My shrink is retiring, so she suggested (insisted) I find a new shrink. I went through a process that resulted in two candidates. In a meet-and-greet with candidate #1 she said something about, she thought I was a Scorpio, and I had to say I was a Libra. She said, cusp? Then looked at my birthdate and saw I'm right in the middle. She said, "Hmm."
.
She was struck off my list. The other candidate was a good fit, thankfully.
I went to a certified MD holistic doctor once and he started off with a buncha questions, including about my views on the afterlife. He did manage to help me with my ailment via orthodox establishment medicine, but I later heard from another patient that he would sometimes expound upon his belief in reincarnation, albeit in what sounded like a non-propagandistic way.
In Medieval Europe, the first thing a doctor would do in a consultation was cast your horoscope - this was taught as part of a medical degree. In some places this persisted untill the beginning of the C18th.
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping. For instance, in early 16th century England horoscopes were cast as part of the decision making process in medical treatments and a physician not doing so would be considered negligent. Parts of the body were associated with astrological signs and you did medical treatments at the appropriate phase of the moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Man
(Cross-post with Robertus L)
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping. For instance, in early 16th century England horoscopes were cast as part of the decision making process in medical treatments and a physician not doing so would be considered negligent. Parts of the body were associated with astrological signs and you did medical treatments at the appropriate phase of the moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Man
My own specialism of early modern medical history is in the field of ‘lunatics’ (I am currently researching a thesis on eighteenth century understandings of mania).
OK, so let me dive into the fray here. I am in two minds about all of this, but then, I am a Gemini. Something I have never been interested in, but couldn't avoid when I was younger.
Actually, I think there is something in astrological traits. Not for the reasons they say, but the time of year you are born can have significant impacts on you - on schooling, for example. What year you are in. And social development also, whether you have birthday and Christmas separated or conflated. It is all how you fit in with the social world, so I can see this."
That is why I think my Chinese sign does seem a bit accurate. For example, the cutoff point to start first grade was Dec. 1st I missed it by a few days and had to wait a whole year to start school.
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping.
Yes, I should have been a little more precise upthread when I said “My understanding is that Zodiac symbols in medieval church architecture and iconography had little if anything to do with astrology, at least as we’d understand it.” By that last bit (“at least as we’d understand it”), I was really thinking of contemporary pop astrology exemplified by things like the daily horoscopes in the newspapers or comments like the one that gave rise to this thread.
Astrology then was much more intertwined and of a piece with what we know now as astronomy, and much more complicated and nuanced than much of what passes for astrology these days. I’d say much of that is to ancient and medieval astrology as sticking pins in dolls is to actual Vodou/Vodún.
To be clear, I’m not a believer in astrology, at least not as such. But I am interested in various religious and mythological constructs and understandings, and that includes the cosmologies reflected in those constructs and understandings.
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You mean it doesn't? Oh. Well the sheep can relax next Easter then.
Well, he is from Yorkshire 😜
In Medieval Europe, the first thing a doctor would do in a consultation was cast your horoscope - this was taught as part of a medical degree. In some places this persisted untill the beginning of the C18th.
(Cross-post with Robertus L)
Am I feck!
Yeah. There's a good reason we don't do that now.
The association of February with Aquarius and, er, rain. (I expect they said 'pissing it down' in the Middle Ages).
Astrology then was much more intertwined and of a piece with what we know now as astronomy, and much more complicated and nuanced than much of what passes for astrology these days. I’d say much of that is to ancient and medieval astrology as sticking pins in dolls is to actual Vodou/Vodún.
To be clear, I’m not a believer in astrology, at least not as such. But I am interested in various religious and mythological constructs and understandings, and that includes the cosmologies reflected in those constructs and understandings.
This is me, too.