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Astrology has played a very important role in the early development of every major civilization.  In the case of the Western world, astrology was at the cutting edge of knowledge for millenia beginning with ancient Mesopotamian civilization and continuing through the Renaisance.  The scientists of those times were astrologers and many names and some of their works have come down to us.  It was not until the 17th century that several historical developments, including the rise of fundementalist Christianity, scientific materialism and the insurance business caused the subject to lose its former high status.  In the 20th century a revival of astrology began and the subject expanded to accomadate the interest in human psychology that characterized the modern period.

As modern Western astrology moves toward respectability, it is important that it be re-established on the firmest foundation, one that can tolerate the biased critism and blind arrogance of uninformed scientists and preachers.  An important step in this process lies in a study of astrology's roots, how it came into being and for what reasons.

The indigenous astrology of ancient Mesoamerica provides us with a unique opportunity to study astrology in one of its early forms.  Ancient Mesopotamia, wher the roots of Western astology lie, is four or five thousand years distant and barely discernible.  The astrological texts of Roman times, the few that still exist, are records of a mature astrology developed for the analysis and understanding of both nations and individuals.  These late classical texts stand on 2-3,000 years of astrological development in the Near East.  In comparison, the astrology of the maya and Aztecs was developed to a similar level as that of ancient Mesopotamia, and most of it thrived until only five hundred years ago.  Some survives today.  This book is an attempt to piece together the various strands of this truly Native American astrology from pre-Columbian, colonial and current ethnographic sources, and to present it as a body of knowledge in a format which can be used by today's astrologers and students of astrology.

Bruce Scofield