sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ascendant, Astrology, Cosmobiology, Domicile (astrology), History of astrology, Psychological astrology

Bruno’s History of

Bruno Huber

Page

Astrology – History and Development 2

The – Timetable 6

When and Where did Astrology really begin? 12 The latest findings about Sumerian Astrology

Three articles by Bruno Huber bring to life the history and origins of astrology.

Originally published in ‘Astrolog’, the German-language magazine of API Switzerland. Translated by Heather Ross. Translation funded through a generous bequest from Agnes Shellens.

Published by and copyright © 2007 Astrological Association www.astrologicalpsychology.org Astrology – History and Development

Bruno Huber

First published in ‘Astrolog’ Issue 60 in 1991, and subsequently included in Bruno’s Astro-Glossarium. Translated by Heather Ross

The age of astrology cannot be established or -7900 V Eq in even dated, for its original roots lay back in the 1. -Mantic Phase grey area of pre-cultural history. It is also not - Cult possible to exactly establish when mankind’s interest in the and its heavenly bodies could From about 8000 BC, man became settled and start to be called astrology or . sedentary cultures prevailed (lake dwellings, The development of astrology has essentially stockaded villages) – man began to manage passed through four phases, which largely refl ect nature with the domestication of animals and the mankind’s spiritual history. However, these phases cultivation of various plants (animal husbandry occurred at different times in different cultures. and agriculture). A precondition for this is the The following short historical outline is mainly development of the rational intellect, which can oriented to the axis of astrological development, observe and compare natural processes and states which occurred from / Bablyon via and draw conclusions from them. Man therefore Greece, Rome and Arabia to Europe (these also became objectively aware of the Moon and years are rounded up to centuries). People also the Sun as beyond his control and superior to the observed the dates, which show when powers of nature. a new entered the vernal (V Eq).

Pre-Cultural Phase In this early development, the nomads and cave dwellers (inter- and post- ice age periods up to 8000 BC), astrology as such did not really exist. 6500 V Eq in The human spiritual state was animistic and This period brings the discovery of the North- therefore irrationally focussed on the intrinsic South migration of the on the eastern experience of the direct environment. Cave horizon by observing the rising of the Sun and paintings from this period in Europe and North the Moon compared to the seasonal changes in America, which often show representations of nature, as well as the recognition of the Vernal the moon, nevertheless indicate that out Equinox (0° ) as the start of the yearly cycle. of all the fi rmament, at least the moon must have (Burial sites with optical line-of-sight, stone made an impression on the human . alignments, fi rst attempts at lunar calendars). Terms like “moon face”, “the man in the moon” “Seers”, who understand the language of the and others that we know today, show the animistic heavenly bodies, appear and become the spiritual way of experiencing: “the moon is a being like leaders of clans and tribes. Solar and lunar cults myself”. emerge as ways for communities to communicate with the heavenly powers. 4300 V Eq in From about 4000 BC, the fi rst city states on the Indus, the Nile, in and China – megalith cultures, also in Europe (Celts) and North America (Native Americans). Erection of gigantic stone measuring systems (megalithic observatories), which were

Page 2 point of reference (ora skopeo – Horoskopoi = hour watcher). The positions near the eastern horizon of the Sun, Moon, and the fi xed were interpreted as the gods’ answers to questions about the public good ( interpretation). Their fi ndings are only used for collective events, i.e. in the context of what we would now call Mundane astrology. In , the is established at 365 days (Sothis year) following observation of the of ; the fl ooding of the Nile, also actually astral cult sites. Priests, druids or which is essential for the irrigation of their fi elds, shamans form a spiritual leadership – the worldly appears regularly with the annual “emerging of agents of the god-kings (or tribal chiefs). Sirius from the rays of the Sun” around the 20th In this period, the observation of eclipses led of . Strangely enough, this discovery leads to the discovery of node lines, which gave the not to the development of a – they priests a position of absolute power because they continued to use the decanate calculation and were able to predict eclipses. This period also the . The development of astrology saw the fi rst demarcation and naming of quarters stops here in Egypt, until the refi ne and (four large, seasonal which each import theirs again ( of Dendera) in the cover a quarter of the sky). second century BC. In the Celtic and Germanic area, the development of astrology ends abruptly after Stonehenge (1900 BC). What does continue to develop, particularly in the Celtic areas, is the “” of the Druids, who, using the existing megalithic observatories (astral force centres) as a starting point, create other magic “powerful places” (then often without reference to the stars), and a network of force lines based on triangles (ley lines) – which can still be sensed by perceptive people today.

