Since the beginning
of time, humanity has looked to the
heavens for the answers to earthly problems. Do the movements of
the stars and planets hold the secrets
to human destiny? Can the patterns of the stars
reflect the hidden character of individuals based on the
date and time of their birth? Astrology, predicting the
future by the movements of celestial bodies, has been
with us for over 4,000 years. Today, science denies any
validity to astrology. Yet for countless centuries,
millions of people have believed in it. They point to tantalizing
evidence from history. In the mid-1930s, some believed
a German astrologer predicted the rise of Hitler-- a decade before
he came to power. Centuries earlier
during the Renaissance, a visionary is said to have
foretold that the imprisoned Princess Elizabeth would someday
sit on the throne of England. Scholars now examine how
a belief in astrology may have led three wise men to
follow the star of Bethlehem. Modern science is
subjecting astrology to closer scrutiny than ever,
with sometimes startling results. Is belief in the
power of the stars merely a baseless superstition
or one of mankind's oldest truths? Before the art of
astrology were developed, ancient people relied on a
basic knowledge of the stars and planets for
their very survival. Many sites around the world
speak of astrology's earliest beginnings. The origins of astrology might
even go back more than 20,000 years into the
paleolithic because there are carvings on bones and
other objects that indicate, perhaps, early interest
in lunar tallies-- the motions of the moon. The astrology practice today
was born over 4,000 years ago in the fertile crescent
of Mesopotamia, now modern day Iraq. Ancient civilizations
in the region created some of the
world's first cities and developed the
early agriculture. They were also among the
first to turn sky-watching into a codified
system of astrology-- a method which remains
basically unchanged even now. The Babylonian
system of astrology might have been lost forever
if Alexander the Great had not taken its study back to
Greece after his conquest of Mesopotamia. When Alexander the Great
invaded the east in 331 B.C., this was a momentous event
because he introduced Babylonian astrology to the
Greeks and Greek mathematics and observational astronomy
to the Babylonians. And the result was
basically what we know today as astrology. Babylonian priests saw astrology
as the works of the gods. Later, Greek philosophers
applied astrology to reveal individual
character and personality. By the dawn of Christianity,
the Roman Empire had succeeded the Greek
and inherited its passion for astrology. As the Romans marched
through Europe, astrology went with them. But historians often wonder
why astrology was readily embraced by so many. Society easily accepted it-- from peasants to emperors. One Roman ruler would
select his astrologers by subjecting candidates to
a test that could cost them their lives. There is a very
curious and quaint story about Tiberius Caesar hiring
his personal astrologer named Thrasyllus. Tiberius tested his astrologers
in a very peculiar way. What he would do is
submit them to a test, and if they didn't
pass the test, he would throw them off a cliff. Thrasyllus looked at
the chart and trembled and said, "I see that I am
in imminent danger of death, O Caesar. I know not from what cause." And Caesar said the equivalent
in Latin of "You're hired," [chuckles] and Thrasyllus
served Tiberius for the rest of Tiberius's life. LEONARD NIMOY: While a
fascination with astrology thrives in Europe, other
cultures around the world also study the prophetic
patterns of the stars. A Chinese scholar devised an
elaborate form of astrology based on associating each
year with a particular animal. Constellation charts kept by
stargazers for Chinese emperors are some of the earliest
astrological artifacts ever discovered. On the other side of the
world, the ancient Maya of Mexico and Guatemala
created an elaborate calendar with incredible accuracy. DR. JOHN CARLSON: The ancient
Maya developed probably the world's most elaborate
astronomical and calendrical system. The day that you were born,
in the Mayan 260-day calendar, contained your fortune,
contained your fate for the rest of your life,
and you took part of your name from the day that you were
born in this calendar. [music playing] While the chronological
accuracy of the Mayan calendar is well-known to archaeologists,
much more mysterious is the Mayan system of prophecy. In the early 16th
century, it is predicted that bearded light-skinned
visitors will arrive from the east. But the specific time of
their expected appearance lie years in the future. The Maya lived to see
