Astrology: Is Your Destiny in the Stars? What is the purpose of the Sun, Moon and stars? What are they made of? Where did they come from?
May 12, 2015
Astrology: Is Your Destiny in the Stars?
What is the purpose of the Sun, Moon and stars? What
are they made of? Where did they
come from?
The Sun is the most obvious
object of veneration to primitive
peoples.
It takes no great sophistication to perceive
that the Sun is responsible for seasonal
changes and that all life on Earth is dependent
on its heat. What could be more natural than to
regard this beneficent body as a god? And
from the deification of the Sun it is a short step
to the deification of the Moon and stars.
o The first thing a community would notice would be the
alternation of day and night.
o Next, they would observe the solar year with its
changing seasons.
o The members of the community would be aware that
there was a high point of summer and a low point of
winter, and also that there was a half-way point
between winter and summer and between summer and
winter.
o These points are what we would now call the solstices
and the equinoxes.
The next thing that a simple community
would become aware of would be the
fact that there are approximately twelve
lunar cycles in the solar year.
In dividing up the year, it would be
natural, therefore, to divide it into twelve
parts.
The next question is: how would one
characterise these twelve parts?
This is where the stars would come in. At first the
Babylonians marked the stages of the year by
identifying them with particular stars that rose at
different seasons. This proved to be unsatisfactory
since the stars were unpredictable in the times at
which they were visible. They then hit on the
method of identifying the twelve months with twelve
different constellations along the ecliptic. It was this
system which developed into that of the zodiacal
signs.
Varaha Mihira, is one of the most revered arbiters in
matters of Indian astrology. He lived in the sixth
century AD. Like Ptolemy, he summarised all the
astronomical and astrological knowledge of his time.
Under the influence of Greek astrology and
mythology, the Indian gods were widely adapted to
those of the Greek pantheon, and the days of the
week were named after the planets. The twelve signs
of the Indian zodiac are also mostly translations of
the Greek signs, and their characteristics and
properties were borrowed from the Greek tradition.
The system of the houses also entered, under
Hellenic influence, into Hindu astrology. Following
the Western pattern, the houses were related to the
affairs of everyday life.
The first house governed the native's body; the
second his material possessions; the third his
relatives; the fourth his dwelling, and so on.
But in addition to these Greek elements there were a
number of concepts which were purely Indian.
One of these was the doctrine of Karma and
reincarnation which became one of the fundamental
teachings of Hindu astrology. The Karma is the factor
which determines the progress of the soul
through its various incarnations.
According to Knappich, Karma appears in the
following three aspects: first, as Sanchita, the sum
or result of acts committed in the previous
incarnation; which are subject both to the influence
of the previous life and to the exercise of free will in
the present one; thirdly, as Agami, future, unrealised
acts. Thus the progress of the soul from one
incarnation to another is conditioned by a mixture of
free will, Karma and fate. Astrology was widely used
by the Hindus to determine what stage a man's soul
had reached.
One account of the practice of astrology in India is to
be found in a book by the eleventh-century Persian
traveller Alberuni, who entered India with the Muslim
armies. Alberuni was a distinguished astrologer in his
own right and his main work The Elements of
Astrology is admired to this day. Alberuni's India
contains a detailed examination of Hindu astrology.
Although himself a Muslim, Alberuni is careful to treat
the Hindu beliefs with respect, and writes of their
practices withgreat understanding.
After Alberuni's time, Indian astrology came
increasingly under Western influences, the Greek
infiltrations having been superseded by Muslim.
Modern Indian astrology, however, still retains
such individual features as the lunar mansions and
the concept of Karma.
The Planet, our earth, is but a single function of the Solar
System which stands intimately related and dependent
upon other bodies and systems, thus the natural
universe is bound together. There are various kinds of
dispositions and peoples which are produced by the
constant revolutions of the solar bodies and celestial
influences which give certain strong natural tendencies
to the character.
We are all aware that Summer, Winter, Spring and
Autumn each affect us differently, each
awakening its own train of thoughts and
emotions.
It would be absurd to to suppose that all these
influences are not governed by a regular law of
nature.
