Below is a link to an interesting article on science and astrology. Reading the entire article outlines the rationalist basis for the skeptical assessment of mainstream science on the question, but there are nonetheless some points made that may or may not suggest a possible link between scientific reality and astrological beliefs. The article concludes:

“. . . [M]aybe there is something to the old joke: ‘I don't believe in astrology, but then I wouldn't. I'm a Gemini so I'm skeptical.’”

(“Science Confirms Astrology!” by Ben Y. Hayden, Ph.D.,“Psychology Today,” 30 July 2011, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-decision-tree/201107/science-confirms-astrology?amp)



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 02:36AM by steve benson.

Many of my Aquarius friends believe that men should shave under their arms.

I’m not making this up!

kathleen Wrote:
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> Many of my Aquarius friends believe that men
> should shave under their arms.
>
> I’m not making this up!


That is so weird...and... funny, I can't stop laughing!

The article is a hoot also!

Here is a little fun interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ0cNk2PRSo



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 02:14AM by SusieQ#1.

kathleen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Many of my Aquarius friends believe that men
> should shave under their arms.
>
> I’m not making this up!


Ewwwww! I would never say or think that!

Charles Manson was a Scorpio. The scorpion. Those are known for being unwelcome in tents. I wouldn't want Manson in my tent. Of course he's in my head, because I'm thinking of him. So he may as well be in my tent. I read Helter Skelter, and it was riveting. But then I'm a Libra and that was a book. I love the word libretto. It's cute, like booklet. Pocket books kept me alive for years. My only escape, and so portable. I loved anthologies of short stories best. Science fiction. I read a paperback astrology book when I was twelve or thirteen. On the radio, I heard about astrology from "The Age of Aquarius." Aquarius (the water bearer) is not a water sign, and that bothers me. Scorpio is a water sign, and you won't see scorpions and water together. I guess that's my basis for astrology.

For some odd reason I've associated Scorpio with the fire sign. Maybe since my kid brother is a Scorpio, and was a pyromaniac as a child. Interesting it's a water sign.

I'm an Aquarius. Agree, why are we the water bearer when an air sign?

The constellation itself is shaped like that of a water carrier. That is where the imagery comes from. Then I found this:

"What does it mean to be a water bearer?

Comparison with its symbol, the Water Bearer: The symbol for Aquarius is the Water Bearer, symbolically and eternally giving life and spiritual food to the world. ... Concerned with equality and individual freedom, Aquarius seeks to dispense its knowledge, and its vision of equality and individuality, to all."

About Aquarius the Water Bearer: Astrology/Zodiac
https://cafeastrology.com/zodiacaquarius.html

> "...Concerned with equality and individual
> freedom, Aquarius seeks to dispense its
> knowledge, and its vision of equality
> and individuality, to all."

> About Aquarius the Water Bearer: Astrology/Zodiac
> https://cafeastrology.com/zodiacaquarius.html

AJ, this is so totally you! It's like your destiny was written ...

I haven't read the article, but do believe that it's POSSIBLE that the position of the planets in space could effect human behaviour.

The Sun certainly effects human behaviour, nobody will deny this. The moon does as well. Interestingly, I found out that in the oceans the lifestyle there is very impacted by the moon, even though the animals there can't see it, the gravitational force of the moon strongly effects life under there.

I think it's possible that EM waves could effect human behaviour, and I think the planets probably give off EM waves, therefore, if a planet is close to Earth we might get a slightly higher does of whatever EM waves it gives off compared to when it's the other side of the Sun.

I do NOT believe in astrology at the moment. I see no evidence for it (and even if there is evidence for astrology, it doesn't mean the people in the profession know what they're talking about).

However, if in 20 years time a scientist comes out and says he has discovered that dopamine levels in humans drop by an average of 0.5% when Mars is on the other side of the Sun... well, I don't think something like that is completely outside the realms of possibility. I do actually believe it's possible that the positions of planets could effect life on Earth, but obviously the effects will be tiny compared to the Sun and even the moon.

The gravitational effect of the moon is negligible, and it happens to be the same every single day of the month. The only thing that changes is the time of day that the moon is overhead. That's why there is a tide every single day. Actually two tides. The second one is centrifugal force, story for another day.

As for the planets at the time of someone's birth, the gravitational effect of the people in the delivery room is greater.

Yes, planets do give off electromagnetic waves, mostly reflected or reradiated energy from the sun. So does everything on earth, including us. We actually give off a couple hundred watts, which totally dwarfs the amount of EM radiation we get from anything in space except the sun.