2. Mythological Phase Religions (OMEN astrology) From about 2500 BC, calendar astronomy: (Sumerians, Mesopotamians) discovery of From 1700 BC, the the and the Sun’s orbit () and Babylonians, who inherit the distinguishing of at least eight zodiacal the legacy of the Sumer- constellations (they are known as “heavenly ians, discover the remain- houses”) – catalogue of the brightest fi xed stars ing one by one and – discovery of Venus. carefully note their posi- In this period, man fi rst gradually begins to tions and movements. This think of the sky as a distinct space belonging leads to simple, as yet not to the gods (planets, fi xed stars, constellations). completely accurate at- This is the decisive intellectual step towards real tempts to calculate plan- astrology, which for example that of the Indian etary positions based on the and Celtic cultures, and also those of Egypt and addition of integers. Eleven China, have never consistently fulfi lled. zodiac constellations are now known: modern- 1900 V Eq in Aries is still seen as “Scor- First documented use of horary and query pio’s pincers”. astrology (elections) with the ascendant as the

Page 3 Around 1000 BC, and even earlier, people 400 V Eq in begin to carry out careful astronomical scanning of the sky in China. A supernova and various 3. Individual Phase are discovered, and the Personal Destiny is observed and recorded several times, without ( astrology) being recognised as such. Only the moon is used Around 400 BC, the Solar zodiac (seasonal for the purposes of omen astrology. Astrology zodiac, 360° divisions, twelve zodiac ), proper has not yet been developed. Instead, a has established itself at the expense of the complicated counting mechanism derived from constellation zodiac. The Babylonians prepare the I Ching System, is used, until it is combined the fi rst for individuals about 450 with imported by the Jesuits in BC: individual astrology (birth chart astrology) around 1400 AD. appears – and that is the beginning of character Around 700 BC, Babylonian priests compile reading. an enormous astrological “rule compilation” 300 – 100 BC, the Greeks, successors of the (Mul.Apin – about 30,000 clay Babylonians (Chaldeans), know that the earth is tablets), which go right back to the Sumerians round and calculate the (Hipparch). (about 2200 BC). Around 500 BC, they calculate Appearance of the fi rst horoscopes with houses the fi rst accurate Venus Ephemerides for a 20- included. The originator is not known. It is an year period. Astrology also fi rst began to be used equal system: all houses are counted back for individuals – but still only for state leaders from the ascendant in divisions of 30°. Only in the and high priests for selection purposes. second century AD do ’s calculations in the show that the horizon and meridians are not always perpendicular to each other, which in the following century leads to the fi rst unequal house system (, about 270 AD). The whole structure of astrology and all the basic elements of the horoscope are now in place. This body of mathematical and astronomical knowledge and interpretation rules (see the works of Manilius and particularly Ptolemy) can Fragment of fi rst Venus be termed classical astrology – its substance will not change again. What occurs until the The calculation of the Ephemerides is also start of the 19th century is actually a lot in terms connected to the discovery of the Precession of quantity, but in essence only a process of (the shifting of the constellations with respect specifi cation, refi ning and specialising that can to the annual return of the Sun). It leads to the best be summarised as traditional astrology. conception of a Solar Zodiac. Until 300 BC, personal astrology becomes Around 600 BC, independent development increasingly popular, fi rst in the broad circle of Indian astrology begins. It initially inherits of Greece (fi rst astrology school “Berossos” the legacy of the Babylonians, but then continues on the island of ) and then in the Roman independently from the West (Mesopotamia, Greece) after a separate, third phase of its development, and fi nally remains (from about 800 AD) divided between constellation astrology and zodiac astrology. At this time, it also becomes a religiously integrated fi xture of daily life in the Indian cultural circle, but this vulgarisation gives it strongly prognostic-deterministic characteristics (formal, accurate prognoses, up to exact of the date of death!).

Page 4 Empire; where it both very quickly infl uences 4 Humanistic Phase Caesar’s politics (who used the services of the Anthropology and Psychology “Chaldeans”) and is also used by the people for It fi rst emerges again in England at the end of the fi rst time (vulgar astrology). Here it also fi rst the 19th Century, like the phoenix from the ashes. experiences persecution in late Roman times. It Those who promote it are rather different from its then petered out in Europe (). earlier advocates, as they are initially esotericists. Until the 12th Century, astrology survives For example, Alan and other exponents are only in the courts of the Sultans and Caliphs of members of the Theosophical Society, which the . Arabian astrologers are strongly with its liberal, individualistic and evolutionary astronomically and mathematically oriented, esotericism has advocated since 1875 the which enables them to develop more accurate humanitarian point of view that man is responsible calculating methods for and they are for his own destiny. Then, infl uenced by the strong the fi rst capable of calculating realistic house development of depth psychology in the time systems (unequal systems of Alcabitius, Ibn between the two World Wars, the fi rst exponents Ezra, et al). However, they are also originators of come to the fore of all kinds of artistic interpretation elements, (Schmitz, Fankhauser), who very quickly detach like for example the sensitive points ( point, themselves from the deterministic approach of death point, etc.), which have nothing to do with event astrology (symbolic astrology). the of how the sky works. Their way of In parallel to this, a second line of new thinking is strongly infl uenced by Islamic beliefs, astrological thinking develops, which can be extremely deterministic, even fatalistic (Kismet), called a scientifi c approach. It tries to fi nd hence their emphasis on prognosis methods, at scientifi c proof, partly using the methods of which they undoubtedly became very skilled. natural , i.e. astronomical, physical and From the 12th Century, astrology slowly biological and arguments (Maag, becomes popular in Europe as a result of the Tomaschek, Landscheidt), which are intended to Moorish invasions of Spain. In the centuries prove that the heavenly bodies infl uence earthly that follow, it experiences several pushes and circumstances, processes and beings (infl uence pronounced waves of success, but unfortunately theory). The fi rst signs of this seem to exist in mainly involving the prognosis form favoured by modern science, but we cannot yet talk about a the Arabs ( ) and after the discovery closed chain of evidence. of the printing press, mainly the vulgar form of A second group (exponents like Krafft and fortune-telling for consumption by the general Choisnard) turn to statistics, and try to demonstrate public (astrological calendar and pamphlets) behavioural and psychological profi les in In the 17th century (time of Morinus and astrological interpretation. The French couple, Lilly), this development fi nally leads to a new the Gauquelin’s, do outstanding work in this wave of persecution and prosecution of astrology fi eld after the Second World War. Unfortunately, and astrologers, similar to those in the fi nal phase discussion of their signifi cant fi ndings is mainly of the Roman Empire. Then it was the combined limited to a few academics. There is surely much strength of the Caesars (politics) and the recently to be done here… formed (faith), which fi nally killed However, the trend towards a humanistic and off astrology. This time it is scholastic theology psychologically-based astrology gathers pace (Church) and the still young modern science after the Second World War (Ring, Rudhyar), (Enlightenment), which admittedly have very and undoubtedly has the potential to become the different agendas but share one common objective: universally-recognised astrology for the “New the eradication of and fortune- Age”. telling. It is increasingly forbidden to print vulgar astrological publications; in many countries no commercial astrological activity is permitted at all. The seriousness and philosophical depth of famous minds like Kepler, Newton, Goethe, et al also do nothing to help this. Astrology goes underground.

Page 5 The History of Astrology – Timetable

Bruno Huber

First published in ‘Astrolog’ Issue 79 in 1994, and subsequently included in Bruno’s Astro-Glossarium. Translated by Heather Ross

Babylon (-: B.C.) Greece Egypt etc. Immigration of the Sumerians (not Semitic) from the East or North into the Semitic homeland. Settlement in UR and URUK in the estuary of the -4-3000 Tigris and Euphrates. Subjugation of the resident Semitic peoples such as Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, etc. Establishing of the and Solstices in the “pillars of the 1st dynasty of the Egyptian -3200 heavens”: , , Kingdom and Amphore (š) Egypt: sarcophagus covers Discovery of Cuneiform and - up to with lunar calendars Rollsiegel (exact date unknown) –2800 (decanates) Egypt: 1st Sumarian civilisation, origin of the England: Stonehenge, 1st Epic of Gilgamesh, 3 paths of Ea, -2600 phase of the construction Anu, Enlil of the cult site and the Solar and lunar observatory

