Tähistaeval põhinevatest uskumustest II
Astrological Beliefs II

Summary/Abstract: Western astrology as such developed already in ancient times, partly based on Greek and Egyptian traditions, whereas the main part was elaborated in the Hellenic Egypt and Rome. Ancient astrology was influenced by many factors as the conquests of Macedonians precipitated lively cultural exchange between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Iran. The foundation, ideology and basic methods of astrology originate from Mesopotamia, though, the input of other regions is mostly its further elaboration. Accepting this theory, those interested in astrology go from one extreme to another and argue that astrology existed in Mesopotamia for millennia the same way it did in Europe in the Middle Ages. In Mesopotamia prophetic skills were held in great esteem, they were often related to healing magic. Foretellers used animal livers for prophesy, they also observed eclipses, atmospheric phenomena, the flight of birds, etc. Prophesy was carried out according to a strict system of omens. Later on the omens were regarded as a wish of gods, not as strict rules for prophesy. Astrology is a study that forms characteristics and predictions on the basis of the configurations of spheres. Sky phenomena had a specific role in predictions since they were seen in the whole country; the appearances in sky were thought to influence the welfare of king and his country. In earlier times astrology was concerned with interpreting phenomena in sky as omens. Later, during the period of Assyrian empire, people started to study certain phenomena, mostly the course of planets and eclipses, as it enabled them to foretell omens. This possibility to foresee omens and the scale of the phenomena helped astrology to win a special role among other systems. Regular sky phenomena were associated with seasons by the observers, those relatively irregular were associated with the fate of empires and kings. The astrologers of Babylonia started to cast horoscopes, but the more thorough elaboration of its technique was carried out later. The first known cuneiform horoscope originates from the year 410 BC and the most recent one from 69 BC. Babylonian horoscopes were based on planets, constellations (first they were not regarded as star signs), partly also on the positions of planets relative to the Sun. They introduced constellations as the secret homes of planets, where they have a certain influence. It is believed that this gave rise to the study of dominance and 'exile' of planets in the Hellenic period. The system of astrological houses and the sc. star signs do not originate from Babylonia. Mesopotamian horoscopes focus on the pseudo-horoscopic elements, such as the phases of the moon and the time of the nearest eclipse, which were later abandoned

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