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Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Throughout ancient religions, the astrologer was a person who consulted with the celestial skies and drew predictions from the alignment and movement of the cosmos. An astrologer drew a horoscope, or predictive timeline, for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interpreted celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the outcomes of an undertaking, or other future events. However, the methods employed by astrologers were variable and depended on the particular astrological tradition they employed and the information desired. In the far past, the role often entailed observation or manual calculation of celestial phenomena. Historically the term mathematicus was used to denote a person proficient in astrology, astronomy, and mathematics. [1]. = =

1 Practice 2 Astrologers in World Religions 3 See Also 4 References 5 External Links ||
 * ==Contents==

Practice
The astrologer, in accordance with the exact time a person is born, observes the heavens and calculates all the planets, as well as the sign of the zodiac rising over the eastern horizon—which is then identified as "ascendant." He then prepares a chart which indicates the astronomically exact positions of the stars in relation to the place of birth. Astrology is thus also quite simply astronomy, or better: its religious understanding of the cosmos is based on exact scientific calculations. As such, the astrologer, is then the intermediary who works between the cosmos and the humans and acts as sort of soothsayer and farseer.[3] Depiction of 9th century Persian Astrologer using the typical measuring tools of his trade: A sextet or other celestial measuring device, the astrological wheel to calculate spacial positions of planets and stars, and a recording logbook. From: http://www.astrodynamics.net/Skywatch/Skywatch-September-2007.htm ||
 * [[image:vedic-astrologer.jpg]]

==A strologers in World Religions  == == The first recorded, organized system of astrology was developed in Mesopotamia in the second millennium BCE. The Babylonians invented a particularly famous system of omen astrology that was relatively simple and direct compared to later developments, foretelling important societal occurrences such as famine, war, peace, and so on based on predefined celestial indicators. Much like a soothsayer, Babylonian astrologers provided a service for those in power, acting as advisors [3]. It is important to note that in this system, Astrology and Astronomy were not distinguished as separate disciplines; the act of astronomical observation was often done by someone who had astrological motives for doing so. Indeed, astrologers' professional responsibility and desire for predictive knowledge for a large part spurred the advancement of astronomy, and the Babylonians developed a very precise ability to mathematically predict the location of celestial points and phenomena based upon their observable cycles. [2] Spurned by the mystery and grandness of the cosmos, the ancients found that astrology, and therefore the astrologer, gave them clues and predictive ability to observe and detail their lives as it related to the universe. Amazingly, the ancients helped enact scientific study of the cosmos (giving way to the eventual delineation of the study of Astronomy) through their personal religious beliefs. Astrologers worked according to the following method: an observation in the sky was registered with date and time of day and its characteristics were described exactly. Parallel to this, all political and naturally occurring events were likewise recorded. This was continuously repeated, and in this way continuous records spanning many centuries came to be, records which minutely checked the phenomena of the heavens against the events on earth, compared these with older records, and completed them with new observations. [4] As such, Ancients were able to calculate the natures and rhythm of the world, such as the Seasons or times of flood, by observing cosmic activities such as the Winter or Summer Solstice. This, indeed gave way to and endures, in the celebrations of such holidays as Yalda and Charshambeh Suri, the Zoroastrian celebration of the equinox known for a rejoicing in the re-fertilization of the Earth, a holiday steeped in astrological tradition. Most famously, the Meso-americans were known for their supposedly precise, accurate calculations and predictions of natural events and societal changes. At the end of each Mayan astrological rotational period or Bak'tun, their society was known to undergo a radical amount of changes, of which, many conspiracy theorists have said correlates with the Spaniard invasions and disappearance of many meso-american peoples, giving rise to the scare that the year 2012, or the beginning of the 13th Bak'tun and end of the 12th, will be an apocalyptic time. [5] In more modern times, astrology and the practice of Astrologers involves the consultation of the celestial wheel and the zodiac signs (Capricorn, Scorpio, Pices, etc) and their ascribed traits which help astrologers divine and understand possible outcomes or information on people and the actions surrounding them. == From: http://www.solarnavigator.net/history/astrology/astrology_images/Zodiac_Wheel_sixth_century_mosaic_Beit_Alpha.jpg ||
 * Sixth Century Mayan Astrological Wheel, note that this wheel illustrates the Mayan zodiac signs in relation to people.

media type="youtube" key="Iunr4B4wfDA" height="344" width="425" From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iunr4B4wfDA&feature=related ||
 * Carl Sagan documentary on Astrology and Astrologers