Astrology and religion

   We meet the first mention of celestial bodies, stars and heavenly signs already on the first page of the first book of the Old Testament "Genesis" (verse 14), about the fourth day of creation:

   Here it is absolutely unambiguously told "as signs", - which, naturally, should be able to be understood, deciphered. Further in the Old Testament the same Hebrew word "sign" meets repeatedly, not necessarily connected with stars and lamps, but every time - with will of God, as well as in the words of the Genesis given above.
   Follows from the first Books that lamps and stars heavenly show to us the will of God, and the person has to be able to read signs of heaven. However, the Satan, the "liar and the father of lie" seducing people tries to tear off any knowledge from faith in God and to turn any knowledge against His Will. Also the knowledge of "signs of heaven" isn't an exception. In the first four initial books of Moses there are no direct instructions on sinfulness of predictors though, of course, the Babylon confusion of languages is possible and it is necessary to consider as God's ban on comprehension of secrets of the sky for the arrogance. But already in the fifth book, in Deuteronomy, we find worship condemnation of "heavenly troops". So, Moses bequeaths to the peculiar people to avoid idolatry and, in particular, speaks: "And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven." (D. IV:19). And further it is said that to the people of Israel God will open the future through Prophets - at the same time only those from them from God whose words will come true (D. XVIII:15-22). Jews from the very beginning of the bible history have been surrounded with the people worshipping the most different gods, "heavenly troops" so Moses' care of purity of belief in One God is clear, doesn't demand special comments and, obviously, doesn't cancel the initial Good news about star revelation, the star message of God to mankind in general and to each person.
   In other, later books of the Old Testament it is possible to meet condemnation of "astrologers... (and) stargazers who make predictions month by month" still more than once (Is. 47:13,14), and also instructions on the fact that the prophet is much higher than any augur (Dan. I:20; II:27; V:7,8), however all this, obviously, in any way doesn't cancel the main conclusion of our research: it is necessary to know "canons of the sky". Good News in the starry sky shines all from biblical times until now.

   In the New Testament it is told about the magicians who have defined time and the birthplace of Jesus Christ, and gone after a guiding star to Bethlehem. Magicians (so in those days called the Persian astrologers, stargazers) the first have congratulated Mary with the son's birth.
   It is interesting that in the Bible magicians share on bad and good. Good magicians are Persians, and bad - Egyptians. Egyptian magicians tried to imitate by means of magic to the miracles made by Moses and Aaron mentioned at the time of Moses and Joseph. The magic is strictly condemned and forbidden in the Bible.

   In the ancient time astrology had universal recognition and use. It originates in astral religion - an astrolatry (from Greek astron - "star" and latreia - "cult, service") and till a certain moment is indissoluble with her. In an astrolatry idolized the Sun, the Moon and other celestial bodies. At early stages of development of humanity celestial bodies were considered as deities, on more developed - they were considered as the embodiments of gods or subordinated to gods. An astrolatry - the integral stage of almost all civilizations though not always on its base astrology arose. For emergence of the last not only the belief in influence of stars, but also quite high level of observation astronomy was required. Therefore astrology appeared only at the people which have created a high civilization and that not always (for example, in pre-hellenistic Ancient Egypt astrology wasn't). 
   The Dutch historian of science B.L. van der Waerden specifies that development of astronomical knowledge led both to a new form of astrology, and to change of astral religion. In the Middle East (Late Assyrian, Chaldaic and Persian periods) B.L. van der Waerden illustrates communication of stages of development of astronomy, astrology and astrolatria the following table:
 

Astronomy MUL.APIN (1000-612 BC.)	Astrology of omens	Old Babylon and Assyrian religion
Zodiac astronomy (612 - 539)	Primitive zodiac astrology	Mithraism, Zurvanism and Orphism
Mathematical astronomy (539 - 331)	Goroskopny astrology	Zoroastrianism

   It should be noted that the right part of this scheme is very simplified. Complexity of religious trends in the Middle East, in Egypt and Greece it is impossible to present the three-part scheme without loss. Border between the second and third stage not such sharp, however stages of development of astrology and astronomy are represented absolutely clear and distinct, and their interaction with space religion - reliably testified in each of three cases.
   In antiquity (5th century BC) the religions connected with mysteries considered that good people after death become stars. In the Hellenistic Egypt at Ptolemaeus there was a representation that governors and their wives after death turn into stars. These ideas were apprehended by Romans; since then the cult of emperors at the same time was also an astral cult. The first person in Rome which image began to be identified with a star was Antinous (111 - 130), favourite of the emperor Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus.

   In some countries of the ancient world of view of astrology were entirely theological, i.e. religious. So in the Babylon astrology of the planet were considered if not as gods then one of forms of their embodiment. Ancient Indians also saw in planets of gods which it was possible to influence prayers and magic ceremonies. There were also types of astrology where the Universe represented the mechanism where there was no opportunity to be shown to neither will of the person, nor will of God.
   Traditional religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, these two extreme directions in astrology subjected to the most fierce attacks. On the one hand, God, in their opinion, has to be one (though in three faces: The son, the Father and the Holy Spirit), with another - everything is subject to will of God!