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[Eumenides note: the following article is long.]

Astrology - a look at the evidence

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THINGS MOST SKEPTICS DON'T KNOW ABOUT ASTROLOGY:

• 1. Astrology probably gave birth to Astronomy. There is nothing supernatural about casting a horoscope, most of it is done according to precise astronomical and mathematical principles.
• 2. Many famous scientists have been into Astrology:  Tyco Brahe, Kepler, Huxley, and Copernicus.. Many others remain anonymous.
• 3. Astrologers do not necessarily believe in fate. They believe the stars impel not compel.
• 4. There are 10,000 practicing paid Astrologers and millions of horoscope followers. There are hundreds of books on the topic. Only 10% of Americans believe there can't be anything to it.
• 5. Astrology doesn't have to involve psychic phenomenon or even direct causation. Many Astrologers believe in a natural synchronicity between the stars and events. Other countries place even more value in it.
• 6. It is a undisputed scientific fact that the planets have a measurable magnetic, gravitational and electromagnetic influence on the earth. Most people agree that bizarre behavior tends to peak on full moons.
• 7. Astrology is not limited to natal. There is also electional, horary, mundane, medical, meteorological, Chinese 12 year and millennial.
• 8. The vast majority of those who look at their own chart (not just a newspaper column) find uncanny accurate hits.
• 9. There are scores of natural phenomenon with regular periodicity's

THINGS THAT DON'T DISPROVE ASTROLOGY
______________________________________

• anecdotes of misses
• condemnation by most scientists
• lack of a good causal theory
• Newtonian explanation of planet
• inconsistent rules for astrology

• amazing anecdotal hits
• scientists who believe in it
• known lunar effects that act evenly
• heliocentric planetary sunspot matches
• users believe it works
• The only universally accepted means of establishing validity of a theory
• or Gestalt is through objective repeatable double blind experiments. For
• Astrology, this work has been rather isolated or of low statistical quality.

Brief Astrological statement:

Astrology was founded in belief of many mythical deity images. It's
been around for millennia in many contradicting forms. It seems to be sustained
largely among women who selectively remember hits and like hearing about
themselves. Scientific studies on different astrological scheme have found
no ability to predict personality type, marital success or deaths.

PROBLEMS SKEPTICS SEE WITH ASTROLOGY:

1. Its development was based in Geocentrism and an abandoned polytheistic religion of quirky gods.

2. Astrological signs have no relation to planet activity in the named constellations. (for the prevailing tropical Astrological scheme)

3. Lack of universally accepted conventions:
 

1. a) 6, 12, 14, 24 or 28 sun signs
2. b) tropical or sidereal sun signs
3. c) house division different for Regiomontanus, Campanus or Placidus
4. d) different meaning placed for different houses and different orb widths
5. e) multiple definitions for celestial area composing constellations

5. If there is some known or unknown force that the physical planets
could have on humans, how would it selectively affect those born at a
certain timeplace.

6. Would not the instant of conception be better for natal Astrology,
since that is when the genetic dice is cast? Is not the exact instant of
birth an after fact to embryonic development since an 8 month fetus is
viable and considered by many to be a sentient womb-bound human being?
What special properties does a womb have to temporarily shield Astrological
effects?. Wouldn't two people born at the same instant have major differences
accountable by their genetic make up, culture, religion and health?

7. What about people born within the arctic and Antarctic circles who have no
diurnal arc and no astrological information?

8. If the planets influence us, how can we be sure that they were named
correctly and ascribed with the correct attributes from the correct
ancient deity?

9. Why didn't earlier famous Astrologers note the inaccuracies resulting
from not taking into account the influences of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto?

10. Would 'Natal discrimination' be as bad as racial, sex, age, or national
origin discrimination. (IE to not hire or date someone based on birth date?)

11. Since the distance of planets is not taken into consideration, is the
unknown Astrological force totally independent of distance? And if so, should
Astrology take into account distant nebula, stars and planets. Is there an
Astrologic effect from the asteroid belt, the space shuttle, moons on other
planets, comets, solar flares, or interstellar dust clouds.

