A Moment in Time: “Is Astrology Compatible with Judaism?”

Dear all,

Far away from the city lights of Los Angeles, I witnessed a night with a gazillion stars. It was not hard to find the Big Dipper, so I was able to capture this photo.

I thought about the awkward relationship Judaism has had with astrology. On one hand, our texts prohibit divination and soothsaying (which Judaism connects to astrology).

On the other hand, who of us has not wished someone “MAZAL TOV!” (which we often translate as “Congratulations” though it actually means, “May the stars be in your favor”?

I find meaning in our Marariv prayer, which teaches that God places the stars in position as they travel through the sky. In other words, we can read the constellations – acknowledging they have no intrinsic powers – but that God put them there for us to ponder.

And so …. I looked out at the Big Dipper. And as I connected the dots, I thought about how life is filled with opportunities and obligations to fill in the gaps, to bring worlds together, and to make meaning from the big picture. I don’t believe the stars have power. But I do believe the stars are a catalyst for me to think more deeply and broadly.

I was but a speck in the thousands of generations who have pondered the constellations. But in this moment in time, I was connected to each and every being since the dawn of time who has stood in wonderment at the universe.

Is astrology compatible with Judaism? What do you think?

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro