What drew you to astrology?

[Opal]

One of my favorite anecdotes, can't remember the source, is about an indigenous Australian shaman. As the story goes, when he was informed that modern science had determined that "dream time" wasn't real, he was quoted as saying that while he was in dream time, he had learned that modern science isn't real.

Fabulous!!!! Thank you!!!

 

[Opal]

As far as books go, I started with Linda Goodman's book, "Sun Signs", which came out in 1968, along with Lewi's book, "Heaven Knows What", which came out that same year. The song "Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension, also in 1968, inspired me to start studying astrology.

But, astrology came so naturally to me, I didn't need convincing, just more information about it.

Cool, I first saw the symbols in ‘68. In my aunt’s ultra cool boutique. On the wall. Beckoning me.

 

[Blaze]

Doubt drew me in. If a hundred people tell me "Blaze, we didn't see anything in the valley," then I'm going to bid those people farewell and see for myself.

 

[CapAquaPis]

My mom's friends (2 sisters, the oldest past 90 is still alive) who were into astrology, reincarnation, ghosts, UFOs, futurism, spiritual religious Christianity and alternate dimension/reality/universe theories told my Mom and half sis I was an Indian or Hindu who didn't eat meat in a past life when I didn't touch red meat or beef when I was a kid, picky eating, food aversion and fears of texture in my plant based meal are said to be part of autism and the autistic spectrum (disorders).

 

[anjelawaterman]

Defined by whom as that? You? Maybe you are actually a pseudo-person and don’t know it.

Posting that on an astrology forum is just a little itty bit offensive. Its like starting a conversation with an insult.

As to me? I cannot remember. It was more than 50 years ago, and it was in the heyday of astrology the late 1960’s. Probably before your parents were born.

Paul Thagard, a philosopher of science, declared astrology a pseudoscience in 1978. This was due to the fact that scientific studies involving astrology had no scientific validity. Astronomy and astrology are very different, and sometimes are confused with one another, but studies of astrology have not contributed to a new scientific discovery. By studying the constellations and planetary movements over time, observations of patterns have been detected. I say pseudoscience, because while these patterns are studied using scientific knowledge, no scientific validity has been found. through these patterns other than what we already knew from studying astronomy. I did not mean to have my post come off as offensive, I apologize. I am doing undergraduate research on astrology because I find it interesting (and I would like to know why over 33% of the population finds it so interesting). I only know what I have done research on, so I am trying to learn from others through forums like this one. Also, my parents were born in the 1970s, so you were correct.

 

[Opal]

Doubt drew me in. If a hundred people tell me "Blaze, we didn't see anything in the valley," then I'm going to bid those people farewell and see for myself.

Oh! Don’t go to Pelee Island Winery. Don’t do it! 😁

 

[Blaze]

Oh! Don’t go to Pelee Island Winery. Don’t do it! 😁

I'd take the trip if I wasn't supposed to avoid mental intoxicants. Pancha Sila an all. Used to go on wine tasting events with the crew in East Hampton, NY. Fun times.

Looks wonderful though.

 

[Opal]

I'd take the trip if I wasn't supposed to avoid mental intoxicants. Pancha Sila an all. Used to go on wine tasting events with the crew in East Hampton, NY. Fun times.

Looks wonderful though.

I worked there when it had its Grand Opening. That was a long time ago, I think it was 1983. Close anyways. The Ice Wine is nice.


The area is renowned for bird migration.



It is also very close to where I first started my interest in astrology, my maternal Grandparents lived there.

 

[CapAquaPis]

Are the Aquarian Age dates somewhat offensive? I got into astrology around when you did, largely because I was so fascinated by the Aquarian Age. Not surprising, since I have Moon and Venus conjunct in Aquarius in H12, trine my Uranian placement in Gemini in H3 Placidus.

Oh, you were addressing me, David? The "offensive" dates of the end of Soviet communism, the 9/11 attacks: Sep 11, 2001, the date itself is the start of the Sirius year calendar, the conjunction the brightest magnitude star has with the sunrise, Christmas time 2012, the start of the COVID pandemic in Mar 1, 2020 and inauguration days 1989, 2001, 2009 (the Great Recession) and esp 2021. In the Aquarian age, the ethos: "Everyone's offensive, but tolerate everything". Blame that on the sign of the edge, weird, radical, unorthodox, unconventional and libertine...what's exactly wrong? immoral? unethical? sinful? evil? or taboo? I can't really tell what it is anymore.

 

[CapAquaPis]

A great quote of disputed origin (I believe it was probably Samuel Clemens) is:

"I'm a skeptical Sagittarius. I don't believe in astrology.".

A.k.a. the man, going by his pen name Mark Twain born under the peak of Halley's comet sighting in Nov-Dec 1835 predicted he will die in its return in Nov-Dec 1910...and then he died in the peak of the 75-year celestial event.

 

[CapAquaPis]

The Pisces age transition into the age of Aquarius degree was probably in 1910 and 1986 we moved from 1' Pisces to the 0'Pisces/30' Aquarius possibly by the orbit of Halley's comet reaches the earth every 75-76 years and it's next time we'll able to see it depending on our current age is in 2061 (I'll be 81 then).

 

[david starling]

The Pisces age transition into the age of Aquarius degree was probably in 1910 and 1986 we moved from 1' Pisces to the 0'Pisces/30' Aquarius possibly by the orbit of Halley's comet reaches the earth every 75-76 years and it's next time we'll able to see it depending on our current age is in 2061 (I'll be 81 then).

That's your opinion, and of corse, you're entitled to it. There are at least a hundred different opinions as to when the sidereal Aquarian Age began, or will begin, since it's just a matter of where the sidereal Sign-boundaries should be set.

