General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy your zodiac sign is probably wrong
Last edited Sat Jan 25, 2020, 12:36 PM - Edit history (1)
Published 1 min ago on January 25, 2020
By The Conversation
I was born a Capricorn (please dont judge me), but the Sun was in the middle of Sagittarius when I was born.
As a professor emeritus of astronomy, I am often asked about the difference between astrology and astronomy. The practice of astrology, which predicts ones fate and fortune based on the positions of the Sun, Moon, stars and planets, dates back to ancient times. It was intermingled with the science of astronomy back then in fact, many astronomers of old made scientific observations that are valuable even today. But once Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo realized the planets orbit the Sun, rather than the Earth, and Newton discovered the physical laws behind their behavior, astrology and astronomy split, never to be reunited.
The science of astronomy is now at odds with one of the basic organizing principles in astrology the dates of the zodiac.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/why-your-zodiac-sign-is-probably-wrong/
I was born in the year of the rabbit aligned to stars of Capricorn.......................
samnsara
(17,622 posts)Dagstead Bumwood
(3,641 posts)has been one big, fat Scorpio lie.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Astronomers don't know everything. I once took a class in astronomy
and our doctorate teacher said that the universe was all of existence,
and that it was expanding. I asked him, "If the universe is all of existence,
and it is expanding, what is it expanding into?" he said "I don't know".
Just kidding about astronomers---smarter than me--which is easy.
eppur_se_muova
(36,263 posts)Of course, they're just the type.
Lulu KC
(2,566 posts)2naSalit
(86,637 posts)Not much info that made sense to me, a being who recognizes astrology as a form of timekeeping which includes past and future possibilities. For those who actually study astrology, the variations anticipated in the article are actually taken into account via computer programs though precision wasn't needed back before current technology.
There's such a rift between the two subjects that it's unfortunate. I think that astrology was made to look more like woo by those who sought to eliminate its use which was facilitated by widespread misinformation.
I don't care if anyone wants to flame me for using astrology like a clock, it just shows me that you think it's a belief system which it is not. It's a manner of observing time, used by many ancient cultures. Why? Because it worked for them most of the time, for millennia.
edhopper
(33,580 posts)2naSalit
(86,637 posts)I'm on my first cup and I haven't seen LOL Sunday Cats yet so I'll give it a shot now and maybe make corrections later...
Astrology gets it's woo labeling because it also includes a dialogue of energy which I suspect might be more in the realm of magnetics but I'm sure there's a more precise description and I have some unusual personal speculations on why that might be so that is based in geology but that's way more than I can get into here.
As the ancient beings who devised this system of observation of the sky and applying it to the mundane world they identified constants with things within their knowledge base which were constant yet ever-changing. Notice the naming of many things relate to animals and figures within their cultural knowledge regarding unseen powers and their origin/location.
Copernicus didn't destroy astrology btw, he identified the concept of geo-centric vs heliocentric observations.
So the energy portion of astrology seems to bear out and really whether things "work out like they said it would" is really based on how one interprets the configurations. It's funny, I just described this to a sibling last night. To put it very simply each sign and heavenly body were given names and assigned "stations in life" attributes. Interestingly, they were pretty good at assigning these attributes because they still can be interpreted to current and future times since one can make progressed maps/charts of the configurations yet to come.
Which brings us to the future possibilities part. Since one can plot the motions of even just the visible planets as the ancients did, they can be projected to be in a given area of they sky in a future time. When the attributes of the planets and figures with names all align in a circular geometric configuration they are said to "spark" or activate the energies of the bodies and the signs they are found in at the time and the angle at which this alignment occurred along with other finer details like the speed at which a planet traverses the circle for finer detail of the "meaning" implied by the event. When an observation is made, aka casting a chart, it is like a freeze frame of a particular point in time. Since there solar system bodies are always in motion, every chart cast will be and is different. Since it is based on time, charts are cast for events. A chart can be cast for the time, date, and location you were in when you thought of something, or something that happened like meeting someone or a scientific breakthrough or something you are planning to do in the future like buy a car or get married or have a job interview. You can look at how the energies of the planetary system were configured at the moment of the event and see what you might expect to come of it or how it might go while it is taking place.
Back a couple weeks ago I told DU that this would be an earth shaking month and it's just the start of the year and to expect the unexpected. Why would I think that? Because I looked at what was happening over the first week of the month/year/decade. Some of the slower planets, the outer planets that take a long time to go around the circle, were activated and other bodies that move faster were interacting with them during a very short time indicating, by their assigned stations in life energies, that events on earth affecting the masses (as the outer planet are said to do) would be thus. I don't believe in any thing or anything, I know a lot of stuff, I understand a lot more than that and am willing to entertain other things whether I end up agreeing with them or not. Astrology makes sense to me, my life is unusual and I think I would not have been able to survive it relatively intact without having it as a tool to navigate given times where it was going to and ended up being really tough. I had time to prepare myself with education and other life knowledge that has served me well through those times. So i don't care if others don't understand it or think it's woo, it works for me and many others, it wouldn't have lasted this long if it was just bs.
