Astrology in Medieval and Renaissance Europe

The influence of astrology can also be seen in Medieval medicine with the physicians being educated with the basics of astrology to use in their practice.

The influence of astrology can also be seen in Medieval medicine with the physicians being educated with the basics of astrology to use in their practice.

The astrologers were referred to as mathematici during the Middle Ages denoting the person to be proficient in astrology, astronomy and mathematics. They played a very dominant and prominent role in the society due to the terror they inspired and sometimes by the martyrdom they endured when their predictions were either too true or too false.

In 13th century, Johannes de Sacrobosco and Guido Bonatti were the most popular astronomers. The book called Liber Astronomicus by Bonatti was reputed astrological work produced in Latin during the same time. Jerome Cardan hated Luther and modified his birthday to give him an unfavourable horoscope. In Cardan's times, it was a common practice for men to conceal the day and hour of their birth. 

The scientific form of astrology came into existence during the Renaissance. Through this astrologers complimented their use of horoscopes with certain genuine discoveries about the nature of the universe. Many famous astrologers were responsible for overturning the old astrological method.

Some of the popular astrologers were Galileo Galilei, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. But the medieval and Renaissance astrologers preferred telling the fortunes by faces and by chiromancy which is also known as palmistry. Lucilio Vanini was the famous astrologer who can read the person’s face through the hair, forehead and other signs.