First, the basic principles of astrology had to be established.
In the Middle East, there exist a region that was once known as ( Mesopotamia ). The southern part was called ( Babylonia ). The north was called (Assyria ). As in most early cultures, the astrologers were the priests, and the priests were not only religious leaders but leaders of government as well. Each priest ruled his city-state or province, and delivered divine wisdom to his followers.
Large observatories or watchtowers were built for the priest to study the movement of the stars and planets. According to researchers, it was the early Babylonian priest-astrologers who established the basic principles of astrology which has remained almost unchanged until today.
Certainly, this is when Babylon began building a foundation for the modern zodiac. But, how did they progress to further influence the modern zodiac?
Well, historians say, the invention of the modern zodiac is credited to the Babylonians. Because, they first divided the sky into 12 equal parts or signs, through which the Sun and the Moon traveled. The sky was thought of as a circle of 360 degrees with each division being 30 degrees. And, this is the way astrologers measure the sky today.
By the time the Babylonian culture fully developed, astrology had become more sophisticated. The Planets were given individual characteristics and properties, and a God was assigned to each. For example, Mars, reddish in color, became identified with the fiery God of War. Which is the same as modern astrology.
And, many more Planets were named and discovered (Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) in Ancient Babylonia and remain the same today.
But, when did astrology become useful for personal guidance?
In conclusion, Babylonian astrology was mainly used for wide-scale pre-dictions: Weather forecasts, floods, good and bad harvest, eclipses, war, and the fortunes of the King. Not until the Fifth Century B.C. did astrology become more personal and used for guidance and relationship enhancement.