the prophecy fulfilled. In 1519, exactly as predicted,
bearded light-skinned people from the east set foot
on the shores of Mexico. They are the
conquistadors from Spain. The Mayan calendar may also
hold the disturbing prophecy for the modern world. Over 2,000 years ago, Mayan
astrologers calculate the date of the end of the world-- a doomsday which is
believed will take place in our own time. The Maya determined that the
universe is destroyed and then recreated in regular cycles
once every 5,000 years. This great 5,000-year
cycle comes to an end soon. Probably most of us
will live to see this. The date should be about
December 21st, 2012. And although the ancient
classic Maya civilization came to an end in roughly
the 9th century A.D., if those calendar priests
were here to see it today, they would probably
expect that in 2012, around the winter solstice, that
our cosmos, as we perceive it, would come to an end, and
some profound new order would be established. LEONARD NIMOY: Did
Mayan astrologers foresee a catastrophe as yet
undetected by modern science? It is an ancient riddle to which
the answer may soon be known. The Romans and Mayans were
not the only ancient people to see signs written
in the stars-- even sacred texts bear reference
to the influence of astrology. Did the heavens foretell
the coming of Jesus? What is the Star
of Bethlehem that is said to herald his birth? Some of the earliest
references to astrology are to be found in
a surprising place-- in the pages of the Holy Bible. Evidence also lies here in the
ancient ruins of the Holy Land. In 1932, archaelogists unearthed
a 4th-century synagogue in Israel. To their astonishment, they
also unearthed something totally unexpected. In the very center
of the temple, they find a beautiful
mosaic of the zodiac. Its discovery baffles
scholars who have long believed that astrology was
strictly forbidden in Judaism. "There shall not be found
among you any that practice divination or an observer
of times or an enchanter. For all that do these things are
an abomination unto the Lord." Deuteronomy 18:10 LEONARD NIMOY: If Judaism
frowned upon astrology, how then did this zodiac become
the centerpiece of a synagogue? Some scholars now believe that,
contrary to long held belief, astrology may not have been
forbidden in ancient Israel. The relationship of the
ancient Hebrews or Israelites with astrology is a
rather complicated one. What the Bible actually
condemns is the worship of stars as if they were gods. The Bible has
absolutely no problem with the idea of the stars
being the messengers of God or symbols of the will of God. LEONARD NIMOY: Unlike
earlier civilizations, Judaism did not see astrology
merely as a means of prophecy. The temple's zodiac may have
been a symbolic portrayal of the great cycle of
the year and the presence of a supreme being
among the stars. Some scholars see the New
Testament as the place where astrology plays a more
active role in human affairs. "Now when Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King,
behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he that is
born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the
east and have come to worship him.' And lo, the star which
they saw in the east went before them until it
came and stood over where the young child was." Matthew 2:1 LEONARD NIMOY: The
story is one of the best loved of all religious tales-- how three wise men from the
east see a bright new star in the heavens. They follow this
star to Bethlehem where they discover a manger. Inside, they recognize a
newborn child as the Messiah and offer him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh-- paying homage to the
child as the Redeemer. What was the star of Bethlehem? Could it have been an
actual astronomical event? And who were the
mysterious wise men or magi who followed the star? The three magi of this story
were definitely astrologers. And observing the conjunction
of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces, they may have
thought like this-- Pisces traditionally
ruled Judea, and Saturn traditionally
signified the Jews, and Jupiter definitely
signifies kingship. So they may well have deduced
that the King of the Jews was being born in Judea. LEONARD NIMOY: Whether
or not the three wise men were astrologers, the
question remains-- what did they see in the sky? Were they witnesses to an
extraordinary astronomical event-- an exploding star
or a supernova? 20 centuries later, the question
still sparks controversy. There are rationalist
historians-- and I'm not entirely sure
I disagree with them-- who question that there was
such a phenomenon at all. There are a number of things
we can eliminate immediately. It was not a supernova
