OFF-TOPIC BONUS : ASTROLOGY # 2 - Film Score Rundowns

HISTORY:
The earliest fully delineated charts traced back to 400 B.C. Two distinctions:
(1) Omen-based astrology : Interpretation of celestial phenomena as omens of divine
will. The readings were not geared for individual persons except possibly the king
as the symbol of the kingdom. Omen-based astrology is stellar or universalized
(Stonehenge, pyramids aligned to fixed stars, India etc). Usually the rising and
setting of fixed stars were employed, indicating general omens for the people and
the kingdom as a whole. Many cultures used it—it was not invented.
(2) Horoscopic-based astrology: Here we see the presence of the horoskopos or hourmaker
(eg., the Ascendant). The hour-maker was a point that define houses. The
Ascendant is only one horoskopoi. The Babylonians invented planetary astrology.
Until then, it was simply stellar astrology (eg., fixed stars). Usually horoscopic
astrology is based on the rising degree of the ecliptic (Ascendant or Lagna). The
oldest example of this is about 400 B.C. At this time, the two Zodiacs (Sidereal
and Seasonal/tropical) were fairly close to coinciding with about an 8 degree
difference, so statements about, say, Aries could apply to both the constellation
and the sign.
-Assyrians (730-650 B.C.). Babylon and Egypt conquered.
-Second Babylonian Empire circa 612 B.C. (Egypt was independent again).
-Persia conquered everybody circa 539 B.C.
The Egyptians took Babylonian astrology and invented horoscopic astrology. For
example, signs were used as houses, aspects used, rulerships. Our western astrology is
not Egyptian or Hindu but Mesopotamian. The oldest star lists from the Mesopotamian
era has references to Taurus, Orion, Leo, Capricorn and Sagittarius constellations. The 12
sign zodiac as we know it did not appear until the 6 th century B.C. during the period when
Babylon was ruled by the culture-friendly Persians (who ruled the Egyptians as well).
With this cultural interchange, it is believed Babylonian astronomy entered Egypt.
The Hindus took a different path. Prior to Mesopotamian astrology, they did not
use the 12 signs or houses. Instead they used 27 signs or Lunar Mansions (and still do).
Each sign has a ruler. Each 9 lunar mansions section was a trine (3 x 9 = 27). Eventually
the Babylonian/Persian ideas came to India (Persia conquered part of India too) and the
12-fold Zodiac became superimposed on the Indian system, and a synthesis occurred
around 6 th century B.C. During the general cultural interchange, the irregular
constellation-based framework was replaced by twelve 30 degree divisions of idealized
constellations.
The Egyptians were the first “modern” age wave of astrologers who ran with the
Babylonian astronomy. Later the second major wave or Next Generation were the
Hellenistic Greek-era astrologers (they wrote in Greek but many were not actually Greek.
Ptolemy was probably an Egyptian Greek living in Egypt). Coptic is a dialect of Egyptian
written with Greek characters done in the early Alexandrian and Post-Alexandrian era
(late 4 th century B.C. after Alexander conquered the Persian Empire so that the Greek
language became the standard). The Empire remained Greek-speaking for a long time, so
during this period, the three streams of astrology (Hellenistic, Hindu,
Mesopotamian/Persian) would’ve interchanged ideas. After Alexander, an Iranian tribe
called the Parthians in 126 B.C reconquered the eastern part of the Persian Empire and
cut off the Greek-speaking influences. The Parthians were hostile to Greek culture. Then
in the early 3 rd century B.C. a central Persian people overthrew the Parthians and created
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