I once had do to a talk for a workshop and thought it would be interesting to put together some information on Egyptian astrology. However, I only found a small amount of information about astrology as such in Egypt.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, of all places!!!, says the following:
"undoubtly the priest of the Pharaohs were the docile pupils in astrology of the old Chaldean priests. The mysterious Taauth (Thoth), the Hermes Trismegistus of antiquity, was regarded the earliest teacher of astrology in Egypt. He is reputed to have laid the foundation of astrology in the "Hermetic Books"; the division of the zodiac into the twelve signs is also due to him. In classic antiquity many works on astrology or on occult sciences in general were ascribed to this mythical founder of Egyptian astrology. The astrological rule of reckoning named after him, "Trutina Hermetis" made it possible to calculate the position of the stars at the time of conception from tbe diagram of the heavens at the time of birth. The Egyptians developed astrology to a condition from which it varies but little today. The hours of the day and night received special planets as their rulers, and high and low stood under the determinative influence of the stars which proclaimed through the priestly caste the coming fate of the land and its inhabitants. It is significant that in ancient Egypt astronomy, as well as astrology, was brought to an undoubtedly high state of cultivation. The astoundingly daring theories of the world found in the Egyptian texts, which permit us to infer that their authors were even acquainted with the helio-centric conception of the universe, are based entirely on astrologico-theosophic views. "
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02018e.htm
Robert Hand in his article on the history of astrology says "Pharaonic Egypt had a great interest in astronomy. This is evident in too many ways to mention. But it was the kind of astronomy that involved stars rather than planets. The Egyptians were masters of aligning buildings, temples and especially the pyramids to fixed stars... The ancients clearly knew that astrology had something to do with Babylon (after all they did call astrologers Chaldeans) but the principle credit was given to the Egyptians. It is customary among academics to pass this off as something that was merely a fashion among ancient writers... Nevertheless, there is no reason to assume that the ancients were not correct as to Egypt's being the primary source of horoscopic astrology; it was just somewhat later than they supposed. What did the Egyptians add to Babylonian astrology? ...The use of a rising degree may or may not have been found in pre-Hellenistic Babylonian astrology. But the Hellenistic writers attributed the use of houses, or signs used as houses to Hermes. For Hermes we should understand a reference to Hellenistic Egyptian sources. It is probable that aspects are also Egyptian but we cannot say for certain. The lots are almost certainly Egyptian as well as most of the systems of rulership. Only the exaltations have a clearly Mesopotamian origin."
http://www.robhand.com/histintr.htm
What is very interesting is the astronomical information that is found in Egypt. For example:
The constellations, as shown on the Dendera Zodiac are outlined and coloured here:
http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterOne/TranslateDenderah.htm
There is quite a lot of information on this site, but its a bit jumbled as well as being fairly controversial.
This site compares the circular Dendera Zodiac with what they call the "rectangular Zodic" found on the ceiling of the entrance hall to the temple.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dp5/pole5.htm
John West in his "Traveler's Key to Ancient Egypt" points out that in the rectangular zodiac, Cancer is positioned at the feet of Nut, the sky goddess. It is also the centre of the spiral of constellations in the circular Zodiac, ie Cancer rather than Aries is seen as the first sign. In some of the tombs of Thebes, kpr (kephera, the winged scarab), which represented the deified form of the rising sun, is shown by the feet of Nut. The story there is that each night, the sun passes into the body of Nut, entering through her mouth, to be reborn the next morning. A theory dating back to the 19th century explains this by saying that it is a reference to the Egyptian civilization being born during the Age of Cancer. This would make it start sometime 8000-6000 BC, which is not supported by archaeologists and conventional Egyptologists, but is favoured by some "alternative" students of Egypt.
Sorry, I've probably talking too much here.... and I've gone from astrology to astronomy anyway....
