"Who Believes in Astrology? Who Doesn't?"

This is taken from the Turkish Daily News:

Astrology is actually considered a pseudo-science whose practitioners study the planets and other celestial bodies and their effect on humans and human affairs to predict the future. It used to be considered the same as astronomy Astrology is strictly forbidden in Islam, in the Qur’an and in the hadith or traditions that were written down and offered guidance for Muslims’ daily lives… Mohammed believed that astrology was some kind of sorcery.
GÜL DEMIR and NIKI GAMMISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News

Is it possible to meet someone who could tell one the future and then have that future come true? Would one believe anyone who said such and such was going to happen? And if it did happen, how would one feel? Astrology has been around for some 10,000 years and astrologers believe that they can predict an individual's future (This could be a city or even a country) by determining the position of the planets and stars. Certainly it is based on observations of individual traits and cosmic correlations over those many centuries. One can easily surmise that people who believed that substances in nature such as trees, rocks and streams were animate would also believe that the stars and planets might be animate, especially since they could see them move in the night sky over the course of a year. This study of the heavens at night was also very useful for telling time and the seasons and for navigating ships while at sea.

Astrology is actually considered a pseudo-science whose practitioners study the planets and stars and their effect on humans and human affairs to predict the future. It used to be considered the same as astronomy, the oldest of sciences that today is one of the most progressive sciences. The main difference is that astrology includes the individual in its system while astronomy does not. The Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans were among the earliest believers in astrology.

The astrologer has developed a system in which the location of the various planetary bodies and their locations may determine how and why a person may behave in a certain way or undergo some action directed at him or her. For the astrologer, it definitely does determine this but for the nonbeliever, there's no way to tell. It may be merely coincidence that a prediction comes true forgetting all the other predictions that did not.
Telling the future was not just left to the astrologers. There were sacred oracles such as Delphi in Greece or prophets like Homer's Cassandra who always prophesied the truth but was cursed that no one would ever believe her. Human beings seem to like knowing the future, however perfect or imperfect a science or pseudo-science might be. On the other hand, we see that on critical occasions in ancient Rome, those who prophesied were banished lest they be bought to say something less than the truth.

In astrology, the first step is to draw up a birth chart that is based on the date of one's birth. One's sun or main sign of which there are 12 is determined by that date so if one is a Scorpio (born between Oct. 23 and Nov. 22), one will exhibit characteristics that have been imputed to the sign of Scorpio such as determined and forceful, jealous and resentful. In addition, if one knows the time of birth, the astrologer can provide much more accurate information about one and one's personality because a person is not just affected by the sun sign, one also bears the characteristics of other signs and the planets and moon. Perhaps as a Scorpio, one of the other influences might be Virgo who is disciplined so if your Scorpio is particularly well organized, one must blame Virgo's influence. There are also suggestions that the electro magnetic waves that reach earth from the sun and planets also have an affect on human beings.

The horoscope that is developed from the information provided by a birth date has been described as a reference map. It will show where all the planets were on the day one was born and someone trained in reading it, will be able to say what kind of character one has and for instance what obstacles one might encounter in future and therefore can avoid.

One has to then assume that a person's life is based on the birth date and the influence of other signs. This is startlingly close to statements made about DNA, that it contains the elements that will determine one's entire life. Research carried out involving the DNA of identical twins who were separated at birth has shown similarities that would be unbelievable if they were merely coincidental. It is suggestive of predestination in certain areas such as sickness.

Astrology in Islam
Astrology is strictly forbidden in Islam, in the Koran and in the hadith or traditions that were written down and offer guidance for Muslims' daily lives. In Islam the Prophet Mohammed is considered the last prophet and there were to be no others after him. So the Prophet could prophesize but no one else could. That ruled out anyone attempting to tell the future. In addition it is known that Mohammed believed that astrology was some kind of sorcery. Others condemn astrology as practiced by those ignorant of true knowledge and by the unbeliever.

Even though anyone transgressing the prohibition would be unable to achieve whatever he might have expected to for 40 days, it didn't stop people from going to people who told the future. Today among the popular ways of doing so are reading coffee grounds, bones, palms, horoscopes and tarot cards. Although most people in the Middle East drink tea, it is made in such a way that the leaves are strained out and so the tradition of telling fortunes with tea leaves never began.

