| When you begin to study astrology, you are faced | | | | writing per se but it is record-keeping of a form, and is |
| with an avalanche of myriad subjects and possibilities, | | | | based on the lunar cycle. Go online and see the |
| the study of which can seem very daunting. Astrology | | | | pictures of these archeological treasures. |
| is a massive body of information that has been | | | | Original astrology/astronomy must have been primarily |
| handed down for millennia. It was initially verbal, | | | | lunar based because that was the only large body of |
| eventually codified and written as the advance of | | | | potential information that was visible to ancient man. |
| human skills codified writing as we understand it. Or is | | | | Yes, they could clearly see the Sun and the solar |
| that statement entirely true? | | | | cycles seemed to have evoked such places as |
| I have long been aware of ancient cave drawings in | | | | Glastonbury and others because such sites clearly |
| France that indicate knowledge of the lunar cycle. I | | | | mark major solar cycles. But the Sun itself is so |
| could not recall exactly how old these drawing were | | | | intensely bright that during daylight hours, little else is |
| thought to be so I Googled to date them. Imagine my | | | | visible with the exception of the monthly lunar crescent |
| delight when I was supplied with new website sources | | | | to full moon passage and the limited dawn and twilight |
| I had never seen previously thanks to our current | | | | visibility of the morning and the evening stars, Venus |
| internet information flow. I found support for ancient | | | | and Mercury. Most measurements, observations and |
| lunar calendar knowledge through other archeological | | | | eventual delineations came from the night sky after |
| artifacts as well. You can do this yourself simply by | | | | the bright object called the Sun exited the sky for the |
| putting 'lunar calendar drawings' into your browser | | | | evening and allowed human observation. |
| search box and then visit those web pages that seem | | | | The ancients were able to view, observe, measure, |
| to be archeological or primitive relic-oriented. I hit pay | | | | and develop theories, again, primarily using the night |
| dirt in my first two tries. Online encyclopedic sources | | | | sky, the lunar patterns. For example, the ancients were |
| are marvelous for information. | | | | able to see the planet Venus as a Morning or an |
| Records of a written language from Babylonia circa | | | | Evening Star at dawn or twilight and developed |
| 3400 BCE is the usual example given for mankind's | | | | meanings for their observations. As observed Venus |
| origination of a fully codified writing system. As | | | | might lead the Sun over the horizon or follow that |
| archeology expands its search worldwide the validity | | | | setting Sun under the horizon. The Sun would |
| of that claim is in question. Records are continually | | | | represent the life-giving force, the leader, the king, the |
| being unearthed around the world, some in countries | | | | father figure to the Moon's queen, the matriarch, Venus |
| such as China that were not accessible until recently. | | | | could be seen as the bringer of the light or the follower |
| Unfortunately few records have withstood the | | | | of that light. The old word for the light bringer was |
| ravages of time or are perhaps still buried awaiting | | | | Lucifer who is now thought to be the devil. |
| discovery. Counting and pictographs (picture symbols) | | | | There is currently a group of highly educated, |
| predate a written language and it is difficult to | | | | professional astrologers researching the old records |
| categorize some of these finds as language or pre- | | | | and charts looking for buried treasure, seeking to |
| (proto) language. | | | | understand the original concepts that have been |
| For this article I am looking to the bone, tortoise-shell, | | | | passed down through the ages. During the telling and |
| hillside carvings and cave drawings mentioned (relics) | | | | retelling of the old stories over the millenia, many |
| that are variously dated ranging from 18,000 to 35,000 | | | | changes occurred. The researchers are sifting through |
| years old. Can you imagine? The cave drawings in | | | | the smorgasbord of astrological lore to find kernels of |
| Lascaux, France of horses and a 29-day lunar cycle | | | | truth. Their continuing search will uncover, sort, discern, |
| are potentially 18,000 to 35,000 years old. Sources and | | | | eliminate or verify, find new choices and expand the |
| dating vary as dating is difficult. The amazing Ishango | | | | astrological information base for all astrologers. |
| Bone from the Congo area of Africa is thought to be | | | | Lacking any viable proof, my own thoughts are that |
| a mathematical device from 25,000 to 20,000 BCE. | | | | for our ancestors first there was observation of |
| The Blanchard Bone plaque appears to be a | | | | seasonal changes leading to a lunar calendar, |
| meandering two-month lunar calendar and comes | | | | eventually leading to observations of the effect on |
| from the Dordogne, France region. It is dated to 32,000 | | | | human experience that produced both astronomy and |
| to 25,000 BCE. | | | | astrology. Initially the two comprised one practice but |
| The Isturitz Baton (deer antler) comes from the region | | | | have drifted apart with the rise of science and |
| of Isturitz, France and is dated 25,000 to 20,000 BCE. | | | | technology. However, you cannot ignore that the two |
| The markings on the baton seem to represent both a | | | | practices have common roots. Ancient practitioners |
| four-month and a five-month lunar calendar. These | | | | were both astronomers and astrologers as were |
| ancient relics are so involved they go beyond the | | | | many of our most revered scientists and astronomers |
| simple 29-day lunar cycle and represented both | | | | over the centuries. Astronomy measures and |
| calendars and mathematical recordings of a primitive | | | | astrology interprets. They are the marriage of science |
| sort. These are a few of the relics that have been | | | | and art but seemingly divorced. As an astrologer, I use |
| found. There is so much speculation here, precise | | | | both so they are inseparable to me. Our rich human |
| dating and interpretation are difficult as this is not | | | | observational history facilitates our use of astrology. |