The skies, for ancient peoples, were a screen on which they projected their most profound speculations and spiritual needs. This book looks at the profound meanings that mankind has attributed over the centuries to the skies, ranging from the universal symbolism of the sun as a source of creative energy to the complex meanings perceived in various constellations from Orion to the Pleiades. Drawing upon a mixture of astrology, astronomy, anthropology and science both primitive and modern, the text shows the underlying spiritual and psychological perceptions behind the interpretations placed upon the heavens by the various cultures around the world, including Aztec, Mayan, Mesopotamian, Ancient Egyptian, Native North American, Chinese, Japanese and Hindu. The illustrations illuminate everything from the phases of the moon to the trajectories of comets and the mythical significance of the stars. The book also places western astrology in a universal perspective, examining the exotic origins of the western zodiac and looking at other less familiar celestial systems.