Astrology, mythology, and Catholic faith: Reorientation
As a recently returned Catholic, I have undergone major spiritual and intellectual changes. In other words, my commitment to moving away from predictive or judicial astrology in light of my new faith. This has been a progressively difficult process, as reflected in my last few YouTube videos. However, this change probably started with my decision to end the annual horoscope in 2020, reducing the frequency of astrological measurements, making them feel increasingly uncomfortable and mentally incompatible.
During the Covid lockdown, I left my reading and opened the Etsy shop, Heavenly and Holy. Through God’s grace, this small artistic project is grateful that it floats me financially during this difficult transition. I started attending Mass in 2023 and was deeply moved by the traditional service. However, I had a hard time maintaining the state of grace necessary for communion. Later I learned how serious this dilemma is.
Astrology once served as a framework for understanding and seeking meaning in life events, but as specifically clarified by Thomas Aquinas and the broader academic tradition, predictive astrology has come to recognize that predictive astrology is fundamentally incompatible with Catholic teaching. But rather than completely abandoning the symbolic aspects of astrology, I have directed mythology, particularly the typical figure of the asteroid goddess, that is, the more reflexive engagement with mythology, as a way to explore the human mind without falling into the false divination of divination.
Academic Distinguished: Nature vs. Judicial Astrology
Medieval churches distinguished between two types of astrology. Natural Astrology He mentioned research into how celestial bodies affect the physical world. This was considered a legitimate discipline of natural philosophy. Judicial Astrologyin contrast, claimed to predict human problems, choices, and destiny based on stars. It was this form of prediction that the church was consistently rejected as mentally dangerous and philosophical unhealthy.
Thomas Aquinas offers one of the clearest and clearest expressions of this distinction Summa Theologiae. in Part I, Question 115, Article 4he deals with whether celestial bodies are the cause of human actions. He acknowledges that the stars have a real impact on the material world.
“The majority of people who are sensitive appetite movements, sensitive appetite movements that are felt by the influence of the heavenly body, follow their passions. Therefore, few are wise to resist possession. (st i, q115, a.4)
Here, Aquinas draws an important distinction. The stars may tilt the physical properties that shape temperament, mood, or tendency, but they cannot determine a rational will. Man remains free and can resist passion through reason. As he sums up:
“A man has free will, but it is not affected by the stars. Therefore, the astrologer himself says that, in order for him to rule the passion, “The wise man rules the stars.” ” (ST I, Q115, A.4, AD 3)
This position is often summarised by phrases Astra tilt, non-required agents– “The stars are tilted, they don’t force.” It is not Aquinas’ exact language, but it captures his teachings. Heaven can have an impact, but it cannot determine moral choices.
Theological dangers of judicial astrology
For Aquinas, judicial astrology was not merely a scientific error, but a mental danger. Affiliating human choices and destiny to the stars is to undermine free will, moral responsibility, and most importantly, God’s providence. in Sanma Contra Gentiles (iii, c. 88), he argues that while celestial bodies may influence human passions, “human free will has the power to resist them; therefore, the stars are not sufficient causes of human actions.”
Additionally, Aquinas warns that the devil can manipulate astrological signs to deceive humans, further explaining the spiritual risks of divine practice. This concern reflects the Bible’s prohibition on fortune-telling (Deuteronomy 18:10–12), the astrologer’s ock laugh in Isaiah 47:13–14, and the command in Jeremiah 10:2, not to fear “the signs of heaven.” Catechism of the Catholic Church follows this line, saying:
“All forms of divination should be rejected: other practices that are supposed to resort to Satan and the devil, summon the dead, or “reveal” the future. (CCC§2116)
Predictive astrology therefore contradicts the denial of human freedom and revelation by robbing trust that belongs to God alone.
Typical mythology and asteroid goddess
However, Aquinas’ rejection of judicial astrology does not have to abandon symbolic or mythical reflections on heaven. In fact, his allowances for his natural influences open up the possibility of considering stars and myths in a non-dividing way as part of the broader symbolic language of creation.
In modern times, depth psychologists such as Carl Jung and James Hillman have developed symbolic or typical approaches to astrology. Here, the heavenly numbers are read not as determinants of destiny, but as a prototype that resonates with the human spirit. Asteroid goddesses like Ceres and Pallas Athena provide a particularly rich mythical material for self-reflection. To contemplate these myths is not to predict the future, but to engage your imagination in dialogue with timeless symbols.
This practice is more closely aligned with literature, art, or psychology than fortune telling. It treats myths as a mirror of the soul rather than a script for destiny. In this sense, exploring the asteroid goddess through mythology can enrich self-understanding while still being faithful to Catholic ban on judicial astrology.
Conclusion
My return to the Catholic Church called for abandonment of predictive astrology, submitting to both the Bible and the magical teachings of the Church. Guided by Aquinas, I now see clearly that while the stars may tilt their physical properties, they may not force their will, they may fall into error to treat them as determinants of destiny. At the same time, my love for symbolic meaning and mythology remains intact. By looking at the myths of goddesses and their typical resonance, you can create evergreen content that honors the imagination, deepens psychological reflection, and respects boundaries set by faith.
Source: Darkstar Mythology – darkstarastrology.com
