Astrology vs. Astronomy: Similarities and Key Differences

Introduction

On the one hand, astrology maintains that the positions and movements of celestial bodies exert a powerful but nebulous influence on humans in supernatural ways. While astrology has declined in popularity and in the number of committed believers in the United States over the past century, it did experience a brief resurgence as part of the "new wave" movement in the closing years of the 20th century. Even so, it never regained its status as an academic discipline, which it had enjoyed during the 18th and 19th centuries. On the other hand, astronomy uses a scientific approach to exploring and understanding the unimaginably enormous cosmos that surrounds the Earth. Although few people would likely claim that astronomy is a bogus enterprise, there are some issues that make this scientific discipline comparable to the limitations of astrology in the minds of some observers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical review of the relevant literature to compare and contrast astrology and astronomy by identifying their similarities and especially their differences. Following this review, a summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

The Rise and Fall of Astrology

Beginning more than 4,000 years ago and continuing well into the 17th century, astrology was a widely recognized and accepted academic and pseudo-scientific discipline (Kallery, 2001). Until the 17th century, astrology and astronomy were both considered legitimate areas of study with important implications for humankind. It is also noteworthy that the decline of astrology from this position was precipitated by religious reasons rather than by serious challenges from the scientific community (Mayer, 2020). Nevertheless, the past 300 years witnessed astrology being transformed from a legitimate area of scholarly investigation into one that bordered on using a novelty toy to predict the future.

This more recent decline in the popularity and respect for astrology was caused by multiple factors, including most especially its debunking by a growing chorus of scientists who argued that it was foolhardy to attribute any real significance or meaning to the relative position of stars and other celestial bodies at the time of someone's birth. In this regard, Mayer (2020) concludes that "due to the near complete failure of attempts to provide scientific evidence of astrology during the second half of the 20th century, pursuits in a scientifically guided approach to astrology decreased strongly" (p. 755).

Like religious zealots, however, some firm believers in astrology cite countless examples from the historical record where astrologers predicted the future with uncanny precision, and argue that these predictions would not have been possible without the types of insights that only astrology can provide (Geller, 2011). Indeed, both Hitler and Ronald Reagan, among numerous other historical leaders, routinely consulted astrologers to help them identify particularly auspicious days to take specific actions. In sum, the inability of astrology's supporters to prove scientifically that astrology works has not been an especially significant roadblock to its continuing, if still-diminished, popularity with many Americans today.

Given the lack of scientific evidence to support the claims of astrologers, it is tempting to dismiss astrology entirely as a quaint but misguided effort to better understand the universe. Skeptics might ask how the position of stars billions of light years away can have any effect on people's lives, especially since the relative position of those stars has changed substantially since the astrological zodiac was first conceptualized several millennia ago. Furthermore, many astrologers maintain that the exact point on Earth where a person is born has an important influence on their ultimate fate, meaning that people's lives may be altered by being born just a few hundred feet from one location or another.

Horoscopes and Continuing Public Interest

This all sounds spurious, of course, but when one in five Americans believes something, it is important to take note. Whether through force of habit, idle curiosity, or just for fun, an estimated 70 million Americans currently read their horoscope on a daily basis (Stierwalt, 2020). Because horoscope predictions are framed in such broad terms that can easily apply to virtually anyone — for example, "You will meet someone new today" or "Use caution when going out" — belief in such predictions can be reinforced every time one comes true. Moreover, it is reasonable to suggest that far more Americans have read their horoscopes in the past, or read them occasionally for similar reasons. This does not necessarily mean that all of these people subscribe to the fundamental tenets of astrology, but it does underscore the continuing relevance of this ancient practice in the modern world.

Even casual horoscope readership, however, has also declined alongside the readership of the syndicated newspapers that used to feature popular astrology columns. The percentage of Americans who regard astrology as "very" or even "sort of" scientific has significantly declined in recent years (Stierwalt, 2020). Although many Americans continue to consult their horoscopes regularly for a variety of reasons, scientific credibility is certainly not among them. As Stierwalt (2020) emphasizes, "There is no science to back up whether astrology impacts our personality and our lives. None whatsoever" (para. 6).

Conclusion

The research was consistent in showing that astrology is the discipline of trying to augur the destiny of humans based on the position of various celestial bodies at the time of their birth. By contrast, astronomy was shown to be the scientific study of these same and other celestial bodies using a wide array of modern technologies. Although the origins of both astrology and astronomy date to antiquity, and both rely on arcane and esoteric terms to describe their operations, the real similarities end there. It is important to note, however, that few people can stand in direct sunlight and not be awed by the sheer power of our nearest star. Add to this the fact that early humans recognized the inextricable connection between the Sun and agricultural enterprises, and it is little wonder that people have looked to the heavens for answers for thousands of years.

The research also showed that the use of astrology in an attempt to provide rational explanations for why the Sun and other celestial bodies affect humanity has consistently declined in popularity among laypeople and has been entirely discounted by most members of the scientific community in the early 21st century. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that most people have come to grips with the realization that astrology is unscientific and lacks any real ability to predict the future. Given the sustained popularity of horoscopes among many Americans, however, it is also reasonable to conclude that these entertainment-laden snippets — together with other cultural curiosities — will remain a fixture in American culture for the foreseeable future.

References

Geller, M. J. (2011). The role of ancient astrology in preparation for a secular natural science and medicine. Sudhoffs Archives, 95(2), 158–169.

Hirsch, A. (1997, January 28). So long, psychic friend. The Baltimore Sun.

Kallery, M. (2001). Early-years educators' attitudes to science and pseudo-science: The case of astronomy and astrology. European Journal of Teacher Education, 24(3), 329–342.

Mayer, G. (2020). Astrology and science: A precarious relationship part 1: Historical review of German astrology in the 20th century and current developments. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 34(4), 755–791.

Stierwalt, E. E. (2020, June 25). Is astrology real? Here's what science says. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-astrology-real-heres-what-science-says/