The science behind planets and astrology

[07.Re]

Hi Lee and welcome to the forum.

I have learnt a lot through the answers which our wonderful fellow forum members have shared and I have come to understand that there is no single answer to this.... which surprised me.

It's interesting that you have posted on this thread today as I was reading up on my transits this morning and read the following excerpt for my Neptune trine Mercury tr which lasts until Jan 2011 (excerpt from 'Planets in Transit' by Robert Hand):

"You demand that spiritual matters make sense to you intellectually as well as intuitively. You want to know, not merely to believe. But your newly intuitive sensibility tells you that there are no limits to understanding through rational intellect"

Well, once I had read that, I had an "aha" moment and immediately thought that this paragraph ties in with me starting this thread, in an effort to understand.

You said "we don't know anything"... and you're right...

but...

we do know it works somehow and as an act of faith, I believe!

 

[LeeRutland]

Hi Lee and welcome to the forum.

I have learnt a lot through the answers which our wonderful fellow forum members have shared and I have come to understand that there is no single answer to this.... which surprised me.

It's interesting that you have posted on this thread today as I was reading up on my transits this morning and read the following excerpt for my Neptune trine Mercury tr which lasts until Jan 2011 (excerpt from 'Planets in Transit' by Robert Hand):

"You demand that spiritual matters make sense to you intellectually as well as intuitively. You want to know, not merely to believe. But your newly intuitive sensibility tells you that there are no limits to understanding through rational intellect"

Well, once I had read that, I had an "aha" moment and immediately thought that this paragraph ties in with me starting this thread, in an effort to understand.

You said "we don't know anything"... and you're right...

but...

we do know it works somehow and as an act of faith, I believe!

That was an interesting read you had.
"You demand that spiritual matters make sense to you....."

I'm a firm believer in that, ever since I reached adulthood, in fact rejecting my "from birth" faith because it doesn't measure up.

And your statement, "we know it works somehow...."

I agree with, it works. But, I don't believe as an act of faith, but having seen demonstrable, repeatable evidence.

I try to make it a habit that I don't "believe in" anything.

And thanks for the welcome......

 

[07.Re]

Well I've had another thought and I guess we won't have an answer to this one either.

But...

The planets move daily, some faster than others... so how is it possible that the present position of the planets affect that point in the sky at your time of birth? They are in effect stimulating a point in space.

Hmm...... now there's another thought to ponder.

 

[Inside Out Orange]

The planets move daily, some faster than others... so how is it possible that the present position of the planets affect that point in the sky at your time of birth? They are in effect stimulating a point in space.

If I understand your question right ... you're asking how do transits work given that it's today's positions affecting something that was defined 20+ years ago.

I think there's lot of events that happen today that are affected by past decisions. If you had a tough childhood, you'd react differently to a traumatic event than if you had a happy upbringing.

 

[07.Re]

If I understand your question right ... you're asking how do transits work given that it's today's positions affecting something that was defined 20+ years ago.

I think there's lot of events that happen today that are affected by past decisions. If you had a tough childhood, you'd react differently to a traumatic event than if you had a happy upbringing.

Aahh... you're speaking of the affect of the transits on an emotional level... I hadn't thought of that one.

What I'm asking if more science based. For example, tr Pluto conjuncts natal Jupiter. Now in the sky, Pluto is at 5°Cap and my natal Jupiter is at 1°Cap. Physically, tr Pluto is only at that one point in space but it is influencing the spot where Jupiter was on the day I was born - 37 years ago.

Am I making myself clear?

 

[Inside Out Orange]

Aahh... you're speaking of the affect of the transits on an emotional level... I hadn't thought of that one.

What I'm asking if more science based. For example, tr Pluto conjuncts natal Jupiter. Now in the sky, Pluto is at 5°Cap and my natal Jupiter is at 1°Cap. Physically, tr Pluto is only at that one point in space but it is influencing the spot where Jupiter was on the day I was born - 37 years ago.

Am I making myself clear?

I think someone suggested earlier that a good analogy might be like trying to tune in a television. If you stand with the aerial in one part of the room, it gives a certain level of reception. As you wander around the signal strength gets better or worse. It could be similar to that with where the planets are in space.

