A Brief Astrology History- The Fall of Hellenistic Astrology and Rise of Arab and European Astrology

Electional Astrology also took shape during the Hellenistic period. Similar to the Egyptian astrological practices that developed to determine the timing of religious rituals, the purpose was to choose the most auspicious moment to maximize the chances of success.

By the late 7th century, as the Western Roman Empire declined, Hellenistic Astrology also came to an end in Western Europe. Falling literacy rates reduced the number of practitioners. Moreover, astrology’s emphasis on fate conflicted with Christianity’s focus on free will, leading to its gradual marginalization as heresy.

In 641 CE, Arab armies conquered Egypt, and Arabic gradually replaced Greek, which had been dominant, thereby diminishing the population of Hellenistic astrology practitioners.

The Abbasid dynasty in the Islamic world dedicated itself to translating astrological texts from Greek, Persian, and Sanskrit into Arabic and integrating these traditions. Notably, they used Electional Astrology to choose the founding moment of the great city of Baghdad. They also established the foundations of the fourth major branch of astrology: Horary Astrology.

Horary Astrology casts a chart for the exact time and place a question is asked, allowing the chart itself to describe the issue and point toward possible solutions.

From mundane astrology concerned only with nations, to natal astrology focused on individuals, then to electional astrology for choosing the best timing, and horary astrology for specific questions—the development of Western astrology branched out but always returned to these four main categories.

After the Islamic conquest, Europeans repeatedly attempted to reclaim lost territories, eventually achieving more substantial results in the 12th century. Europeans inherited a vast body of Arabic astrological literature (which included translations of Greek, Persian, and Sanskrit works), and retranslated them into Latin. This revival spurred astrology’s resurgence in Europe, with universities even appointing professors of astrology.

During this period, Medical Astrology grew significantly, focusing on how planetary aspects influence the human body, creating different constitutions and potential sites of illness. It also provided guidance for diagnosis, treatment, and preventive care.

A sub-branch of this was Fertility Astrology, which applied electional techniques to select the most favorable dates for conception, or procedures like egg retrieval and freezing.

Fertility astrologer Nicola Smuts Allsop once shared a perspective that left a deep impression on me:

“Some people hesitate before deciding to undergo IVF, because they feel that fertility is something only God can determine. It’s true—medicine can retrieve your eggs, fertilize them, and place the embryos back in your uterus. But only God can decide whether that embryo will implant.”