Despite the fact that you will find most of the information on astrology in the New Age section of your bookstore, the science and philosophy of astrology is far from new. In fact, it existed before science, and in this sense could be called anti-scientific, because astrology was a central feature of the magical worldview which science radically took the place of (Davies, 1988). Before the scientific revolution, astrology held and honored and central place in cultures, but it has since been discredited. For many intelligent people, astrology's claims appear ridiculous, a crutch for the weak and dependent, a false and superficial system which survives as a relic from an era long ago, among the uneducated and superstitious.
             Astrology has been accused of being simplistic, fatalistic, and anachronistic. It doesn't have a place in our schools, is scorned by almost all branches of modern learning, and is condemned by the church as heretical. In 1975, a statement attacking and disavowing astrology was co-signed and published by 186 leading scientists, including 18 Nobel Prize winners. The article, (The Humanist) challenged astrology's believers, saying "...that there is no scientific base for its tenets." and that the acceptance of it "...can only contribute to the growth of irrationalism and obscurantism." Given the current reputation of astrology, it is perplexing to know that at one time it was considered the divine art - the "mother of all sciences", a study worthy of such names as Nicholas Copernicus, Galilei Galileo, Johannes Kepler, and Sir Isaac Newton - all of whom were devoted to and inspired by it (Hall, 1936).
             Understanding astrology's worldview takes you back to the pre-modern world which science was yet to conquer. For thousands of years people all over the world shared a common belief: the Universe was alive. The Sun, moon, and stars were experienced as a vast ne...