Paranormal and Mystery |
Royals believe in it,presidents have relied on it: in the Nineties,
forecasting by the stars has never been more popular. But surely science
disproved it years ago ? Find
out what' s in the stars
Most people(around 99 per cent of the population know their sun sign, and
almost half read their horoscopes regularly.Astrology columns help sell millions
of newspapers and magazines. Patric Walker's Astrological Predictions attracts
around 190,000 extra readers to the Mail on Sunday. While only a small
percentage of us actually admit to taking our horoscopes seriously , each
year over a million callers ring up the "astroline" phone-ins to find out
what the week holds in store for them. But ask any astronomer whether there
is any truth in astrology and the answer will be succinct.
Medicine God |
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| Astrology originated in Mesopotamia
around 6000 years ago. The ancient Babylonians built great observatories
where priests would study the skies,and the celestial bodies that they believed
controlled life and events on Earth. This stone tablet from 1,300 BC depicts
Kuduru of Nazimaruttash - the goddess of medicine, surrounded by her astrological
symbols. |
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"I know of no scientific evidence favouring any astrological phenomena,"
says Professor Arnold Wolfendale, the Astronomer Royal. "Back in the year
702, the Venerable Bede wrote that there was no effect of the stars on human
beings. It's extraordinary that a thousand years later some people still
think some sort of influence exists."
Astrologers are unperturbed come to expect from the scientific fraternity.
They believe that life and events here on Earth, are inextricably linked
to the movement of heavenly bodies. They argue that anyone who dismisses
astrology out of hand does so out of ignorance of their art. We all know
the zodiac signs for Leo the lion and Taurus the bull, but traditional astrology
is rather more complex. It deals with the positions of the planets and
constellations at the precise moment of someone's birth, and relates these
systematically to their character, personality traits, relationships with
others, profession and auspicious times of their life.
Astrology also concerns itself with broader issues such as the fate of nations,
wars and natural disasters, all of which are thought to be linked to certain
planets. Astrologers believe the celestial bodies symbolise certain qualities
and meanings. While some claim these are based on centuries of observation,
others say they are largely symbolic. To early sky-watchers, the redness
of Mars suggested blood, war and aggression while the brightness of Jupiter
was associated with energy and gaiety. Similarly , traits like courage,
leadership and pride were linked to the constellation of Leo. Yet, critics
say, constellations are not symbols drawn in the sky. they are made up of
stars usually many light years apart and not remotely connected astronomically.
Critics also point out that the constellations have all shifted by one sign
since the Greek scholars charted them 2000 years ago. For instance, those
born at the beginning of June may assume they are Gemini, but today the Sun
is actually passing through Taurus at this time of year. "This is because
the Earth's axis has wobbled, a phenomenon called precession," explains Heather
Couper, past president of the British Astronomy Association.The pull of the
Moon and Sun on the Earth's bulging equator swings the pole of our planet
round on a 26,000-year cycle. Seen from our viewpoint, the Sun and stars
get out of register.
In spite of all this, an extraordinary number of people do feel that their
personalities are reflected in their sun signs. In one of the largest-scale
studies in this area, Hans Eysenck, former professor of Psychology at London
University , tested the ancient astrological belief that those born under
positive/ masculine signs like Aries and Sagittarius are likely to possess
extrovert qualities, and those born under the negative/feminine signs such
as Cancer and Pisces have a tendency to be introverts. The researchers handed
out a questionnaire designed to estimate these two dimensions to 2,324 people.
The results were striking. For extroversion/introversion they exactly
corresponded with astrological predictions, and a similar pattern emerged
for emotionalism /stability.
Scientists think a prior knowledge of astrological characteristics colours
our perception of ourselves. To prove this point the researchers turned to
children, who are less likely to know about astrology than most adults. They
compared the personality profiles of 1,160 children with their birth dates
and, as expected, found no correlation.
But why are we so intrigued by astrology? Sceptics say one of the main reasons
it appeals is because we don't like the unpredictable. It's a bit like the
weather forecast. By promising an insight into what the coming weeks and
months hold in store, astrology gives us the feeling of
control over our lives, however spurious that impression
may be.
Another reason is flattery: personality profiles tend to be peppered with
characteristics such as sensitive, emotional, active, practical, pleasant
and so forth - traits everyone likes to associate with themselves.
We are also given the impression that astrologers are talking about us -
which is both flattering and interesting. That's why popular astrologers
need a good grasp of psychology. This is where the so-called
"Barnum
effect" comes into play. some statements seem to apply specifically to
yourself, when in fact they have a universal validity.
Typical Barnum statements are: "You have a great need for other people to
like and admire you", or , "At times you have serious doubts whether you
have made the right decision or done the right thing." Astrologers' columns
are often full of this kind of statement.
Certainly, people tend to rate birth charts containing very succinct information,
such as "you have a good imagination" , as far less accurate than those full
of waffling Barnum statements, according to the findings of Geoffrey Dean,
an Australian research scientist who specialises in the paranormal.
Building a birth chart from the planets and the stars
The
Ascendant
The 12 houses
Transits |
The stars and your career
According to astrology , your sun sign should also influence the sort of
career you choose. The sun sign is simply the constellation which the Sun
was passing through when you were born. To test the idea, E Van Deusen, author
of Astrogenetics , systematically collected the sun signs of thousands of
people listed in biographical directories such as Who 's Who in America.
He found, in keeping with astrological lore, that journalists were most often
born in Scorpio, a sign associated with inquisitiveness and a propensity
to dig for facts. Lawyers, who must be prepared to argue a case one way or
another, were most frequently Geminis, whereas bankers were often Virgos,
who are said to be fastidious and orderly.
