ORIGINS OF ASTROLOGY
“AS ABOVE, SO BELOW”
ANCIENT AFRICAN PROVERB
as·trol·o·gy| əˈsträləjē | noun – the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.
Many of us are not aware of the powerful energetic connection we have to the sun, moon, planets and stars. The ancestral origins of what we kNOW today as astrology may be the key to comprehending how full moons, stars and other celestial bodies INfluence our lives.
Due to religious upbringing, many of us have been conditioned to see astrology as silly, or even worse as evil. This creates a barrier for some to learn a very ancient, scientific tool.
cos·mos1 | ˈkäzməs, ˈkäzˌmōs | noun (the cosmos) the universe seen as a well-ordered whole: she sat staring deep into the dark, RAminding herself of her place in the cosmos.
As another ancient Afrakan proverb goes, “the closer you get to the truth, the simpler it is”. So when it comes to thinking of the cosmos we just have to realize we’re thinking of ourselves. The universe is ONE… wholeness, just many expressions of the one, the all, the nothing, creation, NTR (NaTuRe), Mother/Father. This truth, Ma’at, is essential to seeing the entire perspective as one.
Ancient Study of the Stars
So of course if all is one, these stars are an aspect of us. The groups of stars that form recognizable patterns that we call constellations are what our ancestors translated into dynamic symbols, some of which we refer to as zodiac signs.
zo·di·ac| ˈzōdēˌak | noun (astrology) a belt of the heavens within about 8° either side of the ecliptic, INcluding all apparent positions of the sun, moon, and most familiar planets. It is divided into twelve equal divisions or signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces).
Although the term zodiac is Greek for “circle of animals”, it is clear that our ancient African ancestors along the Nile Valley had already mapped out the stars in this way long before the Greeks. An essential artifact showing this is the zodiac depiction that covered the rooftop of the Temple of Het-Heru (Hathor) at Dendura in Kemet (Ancient Egypt)… see below.
The African origins of civilization are usually dismissed, misrepresented, stolen or erased. Clearly this inspired what we later see in the Greek expressions and eventually the contemporary zodiac wheel we see today.
When studying the history of astrology, this magnificent piece of architectural and scientific genius isn’t mentioned very often. While this doesn’t take away from its brilliance, it’s interesting to know that the original was taken from Africa and now lives in France at the Louvre in Paris.
The eurocentric narrative is that our ancestors were influenced by the Greeks, who were supposedly influenced by ancient Babylon. However, there is no first hand evidence of the modern disciplines of astronomy and astrology dating back further than what has been documented in Africa to substantiate those claims. What the europeans saw as separate subjects, Africans of antiquity saw as one interconnected web.
Our ancestors used animals and other nature-based symbols to represent natural forces and universal energies and mapped all this out in the heavens because they observed, studied and honored these principles. The cosmology, mythology, and even the architecture all were aligned to the cosmos.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that Astrology and Astronomy became two separate areas of study; prior to this it was a serious science that included both. We’ve been accustomed to dividing them into 2 separate interpretations of the universe – one scientific and one mythical.
Our colonized (Western-trained) minds tend to dismiss the latter as less factual, despite in our own lives experiencing the divinity of what the Buddhists describe as auspicious coincidence… This is when the universe seems to just somehow perfectly align things in our favor. There’s really a science to it though!
The stars, moons and planets tell us so much about our existence and experiences. It wasn’t just the ancestors who got how simple it really is… as Carl Sagan so eloquently put it, “WE ARE STAR STUFF”. If the worlds most popular astronomer, cosmologist and astrophysicist puts it that simple, who really wants to argue that somehow we’re something else?
Watch this great video explaining the African origins of Astrology:
There are many online interpretations of the Kemetic zodiac that don’t accurately match. We have translated this system based on true observation and connection to these divine forces.
Our work is to create transitional bridges that can allow us to transition back into our original wisdom. The Kemetic zodiac artifact series is a line of exclusive artifacts available to TEHUTI MA’AT MILITIA members-only. For access to these moonly posts JOIN THE MILITIA!
