Is Astrology Sinful?
By Cassie Troja
"Is astrology sinful? Like, if someone is just using their star sign like a personality test, how is that any different than Meyers-Briggs or the Enneagram?"
The short answer to whether or not using astrology is sinful is yes. You might be thinking, “Seriously?! But horoscopes and zodiac signs seem harmless enough! They’re too vague to really be dangerous!” While some horoscopes certainly are silly, and it can be fun to find the different zodiac constellations in the night sky, there are other forces at play when someone actually relies on astrology. This is a more complicated issue than just laughing over a few sentences in a newspaper column (you might have to ask your parents what this means…)! To fully answer this question, we need to first look at the history of astrology and then examine why people use it.
The exact origins of astrology are unknown, but there is evidence that the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Egyptians used it alongside their polytheistic beliefs. They used it primarily in decision-making and to help determine—or chart—their future. The word horoscope actually has Greek roots: “hora” meaning hour and “skopos” meaning watcher (so literally “watcher of the hour”). “The purpose of a horoscope is to gain insight into a person’s character and foretell the future. The basic belief of astrology is that planets and stars exert an influence upon our lives. Those with special knowledge—astrologers—can predict events in a person’s life.” In other words, there have been people all throughout history who have ascribed power to the stars and planets, and have even worshiped them.
There are two primary issues with using astrology: The first is that in modern times, astrology is associated with New Age and Occult practices. Astrology is a form of divination, which is forbidden in the Bible. More on that in a minute. The second issue is one that is also shared with some personality tests (i.e. the Enneagram): astrology is often used to explain or excuse sinful behaviors. People who believe in astrology will sometimes avoid relationships with other people who are not considered to have compatible zodiac signs. They will excuse negative behaviors such as dishonesty, anger, greed, selfishness, etc. because it’s a part of their personality, according to their zodiac sign. They may even base their behaviors, schedules, and habits around the movements of the stars. This means allowing something other than God—astrology in this case—to influence the most important aspects of their lives.
The people who develop and teach the different concepts in astrology, including the zodiac signs and horoscopes, usually truly believe in their power. This means that even the parts of astrology that seem like a personality test are actually rooted in pagan beliefs. Relying on these beliefs to help us understand ourselves and the world around us opens the door to unbiblical and even evil influences and perspectives.
Knowing that it has pagan roots and potentially sinful applications, does astrology still sound harmless? Let’s dig deeper and look at this through a biblical lens. What does the Bible have to say about astrology?
First of all, the Bible is very clear about the stars: God created the heavens and He alone controls them (Psalm 8:3, 19:1). God knows exactly how many stars there are and what all their names are (Psalm 147:4). In fact, the Bible even tells us from the very beginning what God’s purpose is for the stars:
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19
Wait. What does that mean—“for signs?” In this context, the stars were created to help mark the passage of time, aid in navigation, and even be used in illustrations, such as when God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as innumerable as the stars (Genesis 15:5). This does not mean that God delegated any power to these “signs” for mankind to interpret and rely on for wisdom. Proverbs 2 tells us that “the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Not only does God control the stars and give us wisdom, He also controls our future. He has a plan for each and every one of us, and that plan cannot be divined from the stars.
Finally, it’s paramount that we understand that astrology is a form of divination, which is forbidden by God. Deuteronomy 18:10-14 makes this abundantly clear and states that “whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” Did you catch how strongly God feels about this? Abomination. That’s pretty strong language that should make us run in the opposite direction! In fact, Isaiah 47:13-14 says that those who practice divination will be among those who are consumed by fire in God’s judgment. It’s clear God takes this seriously. Astrology is a perversion of the creation order; it is God’s creation worshiping and putting their trust in…God’s creation. Instead, we should allow creation to inspire us to worship and trust the Creator.
Any practice that teaches us to focus more on ourselves and less on God or His word should be avoided. Astrology is no exception. It is much more than a personality test and has the potential to draw us away from a right relationship with God. Searching the stars in awestruck wonder is normal, but they should point us to God, whose glory they declare (Psalm 19:1). Instead of making us feel a sense of power over our destiny, the stars should help us realize how magnificent and almighty God is. They should inspire humility and cause us to reflect prayerfully along with the psalmist: “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
REFLECTION
Read and memorize Psalm 8. It’s only nine verses—I know you can do it! Some tips for memorizing it might be reading it off of a notecard while you brush your teeth, copying it into a journal every day for a week, listening to it while driving, etc.
Read some trustworthy Christian resources about New Age beliefs (including astrology) and how to respond to them from a biblical perspective. Some examples of resources would be those from GotQuestions.org (I’ve used a few for this post!), Christian Answers for the New Age, and apologists such as Melissa Dougherty (who also happens to have some hilarious YouTube skits!).