What is Astrology?
ASTROLOGY
A type of divination
based on the
theory that the
positions and
movements of the
stars, planets, sun,
and moon at the
time of a person’s
birth have direct
influence on a
person’s life.
Zodiac
One of the keys of
astrology is the zodiac. In
western astrology, the
zodiac refers to twelve
zones in the sky and each
zone has a star
constellation that originally
fell within its zone.
Each zone has a name
(such as Gemini, Taurus,
Leo” etc), and each zone
has a symbol.
A horoscope is a forecast
based upon astrology.
Horoscope Compatibility Matching (Based on Astrology)
• A first step in arranging marriage for majority of Indians is
ascertaining the compatibility of horoscopes of prospective
husband and wife. This process, also known as kundali milan or
guna milap, is followed extensively in the arranged marriage
system in India The Horoscope or Birth-chart (popularly known
as Janam Kundali) is a map of the heavenly bodies, which shows
the positions of the planets and their relation at birth of a
newborn taking into account, the time and place of birth.
A birth chart is a must for any Vedic astrologer to
make predictions.
The Horoscope shows the sign of Zodiac and the
relative position of planets and nakshatras
positioned in the twelve houses of the map. The
"houses" of the chart indicate specific areas of our
life in which actions will be performed, which will be
strong or weak depending on the nature and
situation of planets that influence them.
Origins of Astrology
• The positions of stars relative to the sun “predict” the agricultural seasons.
• The positions of stars can be used to tell time at night.
• The Babylonians and Egyptians early developed techniques for doing these.
Origins of Astrology
• First clear evidence in Babylonian civilization
• Astrology was used to tell future, together with other forms of divination, such as liver-looking
• Idea: gods communicate, if humans use the right techniques
• The process whereby someone looks at the stars to determine a forecast or horoscope is extremely varied.
• Daily horoscopes are rarely similar and usually differ greatly from each other.
• Compare the horoscopes you find in the magazine, to the one you find in the newspaper, to the one you find available on the shelf of the check-out counter at the grocery store. They are all different.
Facts about Astrology.
The Future is not ours to see
• Astrology is no more accurate in predicting
future events than mere chance.
• Horoscope predictions use generalities and are
usually very vague.
The James Randi Educational Foundation
in Florida offers a one-million-dollar prize to
anyone who can show, under proper
observing conditions, evidence of any
paranormal, supernatural, or occult power
or event. To date, no person has ever been
able to prove that they have paranormal
power and claim the prize.
Misuse of Astrology…
• It is sad to observe certain section of Astrologers involve in practices which induces fear and fatalism in masses, just for the sake of manipulating them to fulfill their own agendas.
• It is unfortunate that superstitions have been ruling over the minds of Indians in the name of Astrology
Critical Remark
• Astrological beliefs have often induced inaction, as
people have no courage to live the life and hence all
their efforts are geared towards avoiding the crisis in
life.
• As their astrologer told them of the forthcoming
difficulties, they gave up their efforts and rather
preferred to wait for the better times.
Only thing many people seem to have achieved
through astrology is to remain worried about their
forthcoming crisis and hiding in a cocoon to
safeguard themselves. But sadly, in this whole
process they miss the joy of accomplishing their
potential, because of the misuse of astrology by way
of presenting it as a tool for definitive predictions by
certain segment of Astrologers to fulfill their narrow
motives.
Renaissance Astrology
• Geronimo Cardano cast a horoscope for England’s King Edward 6:
– Illness at age 55
– But he died at 16!
• Cast own horoscope:
– Death at 75
– Fulfilled by suicide!
The Twin Problem
• Astrological horoscopes are based on the position of the planets & Zodiac at a person’s birth.
• Though identical twins often have very similar character, they sometimes have very different lives.
• Fraternal twins often have very different character.
• “Time twins” have very few similarities.
This is debatable
• Astrology is condemned by the Holy Book of almost every religion as an attempt to live without dependence on God.
• If you believe that God is there, then what is the need of astrology.
The End
Don’t fall in Trap! To Believe in astrology or not, the Choice is Yours…