In order to allow astrology to influence your life, you first have to ‘believe’ in it. Because of the very nature of astrology, unlike recognised scientific fact there are no measures that can be taken to prove the validity of ‘star signs’. But belief does not necessarily constitute a truth. Believing that the earth is flat doesn’t change its roundness. I’m afraid, there are scientific and rational facts that cannot be disputed even if we use vague terms like ‘open-minded’, ‘progressive’, ‘spiritual’ and ‘free thinking.’
Both astrological charts and horoscopes are based on the false premise that planets influence our psychological make-up depending on the time and place we were born (or conceived perhaps?) Now we know scientifically that if there is some magnetic influence by the planets, it is minimal. The gravitational pull of the person next to you is much more powerful than that of the nearest planet - fact. If you merely change your position by a few centimetres the effect on the human body is nullified.
Serious astronomers do not take the claims of astrologers seriously. There are about two hundred and fifty thousand million stars (kind of a guess) in our galaxy and another hundred thousand million other galaxies (wild guess, but prove me wrong…). Who decides what influences us and what doesn’t and in what way?
Recent scientific discoveries have confirmed that our physical characteristics are determined by the information encoded in our genes. Together with our environment, upbringing and early childhood, genes play a determining role in the formation of our personalities. Therefore, the very notion that stars and planets determine our physical and psychological makeup conflicts with a good deal of what we know about human physiology and psychology.
Many attempts have been made to statistically verify astrology, but none has succeeded. Geoffrey Dean and Arthur Mather, after reviewing over 700 astrology books and 300 scientific works conclude that "in effect, astrology presents a dazzling and technically sound superstructure supported by unproven beliefs. It starts with fantasy and then proceeds entirely logically." (Recent Advances in Natal Astrology: A Critical Review). Michel Gacquelin enjoys popularity with Astrologers because, in his very intensive studies, he seems to vindicate Astrological claims. But, in his work "The Scientific Basis of Astrology: Myth or Reality?" he states clearly: "Every attempt, whether of astrologers or scientists to produce evidence of astrological laws, has been in vain. It is now quite certain that the signs in the sky which presided over our births have no power whatsoever to decide our fates, to affect our heredity, characteristics, or to play any part, however humble in the totality of effects, random or otherwise, which form the fabric of our lives and mould our impulses to action" The Zodiac Investor.
Hundreds of astronomers, astrophysicists, and scientists in other fields officially published a letter alerting the public. "Those who wish to believe in astrology should realize that there is no scientific foundation for its tenets….It is simply a mistake to imagine that the forces exerted by the stars and planets at the moment of birth can, in any way shape our futures." (How to Think About Weird Things – Critical Thinking for a New Age by Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn)
Why does Astrology seem to work?
Human beings are more similar to each other than they think. A technique of vagueness called "cold reading" is used by fortune tellers, tea leaf readers and Tarot card readers. There are other known psychological limitations in our perception like Subjective Validation, Selective Attention, etc. that contribute to the illusion that an astrological reading is accurate.
What then, is the function of the Astrologer?
If he tells clients things that they already know, isn’t he defeating this purpose and aren’t these better off with professional counselling? If he reveals previously unknown secrets about their future and their character, can he conscientiously take responsibility for these claims and for the advice that ensues? However, Astrology will always appeal to our yearning for something beyond, on which we can shift responsibility for our actions.
