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Astrology is a controversial subject with many voices speaking both for and against its recognition as a valid field of study. The case for and the case against astrology are presented here:
Astrology provides a direct link to some of the longest held human beliefs. Its continued appeal may rest on its ability to link an individual's life to the wider cosmos and so give a feeling of uniqueness, meaning and of connection to the totality of things. Astrology also makes use of basic, archetypal qualities found universally throughout humanity, and some people find it a useful intuitive tool with which to describe themselves, others, and the relationships between them.
Anyone can set themselves up as an astrologer, so there is a wide range in ability and approach. Some serious astrologers may be members of a society that tries to maintain standards of learning and conduct; others may be lone hobbyists.
Most serious astrologers scorn trivial horoscope predictions supplied by newspapers as nothing but a way to entertain readers. All popular astrology in which people are labelled on the basis of their sun sign alone is seen by serious astrologers as frivolous and not worthy of defence. The sun sign is regarded as but one of many factors which must be taken into account when interpreting one's horoscope.
An individual astrological reading by a skilled astrologer - or by the individual himself or herself if he or she is well-versed enough in astrology - is thought to provide a way for the individual to divine his or her own feelings about the present, and to better understand his or her own personality. This can give the individual the opportunity to understand those feelings and patterns of behavior which may be barriers to possible futures, and so change their actions in the present to bring about a desired future. In this respect it is more closely linked to tarot, I Ching and modern psychotherapy than to astronomy.
An individual is always seen as the ultimate master of their destiny, and given sufficient will and purpose, as being able to overcome the most adverse astrological indications. However, the degree of struggle necessary will depend on the astrological circumstances in which they enact their project.
Most astrologers make no claim to be practicing a science and see their skill as an art which gives a structure to a dialogue with their client. An astrologer's success would need to be measured in terms of the happiness and well-being of their subjects rather than the mechanical prediction of events. Astrology has, however, taken on new astronomical concepts as they have been discovered and added its own symbolism to them. Thus the outer planets discovered since 1781, because of their slow movement across the zodiac, sit in the same position in the charts of whole generations. They have been assigned a role in interpreting the processes of large groups; of nations, institutions, ideas, beliefs and the generations themselves.
Many people use the fact that there are 13 constellations along the modern-day astronomical ecliptic and not twelve to try and discredit or otherwise disprove astrology. Of the 13 modern signs of the zodiac (constellations of the ecliptic), Ophiuchus is the only one which is not counted as an astrological sign because Ophiuchus was only added to the astronomical zodiac by the International Astronomical Union in 1930 when it based its zodiac on the 1875 equinox. The constellations were hastily redrawn in 1930 to include a very small portion of Ophiuchus on the ecliptic, possibly in an attempt to try and discredit astrology and astrologers, though scientists at the time claimed that the redrawing took place for the sake of simplicity. According to the official boundaries of constellations first set out in 1930, the ecliptic now also passes through a thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus (Serpent-Bearer), but before 1930 the ecliptic never passed through this constellation.
The 12 (equal) sign astrological zodiac has been in place for well over 2000 years and is still used by most Western astrologers, while Ophiuchus has only been located along the astronomical ecliptic for the past 75 years or so. In astrology, the size of the actual astronomical constellations is a non-issue because most Western astrologers use the tropical zodiac, where the ecliptic is divided into 12 equal portions exactly 30 degrees each to get the 12 astrological signs. (12 signs x 30 degrees each sign = the 360 degrees of the ecliptic) The beginning of the astrological year is the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere (the vernal equinox) and not when the Sun crosses an arbitrary dividing line drawn up in modern times to denote where the sign of Aries begins. See also the First Point of Aries.
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