Note: I just got home from SpaceFest, and I’m exhausted. I’ll have more on the meeting tomorrow, with some pretty fun pictures, too. Until then, enjoy this.
Obviously, I am no fan of astrology. In fact, it is utter bilge. However, like many other forms of pseudoscience, it can inspire great art. Seeing as how I like art, and I like nudity, how can I resist the Incredible Zodiac?
Yeah, duh, NSFW. But the images of women bodypainted with the zodiacal signs are quite stunning and beautifully done. I suspect one or two are also tongue-in-cheek. Like this one:
Hint: what do rams do? And where is the head of the ram painted?
And I know this is completely hopeless, but let’s try to take the high road in the comments, please? 
August 19th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
haha…make sure your wife doesnt catch you looking at it too much…
August 19th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
This isn’t bad astronomy, this is good astrology?
August 19th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
I’m sure I shouldn’t be involved with a Leo, I’m not going to put my head in the lions mouth.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
[...] More here and stolen from the sometimes Good Astrology blog. [...]
August 19th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
The only way it is even remotely possible for me to take the high road on this one is to leave now.
**leaves giggling her aries off**
Kisses
August 20th, 2007 at 12:33 am
BA, can´t we just agree those are nice (or niiiice as Borat would say) representations of constellations?
I don´t think we should pollute such beautiful images bringing the astrology stuff to the table.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Probably more wholesome than trying to find Jesus in your wood grain.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:50 am
[...] Bad Astronomy Compartilhe nos Sites Sociais:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share [...]
August 20th, 2007 at 1:53 am
Interesting art. Some of them were very inventive. I like the capricorn one.
I think aquarius was creative in the sense that the design coincides with the literal purpose of the breasts – providing liquid food.
August 20th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Pieces? Is this a new astrological sign- the Fish Fingers? (My own sign is Jiminy.)
August 20th, 2007 at 2:35 am
[...] (via Bad Astronomy) [...]
August 20th, 2007 at 4:02 am
High road? Isn’t that pretty much where the rams head is already?
My contribution to minimally suggestive poetry:
As one randy old goat
said to another,
“I stink,
therefore, I ram,,,”
(GRA 1998)
I’ve seen this art before. As I recall, one of my brothers sent me to the site some months ago. My religious brother is also an artist/misician and has sent me to several sites in which optical illusions are paramount. I would include a link but unfortunately, I can’t access my favorites page as I’m posting from work. MAybe later,,,
GAry 7
August 20th, 2007 at 4:45 am
mmmmm. Pisces.
August 20th, 2007 at 5:04 am
“And I know this is completely hopeless, but let’s try to take the high road in the comments, please?”
Butt, Phil, you started it…
August 20th, 2007 at 5:41 am
Not to mention the fact that ‘Aries’ and ‘arse’ sound very similar in some parts of Ireland.
August 20th, 2007 at 7:26 am
YOU like nudity? I woulda never knowed!
August 20th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Many readers here appreciate false color images of heavenly bodies. Thanks!
August 20th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Too bad there are no Donkeys in the zodiac, that would have been even more appropriate.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:15 am
please. please!
don’t ever do the “Hint:” thing again…
it hurts reading…
August 20th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Like we need another reason to ban astrology websites.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:04 am
C’mon people…don’t you recognize bareidolia when you see it?
August 20th, 2007 at 10:55 am
however, considering what happened to a woman in Australia over the weekend because of her camel, the comment about the ram is questionable.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:25 am
ozprof, I think BA was infering a “pune, or play on words” with the various meanings of butt.
(Well someone stole my post about “pieces”, I had to say something.
)
August 20th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
The should do the non-astrological constellations too. I’d like to see Andromeda, Casseiopiea, Telescopium, Vulpecula (the fox), and Antlia (the pump). And just imagine Orion and his sword!
August 20th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Heavenly bodies!! I didn’t know the BA was a peeping Tom.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I haven’t clicked on the link yet, but is the constellation of Beavis (the beaver) represented?
August 21st, 2007 at 12:40 am
I think that there is a use for astrology. Look at the horoscopes in your newspaper and pick the one that you want to be yours for that day, with no consideration of your birthdate or the birth sign hooey or the date when the newspaper came out. It’s an exercise in choosing your own course and demonstrating that not even the stars know what is best for you.
August 21st, 2007 at 6:51 am
Does anyone know who the artist is? It reminds me of some works I saw in a gallery in New Orleans earlier this year.
August 21st, 2007 at 8:52 am
I don’t know who this artist is, but the New Orleans artist is Craig Tracy and his gallery is Painted Alive.
August 21st, 2007 at 2:25 pm
If a donkey is an ass
and
a Ram is a sheep,
How come a ram in the ass is a goose???
August 21st, 2007 at 4:25 pm
*Knocks on door*
Wife: Honey, what are you doing in there?
Husband: Checking my Zodiac!
August 21st, 2007 at 9:58 pm
High road? But by nature I’m a baaaaaaaad boy!
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I don’t know. I didn’t see any tongue at all in that Aries picture, and the ram was facing the wrong way for it to be his tongue in those cheeks…
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
[...] The Bad Astronomer, surprisingly enough) [...]
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Those are great! My husband and I both think they’re amazing.
Of course, now I have to go get some dark blue body paint…
sigh…
August 24th, 2007 at 8:28 am
I’m disappointed, I don’t see my zodiac…Ophiuchus, the snake handler.
