You’re right about astrology not being science. But probably not in the way you think.
PS. Argument from antiquity much?

#36, Nigel

I just couldn’t help myself. Dr Gerard’s comment above was too good not to satirise. Even if he is a Poe.

@35. Astrology 101
Hahahaha! You typed that with a straight face? Hahahahaa!

As a woman, I feel it is my duty, nay, my birthright, to believe in astrology to its fullest! From now on, I will only speak to people whose suns are in Rigel

Wait, but … Orion not on the ecliptic ….

and their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks!

Oh. Right.

“OK. I have a question for all Astrologers out there.
In every serious Astrology book, there are long descriptions of what happens when, say, “Mars is in your Fifth House” or something like that. Then there’s conjunctions, oppositions, ascendants, descendants etc etc.
Questions:
1. WHO DISCOVERED ALL THIS????
2. WHEN WAS IT DISCOVERED????
3. WHERE ARE THE RESEARCH PAPERS????
I want answers, names, dates, records. “The Ancients” is not an acceptable answer. No mystic babble, just facts. I mean, if this information is so vast and so accurate, somebody has to have researched it sometime.
Anyone?”

Western Astrology (as opposed to Vedic or Chinese or other astrologies) was codified by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD with his work the “Tetrabiblos” (or “Quadripartitum” in Latin). Ptolemy was, of course, also the one who transmitted the astronomical knowledge of the ancients who you so decry, with his works the “Almagest”, “Optics”, “Planispherium”, and “Geography”. You see, there was really no separation between astrology and astronomy until just about the time of the Protestant Reformation and the religious challenges of humanism. This was an epic moment for separating the cultural psychology and divinatory aspects of “astrology” from the hard science of “astronomy”. Before that, they were one, and great mathematicians were well-versed in both. Even greats like Copernicus and Kepler participated in astrology. And, by the standards of their times, they were excellent astrologers. Kepler attempted to reform astrology and base it completely on aspect relationships between planets. He was also wise among astrologers by refusing to give his ruling patron (in his case, the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague) astrological predictions, for he feared what would happen in negative scenarios.
Those who study the ancient astrological texts left by Ptolemy and Dorotheus of Sidon (which both claim to have inherited their art from an old tradition that went back to Egypt), or the further developments of classical astrology in the works of Manilius or Ibn Ezra, will see that over 1500 years ago, people were fully aware of the difference between the sidereal and solar year, and that the ancient world was meticulously mapped in terms of geographic latitude, as well as the heliacal rising and setting of stars and their declinations. They were serious people. It is no wonder that the old teachings of astrology were kept intact by the Arabian scholars after the fall of Rome, to be passed back to Europe in the Renaissance.
There are many wonderful books about the actual history of astrology in western intellectualism, but one of the good recent one is Benson Bobrick’s.
To go back to the roots of the split in European thinking about astrology, investigate the difference in thought between Pico della Mirandola and Philip Melanchthon.
Many of the strongest critiques against astrology have actually been made by theologians and philosophers who are really speaking against divination in general.
The scientific critique of astrology is somewhat weaker, because astrology makes no claim to abide by the scientific method. Astrology cannot meet the burden of proof that science establishes — just like psychology or sociology, it is a discipline that consists of methodology, not hard demonstrable fact. Also like psychology, it is often proven right, and this is sufficient to establish its relevance, even though it is sometimes wrong as well. Unlike a scientific experiment, astrology can never be repeated in a lab. It is about the divinatory potential of a given moment, and as such is un-replicable, so it can never be sufficiently studied to determine just how wrong or right it truly is.
It is, however, older than most other intellectual methods on the planet, and should be respected for that.
By the way, there are many many wonderful research papers and books on astrology. A good place to start looking is http://www.astroamerica.com

‘Using a new type of telescope, you have discovered a new constellation, which you are given the right to name.’

I don’t think it had anything to do with astrology though.

… Also, that’s some good satire – referring to the article of course!

Imagine the advances we could make in astrology if we harness the power of people on the internet!

I don’t know if this speaks poorly of me, or my opinion of astrology that I would think it was serious, but I am definitely amused.

Being anxious about the future and looking to get some level of control (in this case through superstition) is not gender-specific, it’s universal – if you’ll excuse the unintentional pun.

You are right in that we shouldn’t disparage people for seeking help. But they should turn to close friends or family who are familiar with their situation and might actaully care about them, or experts in their area of concern (medical, psychological, financial, etc).

We disparage people who turn to astrology because they should know better. We remind ourselves that sometimes they don’t and then we turn our sights on the practitioners of astrology and proceed to rip them a new one.

In every serious Astrology book, there are long descriptions of what happens when, say, “Mars is in your Fifth House” or something like that. Then there’s conjunctions, oppositions, ascendants, descendants etc etc.

Questions:

1. WHO DISCOVERED ALL THIS????

2. WHEN WAS IT DISCOVERED????

3. WHERE ARE THE RESEARCH PAPERS????

I want answers, names, dates, records. “The Ancients” is not an acceptable answer. No mystic babble, just facts. I mean, if this information is so vast and so accurate, somebody has to have researched it sometime.

Anyone?