the only work in Arabic on astrological magic, Picatrix originally composed in Arabic circa 1000 AD, was translated into Latin in 1256 at the court of Alphonso the Wise of Castile and became the leading grimoire for European astrologers and mages in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

In the Middle Ages, European scholars and monks avidly studied Picatrix. Renaissance scholars and mages like Marsilio Ficino and Cornelius Agrippa found Picatrix to be an invaluable source for practicing astrological magic and understanding the occult nature of the Cosmos. As one of the Hermetic arts of astrology, alchemy and magic, astrological magic played a key, if often unacknowledged role, in the Renaissance esoteric revival and in the cultural efflorescence of the Renaissance itself.

Finally in the late 20th and early 21st century, astrological magic experienced another of its periodic revivals. Here traditional astrologer Christopher Warnock led the way, studying, teaching, and creating authentic astrological talismans. Along with John Michael Greer, Warnock translated Picatrix. As interest grew, astrologers and astrological magicians like Clifford Low, Alexander Cummins and Austin Coppock all did yeoman work, enriched the practice and worked to popularize this ancient art. Astrological magic has therefore regained its place as the pinnacle of high magic and esoteric art.

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A different version of the Eighth Book of Moses instructs the user to call upon the "gods of the hours of the day" an early reference to the planetary hours. Greek Magical Papyri, PGM XIII 1-343, Betz, page 173.

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Post #4: PALMISTRY / HAND PALM READING (Picture)

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Post #4: PALMISTRY / HAND PALM READING (Picture)

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This is a picture of Palmistry, a characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm, also known as chirology, or in popular culture as palm reading. The practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Palm reading is the art of foretelling and getting personal details about the future of a person through studying the lines in the palms of their hands. People that perform this are commonly referred to as hand readers, palm readers, palmists, chirologists, or hand analysts.

CONNECTION:

This picture connects with  PATERNICITY, normally the lines the palm of a human hand hand wouldn't mean anything but when you connect this practice to Paternicity these lines become meaningful and can be used to learn about your health, love and relationships, wealth, and more.

This also connects with ANCIENT WISDOM since it's believed that palmistry began in ancient India, spreading throughout the Eurasian landmass to China, Tibet, Persia, Egypt, and Greece.

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Post #5: ASTROLOGY AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Video)

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Post #5: ASTROLOGY AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Video)

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This is a Youtube video by Ted X throughly explaining how astrology is the study of how celestial bodies such as the planets influence life on earth and a philosophy that assumes that everything is interrelated, interconnected and animate.

CONNECTION:

This video connects to ANCIENT WISDOM since she explains how our ancestors were living on earth experiencing their lives and watching the sky, and they created narratives and mythologies and archetypes out of those experiences. These archetypes hold deep truths that reveal who we really are. She explains how learning about these archetypes maybe help you to remember things about yourself and your path that helps to set you free. The video connects to ANCIENT WISDOM again when she also explains how astrology can also be very tangible and practice since our ancient Egyptian ancestors looked to the sky and they were looking for one star in particular, Sirius, because they knew that when the Sirius started to rise the Nile River was getting ready to flood and using that information they could make preparations on the ground.

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Astrology As a Tool For Social Change | Virginia Rosenberg | TEDxAsheville

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Post #6: THE 12 ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS (Picture)

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Post #6: THE 12 ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS (Picture)

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This is a picture displaying the twelve zodiac star constellations. Stars move across the sky on a regular schedule, much like the sun. At various times of year, different constellations appear at sunset. The rising constellations rotate based on the Earth's path through space, and so can be used to mark the seasons in regions when moderate weather may not convey the change between winter and spring. The twelve zodiac constellations are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

CONNECTION:

This picture has a connection with PATTERNICITY since when astrologers discovered these constellations in the sky, it turned these regular groups of stars into meaningful constellations with several different animals connections, that show each of the different zodiac signs.

As well, this picture has a connection with ANCIENT WISDOM since the zodiac constellations evolved from the fancies of primitive imaginations, but research now suggests that they were designed as a pictorial scientific coordinate system. A coordinate system is a set of imaginary lines for measuring positions, like the lines of latitude and longitude for determining locations on the earth. The constellations perform a similar function, but they employ pictures, which make it easy to identify stars without need of instruments. Moreover, this evidence points to a time and place that they originated: about 2700 B.C.

