It is a type of divination that relied on hidden forces and phenomena in which humans had no control. Therefore, it was called magic. It included changes that occurred in cosmic and natural phenomena, such as solar and lunar eclipses, the movement of winds, changes in the behavior of animals and birds, deformed births, and so on. The role of the baro priest was to deduce omens from these phenomena. One of the most important types of magical divination is that which relies on the movement derived from cosmic and natural phenomena. The priest relied on observing the planets in terms of their shapes, colors, or even their positions to derive and take omens from them. This type of divination was called "astrology," which served a major and important purpose in the divination of Mesopotamia, whether at the level of the king and state, or at the level of individuals and the people. The ancient Iraqis considered the sky a place of residence for the gods and a source of natural phenomena such as rain, wind, and floods. Therefore, predictions played an important role in averting evil. The people of Mesopotamia also believed that the occurrence of these phenomena was due to hidden forces represented by the gods, who sent them to express their pleasure or anger with humans. This is where the science of astrology arose, as humans attempted to know what would happen. Astrology is an integral part of divination, and was limited to interpreting celestial phenomena, as we have indicated. Man depicted all surrounding phenomena and gave them a specific omen. The texts also mention the Enuma Anu Enlil collection, which contained a collection of celestial omens and portents related to observing the sky to interpret planetary and stellar phenomena that affected human daily life. Ancient fortune-tellers also matched planets with gods, comparing Ishtar with Venus, Mars with Nergal, Jupiter with Marduk, and so on with the rest of the planets. As for the Assyrians, astrology became one of the most prevalent means of knowledge at the end of the second millennium AD, as a result of the conditions and circumstances surrounding the Assyrian state, which required great attention to astronomy and astrology.
# Al-Mustaqbal University - The first among private universities in Iraq