Is astrology witchcraft? Is astrology unChristian?
No. They’re two different things. Can they be used together? Yes. Can they be used separately? Also yes.
My belief and my mentor’s is that if a higher power created our universe, every planet and star was created for a reason, and learning about them is simply studying that creation. Astrology has been around since pre-Biblical times and is mentioned quite a bit in the Bible, and generally not derogatively, as some assume. Another widely held belief is that the Three Wise Men who found the Christ Child with their knowledge of a special bright star (the Star of Bethlehem is often believed to be Venus rising as morning star, a Venus-Jupiter conjunction, or a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, among other respected theories) were astrologers. It makes sense. Scholars at that time very frequently were astrologers, and more specifically, they would have had to have detailed knowledge of the sky and cosmos that very few other people at the time would’ve had to have done so.
This article does a great job of explaining the circumstances around the birth of Jesus from an astrological and historical perspective in detail: http://www.gilgamesh.ch/star_of_bethlehem/article_star_of_bethlehem.htm
Astrologers and astrology aficionados can be found in every world religion as well as among atheists. There is no spiritual prerequisite necessary, and no barriers either.
The Encyclopedia Brittanica defines witchcraft as such: “witchcraft, traditionally, the exercise or invocation of alleged supernatural powers to control people or events, practices typically involving sorcery or magic. Although defined differently in disparate historical and cultural contexts, witchcraft has often been seen, especially in the West, as the work of crones who meet secretly at night, indulge in cannibalism and orgiastic rites with the Devil, or Satan, and perform black magic. Witchcraft thus defined exists more in the imagination of contemporaries than in any objective reality.”
Absolutely none of those things are part of astrology on its own. No ethical astrologer would attempt to control anyone, harm anyone, and there is zero connection to any violence, nor worship of Satan/the Devil. Witchcraft is of course also known as magic. If you don’t believe in magic, then you simply cannot be practicing it, as magic is not something that can happen without full awareness and consent of the practitioner. Belief is an essential part of that process, too. It can’t work without that belief.
It may be unfamiliar to you and that can be scary, but I’ve found that equipping myself with knowledge tends to take away fear. The unknown is what most of us fear the most. So if you’re afraid, research. Read. Consider respectfully talking to a few people who do practice Wicca, witchcraft, and paganism, and other faiths too. Most people who do practice witchcraft have a faith that is deeply connected to the Earth, and can also encompass the rest of the universe. My experience is that most are kind, caring, and conscientious about never causing harm to any living being. A central belief in that religion is that whatever one does will come back to them, often threefold, so they’re not going to recklessly attempt to hurt anyone as this would, according to their own beliefs, end up hurting them too. They won’t try to convert you, either, as another belief that’s strongly held in that community is in respecting everyone’s free will and personal choices. From my own research and talking with others, it seems very respectful and polite. Doing no harm, the Golden Rule, and “an eye for an eye”, or karma and karmic justice, are a common thread in many or most world religions.
If astrology interests you, there’s nothing to fear, regardless of what your spiritual beliefs may be. Some Christians fear or don’t approve of astrology because of some specific verses in the Bible, which has been translated so many times from so many languages (the original Aramaic spoken by Jesus is a dead language now and very few scholars have any knowledge of it today). However the Bible mentions astrology quite a bit - I’ve read it three times cover to cover- and it is more neutral than not. Astrology was so popular and common during the time period the Bible was written and and long before that. Astrology originated in ancient Babylon, now Iraq. Stone cuneiform tablets have been found with astrology charts dating to around the 5th century BC.
What appears to be the issue with Christianity is not astrology per se, but divination. Divination is mentioned in the Bible as a “don’t”. Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means. Astrology is not supernatural. It’s not magic by itself. It’s not witchcraft. It’s studying the sky and planets and using that information to learn more about ourselves, other people, and the world around us. One could say astrology is basically astronomy that digs a little deeper psychologically. Divination very well may have had a somewhat different meaning at the time the Bible was written, but this is how the dictionary defines it today. It is not looked upon too highly in the Bible. For example, Leviticus 19:26 says, "Do not practice divination or sorcery." Deuteronomy 18:9, 12 & 14 says, "The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord."
Many pagans and witches do incorporate astrology in their faith. This does not make all astrologers pagans or witches, however. Ancient pagan holidays also do coincide with important astrological points during the year such as the solstices, which is simply because it’s a nature based belief system. There are other belief systems where astrology is woven in, too, such as Judaism, where the Tree of Life in the ancient mysticism of the Qabala associates each sephiroth with a planet/astrological sign. It associates them with colors and other things too.
I respect everyone’s personal beliefs as long as they aren’t harming anyone else. So if any of this is a concern for you, you might simply choose to avoid horary and electional astrology. These are the types of astrology that correspond with divination. They can help us answer a specific question and help discern the best times to do important things. Nowhere does the Bible say that learning about the cosmos or one’s own birth chart is wrong, or a sin, or witchcraft.
Here is a list of Bible verses that mention astrology without condemning it.
Isaiah 47:13-15
Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.
Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name
1 Corinthians 15:41
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
Luke 21:25
And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves
Genesis 1:14
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.”
Jeremiah 10:2
Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Joel 2:30
And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned to darkness (a solar eclipse) and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Amos 5:8
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name
Matthew 24:29
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Revelation 12:1
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Psalm 8:3
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place [God]
Matthew 24:3
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him [Jesus] privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?”
Psalm 147:4
He [God] determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Mark 13:4
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”
Matthew 2:1-2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Daniel 12:3
And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Romans 13:11
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
Genesis 1:14-15
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.
Luke 12:54-56
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?