Astrology in Art - Cosmic Harmony and Aesthetics

by Klemens Ludwig

Astrological symbolism has inspired many great artists. In this panoramic survey, the President of the German Astrologers’ Association takes us on a journey from prehistoric cave art to the 21st century via Titian, da Vinci, Dali, Warhol, Hilma af Klint, Hundertwasser and many more

Astrological symbolism is a central theme throughout the history of art. This is to be expected because art expresses current and timeless ideas in a visual form. Astrology gives a broader understanding of these notions, expressing the vision that we are not isolated but connected to tradition. It helps people searching for orientation. Both art and astrology share the desire for cosmic harmony and aesthetics.

Taking this background into consideration, it is not surprising that the greatest artists (such as Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Raphael or Albrecht Dürer) used the symbols of astrology. Likewise, modern masters such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, and the unknown architects of the great cathedrals. This is true not only of creators of work exhibited in museums or documented in old books but also of castles, palaces, town halls, cathedrals, baptisteries, bell towers and middleclass houses (which were often, in all epochs, adorned with zodiac art).

The hidden beginning

We can go back thousands of years, long before the ‘Christian Age’, to find early traces of architecture inspired by astrology or places where a star cult was practised. Some historians assert that that even the cave paintings in northern Spain and southern France (going back about 25,000 years) depict symbols of early worship of a star cult. Here you will find, for instance, images of a bull that resembles the contemporary zodiac sign of Taurus.

Of course, this is speculation. Probably, we shall never learn what those prehistoric people saw in the sky and how they integrated what they saw into their cult. Just as we will never find out who built places such as Stonehenge in England, Newgrange in Ireland or the Nebra Sky Disc in Germany. But we can be sure that these locations were important places for ceremonies of winter and summer solstices, two key moments in astrology. And it is also obvious that humankind has always looked at natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, trees, rocks, springs and lakes as an expression of the Divine, often using each as an inspiration for cult worship and the creation of works of art.

The oldest examples of art which can still be admired today, inspired by our familiar zodiac, date back to the ancient Roman era. The ancient world was most probably the first era in which astrology and the arts were not limited to celebrating spiritual and secular leaders. Wall paintings and mosaics in the villas of high-status individuals prove that. Unfortunately, only a few examples survive. Among them is a fine one which can be viewed in the Rhenish Museum in the former German capital Bonn. It is a mosaic showing the zodiac and the Sun God at its centre, dating back to the 2nd century AD. It was found in the Rhine river area 200 km south of Bonn at the end of the 19th century. Along the river, altars of the Mithra cult have been discovered. Mithraism, a popular cult throughout the Roman Empire, originated from Persia and extensively employed astrological symbolism.

Many ancient zodiacs are to be found in Israel. Although some prophets strongly opposed astrology, the Jewish tradition is full of its symbols. For instance, the Menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum: it represents the seven classical planets. The candle in the middle symbolises the zodiacal Sun. The planets are so arranged that ruling signs are in their natural opposition: Venus (Taurus) on the left, Mars (Scorpio) on the right, followed by Mercury (Gemini) on the left and Jupiter (Sagittarius) on the right. And finally, the Moon (Cancer) on the left and Saturn (Capricorn) on the right.

The most complete examples of the ancient zodiac can be seen close to Lake Galilee, in the northern part of Israel. Amazingly, they are in synagogues such as those in Hammat Tiberias which became a centre of Jewish culture after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. The 12 signs from the 3rd century AD still look vivid. The zodiac can also be seen in the synagogues of Beth Alpha, Naaran, Susiya, Huseifa and Sepphoris, all close by.

Sacred art

The fall of the Roman Empire led to cultural decline that included the fading of astrology. Only after Charlemagne established a new empire north of the Alps in the 9th century (which stretched his power to the Mediterranean) did culture revive in all its forms. Under Charlemagne’s third son, Louis the Pious, the zodiac handwriting of Leiden was created in 820. It contains 35 miniatures of the zodiac signs and the planets. At the same time, the Utrecht Psalter was created, one of the masterpieces of book art in the age of the Carolingians. It shows Christ atop a mountain, encircled by the zodiac.  

Other important examples of book art during this period featuring astrological symbols include the Hunterian Psalter, today exhibited at the University of Glasgow, and Liber Astrologiae by Georgius Fendulus, a philosopher of the 12th century.

In the Early Middle Ages, during the Romanesque period, cathedrals and churches commonly added astrological symbols to architecture and iconography. And bear in mind that art was largely limited to ‘sacred art’ at this time. The zodiac is often to be seen on the tympanum above the portal that leads into a cathedral. This entryway is the border between the sinful world and the sacral, the divine area of God. Entering the area of the Divine was a kind of initiation rite performed in full awareness of the passage from profane to sacred. When the believers enter the divine place under the zodiac, it is obvious that the stars are part of the signs through which God speaks to humanity.

Of course, Christ is the most frequent figure in tympanums; the zodiac often placed around him demonstrates that the ruler of the universe makes use of the stars as his tools. We find tympanums in many cathedrals such as of Burgundy, Autun, Vézelay, Avallon (France) and León (Spain).

