Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Stephen E. Flowers Ph.D. 2017

Divinatory Uses
The History of Iranian Magic

Iranian astrologers pioneered the idea of nativities—that is, the calculation of the position of the stars at the moment of birth—so the predictive aspect of the craft was heavily emphasized in Magian practice. This is reflected in the New Testament legend of the Wise Men (magoi), who used astrological computations (probably a Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in a part of the sky, which indicated the location of the kingdom of Judea) to travel to the Nativity of Christ. Astrology was used to view past events, forecast the seasons, and predict climatic changes and phenomena that would affect the larger community. In Mazdan thought, astrology charts the patterns of circumstances and predicaments that a person might experience, but it does not govern how a person responds to those patterns. Individuals are always free and responsible for the choices they make in thought, word, and deed. It is these choices and not the position of the stars that determine the future. In a way the astrological chart is a reading of the individual’s khvarenah, the set of inborn talents of the person, which can be developed or lost depending on the thoughts, words, and actions of the individual.

In ancient times the priests who constantly kept the eternal flames of the fire temples alight took watches over the fire. Those who tended the fire at night also observed the lights of the night sky with great analytical care, seeking for meaningful phenomena.