Astrology: Religion, Spirituality, or Map?
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a young man in his mid-twenties when he said something that stuck with me: “Astrology is a religion.” He didn't say it like it was his opinion, but more like a simple, undeniable fact. It got me thinking about how people are introduced to astrology today, in an age of social media algorithms and wellness trends, and I've been digging into my own reactions to the idea of "astrology as religion" ever since.
I’ve been watching from the middle seats, so to speak—I'm a student of Hellenistic and world astrology and I see it as a form of spiritual and practical work. For many people today, especially on social media, astrology is a tool for self-discovery and wellness. The way some people approach it can feel a bit like a zealous fervor. But for —the quiet, mild-mannered astro nerds who've been around for a long time—it’s not about obsession. It's nice to see the craft getting so much love these days. Still: Is this a religion?
Let’s take a look at religion and how astrology has fit into different cultural contexts throughout history.
The Cosmos as a Divine Map
Astrology has been intertwined with cultural and religious traditions since antiquity. Nearly every ancient culture—from the Egyptians and Phoenicians to the Greeks and Romans—looked to the stars as a source of stories, divine will, and guidance. Temples were dedicated to the archetypes of planets and gods, and the cosmos was a direct reflection of the divine.
In the Middle East, astrology's history is incredibly rich and complex, though it isn't tied to any single modern religion. Its influence is more of a thread woven through various spiritual movements.
Zoroastrianism: As a major religion of ancient Persia, Zoroastrianism was deeply connected to the stars. Its priests, the Magi, were famous for their astronomical knowledge, which they used for calendars and understanding life cycles.
Sabianism: This was a pagan group in ancient Mesopotamia that revered the planets and stars as deities. They were key in transmitting Hellenistic and Mesopotamian astrology to the early Islamic world.
Mithraism: This Roman mystery religion was inspired by the Iranian deity Mithra and incorporated a sophisticated astrological cosmology and zodiac symbolism. At one point, it was a major rival to early Christianity.
Today, mainstream Islam, Judaism, and Christianity don't typically see astrology as a core tenet; in fact, many orthodox interpretations discourage it. Yet, you can still find traces of astrological thinking in esoteric movements like certain branches of Sufism and Kabbalah, as well as in various folk traditions. In the bible we have mages that follow a star, and what could be interpreted as the seven sisters of the Pleiades in Revelations.
Spirituality vs. Religion
Astrology, at its core, can be seen as a form of spirituality, but not necessarily a religion. There’s a distinct difference between the two.
Cultural spirituality is the living essence of a community, interwoven into daily life—from farming and cooking to storytelling. It's focused on maintaining a tangible balance with nature, ancestors, and the community. The spiritual work is for the immediate survival and flourishing of the group, and success is measured in concrete terms, like a good harvest or a healthy community.
Religious spirituality, on the other hand, often centers on a personal, transcendent relationship with a divine being to achieve salvation or enlightenment. It can be practiced across many cultures and is often formalized and separate from everyday life. A common characteristic of formal religion is defined inclusion and exclusion.
Astrology can be either of these things, or neither. Without any spiritual or religious association, it can simply be a tool for introspection. People use their birth charts as a starting point for journaling, understanding emotional patterns, or seeking compatibility. It has become a modern lexicon for talking about inner life and personal growth, proving that an ancient practice can adapt and find new relevance in contemporary culture.
A Deeper Look: Frameworks from Noted Thinkers
So what truly defines a religion? There isn't a single, universally accepted definition, but smart and complicated people have provided frameworks worth thinking about. Let's look at a few.
Terence McKenna: A Clear Distinction
McKenna, a strong opponent of organized religion, viewed it as a system for societal control. He believed modern religions, particularly patriarchal monotheism, often suppressed direct spiritual experiences, which he saw as the true basis of spirituality.
For McKenna, religion was a "laundry list of moral dos and don'ts" or a set of dietary rules, with little to say about the "mystery of being." In contrast, spirituality was rooted in direct, felt experience, which he believed was primarily accessible through psychedelic plants. He considered shamanism to be a spiritual practice—a "set of techniques" rather than a religion—because it focused on accessing a "higher dimensional continuum" and transcending the ego.
In this framework, astrology is not a religion. McKenna saw it as a kind of proto-science, or "the first attempt at understanding the human psyche." While he didn't dismiss it, he believed its "woo woo" aspects would eventually be replaced by a more scientific, albeit unconventional, approach he called "quantumology." He theorized that by calculating upward from the atom and downward from the stars, a link could be found, and the mystery of astrology would "simply disappear." Therefore, for McKenna, astrology wasn't a controlling, institutionalized system, but an archaic practice with the potential for a deeper, scientific explanation.
Émile Durkheim: The Moral Community
Durkheim, one of the founders of modern sociology, defined religion as a "unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things" that "unite into one single moral community called a Church."
Astrology meets one part of his definition by treating celestial bodies as "sacred things" or objects "set apart" with special meaning. However, it falls short of the second part: a "single moral community." Astrology lacks a unified, cohesive social organization—a "Church" in the Durkheimian sense. There's no centralized authority, no shared rituals beyond individual practice, and no common moral code that all followers adhere to. While astrologers and enthusiasts might form a community, it isn't a moral collective that binds them together in a religious identity.
In short, according to Durkheim, astrology is a system of beliefs and practices, but not a social institution or a unified "Church."
Paramahansa Yogananda: Self-Realization
Yogananda viewed religion not as a set of dogmas but as the universal path to Self-realization, which he considered the only true religion. He defined spirituality as the direct, personal experience of God, which he believed was accessible through meditation. He saw all "true religions" as having an exoteric (outer) and esoteric (inner) aspect. The exoteric is for the masses and includes rituals, rules, and doctrines, while the esoteric aspect, which he focused on, is for the "ardent few" who seek direct communion with God.
Yogananda's view of astrology was complex. He believed it was a legitimate science that studies "man's response to planetary stimuli" and that a horoscope is a "challenging portrait" of a person's karma. However, he strongly cautioned against a passive dependence on it, calling this a "superstitious awe." He taught that a wise person "defeats his planets" not by waiting for favorable alignments, but by transferring their allegiance from the creation to the Creator. He believed that by attuning oneself to God through deep prayer and meditation, a person could transcend the negative influences of the planets and "rise above the influence of the stars."
Clifford Geertz: The Web of Meaning
Clifford Geertz, a renowned anthropologist, took a different approach, viewing religion as a "cultural system" that uses symbols to create meaning. He defined it as: "A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic."
Under this definition, astrology fits perfectly.
A System of Symbols: Astrology operates as a powerful system of symbols—the zodiac, planets, and houses—that are used to interpret a person's life and the world.
Powerful Moods & Motivations: It provides a framework for self-understanding and a sense of purpose. A person who identifies as a Leo, for instance, might be encouraged to embrace boldness, shaping their identity and motivations.
General Order of Existence: Astrology creates a worldview where the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (the individual) are intrinsically linked. This gives life a sense of synchronicity and offers a narrative for personal struggles.
Aura of Factuality: By using precise charts and technical terminology like "natal chart" and "planetary transits," astrology provides a veneer of objectivity that makes its insights feel uniquely realistic and authoritative.
A Final Note on Pema Chödrön
Pema Chödrön, a central figure in American Buddhism, does not have a direct or widely documented opinion on astrology. However, her teachings, which are rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, point away from a reliance on external systems of divination or prediction. Her core philosophy emphasizes radical acceptance of uncertainty and leaning into a "state of not knowing," which is at odds with the predictive nature of astrology. She also places a strong emphasis on karma and personal responsibility, as well as the importance of turning inward to face one's own thoughts and emotions. Her work is about finding strength and wisdom within the moment, regardless of what the future may hold, which makes a reliance on astrology antithetical to her core message.
The Ongoing Legacy
Astrology's legacy is woven into our culture in ways we often don't notice. Many common phrases have astrological roots. The word disaster comes from the Greek for "bad star." The word influence comes from a medieval belief that a substance from the stars "flowed in" and affected human affairs. And lunatic is derived from the Latin for moon, reflecting an old belief that the moon's phases affected a person's sanity.
Even our days of the week are named for the classical planets known in antiquity: Sunday for the Sun, Monday for the Moon, and the others for Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn—a system so absorbed into our culture that we use it without a second thought.
If you are involved with a religion, astrology is likely intertwined in some of the stories and origins because those stories and origins came from astrologically steeped times. And if you are part of a sect who worships a planet, or a Deity associated therewith, do you call it a religion?
Ultimately, while astrology isn't a religion itself, it does a lot of the same spiritual work that organized religion once did for many people. It offers a framework for meaning, a source of guidance, and a way to connect with a larger community. As traditional religious institutions decline or change, astrology has emerged as a significant and growing part of the spiritual landscape, twinkling lights in a void, providing a deeply personal belief system that is uniquely its own in its variability and inclusiveness.
Do you see astrology as a spiritual practice, a form of self-help, or something else entirely?
