Why is Astrology Considered Occult?
By Carmen Turner-Schott*
I remember when I first started studying spiritual
topics that were different from my traditional religious teachings. I was always
drawn to the mysterious and astrology was something that I read about in the
Bible. Many verses contradicted themselves and I became confused. I knew that
Jesus said "There would be signs in the sun, moon and stars," but then other
verses were very negative and judgmental about astrology. When I began reading
books about the secret teachings of Jesus and learning the symbols in astrology
I remember feeling as if I was doing something wrong. There was a small voice
inside my head that tried to convince me that studying these things was somehow
evil or sinister. I realized for the first time what a powerful influence that
my raising and upbringing had on me. Even after all the "unexplained
experiences" that I had since I was a child, I still had reservations about
obtaining knowledge that was unique and even considered taboo. I often wondered
why I felt this way. I remember reading in the Bible about the word "occult" and
often had a fascination with things that were hidden from open communication. I
often asked myself, "What am I afraid of?" I realized that I was afraid of the
unknown.
Astrology was never truly
occult, it was actually practiced openly in biblical times and evidence shows it
was a tool used by the ancient civilizations starting in Babylonia. It was not
created as an occult science, because it was never hidden or secret on its own.
The Christian Church actually transformed astrology into something that was
considered taboo, supernatural and mysterious. Figures like Nostradamus
practiced astrology behind the scenes because if they practiced it openly they
would be persecuted. It was a controversial time in human history with the
Church fighting to maintain control of the people. Anything that encouraged free
thought was considered blasphemy. Astrologers had to begin practicing behind the
scenes, even Christian ones. The Catholic Church actually has the largest
astrological library in the world and in the early church astrology was actually
accepted by many. Astrologers do not worship the stars and the planets. Most
astrologers I know, especially Christian astrologers believe that the energy of
the planets impacts life on earth. They believe that God created the heaven, the
sun, moon and stars as it states in many verses in the Bible. They do not
believe astrology is their God and many of them believe only that the energy
impacts us here on earth. We know that the Moon affects the tides of the ocean
and water sources. The human body is made up of over 80 percent water and God
made our flesh perfect for his plan. We know that the Moon does affect people's
emotions. When I worked with runaway teens in a youth service program years ago,
every time there was a full moon the teens ran away more frequently. There is
even research out there that more people report to the emergency room during,
more cars break down on the side of the road and more violence in general is
reported by law enforcement personnel. God created the solar system based on his
divine plan. In the past people were persecuted for even suggesting that the
earth was round. They were killed for their beliefs. These historical facts are
what led to astrology being practiced in secret, behind closed doors by many
religious figures including Pope's, Rabbi's and Nuns.
The word "occult" actually means, "beyond the realm of human comprehension,
hidden from view, concealed, available only to the initiate, and secret." I
definitely knew that my personal spiritual experiences were beyond my
comprehension and that is what led me to research and study various books to
help validate my experiences. As a Christian, I had to step out of my safety
zone and tread rocky territory that was kept secret from me. I remember when I
had a vivid dream about a friend of mine. The next night, the entire dream
happened in waking reality just as I had envisioned it in my dream. My friend
called me and was crying. He told me that he needed to come over even though it
was late at night. I remember sitting on the porch at my parent's house in
anticipation of his arrival. When he got out of the car, he walked towards me
just as he did in the dream. He had a white t-shirt on and glasses. What stuck
out the most were his glasses, I had never seen him wear glasses before. We sat
down on the curb as he told me exactly what he did in my dream, "My parents are
getting divorced." I held him as he wept with sadness and I comforted him. I
remember telling him, "I dreamed this." I don't even know how to describe the
feeling with words. If I had to state this experience in one word, it would be
symbolic. When I asked my preacher about my dream, he told me "It is just your
imagination." I will never forget that. It was a true, real, and life
transforming experience to me. I could not understand it, it was beyond my
comprehension, but it was valuable to my belief system and I was forever
changed.
I
realized that astrology was a symbolic language and I was determined to learn
it. I read books about symbols and religion. I remember studying the tarot cards
and how astrological symbols were hidden within each card. I think I was the
most fascinated when I learned about the symbol of the Pentagram. As a
Christian, I was always taught that the Pentagram was the symbol for Satanism
and the Devil. I learned a very important piece of secret information when I dug
a little deeper in my studies. I found out that the Pentagram was actually a
symbol of protection used by Christians to ward off evil spirits. They would
draw the star on their doors and houses to keep away evil. The Pentagram was
also used by Medieval Christians to represent the five wounds of Jesus. It was
not until many powerful people at that time wanted to control these fears so
they made this symbol taboo and associated it with the occult. If you look in
society you can see the symbol of the star manifested in many ways. Policemen
and Sheriff's wear the star and what do they do? They protect us from danger. In
the Tree of Life, from the Jewish Kabala the star or pentagram represents doing
the higher will striving to attain higher levels of consciousness when the point
is facing upward. Often we find the point facing downwards which represents
doing the lower animal will and acting on our personal desires. We have the Star
of David in Judaism, which has six points and is focal to this religion's belief
system. In Christian art, Saint Bruno is known to wear the star on his breast
and three saints wore the star on their forehead, Saint Dominic, Saint Humbert
and Saint Peter of Alcantara.
The astrological symbols are found throughout the Bible and are considered
hidden and mysterious because there is much to be left to interpretation. When I
found out that there are many books that were written that are not in the Bible,
I wondered what other information was kept secret and hidden from Christians?
The Nicene Creed consisting of a group of twelve men decided which books would
be included in the Holy Bible. There were many books that were left out,
probably hidden away in some secret library at the Vatican. Then I found out
that the Catholic Bible has different books in the Bible than the Protestant
Bible I grew up reading. Within the Christian denominations the "occult" is
thriving today. Occult simply means, kept hidden and mysterious.
For more information visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagram
*
Carmen Turner-Schott, MSW, LISW, is a
practicing licensed clinical social worker, intuitive astrologer and teacher
with national and international clientele. She received her undergraduate degree
in Psychology from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1997. She
completed her Master of Social Work degree at Washington University in St.
Louis, Missouri in 1999. She is a published author and wrote her first book in
2006 titled, "A Deeper Look at the Sun Signs" Her new book, "The Mysteries of
the Eighth Astrological House: Phoenix Rising" will be published in 2010. Carmen
has been researching the eighth and twelfth astrological houses for the past 16
years. Carmen began her astrological work at the age of 16 and began studying
metaphysics and the Cayce material at that time. She has presented astrology
workshops for the Association of Research and Enlightenment in the St. Louis,
Missouri region and teaches eGroup classes for the A.R.E. Virginia Beach
Headquarters on various astrology topics. She has worked for the Air Force in a
variety of different programs as a family advocacy outreach manager, alcohol and
drug abuse prevention therapist, and as a sexual assault response coordinator
and victim advocate. An avid Edgar Cayce researcher, she enjoys writing,
studying and teaching a wide range of spiritual topics.
Founder of the Astrological Self Awareness Center, LLC
http://www.astrology-awareness.com
314-435-6098
carmenturnerschott@hotmail.com
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