Astrology and culture

   Let's designate the basic things in common of art and an astrology. First, in many cases the form of a work of art happened "astrological". First of all, it concerned pieces of music. As it is known, bases of the theory the music put in antiquity by scientists Pythagoreans, closely connect with astrological representations about “harmony of spheres”: were considered that each of seven planets (including the Sun and the Moon) at the movement published a sound of certain height, and thanks to the simultaneous movement of all luminaries arises harmonic sound that is the scale in one octave. “Harmony of spheres” influenced not only steps of a scale, but also on system of the notation, a tonality, vocal forms. Under the astrological concept of "harmony of the spheres" is already in antiquity was let down by the foundation of physical and acoustic theories. It is interesting that such a system has been independently created in ancient China - the only difference is that in China used the pentatonic scale. Five notes of the Chinese scale corresponded to the five elements and the five planets. Thus, the theory of music from ancient times has been inextricably linked with the astrological theories.

   With an astrology happened other art forms was connect also. As showing A.Kobzev, in China even structure of literary works and them placing on a paper obey to astrological and numerological laws. Japanese treatise "Nihon-kagaku-taikei" (857) similarly interprets the structure of the poems of the tanka, fixing for each of the five lines of the tanka correlation with certain astrological element, season, part of the world and planet.
   An interesting example of "astrological forms" of a literary work, we find in the works of the famous German philosopher Rudolf Steiner. The theme of "the world's horoscope" and at the same time - cosmic vibrations, manifested in the words of human language, has been masterfully embodied by Steiner in the form of 12-Verse poem "Zwölf Stimmungen" ("12 moods" or "12 sounds"): 12 stanzas correspond with zodiac signs and each stanza to 7 lines devoted seven visible planets: 1st row - sunny, 2nd and 3rd are devoted to the inner planets, Venus and Mercury, the middle row in the sense associated with the astrological meaning of Mars, followed by a string Jupiter and Saturn, and in the end there is a string of the Moon with the appropriate text, inverse first solar line, than fixed, that the moon reflects sunlight.
   Little-known fact that in European literature there was a special literary genre of astrological praise newborns and their parents - genetliakonik. Such poetic eulogies were filled with astrological symbols and usually based on the horoscope of the newborn. Characteristic example of genetliakonik are the remain poem of Simeon of Polotsk, devote to a birth of the future Russian tsar of Peter I.
   The knowledge of an astrology opened new semantic layers of some literary works. The religious writing (in particular, texts of the Avesta, the Bible, the Talmud, the Koran), creations of Dante, Grimmelshausen, Shakespeare, Calderon, Stendhal, W.Scott and other writers in the art form frequently displayed the astrological concepts dominate during an epoch their writing. Both in the literature, and in painting, a book miniature, music and a sculpture cycles repeatedly creat, connect with zodiac signs and astrological value of planets.
   There is also the return impact of art on an astrology. So, many astrological compositions were created in the form of works of art. For example, the most ancient monument to the Roman astrology – the treatise M.Manilius' "Astronomika" – is written in the form of the poem. Many other astrological treatises of Ancient Greece, Rome, the Hellenistic Egypt and India were also created poetically. The best-known work combining the astrological contents and an art form – "Tsenturiya" of Nostradamus. They represent katrena with predictions, united in ten tsenturiya (that is hundreds).

   It is proved that many works of architects of antiquity (first of all, various temples and sanctuaries) had the structure caused by astrological representations. For example, ziggurats of Mesopotamia consisted of three (on number of three worlds: heavenly, terrestrial and underground) or seven (on number of planets) floors, each of which had the squared shape symbolizing four parts of the world and four seasons. The Egyptian and American pyramids, Romance and Gothic temples and many other types of constructions contain instructions on astrological motives in the most structure.

   Special discussion is demanded by a question of interrelation between an astrology and mythology which, in turn, is the cornerstone of many works of art. After all mythemes of gods which names called planets, make basis of astrological values of these celestial bodies. On the other hand, myths (especially astral, cosmological and calendar) contain a large number of astrological motives. C.G.Jung specified that myths and astrological symbols contain the same general archetypes. This outstanding psychologist considered that the astrology is necessary for the correct interpretation of myths. Without sitting over this problem, we will note only that the knowledge of astrological "language" is necessary for culturological "interpretation" of considerable number of the works of art based on mythology of various people. In other words, the astrology carries out a peculiar "language" function in different types of art.

   Such interesting subject as penetration of astrological terminology and astrological symbolics in daily use waits for researches. Among astrological expressions which entered daily language: the opposition, "aspect" of this problem, "to be born under a lucky star", "fate", "his star ascends", English words and expressions of "consider", "ill starred" and so on. The outdated name of flu "influenza" specifies that the reasons of this illness were built to influence of planets. To astrological representations there go back also the characteristic of the leading cultural figures and sport as "stars", and the names of days of the week in many languages and which are found on flags of many states the Sun, the Moon and stars.

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