What will the future bring? The ancient astrologer turned the impulse to answer this question into something meaningful by mapping the night skies and attempting to see in the movement of planets and stars an impact on human lives. But did all astrologers see the same night sky? Did the observations of the Hindu astrologer match those of the Greek? How did the Egyptians and the Chinese understand the influence of the Sun and the Moon on our lives? Over the centuries, as astrology developed and evolved, it also seeped into our philosophies, religions, literature and arts. And it grew and shape-shifted in step with the times. Whereas the ancient astrologer was as much seer as astronomer, the modern counterpart is a tech-savvy innovator. 

Garima Garg's Heavens and Earth: The Story of Astrology Through Ages and Cultures (Penguin, 2023) examines the history of astrology, its many different systems and its development as a modern cultural phenomenon. Deeply researched and expertly narrated, the book contextualises the role of astrology in the ever-evolving human perspective of the cosmos and in understanding our place in it.

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