With this setting, when switching from tropical to sidereal placements, you have to move a full Sign back. So, for example, if your Sun is at 15 degrees of one Sign in tropical, it will be at 15 degrees of the previous Sign in sidereal.

 

[CapAquaPis]

Another reason is a strong personal sense or intuit of living in different people in different places in different times. For example, Jose Rizal (1814-1896) was a doctor from the Philippines and a revolutionary who pushed for independence from Spain after 350 years of colonial rule. There were some tall tales about his personality, mental state and a theory of possibly fathered Adolf Hitler.

Jose Rizal hired an Austrian woman in fall 1888 to clean his hotel suite in Germany. It was thought he was in London too in 1888 (and so was Vincent Van Gogh), both were reportedly intelligent but mentally deranged. And Tomoyaki Yamashita, a Japanese general during WW2 (and Japan occupied the islands to "liberate" them from US and "white European" colonial control) might also be Rizal's other kid born in 1885 when Rizal was in Tokyo, a man known to studied up to 20 languages was there to wanted Japan's help to liberate the Philippines from Spanish rule, and after the US annexed the Philippines after the 1898 Spanish-American war, his post-mortal legacy helped the island archipelago (7,700 islands alone) opposed American rule.

My other possible past life Josephine Bonaparte was born on June 23 a Cancer vs Jose Rizal born on June 19 a Gemini, both are cusping the summer solstice in Asia, Europe, and North America. I check the moon signs: Josephine a virgo (and Aquarius traits of a co-empress to advance gender equality in post-revolutionary France) vs. Rizal a scorpio (and pisces traits of an oddball to have mental illness plus sexual deviancies). Not only Rizal could be bi, but Josephine from the Antilles islands (France's colonies) was also a quarter black or Afro-Caribbean. I'm an Aquarius sun/moon with cancer rising and a genderfluid gynephile with a pregnancy fetish myself. And to care about politics, current events, world cultures and geography are typical of Rizal and Josephine...and esp. me (a soul to lived before twice).

 

[Astrologer Joseph]

Hi Anjelawaterman

Thanks for your question, it's great to see so many people commenting on the thread. You mentioned that you're an undergraduate student doing a project on 'what draws people to astrology'?. Is this correct? Good for you, I hope your degree leads to employment in this competitive world we live in. I too got a social science/research degree from a university here in Australia and it has led to a day job that I am very grateful to have.

But I need to ask you, have you personally delved into the practice of Astrology and explored your own chart? To understand the many methods, techniques and validity of it, it's not wise to stand outside the circle and look in and make big statements. That's fine if you want to cast a opinion on the subject, calling it pseudo-science, etc. But that's all this is, your opinion. It comes as no authority on the subject matter. This is why most opinions of this nature will come from those in the fields of thought that see some benefit in 'outcasting' or 'alienating' astrology from academia. Are you one of the rare students at university that wants to bring Astrology back into academia?

My advice is research history, astrology and astronomy were closely tied together for thousands of years, and yes there is a genuine reason why this is the case. It's great we are lucky enough to live in parts of the world where freedom of speech is still fostered. I have studied this artform for over 25 years, I have read thousands of charts, using very testable techniques and without knowing the people I read, I have them tell me they are impressed that I could know so much about them in such great detail. This is not some pseudo-psychic trick. This is because there are patterns and techniques that yes if you know what you are seeing and reading, it can be tested and proven by science. The thing is science would have to venture forth and make that agreement again with the astrological world, and this is something that 'science' is too prideful to do right at this moment in our human story. There are very advanced predictive techniques in astrology but one has to first understand, learn through patience and dedication, and ultimately experience it. After doing all this you may be in a position to have any authority on what essentially is a very complex subject matter, and takes decades, if not a lifetime, to master.

Astrologer Joseph

 

[Opal]

Interesting, thanks!🙂. I like book people. Presuming you are one.

 

[Oddity]

Another thing to bear in mind is that we hit a new Jupiter/Saturn cycle in 2020, with the conjunction being in Aquarius. The conjunction will be in air signs for the next 200 years. Saturn rules Aquarius, and is exalted in Libra. Jupiter is detrimented in Gemini, so Saturn wins there, too.


That's why things are so grim. I think we'll have some better periods occasionally, but for the most part - Saturn will be ruling, God help us.

The Pisces age transition into the age of Aquarius degree was probably in 1910 and 1986 we moved from 1' Pisces to the 0'Pisces/30' Aquarius possibly by the orbit of Halley's comet reaches the earth every 75-76 years and it's next time we'll able to see it depending on our current age is in 2061 (I'll be 81 then).

 

[waybread]

Astrology is defined as a pseudoscience. I am looking at what draws individuals to astrology and why it is interesting to them. So what sparked your interest?

Astrology is not a pseudoscience simply because science is the wrong comparable. You wouldn't call English literature or music appreciation pseudosciences. They more properly belong with the humanities. So does astrology, in my opinion.

Check out the field of cultural astronomy. It is the study of how different cultures interpret the heavens. We don't have to believe that Native American lore about the sky is literally correct to see it as meaningful and worthy of study, for example. Same with astrology.

I got into astrology during a very difficult period of my life. I wanted to know why I was on the planet. Not me as a subset of humanity-- which is what religion and psychology address. But me as a particular unique individual. I dimly knew that this was what a horoscope described. I took a chance on it, and, over 20 years later, still find it engrossing.

I had to overcome a lot of horror about the pseudoscience reputation to do this, however. Not that it bothered me personally, but it would have horrified my family and co-workers. I remain an anonymous closeted amateur astrologer for that reason.