Horoscope

The word horoscope is derived from the Greek words “ōra” and ‘scopo”s meaning "time" and "observer" (horoskopos, pl. horoskopoi, "marker(s) of the hour").

In astrology, a sign of the zodiac refers to one of 12 specific constellations of the zodiac that the sun passes through. A person's particular sign of the zodiac is the one that the sun was in when they were born. It is a belief in astrology that a person's personality can be predicted using their sign of the zodiac.

Astrology is founded on understanding the positions of the stars, which seems like a scientific enough pursuit in itself. But is there any science to back up whether astrology impacts our personality and our lives? In short, no, none whatsoever!

Thus, Astrology has been rejected by the scientific community as having no explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientific testing has found no evidence to support the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions. Where astrology has made falsifiable predictions, it has been falsified.

One of the religions that influenced the zodiac was Taoism. In Taoist beliefs, constellations and space are used to determine a person's "future." This applies to the zodiac because in Chinese astrology, it is believed that the positions of things in space can affect a person's destiny.

That said, the view of Buddha on astrology was negative. However, astrology later became integrated into Buddhism for various reasons. The practice, long entrenched in the minds of people, cut across geographical and cultural divides.

The Bible expressly forbids people from trusting astrology (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). As astrology, opposes biblical teaching in at least two ways: 1). It advocates faith in something other than God, and 2). It is a form of divination.

Commenting on (Deuteronomy 18:9-12), Etz Hayim, the official Torah commentary of Conservative Judaism writes "Hence the use of astrology is prohibited (BT Pesachim 113b)." Similarly, Conservative Rabbi Simchah Roth commented negatively on astrology.

In terms of astrology believing, in Christianity Zodiac or Astrology is incompatible with the Catholic faith. It refutes the notion that the location of heavenly bodies might influence your personality or destiny. The honor, and devotion owed to God are opposed by astrology.

As far as Islam, as narrated by Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, it is suggested that Muhammad stated "Whoever seeks knowledge from the stars is seeking one of the branches of witchcraft…” that of which is inherently forbidden in Islam.

Despite all that, the western world continues to have many astrologers. Simply put, the fascination with astrology, the Zodiac, and horoscopes, are but a direct reflection of people's desire to find?direction for their future, as they seek wisdom from beyond their own…

Food for thought!