September 18th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Aside from everything else, I thought those photos provided a good illustration of the value of camouflage: in several cases, the zodiac design was so powerful that it was hard to see the woman. I guess tigers were onto something when they evolved stripes.
January 15th, 2008 at 12:04 am
HEY;
I DIDN´T READ MUCH, BUT I LIKE THE THINKING. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR PHIL PLAIT: I WONDER IF IT IS ON PURPOSE U WRITE ABOUT YOUR SELF AS U WERE THE THIRD GRAMMA PERSON: I LIKES… ETC. WHY IS IT SO? AND U WRITE ASTRONOM INSTEAD OF ASTROLOG. COULD THAT BE THE POINT. I LIKE IT, IF IT WAS DELIBERTLY, OFCOURSE. SEE YOU! VERY COOL. AMIGO
February 6th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Hi, sorry I’m not interested in astrology. But I’m interested in Shqiponja (last reply)- do you remember me? 2006 in Kosovo? Are you still there or back in SWE? Carsten from Germany
March 8th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Woow! See you there Carsten! Never thought I will meet you in a place like this!!! I have been in Germany since 2006 few times… I am in Sweden ofcourse… Have been staying in Kosovo very long.
March 8th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I like this “Bad astronomy” idea, althought I never understood the point why it is bad. Even good astrology can be bad astronomy, or maybe that is the point? Bad astrology can sound like this (imagine it is a tenor-like voice) : “Hi!!My name is Leo.. I am looking for the Virgin, but I don´t find her. Do you have any idea when virgins are hiding themselves these times?” But bad astrology can never be bad astronomy, neather good!!!What do you say to a Lion who is looking in a wrong place? Chears!!!
March 10th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
The Moon landing, was always fake?
March 10th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Who is the artist?
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
I see… Phil Plait don´t like astrology… That´s why there are exagurated and naturalised pictures of Zodiac signs… It looks from my point of view like saying to people: “Here you have them… bare them… Coming back to the futuree… By astrolog
Creative…
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
WHAT IS “BAD ASTROMONY” ABOUT, WITH A LINK TO ASTROLOGY
I wander more about the message from an astronom here on this site, then to comment the pictures which are painted, or to send them to me. I wander if the message is as follows, the way I perceive it:
“Is it human, or Zodiac signs, who are going to decide about the now and the future? Whose is the choice? One`s choise…”
Each human has an animal inside. Let the animal stear, or take it to the consciousness and on to your hands, is the question? Isn´t it? The more the animal is illuminated and known, the better it feels inside and the smaller is its impact, power and control over our lives… The less it is known, the more it stears ours lives, because it screams from inside “let me out!Let me out!”, without us having ears to hear it. Want the knowlidge about the “animal”, or want to hear where it takes you when you don´t know who is doing that?
Art is always good to make more visible and understandable things like this.
- The better the dream – the better the future
- The bigger the consciousness, the better the sight to opportunities.
Is here somebody who agrees? Or disagrees? Or have more to say?
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Find your own animal inside you… Maybe the one you have locked. It doesn´t have to be an animal from the Zodiac ones. It can be another one from some other place.One which you never believed, or thought has something of value to give. Maybe you have looked at it before in your life… Loughed at it… but never believed has the power to change your life. It can have meaningful messages to you, followed by a need of its own. Find this animal, look at it, listen…. and take it seriously. Give the place it is worthy. And let the Zodiac signs aside, to be qweens, or kings in their´s believes.
Bye.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Carsten was this a joke
June 6th, 2008 at 10:54 am
hi shqiponja, tried to leave a reply before a couple of weeks but I think the webmaster kicked me out. So, what to do?
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 pm
horoscopes for today
They will go on to read up on everything to do with his birth sign
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:59 am
Horoscopes Www Astrology Com
The term is used colloquially for any kind of Linkback. Some weblog software programs, such as WordPress, Movable Type and Community
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:20 am
Search Horoscopes Astrology Com
Some weblog software programs, such as WordPress, Movable Type and Community Server, support automatic pingbacks where all the links
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Reply, Carsten:
Now when the webmaster is kind is there something you want to say?
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Phil Plate doesn ´t comunicate with members..? Is there somebody who understand what is the meaning of this site? Is it a debate site, a science site, or another kind of “science”?
July 8th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Horoscopes Aries
(Blogger now has backlinks – very similar to the trackback feature in Movable Type. The TrackBack specification was created by Six Apart,
July 10th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Well some like this way, Buy I think you should consider the another side of the toppic too. Thanks
August 6th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Sorry, but who are you talking to, Seo?
August 8th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Replay to Seo:Hi Seo! If you were answering to me, I want to say that I have nothing against that some people like it this way, why not? But I have send a message to Phil Plate for some time ago and got no response. I was wondering if maybe somebody here could help me with that question.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
It is true. Zodiac is BAD ASTRONOMY (for those who don´t believe the Zodiac).
But Zodiac is GOOD ASTROLOGY (bothe for those who do, and do not believe it).
Arstology is a belief which has no scientific ground. Astrology is not a science. But maybe it tryes to give to people the same effect or amount of belief as the science has… But because it is not one, makes it bad as a science. Astronomy therefore is a science.
But I have a question, didn´t astrology study stars in teh biggining?
September 5th, 2011 at 1:13 am
I have a very good picture in my mind – a combination of “ology” and “onomy”. Poetic picture and relaxable.