I believe it's fairly agreed science that different emotions and moods come from different parts of, and chemicals within the brain.

Now it could be that at time of birth, that the positions of the planets affect the size and shape of the brain. Perhaps at moment of birth is the first time that the planets can get a real good effect on the brain because the mother's body is no longer in the way. So that might begin to explain why certain people have certain astrological traits.

Now in terms of transits, here's another analogy. Skin cancer. If you spent a lot of time out in the sun as a child, it can set you up with it later in life. Of course the only way that'll happen in later life is if you go out in the daytime i.e. when the Sun is overhead. And of course if you go out in the early morning or late afternoon the effect isn't going to be bad; it's got to be those hours in the middle of the day. It's a specific 'planet' doing a specific thing from a specific position twenty years later.

So looking at your specific example ... perhaps with Jupiter at 5Cap you have increased levels of optimism but with an 'outer coating' or frequency wrapping it up. When Pluto approaches 5Cap it's able to match the frequency and therefore have a transforming effect on the optimism bit of the brain. Just as suncream protects our skin from certain wavelengths of UVA and UVB light.

 

[LeeRutland]

Well I've had another thought and I guess we won't have an answer to this one either.

But...

The planets move daily, some faster than others... so how is it possible that the present position of the planets affect that point in the sky at your time of birth? They are in effect stimulating a point in space.

Hmm...... now there's another thought to ponder.

Are the affecting a point in space, or a great area in space, or neither. Perhaps they are affecting nothing, but are indicative of a moment, a quality which affects everything, and we merely use astrology to interpret that. Perhaps the planets stimulate nothing, but are themselves are stimulated by something greater.

 

[Claire19]

I have thought about this a lot and I believe that the moment we are conceived we are imprinted with the rays of the planets in some way but I do not subscribe to the effects of asteroids. Even at conception and during pregnancy there seems to be effects that also we carry with us throughout the whole of this particular life and some say, beyond. I am investigating pre natal effects and have discovered how to gain the date of the actual conception. The aspects that are made during the pregnancy also. The ascendant is the pivotal point, its sign, degree, ruler and aspects made.

 

[Claire19]

If I understand your question right ... you're asking how do transits work given that it's today's positions affecting something that was defined 20+ years ago.

I think there's lot of events that happen today that are affected by past decisions. If you had a tough childhood, you'd react differently to a traumatic event than if you had a happy upbringing.

We must remember that everything springs from the natal chart which is our blueprint for this life. Transits and progressions merely trigger off what is there and in that way prediction is done. Whether it is all fated and just feels like free will in some ways.......more and more I believe that our major life issues are pre-destined and that we have chosen this incarnation for just such as this. It is unfortunately the hard connections that give us the most growth and strength. The easy ones perhaps we have dealt with in the past and developed such as talents and they just give us an easy ride or opportunities this time that can be tapped into and are our rewards karmically.

This is my opinion but I keep searching for more and more truth.

 

[Claire19]

Hi Lee and welcome to the forum.

I have learnt a lot through the answers which our wonderful fellow forum members have shared and I have come to understand that there is no single answer to this.... which surprised me.

It's interesting that you have posted on this thread today as I was reading up on my transits this morning and read the following excerpt for my Neptune trine Mercury tr which lasts until Jan 2011 (excerpt from 'Planets in Transit' by Robert Hand):

"You demand that spiritual matters make sense to you intellectually as well as intuitively. You want to know, not merely to believe. But your newly intuitive sensibility tells you that there are no limits to understanding through rational intellect"

Well, once I had read that, I had an "aha" moment and immediately thought that this paragraph ties in with me starting this thread, in an effort to understand.

You said "we don't know anything"... and you're right...

but...

we do know it works somehow and as an act of faith, I believe!

Although I know the dynamics of the effects of the planets on us, I dont know how, I just know it works. I like the magic and mystery of it all along with the science and the art that is astrology.

 

[LeeRutland]

Although I know the dynamics of the effects of the planets on us, I dont know how, I just know it works. I like the magic and mystery of it all along with the science and the art that is astrology.

Best answer I've heard yet!