because there are none recorded by anybody
else at the time in question. It was probably not a comet
because that would have been noticed by other people. LEONARD NIMOY: It was not
until the 17th century that the father of modern
astronomy, Johannes Kepler, devises a radical theory to
answer the riddle of the Star of Bethlehem. In the early 1600s, Kepler
observes a rare conjunction of the planets
Jupiter and Saturn. They appear to the naked eye
as a single dazzling new star. Kepler calculates that the last
time this dramatic conjunction had taken place was the year
7, before the common era. Is this the actual
date of Jesus' birth? Could this have been
the Star of Bethlehem? Some astrologers
assert that someone born on the date of
the star in 7 B.C.E. is potentially a person capable
of making a lasting impact on history. DR. PATRICK CURRY:
Kepler suggested that the Star of Bethlehem
was this conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces. It took place in 7
B.C. And it seems that he was right about that. And the fascinating thing is
that if you draw up a birth chart or a nativity for somebody
born on the 22nd of August, 7 B.C., every single
planet is in its own sign, the sign that it
naturally rules-- the sun, the moon,
mercury, and so on-- which would be an extraordinary
birth chart to have. LEONARD NIMOY:
Astrologers believe that someone born under this
conjunction of the planets would be destined
to change the world. Though astrology was frowned
upon by Christianity, over the centuries, belief
in the power of the stars steadily grew. By the Middle
Ages, astrology was part of the curriculum taught
at European universities. Rulers often base decisions of
state on astrologer's advice. In the 15th and 16th
centuries, Europe witnesses an unrivaled
flowering of art, science, and exploration. In this period of cultural
ferment, astrology flourishes. During the Renaissance, there
is perhaps no more intriguing figure than Dr. John Dee. Astrology enables
him to foretell the destiny of a queen. Born during the reign
of King Henry VIII, Dee is one of the finest
mathematicians and scientists of his time. His study of optics
lays the groundwork for Galileo's first telescope. The year is 1555. Though Dee is widely
known as an astrologer, he is nevertheless
surprised when he receives a summons
to draw up a horoscope for an unusual client-- none other than a member
of the royal family, Princess Elizabeth. England is in the throes
of a succession struggle, and this youngest
daughter of Henry VIII has been placed
under house arrest. Queen Mary feels threatened
by the young princess, and it is rumored that Elizabeth
is scheduled for execution. Fearing for her life,
the desperate Elizabeth summons Dee to
predict her future. Is she destined for the
execution block or will she survive her ordeal? John Dee was a remarkable
character in 16th-century England. He was very learned in many
disciplines that might today strike us as an odd
combination-- mathematics but also magic, astronomy
but also astrology. LEONARD NIMOY: Dee
learns the time and date of the imprisoned
princess's birth and begins to
calculate her charge. What Dee discovers
astonishes him. To Elizabeth's amazement,
Dee reports that instead of execution, she faces
a very different fate. According to her
astrological chart, she is destined to become queen. Learning of the prophecy,
Elizabeth's rival, Queen Mary, throws Dee into prison
for heresy and treason, sentencing him to be
burned at the stake. But the sentence is
never carried out. Incredibly, as
Dee had predicted, Queen Mary dies
suddenly, and Elizabeth ascends to the throne. In gratitude, Elizabeth
appoints John Dee England's royal astrologer. He would counsel the queen
on important decisions throughout her reign. Queen Elizabeth I asked
him to pick a propitious day for her coronation,
which he did. You might draw the
conclusion, in view of how successful her reign was,
that he picked the right day. LEONARD NIMOY: Was Dee's
horoscope an accurate prediction based on
the stars or simply a shrewd political guess? We may never know. But we do know that in the
15th and 16th centuries, throughout the world, astrology
was entering a golden age. However, new discoveries in
the heavens made possible by the invention
of the telescope create an ever widening
gap between the science of astronomy and the
art of astrology. One of the key figures
in this growing conflict is the German Johannes Kepler. He has already proved
that the sun is the center of the solar system. Though considered a founding
father of modern science, many believed Kepler
was also an astrologer. He provides tantalizing
evidence to support the accuracy of astrology. In 1608, at his