12. Most "scientific support" offered by Astrologers is faulty. The Gaugaughlin
study disproved conventional astrology - but it's claim of a Mars correlation with
sports is unfounded. There is no evidence of more strangeness of any kind
on full moons.

Like many paranormal claims: if true, it deserves greater study and usage to
benefit humanity; if false, it has caused many people to waste time and make
wrong decisions.

HUMAN WEAKNESSES SUPPORTING ASTROLOGY: 1. People love to hear about themselves -especially women. -some astrologers act as shrinks to to people who would feel a stigma about going to psychotherapist 2. We all want a single source for easy truth. 3. We'd love to know what the future holds, and we want to think there's a grand plan, not randomness. 4. We remember meaningful coincidences and ignore misses. 5. We think our own situation and problems are very unique. 6. We love the exciting promises, not difficult boring prosaic explanations. 7. Once we've invested in something, it's hard to admit a mistake. 8. 2nd try fallacy -you can take a difficult to calculate prediction scheme -fail to get a match -and then be very impressed when you try again and get a better hit by chance. 9. A technologically bewildering world can nurture a "human" backlash against cold rationalism. 10. We love mystery (note popularity of shows and books about unexplained vs popularity of skeptical publications) 11. Individuals often fall prey to self-fulfilling prophecy - if they think something will happen, they subtly cause it to happen . If you wake up expecting a bad day - guess what? (this phenomenon is well harnessed living with "power of positive thinking") 12. Studies have shown we are easily lead by suggestion. "you had a tough day, didn't you?"

But What harm could astrology do?

• As casual entertainment, it's not a threat.
• There are rare opportunities for finding a mate - how shameful to rule out a possible great opportunity to something tantamount to flipping a coin.
• Thousands of dollars could be spent otherwise. The decision making process is complicated enough. People concentrating on valid means of evaluating critical decisions (rather than random ones) could generally do better than others.
• Invalid belief in astrology could lead the credulous towards the hoards of waiting con men. Astrology could be a door opening into a stream of new age hokum.

  AN ASTROLOGY READING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE:

  your astrology reading:

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  You are a sensitive person with a good sense of humor who is concerned about how others see you.  You work hard but are still sometimes nervous about the future. Overbearing demanding people get you down - but you usually cope OK. You have a few personal bodily concerns you told no one about.  You don't mind toddlers, but just can't take their TV shows. Sometimes you get sick of this area and think about better places you've visited.    Lots of people are putting pressure on you.  You like being outside  and need time to unwind. You will get grief in a few days from some of the same idiots who bothered you last week. Some of your favorite TV shows are on Friday nights.  You are probably getting into reading this stuff about yourself. There are still a few secrets you don't share with your best friends. You like salty food and sometimes see weird spots when you blink your eyes.  You sometimes feel like you just dropped 20 feet when you sleep, and then get really strange dreams.  In spite of how you may sometimes feel, things will start getting better for you.
  

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  great - now you're done - please rate this horoscope 1 - 5 according to the following scale:

  1. That's amazing, this is me
  2. Still good, but missed on a few
  3. that could be me
  4. not too hot
  5. I don't know who that was about - but it wasn't me.
   

  "Men will cease to commit atrocities only when they cease to believe absurdities" - Voltaire

  General rules of thumb for proper skeptical response:

• 1. The burden of proof should fall on the claimant.
• 2. Extraordinary claims deserve extraordinary proof.
• 3. Avoid a priori reasoning. Maintain the elusive open mind -be fair with out wrongly getting sucked in
• 4. Avoid ad hominems or nasty attacks just for the sake of bursting someone's bubble.
• 5. Always be ready to change your position if offered incontrovertible proof. Be open to statistical belief (I.E. I think current evidence for UFO's I've seen is invalid - but I see some chance there could be some.
• 6. Use valid reasoning. Be on guard for fakery, insanity, hysteria. Don' just take peoples word, even if it offends people. Prefer conclusions based on double blind controlled repeatable studies rather than anecdotes .
• 7. It's OK to not decide one way or another, but to remain unconvinced one way or another.