Original version of the mul.Apin, fi rst known star catalogue with 66 constellations and individual stars; Egypt: discovery of the Knowledge of the ecliptic and the Sothis period of 365 days precession of the equinoxes from -2350 (heliacal rising of Sirius) Aldebaran to the Pleiades; – despite adhering to the The twelfth zodiac constellation lunar calendar (ZI:BA:AN:NA/Zibanitum/Libra) is formed from ’s pincers (Chelae) Destruction of Ur and Uruk by the Babylonians and takeover of the -2340 Stonehenge 2nd phase Sumerian culture Start of the construction of the Tower Stonehenge 3rd phase -1950 of Babel completed 1st Babylonian civilisation China, the foundations of (Hammurabi makes the the Ming Shu emerged: 12 highest God, as the God of the yearly cycle of + Babylonion state) Marduk , around daily and hourly cycles + Ishtar Gate –1800 position of the Moon. Active astronomical observation of Stonehenge is abandoned the movements of the planets by the and falls into ruin. priests in the . Page 6 (-: B.C.) Greece Egypt etc. Oldest known Venus table in the Ammizaduga Library. -1646 Oldest circular depiction of the zodiac (Babylon) around 1st signs of astrology in 1st use of zodiac symbols on –1400 Persia and eastern Turkey boundary stones Egypt: Amenophis IV = Ca. Akhenaton establishes a – 1340 solar religion lasting 19 years Homer writes the Iliad in Ca. –800 Greece (mythological epic, not astrology) Library of the Assubanipal: Enuma Anu Enlil, about 30,000 clay tablets Around collection of and copy of -687 Sumerian mul.Apin, ( + astronomy) -624 Rediscovery of the precession of (Harmony of the spheres) the equinoxes by the Chaldeans in Empedocles Babylon -586 (theory of the 4 elements) all in – still no astrology

Defi nitive formulation of the tropical Up to zodiac with division into degrees –400 and twelve signs of the same size. “Invention” of the personal birth horoscope (oldest preserved -410 horoscope, in cuneiform) Plato (born ca. –428) formulates a still infl uenced by After. Pythagoras, which –400 facilitates the subsequent integration of astrology into the Greek worldview. Hippocrates was the fi rst doctor to take into account around the position of planets at –390 birth of the patients he treated. , a student of around. Plato, develops the concept –350 of the infl uence of the stars on earthly events the Great conquers the Immigrant Chaldean Ca. from Babylonians astrologers start to – 331 cultural exchange begins infi ltrate Greek philosophy.

Page 7 Babylon (-: B.C.) Greece Egypt etc. Birth of Aristarch of around Samos, who was the fi rst to –310 formulate the heliocentric worldview Egypt: start of the Ca. from transformation of Egyptian – 300 mythology by immigrant Chaldean astrologers. India: appearance of the heroic epic Maharabhata: Ca. – 300 earliest mention of lunar house astrology (27 )

Greece (-: B.C.) Rome others Berosa the Chaldean founded the fi rst (secular) astrology school on the Ca. -285 island of Kos (“Phaenomena”): for determining the position -270 of celestial bodies Erastotenes: describes the twelve signs of the zodiac (nation according to zodiac ) Babylon: the oldest known -263 birth horoscope with degrees of the zodiac India: infl uence of “yavanas” (Ionians) and “Romakas” (Romans) around : table of ascendants Astrology reaches Rome enables astrology to be -200 used by the Brahmins for spiritual exercises (elimination of ) India: “Garga Samhita”, Greek rediscovery of the precession Around the oldest astrological of the equinoxes by Hipparch of -150 text book by the wise seer Garga The astrological wave , stoic astrologer: the Ca. from coming from Rome has a infl uence of his philosophy makes Egypt: zodiac of Dendera -110 stoic-fatalistic character astrology increasingly fatalistic. from the start The latest horoscope in -68 Chaldean cuneiform (7th July) of Commagene, the most horoscope – -61 stone relief on Nimrud Dag (Turkey) for the coronation of King Antioch I. -9 1st Egyptian horoscope Change of Era

