One of the earliest Roman writings on astrology comes from around 30 B.C. During the reign of Octavious. Babylonian tablets were translated into five long poems which explained a system of astrology and told what nations or geographical areas fell under what signs. It was believed that racial differences were due to zodiacal rulership of their homeland. Strife between nations was due to incompatible ruling zodiac signs.
Eclipses and comets were considered disruptive and ominous to nations and rulers. Around A.D. 51, Ptolemy changed things and brought new complexities to astrology. In his works “Al Magest” and “Tetrabiblos,” he divided astronomy from astrology and subdivided astrology into mundane and natal. Ptolemy was one of the first to consider astrology a system of possibilities rather than fixed certainties. He drew from theories set down by Pliny in A.D. 77 who wrote “The power of omens is really in our control, and their influence is conditional upon the way we receive them.”
Ptolemy taught that the gods did not cause the influences of the planets and signs but measurable physics did. Using his scientific approach, he reassigned rulership to nations and added the elements of earth, air, fire and water, and the genders of feminine and masculine. He divided the earth into four geographical quarters. Europe was northwest, therefore ruled by fire and masculine; the southwest, including Libya was water and feminine; Persia, India and South Asia were southeast thus earth and feminine; north Asia was air and masculine. He then subdivided the world into nations and gave them zodiac rulership different from those previously indicated.
In 1170, Roger of Hereford wrote “The Book of the Divisions of Astronomy and its Four Parts.” In it he distinguished four divisions of astrology: Natal, Electional, Horary, and Mundane. Roger claimed that each part of the earth was ruled by a planet and a sign. He probably derived his words from the Arabs, then the most advanced scientists in the known world. His conclusions were disputed by other astrologers who had their own ideas of rulership.
Around the 14th century, mundane astrology became big business. Astrologers were well paid to predict wars, weather, treaties, royal marriages, coronations, invasions and such. Even though astrology of the times was flawed and uncertain, mundane astrology had a profound effect on the course of history from the 14th-17th centuries. It did this by influencing decisions made by those in power and, after movable type was invented, brought wide circulation to predictions, by swaying public opinions to affect events.
Regardless of the predictions made, by the 17th century astrologers, England was undergoing great chaos and change. What contemporary astrologers didn’t know was that Pluto was transiting the 1st house of England’s natal chart, meaning upheaval and change through revolution and transformation.
Throughout the centuries, religion and science have tried to discredit and squelch the use of mundane astrology, but could not. Mundane astrology was used by the Nazi’s in WWII. The role of official astrologer was a tough one. Hitler wouldn’t listen to any predictions of doomed victory. However, Hess escaped to Scotland on the advice of astrologers. Nancy Reagan used an astrologer to predict and advice on affairs of state. Whether President Ronald Reagan used this advice is unknown.
In modern mundane astrology, the movements and interactions of the outer (transpersonal) planets of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the driving forces behind world events. Horoscopes for mundane astrology are erected for precise events such as coronations, elections, declarations of independence, the signing of international or national papers, natural disasters, major crimes and such. However, there is sometimes a disagreement as to which date to use for nations. For example, the United States has had a long history of debate over what date and time to use for its birth. For a sovereign nation, do we use the coronation of the monarch or his/her birth chart, or when he/she was officially declared to be the heir apparent?
Fortunately, for modern astrologers, most of the nations and states have “official” horoscopes to use. But nothing is without room for additional insight and many people have their own ideas about which charts to use. For example the United States has at least two “official” charts, July 4, 1776 at 12:15 PM and July 4, 1776 at 5PM The first gives the U.S. Libra rising, the second gives Sagittarius rising. There are others who believe that the United States has its Sun in Scorpio.
Since Mundane astrology works mostly with the outer planets’ transits, it is cyclical. Modern science is now recognizing that trends, occurrences, and mass consciousness are cyclical. There is an organization called the Foundation for the Study of Cycles whose members research cyclical changes in natural and social phenomena. They also study planetary patterns to correlate with natural disasters, weather, human behavior and the stock market. This, of course, is what astrology does. However the scientists involved in these studies do not acknowledge any astrological involvement. In fact, they still debunk astrology as superstition for the ignorant masses. The do this as they happily study how planetary patterns affect the world on a mass and individual level.
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