A lot of people use a SCEPTICISM  critical thinking approach when talking about the signs since they are not entirely dependent on those constellations. If that were the case, "Pisces" would take up a much larger chunk of the calendar than "Cancer," which (visually) is a much smaller constellation. This also covers the whole argument about how The Signs keep moving over time against the backdrop of the stars, which is called "precession", thus if you're a Taurus you're "really" an Aries.

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Post 7#:  ASTROLOGY AND ENERGY (Picture)

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Post 7#:  ASTROLOGY AND ENERGY (Picture)

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I found this image on a Astrology blog that says "The Universe contains mechanism for parts of it to become conscious, therefor it must also be conscious by association. Out of the cradles, on to dry land, here it is standing, atoms with consciousness, matter with curiosity" In other words, there is a connection between the planets and life on Earth.

CONNECTION:

This picture connects to IDEOLOGY since The idea is that there are energy patterns that form between other planets and Earth. These energies in return grossly affect humans both individually and as a whole collectively. Though we cannot physically see these energies but its believe that they are there, it is essentially ideology.

There is also a connection to MYSTICAL ENERGY and ANCIENT WISDOM since we see how the astral magic of astrology fits into new age spirituality. The new age is all about bringing back old ancient truths with new insights and energy, and astrology really does form a cosmic bridge between the 'heavens' and 'earth'. More than ever, we are taking an interest in planets, energy and  a more progressive, open-minded, explorative approach to science.

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Post #8: WHY ASTROLOGY IS A CROCK (Video)

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Post #8: WHY ASTROLOGY IS A CROCK (Video)

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This youtube video explains that people who claim that astrology (as practiced in its current form) is based on thousands of years of tradition are wrong. Until recently, explorers of modern astrology didn’t even have proper access to the classical astrological texts on which their predictions were based off. The video claims the astrology doesn't work, there is no force known or unknown that could possibly effect us here on earth the way that astrologers claim. Astrolgy thus has no possible physical cause and is entirerly explained by physilogical effects.

CONNECTION:

The video explains how people are persuaded by CONFIRMATION BIAS (remembering predictions that were right and forgetting the ones that were wrong) since astrologers predictions are no better than guesses and they have zero ability to predict your life's path, though astrology still gets way more attention than it deserves.

This also connects with UNEXPLAINED since there is not real proof if it's real or not, yet people still believe in it.

The video is using SKEPTICISM critical thinking when explaining how Astrology can't possibly be real. For several decades, researchers tracked more than 2,000 people (most of them born within minutes of each other). According to astrology, the subject should have had very similar traits.

The babies were originally recruited as part of a medical study begun in London in 1958 into how the circumstances of birth can affect future health. More than 2,000 babies born in early March that year were registered and their development monitored at regular intervals.

Researchers looked at more than 100 different characteristics, including occupation, anxiety levels, marital status, aggressiveness, sociability, IQ levels and ability in art, sport, mathematics and reading – all of which astrologers claim can be gauged from birth charts.

The scientists failed to find any evidence of similarities between the “time twins”, however. They reported in the current issue of the Journal of Consciousness Studies: “The test conditions could hardly have been more conducive to success . . . but the results are uniformly negative.”

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Post #9: WHERE DO ZODIAC SIGNS COME FROM? (Website)

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Post #9: WHERE DO ZODIAC SIGNS COME FROM? (Website)

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This website provides information on where Zodiac signs come from and while some horoscopes sites may promise predictions based on the “movement” of the stars, it’s important to remember that it’s the Earth that’s moving, not the stars. The reason why stars look like they’re moving, both throughout the night and over the course of the year, is because the Earth rotates on its axis and orbits around the Sun. But, before most humans knew that, they spent a lot of time thinking about what was happening up there in the sky.

