Modern Astrology And Related Forms Of Psychic Divination

In its simplest interpretation, astrology has been used to predict the changing of seasons and the influence of planets and stars on the events of earth and its inhabitants. We’ll attempt to decode Astrology for you here and make this mystic and ancient tradition more accessible to a new generation of psychics and spiritualists who find themselves entrenched in an increasingly digital world. 

What is Astrology? 

Astrology has long been relied on as a tool humans can use in divining information. It relies on the position and movements of celestial bodies in the sky to provide information. That information can come in the form of predictions about human interactions and events or other happenings in the present and future. Astrology does not generally attempt to uncover secrets of the past. 

The form of astrology most actively used today has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia. Going back as far as 19th century B.C.E. the practice of looking to the stars for answers to our questions has been around quite a long time. From Mesopotamia, western astrology quickly spread to other hubs of mysticism, including Greece, Rome, The Arab world, and Europe.  

Groups in Asia and Latin America developed their own systems for predicting earthy events, though they rely just as much on the movement and qualities of heavenly bodies as Western Astrology. 

Modern Astrology 

Today, Astrology is closely tied to the reading of horoscopes. These are general divinations of human personality traits based on when a person was born and the position of the stars in the sky at that time.  

You may have heard of the zodiac signs before. The Zodiac signs are symbols that identify these groups of people. Each sign is believed to assign certain behaviors, traits, and characteristics to people born under it. Many swear by their sign’s accuracy, others pass it off as mere coincidence. However you look at it, the popularity of astrology and horoscopes has endured the test of time and weathered more than its fair share of criticism from skeptics. 

Related Forms of Divination 

The Western world is transfixed on certain occult and divination, like those believed to be present in astrology and horoscopes. However, there are many forms of fortune-telling that have evolved from astrology to divine hidden wisdom.  

Palmistry, or palm reading, is one such form of divination rooted in the Hindu astrology, Chinese Yijing, and Roma Gypsy fortune-telling. Similar to interpreting celestial bodies’ position in relation to people and events, Palm readers attempt to interpret the many creases and features of the palm in order to make glean insight from the past, present, and future. These topographical features of the palm are separated into lines and mounts, while the reader will make interpretations based on their length, depth, and intersections. Other features of the hand that may inform a palm reader’s interpretation include the subject’s finger length and width, fingernails, fingerprints, skin patterns, texture, and color, as well as palm shape, and overall flexibility of the hand. 

Geomancy attempts to leverage the earth itself in a form of astrology that dates back to ancient Greece. Its name translates to “foresight by earth” and seeks to divine wisdom from marking and patterns on Earth’s surface or by those shapes and patterns left by a handful of pitched soil, rocks, and sand. Geomancy reached the height of its popularity in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, spreading throughout Europe and Africa as one of the most popular forms of divination at the time. In this form of divination, the geomancer traditionally uses their hands to create a field or chart on the ground, usually in the sand or fine dirt with their hands or a stick. The lines and markings produce a geomantic chart, which the reader will use to answer the querent’s question or other sought wisdom. 

Numerology believes that there are inherent relationships shared between numbers and events. This form of foresight is closely tied with the paranormal, just like astrology and other forms of divination. The system of numerology one is most likely to encounter today will be either referred to as Western numerology or Pythagorean numerology. It references the Greek mathematician and philosopher of the same name, who is considered the father of modern numerology. In this system, an individual’s name and birth are used to determine the number of significance that is specific to the individual and can provide insight into relationships, life’s path, and more. 

Tarot is another well-known form of divination that has emerged in the same vein as astrology. In this form of divination, the psychic reader will attempt to provide an answer for a querent based on the position and characteristics of cards dealt from a tarot deck. These cards symbolize various personality traits, potential events, and shifting dynamics in relationships between people things, and societal systems. It is highly promoted in popular culture and many budding psychics make their first foray into exploring their gifts using a deck of tarot cards. 

Physiognomy, sometimes called morphopsychology, is the belief that a person’s outward appearance, namely facial features, were governed by forces within the human body. The dominant force produced the dominant feature. Some examples of this divination attest that patterns on the scalp can determine sexuality, which certain facial features will preclude an individual’s purchasing habits or body and facial types can indicate a person’s level of anti-social behavior. There is some evidence to support that character traits can be inferred using such systems, though their level of divination is rebuffed by skeptics as dubious at best. 

However you choose to explore your psychic powers, through the study of astrology or related divination, we encourage you to continue the traditions of these ancient schools of thought. Whether you’re just interested in astrology for fun or to see how far you can push your power, it never hurts to be more informed.