Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial objects as a means for
divining information about human affairs and terrestrial events. Astrology has been dated to at least the 2nd millennium
BCE, and has its roots in
calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications. Many cultures have attached importance to astronomical events, and some – such as the
Indians,
Chinese, and
Maya – developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations.
Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, can trace its roots to 19th-17th century
BCE Mesopotamia, from which it spread to
Ancient Greece,
Rome, the
Arab world and eventually
Central and
Western Europe. Contemporary Western astrology is often associated with systems of
horoscopes that purport to explain aspects of a person's
personality and predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects; the majority of professional astrologers rely on such systems.