What is Astrology and How can It Work?

[ProfWag]

Just what IS astrology and how does it work? Doing a search on “what is astrology” in http://www.ask.com turns up 9,360,000 websites. Wow. Where to begin? First, I’ll ignore wikipedia.org and about.com. The first site that comes up that appears to be supportive of astrology is http://www.astrologycom.com/astrol.html . It states that astrology literally means “science of the stars.” It continues: “A very ancient, but still vital discipline, astrology seeks the meaning and application of the influences of the planets, stars and other celestial phenomena in our lives. To interpret the particular influences on events, character, and relationships, astrologers draw up and interpret a chart which illustrates a symbolic map of the heavens, as seen from a particular place on earth at a particular time. Called a horoscope, or nativity, it's like a snapshot of the cosmic influences at work on that specific place at that particular point in time.”

Okay, so the planets, stars, comets, etc. influence our lives. Based on personal experience, I can confidently suggest that our sun influences our moods. Sunny days, cloudy days, long days, and short days all affect our lives. The moon may also have significant affects on our daily lives. But the stars? The closest star to earth is over 23 Trillion miles away. All other stars that we can see with the naked eye is much further than that. How does something that far away affect my life? To answer that, I did a search on “how astrology works.” These results included the website http://www.kathryncassidy.com/articles/ ... -works.cfm . It states that astrology works on the Law of Vibration. “This is possibly the most important law because it contains an explanation as to how everything in the universe, animate or inanimate, can be connected to each other.” Wow, I’m not a scientist, and I had never heard of the Law of Vibration. So, I did a search in Lexus Nexus and Pro Quest for this Law. Seems these academic search engines have not heard of it either. So, my search continues.

Next, I find a reference to Dr. Percy Seymour, a “Theoretical Astrophysicist.” Sounds impressive to me. He states: “resonance is what makes it possible for a radio telescope to tune into specific vibrations in the Andromeda Galaxy (14 million, million, million miles away) and accounts for the Solar System playing a symphony of vibrations on the magnetic field of the Earth.” Further, his statements and book are analyzed at http://astrology.suite101.com/article.c ... logy_works and state: “Magnetic disturbances that surround our planet earth are the key to providing the ancient axiom “as above, so below” for disturbance creates perceptible action, which, in turn, can be observed and analyzed. In fact, Seymour’s entire theory of how astrology works is based on magnetism. For example, the way a womb might perceive magnetic stimulus is through the nervous system. In the same way that a baby resembles his parents in terms of physical characteristics, so its magnetic antennae is similarly wired, and resonates to the mother and/or father’s same magnetic frequencies.”

Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. A Ph.D with impressive credentials says that astrology is based on magnetic frequencies from stars so far away from us that it would take years before we even knew it blew itself up. If I hold a powerful magnet close to a nail, it connects. The further I hold a magnet from the nail, the less power the magnet has over the nail. Unfortunately, I can’t believe that a star, trillions of miles away, has enough magnetic energy to pass through the earth's atmosphere and influence me while I’m growing in my mothers womb. Can anyone else provide rational inputs to this interesting subject that might help further my education in astrology?

[ciscop]

yep.. no idea..
i just find it incredible what people chose to believe..

coincidently.. my nightime reading now.. is the complete idiot´s guide to astrology
is bunch of nonsense anyways but reading it like that makes it easier to digest
i just think it could help me spice up my readings when i am doing some mentalism effect

[NinjaPuppy]

[NinjaPuppy]

I mean it's ok to not subscribe to some things. You don't need science to prove that astrology has merit or not. Nobody will kick you off the planet if you think something is bunk. In the same area, none of us believers have been asked to leave the planet. However, some have volunteered to have a mother ship beam them up in the name of research but most of us don't feel a need to prove any of this scientifically.

Those who believe in areas of the paranormal don't have to believe in everything. For us, life is like a buffet. If you don't like seafood, you don't pick up the tongs. However, skeptics won't even try the salad and pseudo skeptics won't even enter the front door as they just know that the food is tainted.

Read a little, read a lot. Sooner or later you will be full or maybe still want dessert. It's a great way to learn about things that have no real explanation. If it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then you know it's not for you. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not the recipe that you're accustomed to.

[Nostradamus]

Magnetism is a well understood force. It is an inverse square force. Double the distance and the force is 1/4. The reason that someone probably supposes that magnetic effects are involved is that EM can be detected from distant stars, but gravity cannot be detected. Gravity is quite weak. In fact the computer in front of you exerts more gravitation force on you than Jupiter does.

Of the 4 known forces, two operate only within the atom, and two operate over long distances. The long distance ones are gravity and EM. EM is responsible for making things seem solid. The interactions of the electrons between finger and key allow us to type even though the atom is mostly empty.

It's unclear what the mechanism could be if the stars actually are the influencing agent. What might be possible is that the stars are used for reference or as symbols, yet are not the influencing agent.

[ProfWag]