THE SCIENCE OF ASTROLOGY

THE SCIENCE OF ASTROLOGY

So much has been told, written and argued against astrology. Physicists will emphatically deny that Planets are very much far away from us and that the gravity which holds the Sun and the planets together cannot influence human beings - objects of insignificant masses compared to planets. Apart from the four fundamental forces – electromagnetic, strong , weak and gravity – some other force which these huge rotating masses may induce on masses of our dimensions will be without any reservation considered blasphemous by Physicists? It is true that in most cases, the tirade against astrology is carried out people who have not studied astrology in detail. The main aim of this article is to highlight certain scientific aspects of this mysterious, fascinating and a very important subject which tells us about our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so that we can plan and lead a much more disciplined and contended life.

In astrology each planet is responsible for certain characteristics. Besides, the planets, two distinct points in space (Rahu and Ketu), representing the two intersecting points in the orbital plane of the Earth to that of the Moon (orbiting around the earth), are also considered important so much so that they are treated as two planets. For a student of astrology, the importance of these two points in predicting certain important aspects like prosperity, accidents, losses, longevity etc are well known. Again, planets between Rahu - Ketu axis and planets between Ketu - Rahu axis do have different connotations in astrology! If astrology is not a science, why should two points in space, and that too, connected with the orbital plane of the earth assume so much significance?

An interesting point is that, in a large number of horoscopes of parents and their children, some interesting similarities can be found. A few planets, not necessarily Jupiter and Saturn (which take 11.8613 and 29.4568 years to complete one revolution around the sun and hence, can easily justify repeatability), are in either similar positions or in similar combinations. This cannot be a concidence. If the planets do not have a genetic correlation, this above ‘inheritance’ will not occur.

Astrology, deals with each individual as a dimensional entity and describes all the characteristics of the individual. It talks about appearance, health, wealth, intelligence, relations, family, wife/husband, friends, longevity, diseases, honour, profession, luck and even losses. While, some of these aspects are visibly noticeable, others involving potentialities like intelligence, luck, ability to earn wealth, ability to acquire skills, description of an individuals family (mother, father, brother, sisters, relatives, wife, children) are invisible and hidden. Thus, here is an area where an individual is described by his/her multi-dimensional characteristics - both visible and hidden. Unifield Field Theory and its related String Theory is still contemplating on 11 dimensional (or more) universe with four dimensions of space and time and the remaining probable hidden dimensions. Astrology clearly describes the multi-dimensional characteristics of the universe.

It is now unequivocally established that characteristics of individuals are attributable to their genes. The visible characteristics like appearance, speech, intellect and diseases, to name a few, are related to the genes. That planetary combinations can also describe them is another clear indication that planetary influences play a decisive role in controlling genetic expressions in individuals. Expression of genes which result in bestowing certain characteristics and suppression of few genes which manifests at a later stage in life also show that they should be regulated by planetary progressions. The genetic factor is the one which bring out the differences between individuals born at the same time to different parents at the same place including the twins. The differences in the extent of expression should depend on the individual genetic make-up which accounts for a difference of degree and not of the kind.

It is also quite interesting to observe that the proposed effects for the planets in astrology are of the same magnitude. None too small, irrespective of the masses and distances of these planets from the earth. Gravity, however, varies with mass and distance.

The effects of Retrogression of planets is another area worth mentioning where the apparent backward motions of the planets caused due to the relative motions of the planets with respect to that of earth clearly indicates that motions of these planets have pronounced scientific implication. Around the dates of Retrogression and De-retrogression (resumption of direct motion) of especially Saturn and Jupiter, one can experience the occurrence of decisive things which had been dragging without end for sometime before. In Retrogression, the distance between the respective planet and the Earth is the shortest. Why should distance play a role if there is no such scientific basis in Astrology? Let us not forget that most of these time tested observations have been made much before the proposal of Laws of Planetary Motions by Johannes Kepler and Law of Gravitation by Sir Isaac Newton, great minds inspired by astrology.

There are several time tested planetary combinations in astrology. A non-believer can test himself with the following two simple tests. One such example is Chandrashtama. Moon while orbiting around the earth progresses through each sign, a period of approximately two and a quarter days. When the Moon progresses the eighth sign to the sign occupied by the Moon in one’s birth chart, it is termed Ashtama Chandra or Chandrashtama. Every individual, experiences during these two and a quarter days in a period of 27.3207 days, one or more of the following - tension, worries, unpleasant happenings, humiliations, wasteful expenditure, troubles in travel etc.

Similarly, let us take the example of the most dreaded Sade Sathi period of Saturn. Sade Sathi is a seven and a half year period in a period of 29.4568 years (Orbital period of Saturn around Sun), when saturn traverses through the 12^th, the 1^st and the 2^nd sign to one’s, birth sign (where the Moon is positioned at time of his/her birth). Mental agony, wasteful expenses, struggle against odds, very little progress, set backs in new ventures, depressed outlook, additional responsibilities, diseases, difficult circumstances, fruitless travels, humiliations, uncalled for accusations, troubles from dear and near and a good period of learning and personality building, are the effects one has to face during these seven and a half years period. Similar, such periods (good and bad) can be predicted for other planets also.

Astrology deals with probability of manifestation of dimensions in human beings – the nature, extent and the time of such manifestations being dictated through planetary positions and their motions which serve as co-ordinates. A few misconcepts like Sun, Moon and Moon’s nodes as planets and earth as the centre exist which can be corrected through collective efforts. Also. in a continuous varying function like time, periodical observances like Rahu Kala and Yamagantaka do not have any meaning. Although the existing empirical correlations indicate quite a large number of general rules, ‘One Cause One Effect’ correlation is still lacking in astrology, which is possible only with a well conducted statistical analyses. Only time tested and statistically analysed and accepted astrological concepts will enhance the credibility of astrology. In the meantime, let all the well wishers of astrology hope that a breakthrough in cracking the scientific basis of astrology is achieved soon (and if done, it will be probably by a western scientist and not by ours), for no laws in Contemporary Physics can explain astrology.