Astrology

[798686]

I think it's mostly bollocks. Can be quite amusing tho, at times.

Some things seem vaguely feasible, like general personality traits based around the time of year you're born - but I'm not sure why that would be?

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Nah, I think it's bollocks.

That's because you're a Cancer.
Hehe.
;-)

 

[798686]

That's because you're a Cancer.
Hehe.
;-)

LOL! I'm Taurus. :wink:

 

[deleted3782]

At times, I have thought about certain astrological 'truths' and found them vaguely confirmed in my own experience ... certain ideas about what Scorpion women are like, for example.

I know what you mean. I have learned without a doubt that Pisces are pure poison to me...

LOL! I'm Taurus. :wink:

...and Tauruses love me. :biggrin1:

 

[798686]

I know what you mean. I have learned without a doubt that Pisces are pure poison to me...

...and Tauruses love me. :biggrin1:

Do they now? :wink:

 

[Incocknito]

Horoscopes are like mediums; vague enough to make some sense to some people but ultimately its bullshit.

Its like trying to sell someone a black horse with stuck on wings and calling it Pegasus. Ludicrous to most people but there are those desperate few who want/need to buy it.

 

[798686]

Horoscopes are like mediums; vague enough to make some sense to some people but ultimately its bullshit.

Its like trying to sell someone a black horse with stuck on wings and calling it Pegasus. Ludicrous to most people but there are those desperate few who want/need to buy it.

Those wings were fake?! :frown1:

 

[deleted3782]

Do they now? :wink:

My experience...just sayin' :wink:

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

I know what you mean. I have learned without a doubt that Pisces are pure poison to me...

Something fishy about that, ex.
What sign do you suppose I am, BTW?

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Horoscopes are like mediums; vague enough to make some sense to some people but ultimately its bullshit.

You may well be right.
But maybe there are horoscopes, and there are horoscopes.
I dunno.

 

[deleted3782]

Something fishy about that, ex.
What sign do you suppose I am, BTW?

Pisces of course :biggrin1:

 

[bambulance]

Oh come on... How dumb does one have to be to buy into this astrology crap? Thats like saying instead of studying chemistry, you want to study alchemy instead. Do you go to the witch doctor for your weekly blood letting?

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Pisces of course :biggrin1:

You're half right.
But I ain't gonna carp about it.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Do you go to the witch doctor for your weekly blood letting?

I go to my friendly neighbourhood piranha.

 

[helgaleena]

As to Bbucko's post about the widespread acceptance of astrology-- Vedic astrology and Chinese astrology are independent systems which have equally ancient underpinnings. They are indispensable parts of the traditional matchmaking process in India. Not so sure about Pakistan. The Gandhi family were Kashmiri Brahmins. That is a very religiously mixed region.

 

[Bbucko]

Of course, you're just one case, but I hear about such things occasionally ... from people who usually believe in astrology, some of whom have struck me as highly intelligent.


Again, yours is just one case, and it could be accuracy by chance.

But when you hear, for example, that Indira Gandhi found astrology accurate enough to use in governing India ... and I don't think she was a fool ... I have to wonder if there is something in it.

Still, I'm basically very skeptical. I have tried to learn about astrology two or three times, but I just can't get my mind around it. I quickly forget anything I read about it or hear from supposed experts.

At times, I have thought about certain astrological 'truths' and found them vaguely confirmed in my own experience ... certain ideas about what Scorpion women are like, for example. (But that was then, and now I can't even remember what those ideas were.)

And I have had friends, one in particular, who seemed able to guess many peoples' signs.

Astrology makes no rational sense at all. My mind mostly rebels at the thought of taking it seriously. Most of what passes for astrology is surely crap. But I wind up unable to entirely dismiss it.

I agree wholeheartedly with your final paragraph.

I am a big fan of the statement that the plural of anecdote in not data. I was merely using example from my own life (which I'm wont to do around here) to discuss various topics of interest; I should probably add the line "your results and mileage may vary" to my sig :wink:

For various (and entirely anecdotal) reasons, I happen to tolerate a higher degree of irrationality in my spectrum of the possible than many others. I don't take this as a sign of any greater or lesser intelligence on my (or anyone else's part). One can keep an open mind while maintaining a skeptical perspective, after all.

 

[Bbucko]

As to Bbucko's post about the widespread acceptance of astrology-- Vedic astrology and Chinese astrology are independent systems which have equally ancient underpinnings. They are indispensable parts of the traditional matchmaking process in India. Not so sure about Pakistan. The Gandhi family were Kashmiri Brahmins. That is a very religiously mixed region.

I would venture farther and say that Vedic Astrology, with all of its Indo-European linguistic roots, probably provided the basis for what later became Chaldean and Persian Astrology. My knowledge of Chinese culture generally and ancient Chinese culture specifically prevents me from commenting further on Chinese Astrology.

And kudos for your understanding of Hinduism, Helga. Color me impressed :biggrin1:

 

[unique_exposure]

I wouldn't even try to prove that astrology is real...
I have, however, almost always been able to pick a Taurus man out of a crowd. They have a curious earthy glow to them and some classic feature proportions, more frequently than not.

Anyway, so I did study it as one of the beginner tools for integrating Spirituality 101 into my life bout 17 years ago. One thing to note which has been touched on here, already: newspaper astrology is basically an effort to superficially describe the Sun sign (eg: "you're a Taurus" = "your sun is in Taurus").
Given, its a shallow scrape at the multi-layers of astrology, as each person is multi-layered and goes much deeper than "how you see yourself on a day-to-day basis"; rather, it would be interesting to describe how you are capable of compiling the many aspects of self into Self.

------------SOME INFO ON CHART MAKING, SKIP IF SKIMMING -----------

Each of the 12 planets (sometimes 14+, depends on the system) brings with it, an archetype and aspect of the psyche:

Sun- self identity as a whole, coordinating intelligence ("operating ego")
Moon- inner emotions, think motherly-stuff
Mercury- the way you think, intelligence, and mind-tempo
Venus- how you love, the personal version of love, sexuality:female
Mars- your strength and outwardly-directed energy, unbalanced: anger, sexuality:male
Jupiter- luck, expansion, teacher (positively reinforced)
Saturn- duty, restriction, contraction, (the "taskmaster")
Uranus- unexpected change or direction, innovative thought, the higher form of Mercury
Neptune- divine compassion, the higher form of Venus, (also the planet of illusion)
Pluto- Unseen, deep transformation (stuff that is under the surface, perhaps the "unconscious" layer of the psyche).

As the planets move in orbit around the sun, they cross through the signs. So at the moment of birth, from the perspective of looking upwards in your little crib, each planet is in a sign, to create your chart.
Each sign will color the planet (layer of the psyche)'s expression.

Eg:
1. Mars (outwardly directed energy) in Taurus (financial or physically structured activity and goal, sports).
2. Mars (outwardly directed energy) in Gemini (socially or communicative activities and pursuits).
4. Moon (deepest self conscious drives, connection to the matriarchal cycle of life) in Capricorn (calculated, grounded, responsible) =more likely to be ambitions at the expense of personal life
4. Moon (deepest self conscious drives, connection to the matriarchal cycle of life) in Cancer (home loving, sensitivity, hidden, shrewd) =a maternal, nurturing expression of his/her own self conscious drives to nurture

------------------------------------END SKIP ---------------------

Anyway- that's an incredibly rough, pre-101 description of how a chart begins. Its an oddly complicated discipline: there are angels between the planets which are "easy" or "challenge". Eg: Sun is trine (30^) Moon= cooperation between head and heart, in specific endeavors. If mercury is currently retrograde, when looking at it (from earth), it would appear to move backwards, spending extra time in the same sign, for a month or more. Because it moves backward, and mercury rules thought and short term movement, "forward thinking" planning activities "could" be disrupted.

---------------------------
So... in conclusion there probably isn't much there a skeptic could likely find factual or believable (?).
But it is certainly an interesting archetype set in which to explore or describe sense of Self and its outside mirror. Everyone feels the influence of an archetype at some point, whether they see it as that or not.

Astrology is an interesting look at the self and the many interacting pieces of Self. If anyone has done Jungian work, you'd see Astro aligns well with the Tarot and some watered-down Kabala "Tree of Life" symbol-interaction-sets. They do have common traits, overlapping material, and have influenced each other historically.
The Tarot Major Arcana more-so describes a journey of the raw self into becoming more Self-aware. The Fool (0) {first card: blank slate, raw person} moves through the Major Arcana and learns each card's lesson to mastery, progressively.

It really is all interesting stuff, whether or not its "probable" by skeptic dissection. It can be immerse-able as well which might be of value for artists or Self-astronauts.

------------------

Ok, now I can get the LPSG kook award :biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1:

 

[helgaleena]

I would venture farther and say that Vedic Astrology, with all of its Indo-European linguistic roots, probably provided the basis for what later became Chaldean and Persian Astrology. My knowledge of Chinese culture generally and ancient Chinese culture specifically prevents me from commenting further on Chinese Astrology.

And kudos for your understanding of Hinduism, Helga. Color me impressed :biggrin1:

I went to school for that. The Vedas are the oldest known recorded religious texts but are not a product of the most ancient civilization. The Tigris-Euphrates area which is reputed to be the source of 'western' astrology was there first. Chinese traditions are vague in their origins. But for humans with organized thoughts about the influence of extraterrestrial visible objects upon the psychic 'weather' of Earthlings, you'd have to go back before records were kept.

 

[lpsg17]

I once worked with a girl who had her chart done by a professional and i have to say it was very accurate. Maybe there is something to it.