Page 8 Greece (-: B.C.) Rome others India: independently develops its own horoscope technique with religious infl uence (tropical and sidereal zodiac in parallel) Manilius writes his 14 “Astronomicon” Around Ptolemy writes 120 “” Solar cult (Mithras) Ca. 200 becomes Roman state religion 232 Porphyry: house system Christianity becomes 313 Roman state religion Firmicus Maternus: Ca. 350 “Mathesis” Fall of the Roman Empire in western 476 Europe: provisional end of astrology in Europe Byzantine 529 Justinian bans pagan cults and schools (also astrology)

Arabia Europe Others Oldest known Arabian horoscope 531 Mohammed begins the Arabian 625 conquest Islam conquers : the 641 ancient library is destroyed by fi re Arabs adopt the hermetic and astrological knowledge of the Christianisation of the rest India: astrology stagnates ancients from Alexandria and expand VII of Europe, especially by and degenerates into it with Indian teachings (Kanaka: century Irish monks (no astrology) fortune-telling Indian astrological textbooks from the ) Abu Mashar: foundation of 787-886 mundane astrology Coronation of 800 Charlemagne “Holy Roman Empire” Alcabitius: house system and 900? China: 12 year cycle with textbook – 967 animals Intensive mix of Arab Around Islam conquers a large part of India and Indian astrology (Al -1000 Biruni, et. al.)

Page 9 Europe America and others Ibn Ezra:astrologer. Universal genius, teaches in 1093-1167 Spain and Italy / Paranatellonta 11th – 13th Cathedral construction schools: use secret Centuries astrological knowledge (symbolism in decoration) 13th century Astrology is taught at universities 1207 : San Miniato in Monte Ca. 1210 Parma: Baptistery: Sculptures of the zodiac signs 1233-96 Campanus: house system Pietro D’Abano, doctor “astrolabium planum” (Ibn 1250-1318 Ezra). Images of the ascendant become popular Padua, Palazzo della Ragione: frescoes of the 1309 astrolabium Planum (by Giotto?) Start of the astrological “boom” (Ascendant images, fortune-telling, prognosis of China: fi rst contact with western around 1400 world events) astrology (Jesuit missionaries) Princes and popes have their own astrologers Around 1420 , Doge’s Palace: planet columns : “rational house system”, 1467 ephemeredes, direction tables 1471 Ferrara: Palazzo Schifanoia: zodiac frescoes Angelus: Copy of the “astrolabium planum” with 1488 German version 1501-1576 Cardanus: 233 aphorisms Nostradamus: seer and astrologer: prophesies 1503-66 (quatrains) Campanella: “the City of the Sun” – theocracy, led 1568 by wise men and astrologers 1523-80 Junctinus: complete astrological textbook Copernicus: “De Revolutionibus.” heliocentric 1543 world view (posthumous) Brahe: : (sextant), meticulous 1546-1601 measurements; advocates serious astrology, not prognosis, cannot agree with Copernicus Kepler, “”, the three laws of 1571-1630 planetary motion proves that the heliocentric view is correct 1583-1656 Morinus: 26 volumes “astrologia gallica” Placidus de Tito: house system – fi ghts against the 1603-68 heliocentric world view Bonatti: “universa Astrosophia” (secondary 1687 directions, birth time corrections) Lilly: English “father of astrology”: “Christian 1602-81 astrology” Raphael, Zadkiel, Sepharial, et.al. popularisation 19th Century by , etc. : “Astrology for All”, he brings astrology around 1900 “to the street”, trials against “fortune-telling” are lost

Page 10 Europe America and others Choisnard: statistical research. Collection of birth 1921 dates Second great astrology boom in (Brandler-Pracht, Klöckler, Kühr, Sindbad-Weiss, Evangeline Adams Wassilko, and many more) Mass media, radio broadcasts 1920s and 30s Foundation of multiple astrological associations; (trial against “fortune-telling” different specialist magazines, (C.G. Jung also won) practises astrology) Witte: midpoints, hypothetical planets, “Hamburg 1928 School” Ring, Fankhauser, et. al., symbolic/philosophical Around 1930 astrology, also: ----> Foundation of the AFA (American 1938 Federation of Astrologers) Ebertin: ; foundation of the KAA around 1950 (School of Cosmobiology), the Cosmobiosophic Society and the DAV (German Astrological Society) AA – Astrological Association of Great Britain 1958 founded 1964 Huber: Astrological Psychology Gauquelin: Statistics, data collection, “The Cosmic 1967 ” “Mars Effect” API, fi rst European astrology school – with fi xed 1968 syllabus, year-round courses and professional training (with fi nal diploma) 1976 Addey: “Harmonics in Astrology” 1st World Astrology Conference in Zürich (1200 1981 participants from around the world) 1980s World-wide astrology boom

Page 11 When and Where did Astrology really begin?

