Astrology has an ancient history. For many centuries the development of astronomy has been a by-product of astrological activity. Astrology fashion has come to our time: astrological horoscopes are an integral attribute of many domestic and foreign periodicals
In the Middle Kingdom era (2052-1786 BC), diagonal calendars (deans) were developed. Deans are a star clock used to determine the time of the stars (of course, mostly at night). Such diagonal calendars are found in the pyramids: he who went to another world had to have everything necessary for his journey, including a star clock.
Subsequently, the deans of the star system used to determine the time of night were transferred to astrological literature, where they acted in a new form and a new role — the gods who determined the fate of men. The Egyptians influenced the formation of astronomy, as evidenced by many ancient authors.
But even more advanced than in ancient Egypt, astrology was in Babylon and Assyria. Thus, in Mesopotamia in the early III millennium BC. The monthly calendar was adopted. And after a thousand years the moon-solar calendar. To the lunar year (12 months, 354 days), an additional “leap” month was added from time to coincide with the sunny year (365.24 days). At this time it was known that 8 solar years were approximately equal to 90 months, or 19 solar years is equal to 235 months.
The moon ephemeris was calculated fairly accurately, which allowed the Babylonian astronomers to predict moon eclipses. In the Ancient East, the development of astronomical knowledge has been closely intertwined with the goals and objectives of astrology. Apparently, in the middle of the VIII century. BC. The systematic observation of eclipses began. And as early as the seventh century, ancient Babylonian astronomers learned how to predict moon eclipses.
Ancient farmers needed to correctly determine the timing of the beginning and end of fieldwork, so early occurred calendar time. According to the calendar created by chance-Incas, the account of time was carried on a 60-day cycle, and the year consisted of 13 months, determined by the full moons.
A solar-lunar calendar was later created. The dates were verified by observing the shadows of the bamboo pole.
Practical goals were also the observation of the luminaries, which formed the basis for the development of astronomical knowledge. If an appropriating farm could do well on a monthly calendar, then the producing farm required more accurate knowledge of the time of agricultural work (especially the time of sowing and harvesting), which could be based only on the solar calendar, on the solar cycles (annual, daily, seasonal).
It is known that the 12 lunar months make up the lunar year at 354.36 solar days, which differs from the solar one by about 11 days. The process of historical transition from the lunar calendar to the solar one was quite lengthy. An important condition for the transition from the lunar to the solar calendar was the separation of time intervals from their attachment to biological (human and domestic) rhythms and the allocation of some extra-biological natural “reference frames” to measure time intervals. The sunrise points on the day of the summer solstice and sunset on the day of the winter solstice, observations of the Pleiades star group in the constellation of Taurus, which allowed to adjust the solar and lunar calculations, acted as such.
The results of this kind of observation had to be recorded in some way so that they could be used repeatedly. In other words, there is a need to create structures that allow you to capture the results of basic astronomical observations of the Sun, Moon, and stars of the sky.
The traditions of astronomical observations are further developed in the first civilizations of the East.
Oriental astrology is based on a 12-year cycle that symbolizes certain animals every year. It is a mouse (rat), an ox (a bull, a buffalo, a cow), a tiger, a rabbit (a hare, a cat), a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat (a sheep), a monkey, a cock, a dog, a boar (a pig). According to the legend, when the Buddha summoned all the animals, promising the reward of the first twelve, they came to him in this order. And as a reward, they were given the right to possess human time and fate once in twelve years.
In Eastern astrology, five specific principles prevail: the lunar year (reveals 12 human archetypes), the time of year (5 specific types of human soul, associated with the time of birth and corresponds to one of the five elements: “tree”, “fire”, “earth”, “water” and “metal”), double week, day and hour. The last three determine the personality of a particular person, his sincere qualities.