"I like the magic and mystery of it all..."

Well, so do I, and that adds a certain power to whatever you do.

 

[carol gibson]

Wow, I was away for awhile, and what a surprise that my ponderings about electricity yielded so many great answers.

One other thing that has stuck with me is about DNA. An article in "USA Today" (c. 1995) that reported the findings of scientists studying genetics. They found that genes are most impressionable, and changing rapid fire as the baby passes through the birth canal. So, if this is so and there is some electrical force, or preponderance of certain minerals surrounding, putting off, or blocking certain other energies, we might know something more. After birth, the next three years have the most DNA changes. After 10, we slow down quite a bit.

In any event, they tied this in to children who get abused, theorizing that when abuse happens before the age of 3, sadly, it actually alters their genes. I'm not sure what they studied to come up with this.

I've been wanting to connect that rush of changing genes to planetary influences. I've heard that we are essentially made of the same materials as the rest of the universe, so there may be a clue here.

Doesn't it seem to fit a little? Genes changing and natal chart . . .hm-mm?

But, alas, it's true that we know nothing compared to what we could know. It's always so uncanny when a chart really accurately describes a human being. I've done them backward and forward. Before I know the person, and after I learn about them - and the charts are always fairly accurate.

If astrology weren't such an orphan of the universe, it wouldn't be too far fetched to think that we could have this information to work with.

BTW: Robert Hand has a series of discussions on his website comparing and contrasting science and astrology. He actually did graduate with a degree in science.

 

[rahu]

hi carol

i read a article in the 80's in omni magazine by a scientist who worked with telecommunication companies to predict satbility in the ionosphere.in those days radio signals where bounced off the ionoshere to transmitt long distances such as over oceans.he found that when planets where square to each oth geocentrically,the ionosphere was disturbed and communications distrupted.interestingly, he had a dream in with he saw this dynamic and when he researched it, he found it was true.
from this point he reasoned that there must be a magnetic signiture to dna and that the magnetic variation of the positions of the planets correlated to the personality characteristic formed by the dna.
when the same variation existed in transit to a particular dna structure ,birth occurred.

also in reference to abuse victims,there was recently reported a study that examined victims of abuse and suicide. abuse victims that killed themselves had uncontrolled stress hormones regulation.whereas abuse victims that did not commit suicide had normal stress hormone regulation as did the control group.so it does seem that abuse victim dna MAY be altered so that stress hormone are unable to be regulated.

rahu

 

[Inside Out Orange]

After birth, the next three years have the most DNA changes. After 10, we slow down quite a bit.

In any event, they tied this in to children who get abused, theorizing that when abuse happens before the age of 3, sadly, it actually alters their genes. I'm not sure what they studied to come up with this.

I've been wanting to connect that rush of changing genes to planetary influences. I've heard that we are essentially made of the same materials as the rest of the universe, so there may be a clue here.

Doesn't it seem to fit a little? Genes changing and natal chart . . .hm-mm?

I'm not sure about genes changing but certainly the connections in the brain do. Every time we do something it strengthens the connection (like water eroding a channel to make its path that bit more defined).

Around the time of puberty that these brain connections are solidified and it becomes much more difficult to learn new skills after that. Not impossible just harder.

On a talents level this might be the difference between someone who is a big picture thinker and someone who enjoys detail. The difference between someone who likes to be social and someone who likes to work alone.

Of course if we are born with a certain brain setup (e.g. liking detail) we are more like to strengthen these skills at a young age. Although our teachers and parents try to get us to be big picture thinkers, children can be resistant to the teaching particularly if they feel unmotivated or frustrated at not being able to achieve.

I've also read a book that suggested that children who do not get good care and attention in the early years by the age of 3 can struggle later; never really feeling secure or trusting even with the best of environments. Again I might be inclined to attribute this to the plasticity of the brain rather than genes. But all in all, I think we're talking about the same/similar principles.

 

[carol gibson]

Rahu and Inside Out Orange,

More great food for thought. Now, I'm imagining how many electromagnetic waves from different places are shooting around out there. I guess if it's o.k. to use electricity when we really aren't sure why it works, the same can be applied to astrology.