The latest fi ndings about Sumerian Astrology

Bruno Huber

First published in ‘Astrolog’ Issue 101 in 1997 Translated by Heather Ross

This story begins with the Babylonian clay tablets However, before we go into this in more detail, shown below, called mul.Apin. we should fi rst defi ne exactly what astrology is. From a technical point of view, the “royal ”, or as it is now known, “the oldest psychology in the world”, uses the seven classical planets which move around a belt of constellations (called the zodiac). It also assumes that there is a relationship between these heavenly constellations and human life and destiny on Earth, which is perceived as an analogy or of the processes in these two worlds. In every culture that mankind has created throughout its history, there have always been, even in their early stages, attempts to understand the Moon’s behaviour. The fi rst magical and mythical ideas and the rites and cults inspired by them based on the Moon as a nocturnal, constantly changing light certainly already existed in pre- cultural times. The Moon was also a timer that was independent of the changing weather on earth. For the need arose very early on for the coming and going of the seasons to be regularly recorded and eventually accurately calculated. Having a reliable calendar was particularly important for the survival of an emerging settled advanced civilisation with its increasingly specialised social and commercial structures. However, all these efforts by different cultures cannot be termed astrology, not even when some peoples were eventually able to record the movements of the Sun and thereby the seasonally determined true length of the year, like the early Indian Happa culture in the Indus Mul.Apin clay tablets; one of the two tiny Valley or the Druids at Stonehenge. tablets showing the entire Sumerian star, planet and constellation catalogue with precise defi nitions of time and place (original size 6 x 8.4cm)

Page 12 This Babylonian collection of clay tablets is the most comprehensive collection of astronomical and astrological observation data and omen rules of the early astrological period. According to Assurbanipal’s own statement, they should have been its proudest possession. He rejoiced to read in it of “writings from before the Great Flood”. This statement was given no credence until recently by the experts (Assyriologists and Sumerologists), for the main body of the writings of this collection defi nitely originates from the early Babylonian (Hammurabi Dynasty) of King Ammizaduga (1581-1561 BC). Sunrise at Stonehenge Now though, thanks to the newly possible decoding of the Sumerian language and writing Although this was certainly the necessary that two of the small clay tablets – i.e. the mul. pre-stage from which astrology could develop, Apin – are copies of a much older Sumerian text, only one culture took the step of recording all the whose original has now been found. This dates planets that could be seen with the naked eye and from the year 2340 BC – the modern recalculations bringing them together into the overall picture of of the morning rising times of 66 constellations a “star religion”. It was neither the Greeks nor the and individual stars by the specialist Werner Egyptians, neither the Indians nor the Chinese. Papke. He has painstakingly reconstructed the They all remained stuck in the pre-astrology entire Sumerian star system. This discovery has stage, with their small, special applications, and fi nally given us a more accurate knowledge of only much later (around 500 – 300 BC or even the original Sumerian conception of astrology: later) adopted Chaldean astrology. It was also what the sky looked like at the time, how it was not the Chaldeans, not the Babylonians, not the divided up into constellations and interpreted in Accadians, all Semitic nations originating from the star religion. Mesopotamia. It was the Sumerians, a non- To represent the whole fascinating concept of Semitic nation that immigrated, probably around the Sumerian intellectual world would exceed the 4000 BC, that in 3000 years BC took the crucial scope of this article. Furthermore, only a small cognitive step that consisted of discovering the part of the clay tablets in the Sumerian language fi ve planets , Jupiter, Mars, Venus and has been translated (around 20,000 untranslated and measuring and describing their clay tablets are still lying in the cellars of the progress through the zodiac. This is what the in London). It would therefore latest scientifi c fi ndings tell us. be foolhardy and absurd to want to offer a The clay tablet illustrated on the previous conclusive overall representation. However, I page is one of two known as the mul.Apin series. would like to illuminate the picture we have so They contain descriptions of the movements of far with a few examples. the Moon, Sun and fi ve planets and also accurate The Sumerians divided their sky into three calculations and defi nitions for 33 constellations “paths”, which ran parallel to the celestial with 66 individual stars. It calls twelve zodiac and circumnavigated the heavens: the constellations the “Path of the Moon” and the time paths of Ea, Anu and Enlil. These paths were of their morning rising appearance is accurately the spheres of infl uence of three abstract superior established with a lunar-solar calendar. This can deities, who were never physically represented: still be recalculated today taking into account the the divine trinity. They were the spheres of the precession of the equinoxes. material world (Ea), the human world (Anu) and The two mul.Apin tablets were fi rst discovered the divine world (Enlil). Through these three belts, at Niniveh in the library of the Babylonian king meandered the “road of the Moon” (Charranu), Assurbanipal (Assyrian period, 669-627 BC). which was also the path of the planets: the zodiac. They were (erroneously) believed to be part of Thus part of the zodiac lies in the path of Enlil the Enuma Anu Enlil, which was long called the (the summer signs), part in the path of Anu (the “oldest astrological text book in the world”*. spring and autumn signs) and part in the Ea (the