observatory near Prague, Kepler draws up a horoscope
for Albrecht von Wallenstein, a young Czech military officer. The chart shows that
Wallenstein is a Libra, and that Mars,
the planet of war, features prominently
in his life. "He was alert,
eager, and restless. His scorn, although
indifferent towards human laws and conventions, unmerciful,
belligerent, and fearless. Such an unusual nature will
be capable of great deeds." Johannes Kepler, 1608 LEONARD NIMOY: The analysis
will prove amazingly prophetic. Wallenstein goes on to
become a triumphant general in the Thirty Years' War
and then the most powerful military leader in Europe. He bases key decisions
in his career on Kepler's astrological chart. In 1632, Wallenstein reaches
the height of his power. On the night before
an important battle, he meets with an
astrologer for a reading. The stargazer issues
an ominous warning. Despite Wallenstein's
military superiority, the portents for the coming
battle are unfavorable. The next day, as predicted,
Wallenstein's forces are defeated. Was this another
self-fulfilling prophecy brought on by Wallenstein's own
superstitious belief in astrology or was
it something more? Whatever it was, the
defeat of his troops destroys Wallenstein's career. Later, he is murdered by his
own soldiers in the very month that Kepler had predicted-- 26 years earlier. Despite Kepler's personal belief
in the powers of the zodiac, astrology now loses favor as
astronomy becomes the accepted science for the
study of the stars. By the 20th century, science
and society view astrology from a new perspective. Astrology, the study of
how the heavenly bodies influence our lives
and personality. Books and magazines
on this subject are perennial best sellers. Every major newspaper
in the country prints a horoscope column. While millions believe
in this ancient art, many more vehemently
deny its validity. And yet, the question persists-- could this centuries-old
practice reveal anything about our lives today? Some very, very
powerful trends. I'm not surprised if you've just
gotten your PhD because it's very much of a Jupiter kind of-- LEONARD NIMOY: Susie Cox is
a professional astrologer. Her clients include celebrities,
lawyers, and business leaders. --really the trick for you
to make money and feel real successful is to
do what you love. It's not like, oh, I'll
get a job and I'll do that. That doesn't really
work for you. LEONARD NIMOY: She
believes astrology to be a complex synthesis of
science and psychology. Astrology is the study
of the planetary cycles and how that correlates with
human patterns and behaviors in life. I think it's also a tool
for self understanding and personal growth. And I think it's also an
ancient symbolic language that astrologers translate into
easy words for people. LEONARD NIMOY: About
4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians,
living in what is today Iraq, were among the first
to develop astrology. Dividing the sky into
12 equal sections, they believed that the
position of the planets and constellations could
influence fate and destiny. The Babylonians noted
that every month, the sun would rise with a
different constellation. In March and April, the
dominant constellation is Aries, in a pattern
which was defined as a ram. The stars of Taurus rise next
and are visualized as a bull. Later, the Greeks believed
that each constellation exerts an effect on those born
under its influence. Today, modern astrology is based
on a combination of Babylonian and Greek and is guided
by the same belief in the power of the stars. What makes this
ancient practice so popular in our
high-tech computer age? Is it because people are looking
for answers that science cannot provide or is it because,
as professional astrologers insist, that astrology works? I've done 24,000, 26,000
charts over the years, and I've learned that
every person connects with their chart. All someone has to do is
observe and pay attention, and you realize it does work. LEONARD NIMOY: But many critics
insist that science completely discredits astrology. While we know that
astrology can't work according to new laws of
physics, astrology is just utterly incompatible
with a viewpoint of the world based on laws of physics. LEONARD NIMOY: Whether
astrology is true or little more than superstition, the
modern era has nevertheless proven to be a bonanza for
professional astrologers. But how did this practice
from the ancient world become so widespread
in this century? In America, one
extraordinary woman was responsible for
thrusting astrology into mainstream popular culture. As a new century begins,
the burgeoning young medium of radio would make a household