In the ancient Basilica of San Savino of Piacenza, northern Italy, we find the zodiac in two places. The same is true of the famous Maria Laach Abbey in Germany, founded in 1093: zodiacs are to be viewed at the entrance door and in the apsis above the altar. In addition to the tympanum, the zodiac often appears as a mosaic on the floor, such as in St. Gereon’s Basilica in Cologne and San Miniato al Monte, one of oldest and the most impressive churches of Florence. The Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice shows a zodiac clock.

An amazing phenomenon is the zodiac in baptisteries, such as in Florence and Parma. Baptism marks the admission into the Christian Church. It is also the admission into the cosmic order. And the zodiac was a symbol of that order.

Astrology as part of communal self-expression

In the transition from the 12th to 13th centuries, societies in Europe changed fundamentally with far-reaching consequences for the arts and astrology. Farming became more and more efficient due to new techniques and a better climate. The population grew as did trade and urban areas. Merchants became increasingly important. The very successful ones like the Medici or Fugger family gained more influence than the old nobles. Ancestry alone no longer determined the fate of people.

Society opened up and likewise the arts, and especially architecture. We enter the Gothic period with its famous cathedrals which seem to touch the sky. What remained an important part of society was astrology. The zodiac appears in the tympanums of the most famous Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres, Amiens and Notre-Dame de Paris. A typical characteristic of the Gothic cathedrals is the richly decorated window, a technique hitherto unknown. Zodiacal signs and planets are the stock decoration of church windows (Chartres or Lausanne).

Societal changes and the growing influence of the towns and merchants gave artists – for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire – the opportunity to find sponsors beyond the clergy and nobility. It also gave them the chance to present astrological symbolism in a broader context. The city republics in northern Italy were especially keen to decorate their town halls and other representative buildings with signs of the zodiac. The art historian Dieter Blume says of this period, “astrology was part of communal self-expression”.

Prominent examples are the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua, created by the famous Giotto, and the Palazzo Ducale in Venice. Salon de Mesi of Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara followed a little later in the era of the Renaissance.

The Renaissance (in general terms) succeeded the Medieval Period and marked the embryonic beginnings of the ‘Modern Age’, although fundamental change had already taken place. A conjunction of Neptune and Pluto in 1398/1400 represented this beginning. This conjunction occurs every 493/94 years and it is indeed a symbol of a basic global cataclysm. It took place in Gemini, for the first time on 22 June 1398, with Mars also in this sign. Only a few years later, on 25 January 1405 we had a Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, together with the Sun in this sign (chart not shown). The air signs Gemini and Aquarius in two of the most important mundane charts indicate a kind of New Age. Mankind tilted towards individuality, freedom, science, ethics and responsibility for oneself. Religious ideas of determinism as part of a divine plan waned in the face of an intellectual revolution.

At the same time, astrology had never been so influential in society, as much among the clergy as lay groups. After his election in 1503, Pope Julius II even asked his astrologers to set the best date for his inauguration. Like him, many theologians were convinced that God revealed his will through the stars.

Hidden symbolism

Beside the traditional patronage of the Church, the wealthy dynasties of Medici, Chigi and Sforza-Viconti offered artists and astrologers plenty of opportunities to spread their work and message. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian and Dürer regarded astrology as an important source of inspiration.

In the chapel of the Medici, San Lorenzo, a complete horoscope (dated 4 July 1442, 10.30 am) can be seen above the altar. No one knows for whom or for what this horoscope was cast. Villa Farnesina owned by the Chigi family is another example.

Often, the symbolism is hidden. The most prominent example is da Vinci’s The Last Supper which has greatly confused art historians because they ignore the influence of astrology in the depiction of the twelve disciples. The Last Supper is a cryptic portrayal of the zodiac. Starting from the right: Simon is Aries, dynamic and forward with his arms, followed by Thaddaeus, Taurus, with a strong neck, protecting himself and perhaps his belongings with his arms; Matthew, Gemini, is open for everything, in contact with everyone, turning his head to one side, his arms to the other; Philip, Cancer, is vulnerable, sensitive, with a lot of female energy; Jacob, Leo, is self-reliant, taking his place as a king with his arms spread wide open; and so on.

Many works by Titian and Dürer also contain astrological principles in hidden or esoteric ways. These artists lived in a period when astrology was highly regarded. So, this raises the question, why have some of the greatest artists coded their astrological message if astrology was unquestioned?

It seems they wanted only the initiated to understand the deeper meaning. There was a significant gap between the astrology presented to ordinary people and what the initiated understood. The mostly illiterate commoners followed the stars and the Moon mainly for agricultural purposes. Artists and other initiates used astrology for a deeper understanding of cosmic circles/cycles and the circle of life, themes that most peasants and craftsmen did not have time to indulge because survival was their priority. Da Vinci and Titian were members of esoteric circles. Da Vinci also used mirror writing so that only a select few could understand it. These artists wanted to address people whom they regarded as equals in their ambition to discover the meaning of life. The same is true of many unknown master builders who used astrological and esoteric symbols in the great cathedrals.

Book art also became extremely popular, including the use of astrological symbols. ‘De Sphaera’ and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry are only two of the most prominent examples. 

Zodiac clocks on many town halls or churches made astrology part of everyday life.

Decline and rise again

After this peak in astrology, a decline was unavoidable. As natural science became more and more influential, astrology was questioned and no longer an indisputable part of society. Also, some political rulers were strongly opposed to astrology and “other forms of fortune-telling”. This had an influence on the arts.

There are still examples of zodiac and planet presentation in the era of the Baroque, but less frequent. It was a period of extreme ambivalence. The Thirty Years' War devastated large parts of Europe and made death part of everyday life. Being aware that every day could be the last, people wanted to enjoy the moment. Memento mori (“remember you must die”) and carpe diem (“seize the day”) were the expressions of this mindset.

Baroque examples of astrology art are to be found at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome with its impressive zodiac on the church floor. And at Wallenstein Palace in Prague, with the planets and their rulers shown in the ceiling. Today, the hall is part of the Czech parliament.

The eras of the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution laid the basis for the world we know today. Scientists transferred the search for the cosmic order to the realm of scientific positivism, detaching this quest from ‘pure’ subjectivity and relativism. Even today, ‘rationalists’ deny any broader context to the physical and metaphysical worlds and dismiss the latter.

At the same time fundamental changes in societies occurred in briefer periods. In medieval times the basic structures of society remained stable for centuries. With the beginning of the Industrial Revolution the familiar patterns changed fundamentally within just a few decades. This had a powerful influence on the arts and ushered in many succeeding and overlapping epochs: Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, Historicism and Art Nouveau. The period also saw a decline in the influence of astrology. The ‘cathedrals’ of the new era were factory buildings, railway stations, mansions for the new capitalists and housing blocks for the growing urban population. The new ruling classes were uninterested in metaphysical symbolism.

Yet, astrology never completely disappeared. The rational, scientific view of the world soon experienced its limits. Philosophical and spiritual needs were not served by science which tried (and tries still) to exclude these experiential realities. This reaction led to the rise of astrology once again, and its return to the arts. Artists of Historicism and Art Nouveau liked to incorporate astrological symbols. In 1880 the spring of the Danube river, for instance, was decorated with the zodiac in the typical form of Historicism, as was the court in Bremen.  

One of the most prominent artists of Art Nouveau was the Czech painter Alphonse Mucha who spent most of his life in Paris. His famous lithography Zodiac features a portrait of a young woman with a halo made up of the twelve signs and is one of the most impressive examples. A centre of Art Nouveau was Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, Germany. Although large parts of it were destroyed in World War II, one still gets an impression of what it once like. The landmark of Mathildenhöhe is the so-called Wedding Tower decorated with the zodiac in the form of a square around a sundial. 

Modern artists

In the 20th century, with all its catastrophes, artists sought new, experimental ways of expression. As it became plain that technological progress does not equate to ethical evolution, many people rejected beliefs in eternal truths and moral certainties. Artists such as Picasso, Hundertwasser and Dali reflected this disorientation and aimed to give people a cosmological orientation. They did so in part by using astrology. Expressionism, Cubism, Abstract Art and Surrealism were a kind of protest against established or orthodox systems. Artists became more open to spiritual questions. Astrology itself became even more influential as it also underwent a basic change, influenced by psychology, especially by C. G. Jung.

Swedish artist and mystic Hilma af Klint, the spiritual pioneer of Abstract Art, created The Dove series with the signs of the zodiac. Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Hannah Höch followed. The Franco-Canadian artist François Dallegret illustrated the twelve signs of the zodiac in the form of racing cars.

The master of Pop Art, Andy Warhol, also used astrological symbols. In 1959, he printed the twelve signs of the zodiac with hand-written interpretations which demonstrate his deep understanding of astrology.

It is also important to mention the master of surrealism, Salvador Dali. In 1967, he created the lithography The Twelves Signs of the Zodiac. The Dutch surrealist painter Johfra Bosschart created posters of the signs which became very popular. Astrological symbols in handicraft and jewellery are now a commonplace.

Finally, the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser should not be forgotten. A zodiac fountain in the entrance area of the Hundertwasser House in Vienna demonstrates the close connection the artist had with astrology. 

Thus, astrology is back. Not only within our culture, but also in the arts. Even so, many orthodox art historians and scholars ignore or still deny the importance of astrological art. This limited view overlooks the advice that Aby Warburg gave 100 years ago, that important works of art cannot be fully interpreted without some basic knowledge of astrology. Although Warburg remains among the most influential of art historians, his point is largely ignored.

Published by: The Astrological Journal, Mar/Apr 2021

Author:
Klemens Ludwig is a writer and the President of the German Astrologers’ Association (DAV). He has been practising astrology since the late 1980s and has published several books on the subject, including Astrologie in der Kunst (‘Astrology in Art’). His website: astrologie-ludwig.de.

© Klemens Ludwig, 2021

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