Page 13 Path of ENLIL

Celestial Equator Path of ANU

Path of EA

winter signs). The star map shown here was made that Venus (Ishtar) is the only one to have four by Werner Papke according to the mul.Apin, and houses. She was the highest planetary goddess portrays this for the period around 2340 BC. and appeared in four forms: as Schamchat (the The Sumerians already knew then about courtesan of the Gods) in GU.AN.NA (Taurus), the precession of the constellations. Earlier as Shala Shubultum (Virgin with the ear of corn) illustrations always feature only eleven zodiac in AB.SIN (), as Ischchara (Governess constellations – Libra was still missing. However, of all Lands) in GIR.TAB (Scorpio) and as the mul.Apin describes twelve constellations and Anunitum (Mother of LU.CHUN.GA) in ARURU mentions explicitly in the case of Zibanitum (Pisces). This shows that the Sumerian culture (Libra) that it was formed from the pincers was matriarchal, and in fact many priests were of Scorpio in order for a sign to designate the women. This female dominance was fi rst broken beginning of the harvest. For previously, the by the Babylonian King Ammizaduga (1581- zodiac was fi rmly centred on two stars: Aldebaran 1561 BC) when he offi cially recognised Marduk in Taurus marked the vernal equinox and Antares (Jupiter) as the national god. in Scorpio the autumnal equinox. This was only These examples should suffi ce. We could really correct for a period around 3200 BC. mention the Epic of Gilgamesh, of which a new Probably only shortly before the mul.Apin was translation from the original Sumerian texts is written it was discovered that the equinoxes had now available. Careful reading of this reveals that shifted westwards: from Aldebaran to the Pleiades it is not just a brilliant epic-literary achievement, and from Antares to the pincers of Scorpio. but is also a kind of textbook or interpretation The Sumerians apparently really lived their guide for the mul.Apin. It really is the oldest zodiac; they moved through the year in synchrony astrological textbook. However, that would with the movements of the planetary gods and become a long story… the circular dance of the heavenly houses (signs), which attributed the correct, appropriate activities ______and concerns to every moment. For example, the * Along with the mentioned mul.Apin, the Enuma two star clusters Pleiades and Hyades in Taurus Anu Enlil collection contains many observations signify the “posts of the marital home”. After of the movements of the Sun (Shamash) and their hibernal invisibility, they dip again in the Moon (Sin). In the section entitled (Venus) as morning risers again before the sunrise on the Ishtar, we fi nd not only the now famous 20-year Eastern horizon: time for marriage! Venus Ephemerides, but also many observations Or when, about a earlier, the star about the other planets, their rising and setting emerged as a morning riser above the ascendant, and their conjunctions with fi xed stars. All these it was time to plough and sow the fi elds. Hamal data are attached to Omens (interpretation texts is the lodestar of Aries. The Sumerians called numbering about 7000). We fi nd some verbatim it LU.CHUN.GA, which meant something like quotations from these interpretation texts in the worker in the fi eld or herdsman. Incidentally, at astrological literature right up to the present day the same time, the small constellation Apin (the – particularly in the collection of aphorisms of plough) rose above the zodiac. the 16th and 17th centuries and in mundane and All planets already also had their home (home even in this century. sign, ). At the same time, it is noticeable

Page 14