astrologia
Macrocosm
Macrocosm (from the Greek macros "great" and kosmos "ordered universe") is, in Western philosophical and esoteric traditions, the universe in its totality, considered in analogical correspondence with the microcosm (the human being). The principle "as above, so below" (Emerald Tablet) binds the two planes.
Origin of the concept
The idea that man is a "little universe" is born in ancient Greek philosophy (Plato, the Stoics), passes into the Hermetic texts of the Hellenistic age and becomes a fundamental principle of alchemy, astrology and Kabbalah. In Renaissance anthropology (Marsilio Ficino, Paracelsus, Cornelius Agrippa) each part of the human body corresponds to a planet, a metal, a stone, a colour.
Contemporary legacy
In contemporary science the principle is no longer operative: the levels (cells, individuals, ecosystems, cosmos) are studied with their own methods. It remains a powerful metaphor in analytical psychology (Jung: the Self as "imago dei", image of the Whole in miniature) and in Eastern meditative practices (atman-brahman in Hinduism: the individual self is identical to universal reality).
FAQ
Are macrocosm and microcosm the same?
They are analogous: the same structure is manifested at different scales. It is not literal identity.
Is it a scientific concept?
No. It is a philosophical and esoteric principle. Science prefers to study separate scales (microbiology, astrophysics) with distinct methods.
How does it apply to astrology?
Astrology starts from the idea that the positions of the planets (macrocosm) have a symbolic correspondence with the human psyche (microcosm).