Other researchers have failed to find any such correlation. The late French
psychologist and expert on astrology , Michel Gauquelin, looked at the birthdays
of nearly 2000 generals expecting to find most born in Aries or the other
fire signs. In fact they were dispersed almost uniformly through the 12 signs.
The most comprehensive analysis to date also reveals that any connection
between sun sign and occupation is equally tenuous. A test looked at one
in ten of all people working at the time of the 1971 Census. Before the findings
were released, Charles Harvey, president of the Astrological Association,
predicted that nurses would tend to be born under feminine signs while union
leaders would belong to the masculine ones. The results were scrutinised
by Professor Alan Smithers of Manchester
University, who reported that, while Harvey's two predictions were indeed
borne out, other evidence contradicted them. Coal miners, for instance, also
showed a tendency to be Scorpio and Capricorn - both feminine signs.
The Mars effect: statistics that support astrology
One piece of evidence supporting astrology that scientists have
yet to disparage comes from Michel Gauquelin,who devoted twenty years to
putting astrology to the test. |
Birth Charts
Astrologers say such tests are unfair because the sun sign is only one facet
of a person's horoscope. To get a more complete picture of personality and
destiny, you have to look at the positions of all the key planets at the
time of birth - on a birth or natal chart. Although such charts are
scientifically constructed, the descriptions of personality and destiny that
they yield frequently fails the scientific tests.
Michel Gauquelin placed an ad in Ici Paris offering a personal horoscope
absolutely free. Everyone who responded was sent the same one obtained from
a computer based on birth data for Dr Petriot, one of France's notorious
mass murderers. Gauquelin asked the applicants to reply saying whether they
recognised themselves. Of the 150 responses, 94 per cent claimed the fake
horoscope summed up their character accurately. When friends and family were
asked to comment, 90 per cent agreed with the description. Other studies
show babies born at the same time in the same hospital grow up no more alike
than those with very different natal charts.
Geoffrey Dean has repeatedly found that people cannot distinguish between
right and wrong charts. In his most recent study he asked 22 subjects to
rate an interpretation of their astrological charts. Half of these were
authentic, while in the others the information was exactly the opposite of
what was true. The reversed charts should have stood out a mile, but the
subjects rated them just as highly as the correct ones.
Astrology through the ages |
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It could be argued that we are poor judges of our own characters. Others
often see us differently from the way we see ourselves, which may be why
personal relationships so often fail. Some people do in fact turn to astrology
because it claims to reveal compatibility, or lack of it, between men and
women.
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung examined the horoscopes of 48: married couples. He
found that their Sun and Moon aspect tended to form conjunction (where two
planets are superimposed) - agreeing with astrological theory, which asserts
that the aspects between Sun, Moon and ascendant are vital for domestic harmony.
Balancing strengths and weaknesses is extremely important when comparing
two horoscopes for compatibility says Carol Golder, author of Moon Signs
for Lovers. "As the Moon affects your emotions, it is particularly helpful
to know its position in relation to your partner's When one party's Moon
is in the same sign as the other's Sun it is a beneficial conjunction, as
are having both parties Moons in the same sign."
Scientists remain sceptical. Bernard Silverman, a psychologist at Michigan
State University, obtained the records of 2,978 Michigan couples who married
(and 478 couples who divorced) in 1967 and 1968. He then looked at their
sun signs to discover any significant link between astrological compatibility
among the married couples and incompatibility among the divorced. He found
none.
If there is any science in astrology it may be in the cycles that exist in
nature. There are genuine biological rhythms linked to Sun and Moon, such
as menstruation or bird migration, and there may be others that modern science
has yet to find.
Influence, not causation
Popular astrologer and historian
Nicholas
Campion specialises in looking at the ways in which major global events
relate to astrological phenomena. Known as Mundane Astrology the study of
these cycles and patterns is essentially predictive. He will cast a horoscope
for a significant time, such as the assassination of President Kennedy ,
then project forwards to a time when the planets are once again aligned in
a similar fashion, in order to predict that a similar event will occur. Campion
claims to have forecast in 1980 the dissolution of the Soviet Union after
casting a horoscope for the minute in 1917 when the Bolsheviks arrested the
Russian government. [What a load of Bolsheviks - LB] Pluto was moving across
the Sun at this moment, a transit associated with intense power struggles,
he says. "When astrologers use the word "influence" , it is not in a causal
way " says Campion. "The planets do not "cause" events on Earth to take place.
Instead I see the positions of the planets at any moment as a sort of labelling
system. It enables you to see certain cycles emerging, be they economic,
political or financial."
So how reliable are the astrologers' predictions? Of 3,011 specific astrological
predictions made in American astrological magazines that two researchers
recorded over a number of years, only 338 came true. As the scientists are
always happy to point out, if you make enough forecasts, some of them are
bound to come to fruition.
But will evidence against astrology make us give up reading our horoscopes?
Probably not. For, as Nicholas Campion,who writes for New Woman and
Bella, points out: "Astrology is human. It makes mistakes, but it
also makes sense - and that's why people like it."
Amanda Cochrane .
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Nov93
Aries the Ram
Libra the Scales
Taurus the Bull
Scorpio the Scorpion
Gemini the Twins
Sagittarius the Centaur
Cancer the Crab
Capricorn
the Goat
Leo the Lion
Aquarius the Water Carrier
Virgo the Virgin
Pisces the Two Fishes