name of Evangeline Adams, an astrologer who captures
the public's attention. Her horoscopes would become
valuable collector's items. My great-aunt had her
astrology chart done that 1927 by Evangeline Adams, and I
happened to have her birth chart that she did. So I feel somehow I'm
connected with Evangeline Adams through my great-aunt. LEONARD NIMOY: For Adams,
a trip to New York in 1899 would launch her amazing career. Staying at the
upscale Windsor Hotel, Adams draws up a horoscope
for the hotel's owner. She predicts a terrible
personal disaster in his immediate future. The owner laughs
off her prediction. But the next day, when his
hotel is destroyed by fire, he becomes a firm believer. Evangeline Adams
escapes unharmed. Her remarkable prediction
has made her fortune. Decades later,
Adams will broadcast her astrological predictions
on her own weekly radio show. Crowds mob her offices in
Carnegie Hall requesting readings. In 1914, Adams is
arrested and charged with violating an obscure New
York City law against fraud by fortune tellers. But rather than pay
the trivial fine, Adams insists the
case go to court. Suddenly, astrology
itself is on trial. [gavels] Silence. Silence in the courtroom. LEONARD NIMOY: The case reaches
its climax when the prosecutors put Adams to the ultimate test. They ask her to interpret
an anonymous horoscope. She renders a detailed
personality profile from the birth chart,
ending in a prediction that the individual will face
an early death from water. Only then does the
astonished judge reveal that the horoscope
is that of his own son who had recently died
in a swimming accident. The judge admits that Adams'
profile is uncannily accurate and proclaims from the bench
that she has raised astrology to a science. The case is dismissed. Defendant dismissed. LEONARD NIMOY: Could there have
been more to Adams' predictions than simple luck? Those scientists still
scoff she has incredibly proven the effectiveness of
astrology in a court of law. A decade later, astrology
undergoes an even more grueling test. In the early 1920s,
a German woman named Elsbeth Ebertin casts a
horoscope for the ideal man she believes could lead
Germany to greatness. Ebertin announces that if
alive, Germany's finest leader would have been born
on April 20th, 1889. The story is widely
publicized then forgotten. Only years later, when
the Nazis rise to power, does Ebertin realize she has
unknowingly named the birth date of Adolf Hitler. Coincidence perhaps
or could Hitler have seen Ebertin's horoscope,
convincing him of his destiny? Was it a self-fulfilling
prophecy? During World War
II, rumors persist that Hitler uses an astrologer
to plot his conquest of Europe. While the allegations
are never proven, it is known that astrologers are
consulted regularly by Hitler's inner circle, including Reich
Marshall Heinrich Himmler and Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess. But the influence of astrology
on Hitler's Third Reich is short-lived. It was understood
by some astrologers that a configuration between
the planets Uranus and Neptune that was occurring
at the time indicated that it was a favorable time
to make peace with the English. And so Hess, believing the
English would work with Germany if only they could
find an understanding, flew over, landed
in a parachute, was rounded up by the British,
and spent the rest of the war and the rest of
his life in jail. LEONARD NIMOY: Hitler is furious
and blames that humiliating incident on Hess's
obsession with astrology. In 1944, he takes
drastic measures. Shortly afterwards, Hitler
rounded up all the astrologers and put them in concentration
camps and burned their books. And that pretty much ended
the influence of astrology in the Third Reich. LEONARD NIMOY:
With the war's end, the world's passion for
astrology continues to grow. What accounts for
the continuing belief in the power of the stars? And how can the accuracy
of astrologer's predictions be explained? Does science hold the
key to the mystery? Since the 1700s, astrology
has fallen into disrepute. Today, the scientific community
regards it as little more than empty superstition. While we know that astrology
can't work according to new laws of physics, we know
in physics that there are basically four forces that
govern the behavior of matter-- gravitation, electromagnetism,
the strong and the weak nuclear interactions-- and none of those
things can possibly account for any of the claims
that astrologers make. LEONARD NIMOY: But
perhaps the universe is made of stranger stuff. What else could account for the
apparent accuracy of astrology? Scientists, however, dismiss
most of the apparent evidence as mere coincidence. Over the years, numerous