I hope that helps, feel free to ask questions. I'm not an astrologer, just a traveler on the planet trying to read the map. I need more coffee, where's the cats!
edhopper
(33,580 posts)I see you do think the positions of the planets effect humans on earth. Or at least indicate celestial energies that do.
Not something I accept, but that's okay, no need to debate here.
2naSalit
(86,637 posts)I hope I didn't sound like I was copping an attitude, I was just trying to make a complex topic somewhat understandable to someone who isn't well acquainted with it.
The reason I think it does have an effect/affect on humans has to do with the ferrous nature of most things in and on the planet and magnetic energy that surrounds and passes by the planet from elsewhere. But it is far more complex than that though that's the basic premise, it's physics that I think can be interpreted in the way that astrology addresses.
edhopper
(33,580 posts)I don't think you copping a rude, just speaking your mind.
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)2naSalit
(86,637 posts)I like that!
frazzled
(18,402 posts)But most everyone else has been living an illusion all these years, apparently.
Despite being a Pisces, I consider myself neither "compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise," nor "musical." (Maybe I'm a little intuitive.) Still, I'm stuck with Pisces.
lastlib
(23,239 posts)MHO
NotASurfer
(2,151 posts)There's more than one system of 12 astrological signs to choose from, so if being born under the sign of, say,Taurus isn't cutting it you can check out the Chinese zodiac and see if, maybe, you were born in the year of the Year of the Monkey and it describes you to a T
defacto7
(13,485 posts)To what do you attribute the effect of the stars and planets on human personality? Is it a force, forces, a physical condition, or is it faith or tradition? Other?
2naSalit
(86,637 posts)this sub thread...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212908245#post17
phylny
(8,380 posts)why I'm so damned bull-headed.
DFW
(54,397 posts)That other stuff is too intricate for me to follow, much less believe.
jxla
(201 posts)https://astrostyle.com/zodiac-sign-change-nasa-wrong/
https://astrostyle.com/ophiuchus-nasa-new-star-signs/
https://www.bustle.com/articles/185534-why-isnt-ophiuchus-in-the-zodiac-the-13th-sign-never-made-the-cut
https://marklerner.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/why-the-constellation-of-ophiuchus-was-not-included-in-the-zodiac/
Note the dates of the articles
greyl
(22,990 posts)What does artificial mean?
2naSalit
(86,637 posts)at the bottom of the list! I've learned a lot from him over the years, helped me a lot.
I don't buy the claims of the article, gaslighting bs.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,320 posts)Gaslighting is an attempt to take control of someone's thoughts by misleading them. It's a serious accusation, whether about individuals, or evil groups like the Republicans.
The article is, as pointed out, just telling us again what is well known if you study the sky - the astrological signs do not match well, these days, with the constellations they were named after.
You do no one any favours by misapplying the term 'gaslighting'. You cheapen it. Don't try to make it into a synonym for "this doesn't match with my personal feelings".
2naSalit
(86,637 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)If you believe some kind of power shapes you depending on you birth period i am cool with that.
But you believe in magic. Which I dont.
tavernier
(12,389 posts)If you dont believe me, dig up my back yard.
2naSalit
(86,637 posts)jimfields33
(15,808 posts)And I was shocked at the accuracy. If this is fake, they did a superior job.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)jimfields33
(15,808 posts)But when I read it I cant believe the exactness to it.
WheelWalker
(8,955 posts)so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
jimfields33
(15,808 posts)robbob
(3,531 posts)They say Libras like to consider both sides of everything and make good judgements. Im still on the fence about; it could have same truth to it or it might just be bunk.
😁
sdfernando
(4,935 posts)But really just right at the edge (July 20). The attributes of Cancer are much more applicable to me than Gemini though.
My mother told me Im a Cancer and you better not disagree with her!
Niagara
(7,620 posts)I don't live my life following my daily horoscope. Although, I will admit that traits and characteristic of a Cap is absolutely correct. Some of my Cap traits/characteristics can be my downfall.
Cons: It's not very often that I'm witty, it comes sporadically. Other people do not understand my dry and sarcastic sense of humor, I've literally had people rolling with laughter or extremely mad at me because of it. I have high standards for myself which makes it difficult to get things done because it's not "perfect".
Pros: I like to think that I can offer sensible advise. I care about others welfare. I always try to be practical and figure out how to approach a problem and find a solution. I can be loyal to a fault.
I share the same zodiac sign with: Daniel Webster, Michelle Obama, Elijah Cummings, Betty White, Stephen Hawking, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King Jr., Alison Arngrim, Muhammad Ali, and Cary Grant.
Response to turbinetree (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed