Might Astrology Have Any Basis?

Astrology, a belief system based on understanding the positions of stars, may seem scientifically plausible due to its use of scientific knowledge about heavenly bodies and tools like star charts. However, many people still question whether astrology impacts our personality and lives. Astrology is a superstition, pseudoscience, and has been rejected by the scientific community as having no explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientific testing has found no evidence to support the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions, and where astrology has made falsifiable predictions, it has been falsified.

At least a third of Americans believe astrology is “very” or “sort of scientific”. However, the logic of cause and effect is not a part of astrology. Some people have suggested that there is a slight correlation between specific groups of people, such as athletes, and the day they were born. Astrology has been scientifically tested many times despite its slipperiness, and it seldom performs well.

The basis of astrology is simple: a person’s character and destiny can be understood from the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets among them. Astrology also believes that the alignment of stars and planets affects every individual’s mood, personality, and environment, depending on when they were born. Despite its ancient origins, astrology has the trappings of science, making predictions, relieving on calculations, and dealing with systems and structures.

What does the Bible say about astrology?

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus asserts that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. This contradicts biblical wisdom, as chasing after false gods is a sin. There is no biblical evidence that God has given authority to stars or astrologists. Pursuing predictions about our destiny or personality is biblically sinful, as it takes power from God and gives it to something other than God. A horoscope cannot change what God has already ordained before we were even created.

Why do people believe in astrology?

Astrology is a tool for understanding one’s self-identity and self-conception. According to Jennifer Freed, PhD, it serves as a validation for one’s unique gifts and provides confirmation and encouragement. Astrology is likened to a beautiful staircase, where one must walk mindfully and hold onto a solid foundation. Humans tend to remember positive feedback that validates their self-conception over negative feedback, making it easy to accept the ambiguous and positive aspects of astrology. This approach helps individuals develop their unique gifts and take mindful steps towards self-discovery.

Is there any scientific basis for astrology?

Astrology claims that astronomical bodies have influence on people’s lives beyond basic weather patterns, depending on their birth date. However, this claim is scientifically false. Numerous studies have disproven that astronomical bodies affect people’s lives according to their birth date. For instance, Peter Hartmann and his collaborators studied over 4000 individuals and found no correlation between birth date and personality or intelligence.

In one famous experiment, Shawn Carlson fine-tuned the method so that various independent scientists agreed it was scientifically sound and fair. As published in Nature, he found that the astrologers could do no better at predicting the future than random chance.

Fundamentally, there are four forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. If an object affects a person, it must do so by interacting through one of these fundamental forces. For example, strong acid burns skin because the electromagnetic fields in the acid pull strongly enough on your skin molecules that they rip apart. A falling rock crushes you because gravity pulls it onto you. A nuclear bomb will vaporize you because of nuclear forces.

Each of the fundamental forces can be very strong, but they all die off with distance. Electromagnetic forces typically extend from nanometers to kilometers. Sensitive equipment can detect electromagnetic waves (light) from the edge of the observable universe, but that light is exceptionally weak.

The placebo effect is a psychological effect that makes people feel better when they believe in a useless method. This effect has been scientifically verified, and many pseudo-scientific treatments, such as crystal healing and homeopathy, help people through the placebo effect. Sticking to scientifically proven treatments gives the benefit of the belief and the benefit of the treatment’s action. For example, instead of reading a horoscope each morning, going for a walk is proven to be good for body and mind, and your belief in its effect will also help you.

In conclusion, astrology and other natural phenomena have no significant impact on people’s lives beyond basic weather patterns. Astrology, on the other hand, relies on the placebo effect, where the belief in a treatment does not actually make a person feel better.

Who created astrology signs?

The invention of the zodiac by the Babylonians 2500 years ago involved dividing the sky into twelve areas, each assigned a figure, name, and specific meaning. This led to the creation of the zodiac with its twelve signs, such as Aries, Gemini, Virgo, or Leo. The Babylonian astral scientists created a body of knowledge that allowed them to assign meanings and contexts based on their calculations of planets’ positions in the zodiac at specific times.

Does the Bible mention other planets?

