People have been studying the effect of the stars on worldly events for over five thousand years, that is, since the time of ancient Egypt and Chaldea in Mesopotamia. However, the first horoscope for an individual, with place and time of birth, was recorded in 70 BC in Greece.
Leo de la Houssaye, an experienced astronomer and astrologer, traces the development of astrology in human history, looking particularly at how human consciousness has changed in relation to star wisdom. He marvels at how quickly the ancient Greeks developed a system of interpretation for the horoscope: already by AD 150 , the basic elements were established which are still used today.
In the second part of the book, the author introduces a new element for astrology, the death chart, or the 'spirit birth' chart. Whereas a standard birth chart is an image of what a person brings into the start of their life, a spirit birth chart is an image of the fruits of the life they have lived. De la Houssaye argues that this new chart is important for understanding personal spiritual biographies, and could have a significant impact on the practice of astrology.