CONNECTION:

The information in this website has a connection with ANCIENT WISDOM since it explains how in Ancient China, noblemen looked at eclipses or sunspots as portents of good or bad times for their emperor, though it’s thought that those signs had less application to the lives of other individuals. (Odenwald points out that in societies where people in the lower classes had less control over their lives, divination could seem pointless.) The Sumarians and Babylonians, by around the middle of the second millennium BC, appeared to have had many divination practices — they looked at spots on the live and the entrails of animals, for example — and their idea that watching planets and stars was a way to keep track of where gods were in the sky can be traced to The Venus tablet of Ammisaduga. This tablet, which is dated to the first millennium BC and tracks the motion of Venus, is one of the earliest pieces of what’s been called Babylonian planetary omens. The ancient Egyptians contributed the idea that patterns of stars made up constellations, through which the sun appears to “move” at a specific times during the year. It’s thought that all of these ideas came together when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt around 330 BC.

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Where Do Zodiac Signs Come From? Here's the True History Behind Your Horoscope

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Astrology is not a science, but there's a real, fascinating history behind humans attaching meaning to the stars. Here's what to know.

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Post #10: AN ASTROLOGER GUESSES STRANGERS ZODIAC SIGNS (Video)

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Post #10: AN ASTROLOGER GUESSES STRANGERS ZODIAC SIGNS (Video)

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This is a video of a man that has been an astrologer for 50 years, meeting a group of people and having to guess all of their zodiac signs by having conversations with them. He has a conversation with each individual asking them personal questions about their life, jobs and relationships. He also takes a close look at peoples body parts such as their ears, palms and fingers. After having a conversation with each person he analyzes what he thinks their zodiac sign would be and tells them what he assumes their zodiac sign is. At the end he discovered he only guessed 3/12 of the peoples zodiac signs correctly.

CONNECTION:

The astrologer in the video uses an EMOTIONAL CONNECTION approach when talking to these strangers about their life, asking personal questions about their childhood, career and school. When having these conversations he used the emotional connection to make the strangers believe why they should be the zodiac sign he guessed, regardless what the really believe or what they really are.

A reason for belief would be UNEXPLAINED since no one is 100% sure if zodiac signs are true or accurate.

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An Astrologer Guesses Strangers' Zodiac Sign (Ray) | Lineup | Cut

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1.
What surprised me the most when doing research on Astrology was discovering how much it really affects our society in our world today. Over the past few years, we’ve really seen a reframing of New Age practices, very much geared toward a Millennial and young Gen X quotient. I knew that astrology was popular and people believed in it but  I didn't realize the severity it has on the world today and how many people are firm believers in zodiac signs and horoscopes. It was very eye opening to discover what lengths people take in their life to feel connected to their birth stars and birth charts. It almost sort of feels like a cult of people who are such stern believers in everything happening the way it does solely due to astrology.

2.
Before this assignment I honestly didn't pay much attention to astrology but now I find it interesting to incorporate astrology into my life wether its believable or not. I now check my horoscope daily and even do research on my zodiac and star signs discovering qualities about myself.

3.
After doing this research I'm most likely to remember how the stars move across the sky on a regular schedule, much like the sun. At various times of year, different constellations appear at sunset. The rising constellations rotate based on the Earth's path through space, and so can be used to mark the seasons in regions when moderate weather may not convey the change between winter and spring.

4.
I believe that Medical pseudoscience can potentially be the most harmful. For an example, pseudoscientific anti-vaccine activism and promotion of homeopathic remedies as alternative disease treatments can result in people forgoing important medical treatment with demonstrable health benefits. I believe the least harmful pseudoscience would Confirmation Bias since it's not harmful to us if we only remember events that coincide with our own beliefs. This could actually be positive for people since it helps them stand their ground and believe what they want to believe. I also think astrology is another pseudoscience that isn't harmful since there isn't any negative outcome to people believing in zodiac signs and horoscopes, it can be positive and also brings the astrology community together.

5.
Knowledge that I believe is important to pass on is the steps to critical thinking. Critical thinking is extremely beneficial, those who think critically tend to be instinctual problem solvers. This ranks as probably the most important skill we can help our learners build upon. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and will face complex challenges using critical thinking capacity to engineer imaginative solutions. As well, critical thinking enhances curiosity by helping us gain a deeper understanding of not only the world surrounding us, but the things that matter within our experience of that world. This extends to the topics we teach in school, and also the ones that we find relevant in our daily lives.