The Decanonization of Astrology in the 17th Century and the Insistence of Astrologia naturalis in the 18th Century

For thousands of years, people cast a scientific glance into the future by ascertaining the heavenly positions of the planets, the moon, and the sun, and predicting their effects on earthly events from their position relative to each other and their positions in the zodiac. Until the second half of the 17th century, such astrological predictions were considered an expression of scientific practice. Until well into the 18th century many people believed in the prophecies derived from the stars, which were then no longer considered scientific. Since the 15th century there have not only been supporters of astrology, but also opponents. After outlining this field of tension, the paper describes the three pillars on which the scientific character of astrology rested. It then names the reasons for the gradual decline of astrology and its banishment from the canon of sciences, before pursuing the question of which scholars in Central Europe in the middle of the 17th century where the first to publicly criticize astrological predictions and thus to express doubts about astrology as a science in an almanac ("Schreibkalender" - writing calendar). Finally, it explains why, when examining the process of astrology's decline, its two subfields, 'judicial astrology' and 'natural astrology', must be viewed and assessed differently. Astrologia judiciaria had already lost its scientific character by the end of the 17th century, whereas for Astrologia naturalis this only took place in the third decade of the eighteenth century.