Druid / Celtic Astrology

Much has been written about Celtic / Druid astrology. Classical writers - including Strabo, Caesar, Diodorus Siculus, Cicero and Pliny - comment on Druidic knowledge of astronomy and astrology. There is also evidence that the Druids understood the tides and that they cut mistletoe and other plants at particular phases of the moon. It is also worth mentioning the survival of astronomical terms such as dubaraith, meaning eclipse, into modern Irish.

The earliest known Celtic calendar is the Coligny calendar, now in the Palais des Arts, Lyon. It is estimated to be from the 1st century BC, and is made up of bronze fragments that were once a single huge plate. The Coligny calendar achieves a complex synchronization of the solar and lunar months. It begins each month with the full moon, and covers a 30-year cycle comprising five cycles of 62 lunar months, and one of 61. It divides each month into fortnights rather than weeks, with days designated as ‘good’ or ‘not good’. Each year is divided into thirteen months.

There are several ways to apply the Druidic sense of cycles in our daily lives. First, we can try to be more aware of the truth of constant change. Nothing stays the same; what goes around comes around. There are ‘good’ days and ‘not good’ days. We shouldn’t cling to good times or dwell on bad times. One way to develop an awareness of this is to keep a small diary and jot down our mood or the general tone for that day. Reading it back later will reveal a pattern and rhythm. Keeping a diary can also be tied in with observing the phases of the moon. Many people who keep a diary find a patterns in their lives, and in their moods, corresponding to the lunar phases. This can help you develop your sense of natural rhythm.

On the larger scale, by observing the festivals we can tune our lives to seasonal changes. Some may find that Samhain is a good time to become more introspective and plan new projects over the winter. Beltain, conversely, is a time to begin those planned projects.