Saturn is represented by the star Kaiwan, worshipped by the Israelites in the desert. The word Kaiwan, interpreted to mean “steadfast”, often designates the slowest-moving planet in Babylonian inscriptions. The Babylonian god Ninurta was merged with Saturn, and the ancient Syrians and Arabs also called Saturn Kaiwan. The Zoroastrian Bundahish equates Saturn to Kevan, while in Mandaeism, it is referred to as Kiwan. The other planets are individualized in the Bible by implication, and the worship of gods connected to them is denounced without any explicit intention to refer to heavenly bodies.

The best-warranted interpretations of biblical star names include Kimah, the Pleiades, Kesil, Ash, Mezarim, Mazzaroth, Hadretheman, Canopus, and Nachash. These star names are based on Schiaparelli’s authority and provide a comprehensive understanding of the celestial bodies in the Bible.

Who created astrology?

Astrology, a branch of divination, originated in Mesopotamia around the 3rd millennium BC and spread to India. It developed its Western form in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. Astrology entered Islamic culture as part of the Greek tradition and was returned to European culture through Arabic learning during the Middle Ages. According to the Greek tradition, the heavens are divided according to the 12 constellations of the zodiac, with bright stars casting spiritual influences on human affairs.

Astrology was also important in ancient China, with horoscopes being cast for newborns and life-changing events. Despite the Copernican system eradicating the geocentric worldview required for astrology, interest in astrology has continued into modern times, with astrological signs believed to influence personality.

What is the true origin of astrology?

Astrology, a branch of divination, originated in Mesopotamia around the 3rd millennium BC and spread to India. It developed its Western form in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. Astrology entered Islamic culture as part of the Greek tradition and was returned to European culture through Arabic learning during the Middle Ages. According to the Greek tradition, the heavens are divided according to the 12 constellations of the zodiac, with bright stars casting spiritual influences on human affairs.

Astrology was also important in ancient China, with horoscopes being cast for newborns and life-changing events. Despite the Copernican system eradicating the geocentric worldview required for astrology, interest in astrology has continued into modern times, with astrological signs believed to influence personality.

What is astrology based from?

Western astrology is a branch of astrology that studies the movements and positions of celestial bodies like the Sun, Moon, and planets. These bodies are analyzed through signs of the zodiac, their aspects, and their placement in houses. The modern representation of astrology in western popular media is typically sun sign astrology, which only considers the Sun’s zodiac sign at an individual’s date of birth.

The horoscope visually expresses the set of relationships for the time and place of an event, which include the seven planets, the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the twelve houses. Each planet is in a specific sign and house at the chosen time, creating two kinds of relationships. A third kind is the aspect of each planet to every other planet.

Astrology is a core study of Western esotericism, influencing systems of magical belief among Western esotericists, Hermeticists, and belief systems like Wicca. Tanya Luhrmann has stated that “all magicians know something about astrology”, citing a table of correspondences in Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance as an example of the astrological lore studied by magicians.

Where do astrologers get their information?

Astrology, despite using Nasa data for calculations, is not a true map of the heavens. The Babylonians invented astrology, believing the sun rotated around Earth. Modern astrologers still use Earth-centered charts, despite Copernicus’s invention. Astrological meanings derive from sympathetic magic, linking things that look alike together. Mars, for example, rules red things like blood, and surgery and war.

Astrology forecasts are combined with planetary movements, such as Saturn transiting the First House of self, which can lead to life contracts, increased responsibilities, or a cold, critical person entering one’s life.

Why is astrology considered witchcraft?

The conviction in malevolent spiritual entities gave rise to a dual condemnation of magical practices that sought to benefit humanity rather than cause harm, as well as divination techniques of all kinds. This was largely due to the fact that the ability to foresee and predict future events was often perceived as being closely associated with witchcraft.

How true is astrology?

Astrology, a long-standing scientific field, has been criticized for lacking clear evidence that stars and planets affect us. Astrology relies on stories and ideas that are difficult to prove with science, as it relies on guessing about patterns in the sky rather than conducting experiments. Additionally, astrology’s workings are based on old ideas about the universe, which have evolved over time. This has led to some astrologers’ predictions not aligning with current knowledge.

For example, the zodiac sign may not be accurate due to precession, which has caused stars to move since the first invention of astrology. Furthermore, astrology lacks a clear explanation for how stars and planets could affect us, with some astrologers suggesting it is due to the stars, but scientists argue these theories are too weak to have a significant impact on us.