What I think about astrology

(Shout out to Audrey for stitching this for my 20th birthday! 👅)

Anyone who knows me personally would know that I believe in astrology.
According to Dictionary.com, it is defined as "the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs." (Keep in mind that there are MANY variations for its definition)

But before I continue, I'd like to make 2 disclaimers first:

1. I am FULLY aware that I am dealing with a tricky topic here. 
For those of you who don't know, astrology has been put under scrutiny, debated on and discussed about for CENTURIES. I dare say it remains a controversial subject because Christians then and now associate it with satanic practices... and even scientists, theologians deem it as a form of "pseudo-science" which means false, deceptive science.




Source: literally debate.org 😳


Can't believe I even made a twitter poll for this 💆

Of course I have NO ways of deciphering the codes of what even geniuses cannot do,
but the reason I am writing this post is REALLY to shed some light on astrology... for both the skeptics and the believers. Maybe a food for thought?

2. I do not agree with Thought Catalog's way of portraying astrology.
I respect Thought Catalog for what they do, but I am obviously not a fan of their posts.

Reasons as follow:
ONE: I question the credibility of the writers - Are you a psychic? An astrology master? Or perhaps a fortune teller? Are you considerably an expert in this subject?

TWO: I question the credibility of their sources - Where do you get information for articles like "Things the Zodiac Signs wonder about but never told you..."?

Now I understand that even mainstream media (think magazines like Elle, our local newspapers etc) and social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are all in on such posts too. However, considering the function of social media platforms (whose influence has greatly taken over traditional media)- which is to provide bite-sized information for leisure or entertainment...
 I could actually close one eye because as everyday users, we know not to take anything on social media for 100% truth.  

For example:




Yet for Thought Catalog, as the name suggests I assume is an informal blog/citizen journalism that provokes... food for thought?

If that is so, how can you provoke food for thought when your articles are baseless and tasteless?
Shouldn't we expect better credibility from them?

What more, people are sharing them articles on Facebook and treating it as 

some form of revelation!!!

I know to each their own. But do take articles like "What an Aries never told you..." with a pinch of salt. Let us understand that with astrology... trashy sources will have to do 80% of the time. But like I said, since we are dealing with a tricky topic here... I think its essential people understand what they believe in.

My worry is that we are easily bought over by such sources and in return fail to understand that astrology itself carries much depth. It has history... and with roots from ancient times.

FIRSTLY

The number one googled question regarding astrology is...
 Is astrology true?

If you ask any astronomer whether there is any truth in astrology, the answer will be succinct: There is no scientific evidence favouring any astrological phenomena; physically, there is no effect that a distant star could exert on any kind of living being on the Earth. Astrology deals with the apparent positions of the planets and constellations at the precise moment of someone's birth, and claims that these relates systematically to their character, personality traits, relationships with others, profession and auspicious times of their life. Astrology is not widely regarded as science and is typically defined as a form of divination. (source)

Yet the irony is that the credibility of this source is also highly questionable. But what he says here makes sense, and provokes food for thought.

People have often confuse Astronomy with astrology. And that is not surprising because it seems that astrology used to be define as a form of "practical astronomy, astronomy applied to prediction of events" OR as "the science of astronomy".  It was only until the 14th century that people started to differentiate these two terms, and by the 17th century, the association has been proven wrong.

But if it is not science, and science cannot explain it... then what is it? Do we and should we dismiss something that science has no explanation for? I might sound like a potential cult follower now, but I am just trying to bring a point across - Can we confidently say that no other form of energy is at work here? Then how is that different from our faith in RELIGION?

Man I'm dealing with some huge ass topic now.

Even Huffington Post agrees with me on this as the author writes:
"Another reason why astrology has never been fully dismissed is because of the anecdotal evidence available. People are reporting time and time again that what they read in their horoscopes comes true. And it happens too often to dismiss it. It’s no different from religion, where miracles happen across the world every so often."

And really, over the years people have believed in it. What is their basis for believing in it then? Surely there must be something? If it is the divine, then... why can't we believe in it just like how we have faith in our religions? Man even John Lennon and Yoko Ono played with tarot cards and the idea of astrology to make their decisions.

Also, this might come as a SHOCKER (but just think how even literary students like us eventually bullshit through our papers when desperate... 😳)



(source)
Stuart Firestein (is he a fire sign?) at Ted Talk 2013.

BUT, Stuart Firestein, a neuroscientist did mention in his book Ignorance that "...he and the rest of his field (neuro scientists) don’t really know that much, relatively speaking. And what’s more, knowing itself, he argues, is highly overrated." 

He also said this which I found is terrifying to think of:

"As I began to think about it, I realized that, contrary to popular view, scientists don’t really care that much about facts. We recognize that facts are the most unreliable part of the whole operation. They don’t last, they’re always under revision. Whatever fact you seemed to have uncovered is likely to be revised by the next generation. That’s the difference between science and many other endeavors. Science revels in revision. For science, revision is a victory. In religion, or astrology, or any other belief system, revision is a kind of defeat. You were supposed to have known the answer to this. But the joy of science is that it’s about revision." (source)

This means... to put it simply... that whatever is factual will not stay factual.

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
See what I mean when I said I was treading on dangerous waters??!?! 💦


Okay.
So say we do dismiss it. In a less complicated world, we all listen to the great scientists and we say that YES, astrology is bullshit and it's no science.

Lets say we do dismiss it. Since science has no way of explaining it... it is untrue and thus is trash!!!

But what about the human experience?
Think horror stories... bloodcurdling accounts of people having encounters with the supernatural, it is something that has happened since as LOOOOOOONG as humans existed. Can we still deny that the supernatural don't exist... just because science hasn't found an answer for it yet? (actually, i think they have found an answer)

Personally, and I am probably going to sound like a dumbass here but I based a lot of my "astrological judgements" through observations and my experiences. For example, the Tauruses that I've met... the Cancers that I've met... 

What do these people have in common? To what extent are the trashy sites true?

Once again, I know I am treading on dangerous waters here because it sounds like I am totally dismissing the whole psychological effect such as confirmation bias and scotomisation.

"Scotomisation" is defined as "... the psychological tendency in people to see what they want to see and not see what they don't want to see - in situations, in themselves, in anything, even in a painting - due to the psychological impact that seeing (or not seeing) would inflict." (source)

and confirmation bias means "a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions, leading to statistical errors." (source)

Which means... if I know that someone is a Cancer, I would start to link every little thing they do to the fact that he is a Cancerian.

It is true. I recognise that.

But when a Gemini (sorry geminis. but also think Donald Trump, Kanye West, Prince... and flamboyancy) repeatedly act in a similar fashion/display similar traits throughout history, throughout different occupations, different age groups, different generations... 

surely they must have something in common? ✨

And if they are similar and different in certain ways, can the birth chart tell us more information?

For those who don't know what a birth chart is:

An astrology birth chart—also called an astrology natal chart—is a map of where all the planets were in their journey around the Sun (from our vantage point on earth) at the exact moment you were born. An astrology chart reading can reveal your strengths and weaknesses, your opportunities for soul growth, the best timing for your most important moves. To calculate your astrology birth chart, you’ll need your time, date and place of birth. (source)

But maybe we can't.
Since the whole idea of astrology, of how planetary movements would have an effect on human life has already been proven false IN SCIENCE... maybe we can't. Maybe it is a coincidence after all.

"... it is not the fascination with understanding the patterns of movement in the skies but rather the idea, central to astrology, of linking celestial patterns to human events and human behavior that has sustained the centuries-long controversy over the worth of astrology. (source: Salem Press Encyclopedia)"

But I am not speaking alone. Countless people in this world have found astrology to be relatable, to have an ounce of truth in it, simply because they have experienced it for themselves.

Thus I repeat the same question: Can we just dismiss it because it is not scientifically proven?

Do you think we can make a more informed decision on which side we are standing in this whole is-astrology-true-debate if we have an understanding on its history?

Man I'm about to do some real research here.

Source: British Library

A Zodiac illustration from a medical almanac, 1399. The man’s pointing finger serves as a warning against the powerful forces of the stars.

According to Bakich, Michael E, author of Discover magazine... this is how astrology came about:

• From the "Cradle of Civilization" -- Mesopotamia. In southern Babylonia, a tribe known as the Chaldeans looked to the stars for guidance and counted their months by the phases of the Moon. 

• Thousands of years later, the Greeks called the constellations the "circle of animals," or zodiakos kyklos -- the zodiac.

• They called the planets bibbu, or wild goats, for the way they seemed to prance and run among the slower-moving stars. The planets visible to them -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn -- like the Moon, traveled through the zodiac. For the Chaldeans, the zodiac took on greater significance.

• The Chaldeans made a major discovery while monitoring the night sky from dusk to dawn. As the morning sky brightened, they noted the lowest zodiacal constellation visible in the east. As an example, let's say it was Sagittarius. They reasoned correctly that the Sun must lie in the next constellation -- Capricornus. Because the rising constellation changed during the year, the Sun must make the same journey through the zodiac as the Moon and planets.

• The Chaldeans chose 12 constellations of special importance in the nighttime sky -- one for each Full Moon of the year. And they defined the zodiacal path, along which the Sun, Moon, and planets travel. While searching for a more accurate calendar, they created the foundation of astrology.

• The Greeks were the first to formalize the influences of the planets and constellations on human affairs. Most of the influences were drawn from a combination of earlier Babylonian mythology and their own. For example, because Mars was the god of war, the significance of the planet Mars concerns war, blood, and fire. It's usually a bad sign.

• The Greeks also applied the theory of magical correspondence to astrology. Because a constellation is called "the Bull" its influence on people is to make them bullish -- that is, they are rather stubborn, opinionated, and unintelligent.

• Astrology became an odd combination of three separate disciplines: science -- the observable motions of the Sun, Moon, and planets; religion -- the deities of both Greek and Roman mythology; and magic -- the supernatural principle of correspondence between a constellation and its influence on people.

My opinion: Seems like astrology does sound like bullshit from the above information... but it only takes one spark to start a fire...

I am not about to hit y'all with information overload but just read what I have bolded.



(Source)
Andreas Cellarius's illustration of the Ptolemaic System (17th century), which shows the solar system and signs of the zodiac with the Earth at the center.

In second century Egypt Ptolemy set out the sophisticated mathematical model of the geocentric cosmos that prevailed until Copernican cosmology was adopted in the 16th and 17th centuries. Ptolemy also outlined the principles of astrology, the study of the influences of the stars and planets on the natural world, the fate of nations and the lives of men and women. 

In the 12th century Latin translations of Arabic astrological books began to circulate in Europe. Astrology was typically taught as part of the medical curriculum at universities. With the Protestant Reformation theologians increasingly complained that astrology was overly deterministic. 

This, combined with the rise of Copernicanism, prompted efforts to reform astrology in line with empirical observations of the motions of the stars and their effects on life on earth. Throughout Renaissance Europe astrologers taught at universities and practised in royal courts and for private clients. They published almanacs and prognostications, bolstering their incomes and advertising their expertise to potential patrons. Theologians questioned whether astrology was compatible with concepts of free will and divine providence. 

Astrology has always faced criticism. For centuries, the belief that stars and planets determined events and behavior was at radical odds with Christianity’s foundational premise of free will. Catholicism was particularly strident in its theological opposition, defining astrology as demonic. Like palm reading, tarot cards, communication with the dead, and other acts of clairvoyance and expressions of occultism, astrology represented to the institutional church a heretical usurpation of the presumed omniscient power of God. At the height of the Catholic influence, prominent astrologers were actually burned at the stake. (source: Salem Press Encyclopedia)

"...heretical usurpation of the presumed omniscient power of God."

Oh, the irony.

I think it is worthy to note from the above paragraph that those who opposed the idea of astrology are coming from a religious perspective... from Christianity. Note that theologians are defined as: "a person versed in theology, especially Christian theology; divine." (source) Many theologians have said that the reason they don't recognise astrology is because it goes against free will. 
Some have said that the reason people believe in astrology is because we all want the predictable. We want certainty, and by believing in planetary movements, constellations etc, it gives us a sense of comfort in knowing that we do have some control over our lives.

But does that not apply to religion as well?

If it is true that the Greeks and the ancient civilizations were bullshitting about astrology... then how did astrologers who did astrology as a legitimate profession came about? How did Ptolemy came about? And how was astrology even taught in universities in earlier centuries?

As mentioned before, Bakich, Michael E author of Discover magazine (and author of many other articles all of which you will find if you just google his name) did bring up vital and relevant points as to why astrology IS fiction. (Keep in mind he is speaking in very scientific, technical terms.)

• Approximately 2,200 years ago -when the birth dates corresponding to each Sun sign were determined -- the signs corresponded to the constellations. Since then, however, the constellations have shifted almost 25°.


• Even if we ignore the wrench slipped into the astrological works by precession, we still have a number of dilemmas. If we divide the circle of the zodiac (360°) into 12 equal signs as astrologers do, each sign would be 30° wide. Astrologers assign between 29 and 32 days for the time the Sun spends in each sign. This is a major deviation from what we actually see in the sky.


• The Sun's apparent path through each zodiacal constellation is hardly 30°. The amount of time the Sun spends in each constellation ranges from 7 days for Scorpius to 45 days for Virgo.


• Compare the table of "horoscope" birth dates to the table for each constellation as it appears in the sky. The odds are greater than 7-to-1 that on your birthday, the Sun was not in what you thought was your constellation.


• Each year, from December 1 to 17, the Sun is in front of the stars of the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, which lies in the circle of the zodiac. Ophiuchus is found between Scorpius and Sagittarius. Oddly enough, the Sun spends 17 days a year in Ophiuchus compared to 7 days in Scorpius. But traditional astrology ignores whatever influences Ophiuchus may have on our lives.

• Astrologers attribute profound influences to the three outer planets -- Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Uranus was discovered in 1781, Neptune in 1846, and Pluto in 1930. The ancients had no telescopes and, therefore, no knowledge of these planets. 


• Today's astrology texts describe in detail the effects of the outer planets on humans. But how have modern astrologers determined the exact influences of Neptune and Pluto? From the time of their discovery, neither one has made a complete revolution around the Sun! It seems the more we know about astronomy, the more we question astrology.

Basically, he is using the astronomy perspective (science) to explain why astrology is untrue. And the main point of my article is to suggest an alternative way of looking at astrology before we completely dismiss it.

Can we totally dismiss what science cannot prove? Even the divine cannot be proven with science, at least not for now. And if science can only continue moving forward with revision, then to what extent can we believe that facts will continue to be factual for years to come? 

If believing in astrology is seen as one-sided, biased and uninformed then isn't science all of the above too?

P/s: Read my previous post - Beauty in a Box 💁

Ver 👶