Man and the Stars

 Modern civilization has brought countless benefits—some of which would have seemed like science fiction to people from the past, even to those living just 15 or 20 years ago. At the same time, new ironies emerge in this era. Instead of inspiring us and opening new horizons, today’s trends increasingly close us off from one another and nurture fears of real social contact. Our gaze is directed downward: once we would stare thoughtfully at the asphalt beneath our feet while pondering an uncertain future; today we stare, captivated, at the colorful screens of our smartphones. That’s what they’re called now—no longer just “mobiles.”

Imagine now a moment several thousand years ago: no streetlights, no city crowds, just you and nature. Blessed silence, surrounded by sounds you can only hear in the wild. It’s night, the sky flooded with stars—something unimaginable today in cities, or even their outskirts. Just you, nature, a few scattered people, houses far in the distance. You feel the power of nature, you know there are forces that surpass not only your physical strength and abilities, but also your understanding of the world. At the same time, you feel you are an inseparable part of that nature, part of something much greater.

That very feeling of connection to nature and belonging as part of a larger whole is what today’s civilization lacks. That’s why looking up at the stars was once the most natural, self-evident thing for humanity. Moreover, for people of those times, the connection between the stars and events on Earth was obvious. In regions like Mesopotamia and Egypt, this link to the seasons of flooding was literally a matter of life and death. The ability to predict floods and droughts by reading the sky was a question of survival—not just for one person or a small group, but for entire nations. The cycles of those floods determined the wheat harvest, and for the ancient peoples of Egypt and Mesopotamia, that harvest was the only source of food. There was no global market or supermarkets where food could simply be bought.

That’s why the approach to astrology was extremely serious and responsible—much like how we today approach earthquake forecasting.

The stars were, for ancient people, embodiments of gods—through them they explained the forces of nature and events that exceeded their strength and understanding.

Even in the Stone Age, when our distant ancestors lived in caves, there was fascination with the stars: to explain the will of the gods, to appease their anger, or to call for help when it seemed the forces of nature had turned against humanity and threatened destruction.

Although today such an approach to observing the stars is dismissed as superstition and pseudoscience, we can see that in its time it was real knowledge and science in the right place—with a clearly defined purpose.

Official modern science denies any connection between celestial bodies and events on Earth—except for the tides influenced by the Moon. Yet the symbolism of planets, their energies, and their influence on living human beings continues to break through in psychology and spiritual practice.

The value of astrology in our time lies precisely in its relentless reminder that we humans are still just as much a part of nature and the Universe as ever—no matter how advanced, developed, and powerful we may feel today.