Modern Astrology – must apply a service pack
Before you close your browser with extreme prejudice I beg you hear me out. I’ve been a bit critical of science related topics and wanted to make sure I am equally critical of other topics. The main drive of this site is to challenge thought. If you believe in astrology, read this, you may have a “huh” moment. Question everything, never stop asking questions and putting your beliefs to the test. You will grow from the experience, trust me.
History
Ok, so, on to the topic. Astrology has been with mankind for nearly the entire span of our recorded history. It can be traced back to ancient Babylonia, China and other areas throughout the world. The concept is really quite simple. The stars have some influence over our day to day life. That is a very simplistic definition but I don’t want to dwell too terribly long on what astrology is. For a very good write up read the Wikipedia article here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_astrology.
Most notably about the history of Astrology is the contributions of Ptolemy. He was both an astronomer and an astrologer, back then the two were more closely related than today. His writings, namely the Tetrabiblos, was important in the development of horoscopic astrology and the current western tradition of astrology.
Ptolemy looked to the heavens, 2000 +years ago, and noted that the sun traversed through 12 constellations. He was right. It did. Based on that observation he created what many know as the modern form of astrology. We all know it, I won’t go into it much, if you’re born in a certain month, you belong to a certain set of rules. Simple.
The Problem
Ok, so what’s the deal? Why is this a problem? The problem is the wobble. The earth isn’t exactly perfect. Every so often, 26,000 years in fact, the earth completes a full wobble or precession on it’s axis. Imagine the earth spinning on it’s axis. Imagine that axis itself has a slight spin to it.
What havoc can this cause? Polaris is currently the north star. Maritime navigators have long used it to plot courses on the open seas. But, a little none fact is, it wasn’t always the north star. Magnetic north didn’t always point to this star, it once pointed to nothing. That is due to the precession of the equinoxes. The wobble in the earth’s spin.
This is a fact. We know it happens by measuring aspects of the earth’s spin. It’s as solid a fact as dropping an apple onto an old man’s head from a tree. It just does it.
Well, if the north star can change, can anything else? Sure can. Namely, it can change what constellations the sun passes through as the Earth spins around it. How many are there right now? If you think there are twelve, you’d be wrong.
Modern astrology isn’t so modern
Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer is this 13th constellation. You see, long ago when Ptolemy laid down the rules, the earth operated differently. People still use his charts but they are just wrong for today’s world. Most people, in fact, are not what they think they are. Think you are a Pisces? Think again. Check out the link below to find out where you really fall.
It is for that reason that Modern Astrology just doesn’t cut it. I am not suggesting that any thinking on astrological thought is valid or scientifically provable at all, simple that modern western thought on it is outright wrong.
What does this all mean?
The point here is again, question the so called facts. Do not buy into anything with out asking a few basic questions. There are people today that swear by astrology but have never heard of the 13th constellation or that the maps are wrong for today’s world. It isn’t theory, it isn’t a guess, it’s a fact.
Does that mean Astrology is wrong? No, it doesn’t. I don’t believe in it at all. But, again, science can not disprove that the basic underlining tenants, that some influence of our lives is based on when we were born and the position of the earth in the heavens, are untrue.
Science can say, with absolute certainty, that if you believe there are 12 constellations in the zodiac, and the zodiac is determined by the movement of the sun through constellations, then you are wrong. It just isn’t so. And it’s ok for it to be wrong. The true point of Science is to find truth. The real meaning of things around us. If we can not accept when we are wrong then we are not honestly looking for answers. Challenge yourself and your beliefs, test them, re-test them. They may be wrong, and if so that’s is ok, you’ve started a journey towards real knowledge. The real truth. That is the point of a scientific outlook. What is real. Don’t be fooled by charlatans that profess expert knowledge in something whose most basic tenants are outright wrong. You will gain nothing. Be honest with yourself and look with open eyes. And do not ever be afraid to question!
List of the 13 constellations: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/st6starfinder/st6starfinder3.shtml
Read about the precession here: http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/beth/beth_precess.html
