Why was astrology so important for ancient civilizations? by Henry Virgin
In a society without electricity the contact with nature and it’s cyclic events becomes vital to be able to run the show. The smallest cycle is connected with the Moon which passes through 4 distinct phases every 28 days; the Sun takes 365 days which gives the planet Earth it’s 4 distinct phases of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Mercury takes 365 days also, Venus 225 and Mars 2,5 years.
Biodynamical Agriculture according to Rudolf Steiner takes all these planetary movements into account to determine the right time to sow, prune and harvest. Thus a basic understanding of astronomy and astrology helps to feed the population.
On Walldorf schools the turning of the seasons is celebrated in order to make people more connected to and aware of these natural cycles.
The modern day droughts in California and general poor situation regarding the nutritional value of food is partly due to this distrust in natural cycles and exagerated trust in science and man-made systems which turns fertile land into deserts and rivers into dust.
On a larger scale the cycles of Jupiter (12 years) and Saturn (29) indicate major transition points in human beings and societies alike, so much so that a person of 30 years old is generally expected to be able to act in a more responsible way than one of 27 years. (Grossly simplifying to get the point across).
Uranus with its 84 years cycle is the modern day “father time” or “the grim reaper” indicating the closeness of the end of physical existance for most people in this era. Active people over 85 years normally are wise beyond measure and when health allows become truly inspiring leaders.
Uranus is to the 20th century what Saturn was before 1800; a measuring stick of people’s capacity for responsiblity and structure.
So in short: astrology was a management tool and much more than that; a tool to make the natural cycles of birth, waxing and death predictable and acceptable.