The art of astrology, from ancient science to modern practice

From the dawn of human history, people of all cultures and belief systems have looked to the heavens for meaning. The movement of celestial bodies and their relationship to our lives has been the primary focus of astrology for thousands of years. The practice has inspired awe and devotion, and has allowed us to deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

While modern horoscopes may be the most familiar form of astrological knowledge, their lineage stretches back to the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks. As author Andrea Richards recounts in *Astrology* , the second volume in TASCHEN's Esoteric Library series, astronomy and astrology were sister sciences: the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed to align with the constellations, Persian experts oversaw some of the earliest observatories, and even Galileo cast horoscopes for the Medici. But with the Enlightenment and the birth of the exact sciences, the practice moved into realms where mystery was still permitted, inspiring literature, art, and psychology, and influencing artists and thinkers such as Goethe, Byron, and Blake. Later movements like Theosophy and the New Age brought it into mainstream culture.

Edited by Jessica Hundley, this fascinating visual history of Western astrology is the first compendium of its kind. It explores symbolic meaning through hundreds of images from around the world, from Egyptian temples and illuminated manuscripts to contemporary art. Works by artists ranging from Alphonse Mucha and Hilma af Klint to Manzel Bowman are sequenced to reflect the movement of the planets and the wheel of the zodiac. Astrology celebrates the stars and their mysterious influence on our daily lives.