A while back, I was at a restaurant to get my discounted birthday meal. When the server asked about the zodiac sign for my birth date, I told her I don’t have one because I don’t do that stuff–meaning astrology. I thought by now astrology would be a dead issue for modern people. How could anyone still believe in horoscopes? How could the position of the planets & stars supposedly influence a person’s character & foretell the future? What does that have to do with your life?
In the 70’s, it grew into a groovy trend as young people turned to alternative spiritualities, including the occult. Zodiac merchandise was everywhere. Astrologers became pop culture figures. “What’s your sign?” became a cliche pick-up line. But as all fads do, it faded, especially as debunkers started getting more attention.
But last month, a report came out showing that lots of American adults, about 27%, still believe in astrology & use it at least once a year. Astrology is, without doubt, the most widely believed superstition & acceptable occult pastime of our age. Many users say it’s not really something they rely on, but engage in just for fun. Others do believe it gives them “helpful insights,” especially in times of uncertainty & anxiety.
Its popularity has grown & gone more mainstream among younger generations, especially young women & those making financial decisions, like timing home purchases. Astrology has been featured recently in publications like “Vogue,” “Cosmopolitan,” “The Atlantic,” “The New Yorker,” & “MarketWatch.”
Some may dismiss it as harmless fun, but not only is astrology notoriously inaccurate & misleading, it’s rooted in ancient paganism. This is more than irrational & harmless superstition. It’s deceptive & dangerous, opening the door to the demonic, even if the users don’t understand it. While astrology sometimes seems to offer “helpful insights,” it’s based on vague generalities, coincidence, the power of suggestion, & self-fulfilling prophecies. But if it’s more than that, then they’re dealing with something darker.
In the Old Testament, the prophets condemned such practices. In the time of Moses, God said: “And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them…” (Deut. 4:19). He forbids the evil of serving the sun or moon or any of the heavenly host (Deut. 17:2-3, 18:10-12).
Through Isaiah, God mocks the pagan Babylonians who consult the planets & “divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you” (Is. 47:13-14). This was a common practice then with magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, & astrologers (Dan. 1:20, 2:2, 10, 27, 4:7). But they would be judged! God’s people were to trust His prophets, not false prophets. A great example of that is when God’s prophet, Daniel, was able to describe & interpret dreams while the Babylonian occultists could not.
Later on, the wise men (“magi”) in the East who saw the star in the sky leading them to where baby Jesus was could have been involved in such practices. But it’s more likely they were simply part of the educated elite who were aware of the Scriptural prophecy about the Messianic star (Num. 24:17). Even if they did use astrology, Scripture isn’t endorsing it. Rather, it would be an example of how even pagans would recognize Jesus as God.
Astrology takes elements of astronomy & steeps them in ancient Greek & Roman mythology. It’s not really the planets being interpreted, but the deities they’re named after. The planet Saturn, for instance, is said to affect people in a constricting, malevolent way because the Roman god, Saturn, was revered as a threatening & sinister power. The same is true of the gods Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto. Yet astrologers continually cite planetary influences instead of the gods themselves being at work in human affairs.
God created the planets & stars, & organized them into constellations (Ps. 8:3, 147:4, Job 9:9, 26:13, 38:31-32, Amos 5:8). All these were given for “signs” & “seasons” to mark time for us (Gen. 1:14). They’ve also been signs throughout history in terms of navigation. But those constellations became the basis for astrological signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.), revealing information that would otherwise be “hidden.” This is a form of forbidden divination. We cannot determine God’s will through such means. We instead consult His Word where He reveals His will, & pray for discernment in understanding it, & for guidance in applying it.
If astrology were accurate, why aren’t astrologers wealthy? Why don’t governments, businesses, & financial planners employ astrologers? How can twins turn out so differently when they’re born at the same time under the same sign? If it’s accurate, why do different versions of the zodiac exist, such as the one in the West vs. the Chinese one?
Astrology isn’t accurate, scientific, or logical. But most of all, it’s not biblical. It’s something Christians should have nothing to do with. It’s just another path that leads us away from God. The only signs we’re looking for in the sun, moon, & stars are the ones that accompany the return of Christ (Luke 21:25).