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Astrology
Background
Worship of heavenly bodies History of astrology Astrology and astronomy Glossary Planets Behenian Classical Zodiac Traditions, types, and systems Astrology and science Astrologers Astrological organizations
Traditions
Babylonian Chinese Hellenistic Hindu Islamic Jewish Tibetan Western
Branches
Natal Electional Horary Medical Financial Locational Psychological Meteorological
Astrological signs
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
Symbols
Planet Metals
v t e

Mundane astrology is the application of astrology to world affairs and world events, taking its name from the Latin word mundus, meaning "the World". Mundane astrology is widely believed by astrological historians to be the most ancient branch of astrology. Astrological practices of divination and planetary interpretation have been used for millennia to answer political questions. It was, however, only with the gradual emergence of horoscopic astrology from the sixth century B.C. that astrology developed into two distinct branches, mundane astrology and natal astrology..

Mundane astrology deals with the study of events at a national level which are significant enough to affect the harmony, hopes, expectations and material conditions of the citizens. Often there is a considerable focus on the government, politics or laws of a particular nation, state, city or organization. The most prevalent approach to the study of mundane astrology is by focusing on the horoscope representing the birth of a collective entity. It is held that certain countries have astrological charts (or horoscopes) just like a person is said to in astrology. For example, the modern state of India is widely considered to have come into being at midnight on August 15, 1947, when its independence was attained from Britain. This time gives rise to a national horoscope for this country, which can be analyzed in terms of the natal potential and the impacts of transiting planets in the horoscope at any given time. The other approach is the ancient practice of predicting mundane events based on the study of astrological phenomena, such as the movement of celestial bodies through signs in the Solar System, aspects between planets or astronomical cycles. This approach makes no reference to a national horoscope.

Astrology is considered to be a pseudo-science by the scientific community.

Modern scientific appraisal

Contemporary science considers astrology a pseudoscience. Criticisms include that astrology is conjectural and supplies no hypotheses, proves impossible to falsify, and describes natural events in terms of scientifically untestable supernatural causes. It has also been suggested that much of the continued faith in astrology could be psychologically explained as a matter of cognitive bias. Skeptics say that the practice of western astrologers allows them to avoid making verifiable predictions, and gives them the ability to attach significance to arbitrary and unrelated events, in a way that suits their purpose, although science also provides methodologies to separate verifiable significance from arbitrary predictions in research experiments, as demonstrated by Gauquelin's research and Carlson's experiment.

References

1. Michael Baigent (1994). From the Omens of Babylon: Astrology and Ancient Mesopotamia. Arkana.
2. Michael Baigent, Nicholas Campion and Charles Harvey (1984). Mundane astrology. Thorsons.
3. Richard Dawkins (31 December 1995). "The Real Romance in the Stars". London: The Independent, December 1995.. See also "Astronomical Pseudo-Science: A Skeptic's Resource List". Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
4. Hartmann, P (2006). "The relationship between date of birth and individual differences in personality and general intelligence: A large-scale study". Personality and Individual Differences. 40 (7): 1349–1362. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.017. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
5. Eysenck, H.J., and Nias, D.K.B. (1982) pp.42-48.
6. About.com: Is Astrology a Pseudoscience? Examining the Basis and Nature of Astrology

Further reading

• Nicholas Campion, The Book of World Horoscopes, The Aquarian Press, London, 1988
• Stan Barker, The Signs of The Times - The Neptune Factor: America's Future and Past as Seen Through Planetary Cycles, Llewellyn Publications, St Paul, MN USA 1986
• E. Alan Meece, Horoscope for the New Millennium, Llewellyn Publications, St Paul MN USA 1997
• Dhruva, Astrological analysis of Indian Affairs (1947–2050), New Delhi: Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd., 2008 (ISBN 9788189973025)
• "America is Born: Introducing the Regulus USA National Horoscope", Regulus Astrology LLC, Princeton, NJ, 2008. (ISBN 9780980185621)
• Richard Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche, Intimations of a New World View, New York, 2006 (ISBN 9780670032921)

• Astrology by type
• History of astrology