studies have debunked astrology. In one often repeated
test, subjects have given the wrong
astrological profiles and asked if the horoscope matches
their own personalities. Aries were given Libra
personality traits, and Libra is labeled as
having Capricorn qualities. In every test, the vast
majority of subjects said they recognize themselves
in the false horoscopes, discrediting the
validity of astrology. In a study at
Indiana University, six professional
astrologers were given horoscopes
of 23 test subjects and asked to match the
astrological descriptions with the personality
traits of the volunteers. The results, not one of the
astrologers were successful. What they found
was that there was no correlation between
the personality traits and the horoscopes. Moreover, the astrologers
didn't agree with each other. What they're talking
about is something that isn't a rational
scientific world view. If you really believe
that the laws of physics govern everything
there is, then there's no hope for something like
astrology to make any sense. LEONARD NIMOY: But
one research study came up with startling
results that shocked the scientific community. In 1953, French psychologist
Michel Gauquelin decided to put astrology
to his own rigorous test. A skeptic regarding this
ancient science, Gauquelin hoped that his expert
command of statistics could finally lay to rest
the claims of astrologers. To Gauquelin's surprise, his
study proved the opposite. There was a statistical
correlation between the stars and the personalities and
career choices of his subjects. Gauquelin's studies show that
a statistically significant percentage of politicians
were born when Jupiter, the planet of
rulership, was rising at the moment of their birth. The astrological charts
of doctors and scientists seemed to be marked by the
presence of Saturn, the planet of reflection and study. Mars, the planet
of war and courage, showed an above-average presence
in the charts of generals, athletes, and
business executives. The fascinating thing
about these results were that they
were fully in line with traditional astrological
understandings of the planets. So Mars was the planet that
showed up with athletes and soldiers and so on. And those results
still stand today. LEONARD NIMOY: But was
Gauquelin's experiment a scientific breakthrough? While many still
oppose astrology, its practitioners hope to
use the latest information from space exploration to
enhance their understanding. There is a type
of astrology that is called deep space astrology. And instead of just using the
planets in the solar system, they can put quasars,
black holes, pulsars. There are some
astrologers that are using a lot of
different asteroids and putting it
around the charts. So it's not just the planets. LEONARD NIMOY: Some believe that
future space missions will make new discoveries that may offer
a deeper insight into astrology. Are these new methods
proof that astrology can change with the times or
are they simply an attempt to add a pseudo-scientific
flavor to ancient superstition? Despite the centuries-old battle
between believers and skeptics, astrology continues
to fascinate millions. The question still remains-- what has given this
4,000-year-old practice such lasting appeal? I think astrology is
still so popular today in an era of science because
it contains all that mystery of a powerful and
ancient system, which has a great appeal to us. I think its roots really
lie in human nature itself-- our basic need for a
relationship with the sky and with the rhythms of
the heavens and cosmos. So why would people
turn to astrology-- even powerful people, even
world leaders-- today? I can only speculate,
of course, as I can't see in anyone's mind. But I would guess it's
because people are looking for something of more depth--
something more substantive than what science can offer. What I believe in
is the right of people to believe in astrology
if they want to and if they find it useful
and valuable in their lives. If astrology points to the
mystery of what it means to be alive, then that's
a perpetual mystery which will never be solved. And in that sense, astrology
is a mystery that will never arrive at a final resolution. LEONARD NIMOY: For
4,000 years, astrology has intrigued humanity with
a tantalizing possibility that we can predict the future. Though science repeatedly
discredits this ancient art, the notion that the stars
could influence human destiny continues to work its spell
on each new generation. The interpretation
of the starry heavens is still enveloped in mystery. The mystery is as boundless as
the glittering night sky itself and as enduring as
humanity's quest to unlock the secrets
of the universe. [music playing]
