THE CELESTIAL WOUND

“It’s a supermoon.” “Mercury is retrograde.” “What’s their sign?”

For some, those phrases are invitations to wonder. For others, they have become evidence of spiritual corruption. Somewhere along the way, curiosity became confused with condemnation.

For me, there is an important distinction between Jesus and religion.

Institutional Christianity, like every human institution, has been shaped by politics, hierarchy, empire, and power. Churches have preserved remarkable art, knowledge, and acts of compassion, yet history also records periods of persecution, censorship, and violence carried out in God’s name. Those realities should not be ignored.

When I speak about Christ, I am not speaking about religious control.

I am speaking about the Jesus who called people away from hypocrisy, away from legalism, and toward love, humility, mercy, and truth.

The Bible repeatedly warns against fear, pride, and self-righteous judgment. “Do not fear” echoes throughout Scripture more than almost any other encouragement. Jesus reserved some of His strongest rebukes not for seekers, but for religious leaders who burdened others while believing themselves spiritually superior.

That distinction matters.

There is an important difference between worshipping creation and studying creation.

Genesis 1:14 says that God made the lights in the heavens “for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.” Christians have long debated exactly what “signs” means, but one thing is clear: the heavens were created with purpose. Psalm 19 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Looking upward with awe is not a rejection of the Creator. It can become an act of reverence.

Many Christians believe astrology crosses into divination when it replaces trust in God or attempts to control the future. Others—including myself—see astrology as a symbolic language through which people contemplate patterns, cycles, personality, and timing within God’s creation. That does not require worshipping the stars. It requires humility before the One who made them.

History itself resists simplistic answers.

The Renaissance overflowed with zodiac imagery, planetary symbolism, celestial ceilings, and mythological art. The Vatican Museums preserve astronomical globes and artworks depicting the zodiac because they are part of humanity’s artistic and intellectual heritage. Their presence does not prove the Church endorses astrology, but it does remind us that humanity has long regarded the heavens as worthy of study, beauty, and contemplation.

The Magi followed the Star of Bethlehem to Christ. The heavens became a means of guidance toward Him, not away from Him.

That story has always fascinated me.

If the stars can announce the birth of Christ, perhaps we should be cautious about declaring every conversation about the heavens inherently evil.

The greater danger may not be asking questions about the stars.

The greater danger may be allowing fear to replace discernment.

Throughout history, fear has justified censorship, persecution, and violence. Women called witches were often condemned for knowledge, healing, intuition, or simply failing to conform to the expectations of their societies. Whatever one believes about the supernatural, history reminds us that fear has frequently been used as a tool of control.

That is not the spirit of Christ I recognize.

Jesus consistently invited people into deeper relationship with God rather than deeper dependence upon religious gatekeepers. He taught that love fulfills the law. He pointed people toward the kingdom of God rather than toward fear of forbidden knowledge.

When I study mythology, symbolism, or astrology, I do not place them above God.

I place God above everything.

For me, creation reflects its Creator. The tides answer the moon. The seasons follow their appointed rhythms. The earth turns. The sun rises. The stars mark the heavens. None of these diminish God. They reveal the astonishing order and beauty of His creation.

Astrology, for me, is not a replacement for prayer.

It is not a replacement for wisdom.

It is not a replacement for conscience.

It is simply one lens through which I contemplate the patterns woven into creation while remembering that every created thing remains beneath its Creator.

Whether one embraces astrology, rejects it entirely, or simply enjoys learning about it, disagreement should never become an excuse for ridicule, shame, or contempt.

Perhaps the better question is not, “Is astrology demonic?”

Perhaps it is this:

Does my pursuit of truth make me more humble, more loving, more compassionate, and more willing to marvel at the Creator?

If the answer is yes, then wonder has not become idolatry.

It has become gratitude.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” — Psalm 19:1

“Mercy triumphs over judgment.” — James 2:13