In the early days of the Turkish Republic, many people were going to fortune tellers and astrologers to learn whatever they could about the future. They were interested in what would happen in Turkey and even more so, wanted to know about the country's leaders like Atatürk. It became so ubiquitous that the government outlawed it. You would think it some kind of witchcraft. Keep in mind that readings can be for cities and countries as well as people, if you know the birth date or founding date. The Internet can even provide a birth chart for the Turkish Republic.

In spite of the prohibition on fortune telling, today it's no problem to find a café in Istanbul where there's a professional coffee cup reader and it's a normal question to ask when a group of friends get together and drink Turkish coffee – someone almost always knows a little bit, taught from childhood by older women. Like other old laws still on the books, it's ignored.

What's in store for 2008?
Well, most astrologers believe that 2008 will not be a great year for the world. For example they say: The housing market crisis will continue and have a strong impact on the worldwide economy; the crisis over the value of the dollar will lead to more and more countries to look to the Euro; the Internet will gain even more popularity although it already has millions of users; developing countries will cease to provide regular telephone service encouraging the further use of the mobile telephone and saving billions of dollars in providing telephone cables; Turkey will again have negotiations on full membership in the European Union postponed for its attacks on outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists; and the weather will continue to be wildly unpredictable as climate change speeds up.

A year from now we will look back to see just how accurate these and other predictions were. Until then, Happy New Year!

I don't know if I believe in it or not. It sounds nuts, but then again, who is to say? It makes sense, too. But I like suspending my belief and I certainly can't see disallowing it in religion - talk about the suspension of reasonable belief! That is the ultimate in hocus-pocus. I would much sooner throw in my lot with astrology and Nostradamos!

Comments

CrystalChick said…
Ah you do know how to pique my interest with talk of astrology! I kept your page up on my 'puter today so that I'd be sure to respond!! Here goes:

IMO, I don't like the word 'pseudo' in relation to astrology and science. If the word means false or a scam, even, then I think it's an inaccurate way to describe it.
I couldn't possibly research everything I would want to say on the subject at this time... we're still celebrating the holidays, and in between company and I really really need a nap! :)... but what I can touch on is that while astrology might not fit into some categories of science it does fit into others or atleast use certain methodologies. Astronomy is a natural science, and astrology uses those planetary calculations in setting up the chart. Both astronomy and astrology use mathmatics, one of the formal sciences. Of course there are debates as to where mathmatics should be placed as a science... right??? You are wayyyy more advanced with scientific subjects that I and may have a different opinion based on your studies/readings.
But....
'science' in general could just mean knowledge, or knowledge gained by systematic study, or a proficiency in something. And synonyms of science include technique and art.
Now psychology, considered one of the social sciences, sometimes called the soft sciences, could be similar to astrology in that it deals with human behavior.
I don't have alot of experience with psychology but the one time I did see a counselor for an issue I was having, she evaluated me over a couple of weeks, found me to be depressed and referred me to a medical doctor so I could get medication, which I did. I found the actual medication to be what helped (apparently there was some imbalance in my body at that time that the meds addressed?) because at no time during the counseling did the woman give me tests to determine the type person I was and how best I should deal with the issues or give me any techniques to try to manage my crisis, other than by medication.
She just had me relate what was going on and then would say... 'so how did that make you feel?' She only listened and didn't reply. So I found my experience with counseling to be somewhat negative. But yet, psychology is acceptable thru most insurance companies and I was covered, minus the co-pays, for every session.
Interestingly, I have found other situations like that. So I wonder who has control over certain decisions.
OHMY.... I really have to run, I don't know if I've even made any sense in this response.
I wouldn't necessarily think astrology needs to be classified as a specific science, just not as a 'false' one as in my opinion, it's been around for a LONG time and is still used by enough people in mainstream society to take it out of the realm of being weird or strange. It's a very approachable system for anyone interested in learning about it.
OH you mentioned tarot and maybe some other things, and while I have a little knowledge in that area too, I find that there are many ways for people to look into some of life's mysteries. There are many ways for people to investigate themselves.
I think many times, the powers that be ban things that are not immediately knowable, stuff that you might have to research for yourself and use your mind to evaluate. People in power don't want for people to really think for themselves. Churches, governments, etc. don't want for most people to go off of the handed down versions of their truth.
Oh but that's a whole different subject. LOL
Have a GREAT '08!!

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