The beginning of a being or an entity is magical. It is a moment of no return, where everything that was prepared beforehand becomes irrelevant. The entire future now depends entirely on this beginning.

The ancient Greek term katarche (καταρχή) means “beginning” or “inception.” The meaning of the word was closely linked to religious rituals and, especially, to the precise moment when certain sacrifices began.

In the Hellenistic and Roman period of European astrology, the term katarche became particularly associated with the branch of electional astrology or the art of choosing an auspicious time to begin a venture or an enterprise.

More recently, in the 20th century, the term also became associated with the branch of astrology known as horary astrology, which is based on the astrological chart calculated for the moment when a question is posed to the astrologer. Based on this chart, the astrologer responds to the question.

Underlying this term and its meaning are the Stoic concepts of sympatheia and the Chinese concept of tianrenganying, which we have developed in another entry of this Glossary.

In the two millennia-old systems that we have been addressing within the scope of the TimeOracle Project, the phenomenon of sympathy (sympatheia συμπάθεια) between the moment of a person’s birth and the state of the cosmos at that same moment is relevant.

The same applies to the daily recommendations of the Chinese almanac Tong Sheng 通胜 (or Tong Shu 通书, original name),  information we often present on our website regarding the most auspicious important activities to be initiated each day. The underlying philosophy is to act more in accordance with the “state of the Cosmos,” therefore, in a more synchronized way with universal rhythms.