Because of the precession of the earth's axis, the actual dates of the various zodiac intervals shift by just under 20 minutes a year, or a whole day every 71 years. Since the time of Christ, they have shifted about a month. We don't bother to adjust the dates of the astrological periods to match when the actual constellations rise in the sky because the whole thing is a silly game, and the datesdont matter at all.

Astrology is fanciful stories sheepherders made up because they were bored and could see stuff moving around in the sky. Astronomy is real science. Astrology is fairy dust.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 11:05AM by Brother Of Jerry.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 12:33PM by steve benson.

The dope levels in humans keeps increasing.

This is the age of aquariums

Is it still?

That’s my favorite fish food store.

Hey, Edgar Cayce claimed there was... If you want to go that direction, I recommend "There is a River" by Thomas Sugrue.

I'm actually amazed it's still in print. It was one of the first books I read when I "shed" my lifelong atheism--well, I was more of an atheist than an agnostic--and the reasons for that involve some "personal spiritual experiences" whose validity was enough for me even if the circumstances were dubious.

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Edgar-Cayce-There-River/dp/0876043759

Over thirty years ago after some "pretty rough times," I connected with a group with the same "metaphysical bent." I had an experience I still can't explain, but since I was coming out of some personal tragedies and trying get myself grounded, I realized I wasn't all that well-wrapped myself. The people I spent some time with--there was "guided imagery meditation" that I still believe is "useful"--were generally "even crazier" than I was, and I felt it best to move on.

They were "nice enough people," but my take these days involves a "strong need to keep things simple" and recognize the power of a faith of some sort, whether it is "authentic" or not. An old "guru" friend of mine described it as "useful energy," and I've been content with his explanation.

At this point I have no opinion on astrology, but I am reasonably certain most astrology purveyors are "crockpot peddlers."

#Sheldon Kopp: "The guru is disciple to no man."

I read the article. I remember reading it a few years ago.

I'm open to the possibility of the concept. I have not read the individual studies and basically don't know how they controlled the variables.


It seems like we all have a combination of personality traits that are associated with zodiac signs. Like horoscopes, you can make them fit by looking through your experiences and personality traits and cherry picking the ones that confirm the association. Looking at all the personality traits I can easily make myself fit into any one of them.

Have I been influenced my whole life to think the qualities I am supposed to have for my month or birth describe me? How is this different from the Chinese zodiac based on year of birth making people think they are more compatible with people born in certain years?


I am a Snake in the Chinese zodiac. I can make maybe half of the qualities associated with this year fit.

I am a Taurus in the monthly zodiac. I can maybe make half of the qualities associated with this fit.

Obviously there are a lot of other factors considered in the article. Some of these seem to make sense (impact of hours of daylight or temperatures, for example).


It's not passing the sniff test yet for me. This seems stronger than the associations people make to remember the hits and forget the misses for horoscopes though. There would have to be something big come to light to make it convincing. It's possible. There could be some other compelling reasons for the groupings not related to month.


I have not followed the literature to see if there have been legitimate follow up studies on this topic since 2011.

Human minds are difficult to study and classify in a controlled manner. Psychology data is more difficult to interpret and statistically evaluate than in the physical sciences- at least for me.


Interesting topic. Would this become a factor if we get to the point of designer DNA babies I wonder? Time will tell.

The article didn't say there are certain personality traits associated with zodiac signs. It said there are certain personality traits associated with the season that a person is born in. In the southern hemisphere, the months of the seasons are 6 months displaced from the northern hemisphere, and and the same statistical variations in personality also match the same seasons in the southern hemisphere. There is no separate set of zodiac signs for the southern hemisphere, so this has nothing to do with the position of stars. It has to do with the season.

That feels like a scientific hypothesis worth investigating. Whether the Age of Aquarius occurs six months later in Argentina does not.

Okay, but what about that awesome Fifth Dimension’s tune “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”? Can I keep my tie dye shirts?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 03:20PM by babyloncansuckit.

"A Japanese study found that people born December through February have lower agreeableness (this term has a precise definition to personality psychologists)."

I don't agree with that.
But then, I was born in January...:)

C'mon, astrology majors. Hit me with your best shot!

:)

Not *entirely* off-topic --

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/09/26/no_nasa_didn_t_change_your_astrological_sign.html

I get confused on this. Technically, I was born as a Cancer. But I was a preemie. If my mother had been able to carry me to term, I would have been a Leo. And Leo fits much better with my anti-authoritarian personality.

It makes for a crabby old lion.