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DPHoroscopes

Horoscope section in a 1995 issue of the Daily Prophet

Parvati Patil: "Professor Trelawney did astrology with us! Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now, that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things –"
Firenze: "That is human nonsense. Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents. These are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."
Parvati Patil and Firenze illustrating the differences in human and centaur conceptions of astrology[src]

Astrology was the system of using the relative positions of celestial bodies (including the sun, moon, and planets) to try to predict future events or gain insight into personality, relationships, and health.[1]

Traditions and practices[]

Humans[]

One human astrological practice was to draw a circular chart, called a personal chart, showing the position of the planets at the time of a person's birth.[2] Creating one was an intensive process, requiring the consultation of timetables, as well as the calculation of angles.[2] Once completed, this chart could be used in combination with data on upcoming planetary movements to work out a personal forecast,[2] called a horoscope.[3]

Astrology was taught in fourth-year Divination at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[2]

Alchemists, because of the lack of common words for chemical processes as well as the need for secrecy, borrowed terms from astrology and other mystic and esoteric fields.[4]

Spellbound magazine ran an article on the compatibility of Pisces and Leo in a 1927 issue.[5]

DailyProphetHoroscopes

Horoscope section in a 1997 issue of the Daily Prophet

The Daily Prophet listed current zodiac aspects on its front page starting in 1994.[6] By 1995, it ran horoscopes on the back page,[7] as well as a feature on page six called Astro News, which was presumably dedicated to astrology.[8] The horoscope column was moved to an interior page by 1997, and by that time was being written by Limunus.[9]

The identity cards of Ministry of Magic employees listed their sun and moon signs rather than their dates of birth.[10]

Centaurs[]

Like humans, centaurs practised astrology, but their approach to it was different. While centaurs used astrology only to foresee major, world-changing events, humans also utilised it to predict mundane, day-to-day occurrences and better understand themselves.[2][11] Centaurs viewed these things as being far too trivial to be affected by the movement of the planets.[11]

According to Firenze, his species spent hundreds of years observing celestial movements, unlocking their secrets and thereby learning to see signs of "great tides of evil or change" to come written in the sky.[11] It could take up to a decade of watching for centaur astrologers to be confidant they knew what they were seeing.[11] Even then, Firenze stressed that one should never place too much trust in such things, as it was possible to misinterpret signs.[11]

Planetary influences[]

  • Mars — This planet caused burns, accidents, and things of a similar nature according to Parvati Patil.[11] In addition, Parvati claimed that when Mars and Saturn formed a right-angle, it indicated people needed to exercise extra caution when handling hot things.[11] Firenze stated that centaurs interpret Mars shining brightly in the sky as a harbinger of war.[11]
  • Saturn — This planet being in a prominent position at the time of a person's birth was said by Sybill Trelawney to have a "baleful influence," causing dark hair, short height, and tragic losses early in life.[2]
  • Pluto — This planet could disturb day-to-day life in a number of ways according to Trelawney.[12]

Individuals by sign[]

Star signs[]

Other planets[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. WP favicon Astrology on Wikipedia
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 13 (Mad-Eye Moody)
  3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 14 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  4. "First look at Deathly Hallows props including 'Life and Lies', 'A History of Magic', more" at MuggleNet
  5. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (see this image)
  6. See this image of a Daily Prophet prop from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film). This Prophet design was introduced in that film (compare to the style used in Prisoner of Azkaban) and has been used in all films since.
  7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (see this image)
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (see this image)
  9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (see this image)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image)
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 27 (The Centaur and the Sneak)
  12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)
  13. 13.0 13.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 16 (Godric's Hollow)
  14. "Some Random Facts About the Weasley Family" on J. K. Rowling's Official Site (archive here via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)
  15. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Horace Slughorn"
  16. J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life
  17. "Pottermore - Explore the story: Pomona Sprout"
  18. A prop issue of Metro featuring an article about the "miraculous" premature births of Jack and Tom appears in the Underground scene in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, just before Harry Potter's disciplinary hearing on 12 August, 1995. The body of the article says that "It would be twelve weeks in total before a fully recovered Tilly and I could bring our boys home for the first time." Twelve weeks is eighty-four days, and eighty-four days before 12 August is 20 May. The prop issue itself is dated 1 December, 2006, but this is inconsistent with the canonical timeline of the Harry Potter series.
  19. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Draco Malfoy"
  20. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2 (The Vanishing Glass)
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Birthday calendar on J. K. Rowling's Official Site
  22. Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image and this image)
  23. J. K. Rowling's official site - F.A.Q. questions (archived here via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)
  24. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Ginny Weasley"
  25. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (see this image)
  26. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Celestina Warbeck" at Wizarding World
  27. See this image of Porpentina Goldstein's MACUSA identification card on display as part of a prop exhibition in Japan.
  28. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Dolores Umbridge"
  29. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)
  30. 2000 AOL Online chat with J. K. Rowling
  31. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Garrick Ollivander"
  32. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Quirinus Quirrel"
  33. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Minerva McGonagall
  34. "NEW FANTASTIC BEASTS EXHIBIT OPENS AT WARNER BROS." from Nerdist (see this image)
  35. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Filius Flitwick"
  36. 36.0 36.1 Harry Potter Limited Edition - A Guide to the Graphic Arts Department: Posters, Prints, and Publications from the Harry Potter Films
  37. J. K. Rowling's Twitter
  38. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Professor Kettleburn" at Wizarding World (profile since removed)
  39. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Bill Weasley"
  40. 40.0 40.1 Daily Prophet Newsletters
  41. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Rubeus Hagrid"
  42. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13 (The Secret Riddle)
  43. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (see this image)
  44. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Severus Snape"
  45. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Gilderoy Lockhart"
  46. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Arthur Weasley"
  47. I never get fed up with readers' questions! Luna's birthday is the 13th February. posted by JKR on Twitter on 17 July 2015
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 See this image.
  49. Tweet from the official Fantastic Beasts Twitter account (see this image)
  50. 2001 Red Nose Day chat with J. K. Rowling
  51. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Sybill Trelawney"
  52. Pottermore - "Explore the story: Remus Lupin"
Divination
Trelawney's first Divination lesson in the trio's third year
Professors: Percival Rackham · Mudiwa Onai · Sybill Trelawney · Firenze
Known Seers: Calchas · Cassandra Vablatsky · Cassandra Trelawney · Gellert Grindelwald · Inigo Imago · Johan Hoffman · Liz Tuttle's mother · Mopsus · Professor Mopsus · Susie Sooth · Tycho Dodonus · Unidentified Canadian Seer · Unidentified female Seer · Unidentified male Seer
Textbooks: The Dream Oracle · Unfogging the Future
Methods: Astrology · Bibliomancy · Capnomancy · Cartomancy · Catoptromancy · Crystal-gazing · Crystal ball · Dream interpretation · Fire-omens · Heptomology · Horoscope · Ichthyomancy · Lithomancy · Myomancy · Ornithomancy · Orrery · Ovomancy · Palmistry · Personal chart · Phyllomancy · Prophecy · Rune stone · Scrying mirror · Tarot cards · Tessomancy · Xylomancy
Divination at Hogwarts: Divination (class) · Divination Classroom · Divination staircase · Sybill Trelawney's office · Classroom 11 · Xylomancy (class)
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