For the longest time, ancient cultures and civilisations feared comets. More so, because they were so rare. In cosmology these “cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock, and dust that orbit the Sun” were harbingers of bad luck. “A comet seen in an Earth sign such as Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn foretold a disaster related to the Earth, such as droughts and famine. And so, spotting one in a water sign meant floods, fire signs meant wars, and air signs meant mighty winds and airborne diseases. Because they represented something huge, comets were often bad news for kings and important men of society. It is said that comets were observed around the deaths of Roman emperors Augustus and Constantine the Great as well as the warlord Attila the Hun, among others,” writes journalist Garima Garg in her new book, Heavens and Earth: The Story of Astrology Through Ages and Cultures (Penguin Random House). It’s perhaps why comet Neowise, seen once in 6,800 years, and which last appeared in March 2020—the year of “Coronavirus and major socio-cultural and political disturbances around the world”—will be remembered for years to come, adds Garg.

The Delhi-based writer’s curiosity about the science of planetary bodies and astrological phenomena, took root while she was studying journalism at the Columbia University, New York. Ironic, she admits, considering that astrology has been characterised as a divinatory practice, and should least inspire any journalist encouraged to develop scientific temper. “But for me it wasn’t astrology per se that was of interest, but how the subject was being perceived in different parts of the world. As I engaged with friends in America, I realised the popularity of astrology, especially among the young and progressive. How the West saw it, and how Indians understood it was very different,” she says, explaining, “Among Indians, for some reason, the focus seems to be on foretelling the future, but Americans seem to be using it as a spiritual tool for self-discovery and understanding the purpose of life... many of them are deeply invested in how it works. I wanted to explore this paradox,” she says.