Monday, July 9, 2007

Astrology : Myth?

Disclaimer : I know this is a sensitive subject to many people, but this is just something I've observed. So if you think I'm wrong, just comment on it. DON'T send over a white van...
Also, by flaming me, you agree to give me exclusive rights to your house, car, assets AND your life. So, before you flame, think. Think deep. Consult your horoscope maybe.

So, here goes :
Why do people make decisions based on astrology? Is it a proven science? Have they ever been proved? I mean, how can an entire career be built around predicting the future based on how a floating rock or a clump of gas, thousands of light years away, moves?

Okay, I did some research, and apperently it's been around for a while( well, duh! ). The greeks got all the signs in the sky, but can't you or I find pretty much any pattern we want in the sky?
Also, this business of making financial decisions, births, and even shaving times based on "nakath". WHY? So if anything goes wrong, is it "Damn you [insert name of random celestial object]!!!" ? People who do that pretty well deserve what they have coming!

And don't tell me it's just an ancient facet of Sri Lankan civilization only believed in by the rural peoples now. A guy I know in my school was made to have his first shave on a certain day at a certain time. Yeah. And how exactly does that help? Maybe the position of Venus at that moment makes his hairs stick out at an angle, thus making the first shave more pleasant. Okay, It would have been fine if you're a virgin about to be de-flowered, but shaving? Come on People!

9 comments:

Times Eye said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Faz said...

One of the strongest proofs that Astrology is a myth is the simple and basic fact that it is based entirely on a man-made calendar which has, from time to time, evolved and changed according to human manipulation.

Parthi said...

well i dnt know abt numerology and what each birth star represents..but what i heard was that the good time thing is all based on sun position moon position and the rays they emit..its liek when u do certain things during that time..the feel of the day the atmosphere just enhances your spirits to do the work more effectively...in in what appears to be a bad time it might be a time of the day where u might feel moody so the thigns you do wont become a success as your expect it to be..its something in that realm...its not proven but this is what a guy was explaining in the TV

Anonymous said...

Is it a proven science?

its not science to start with...
how does science work?
there is a hypothesis... and you try to prove this experimentally and theoretically... and it should be something repeatable... anyone should be able to repeat the experiment and get the same results...

also the sky charts astrologers use are way out dated... they are a few centuries old...

do a simple test... ask an astrologer to predict the location of the sun or the moon at some random moment... check it with astronomical sky charts...

have a look at this note i wrote... its about the sinhalese and tamil new year being a few days off... on the auspicious time the astrologers had set - the sun still in pisces

http://www.kanabona.com/www/?q=node/443

i guess there are ways to prove astrological theories scientifically or at least investigate them... one way is to have a statistical co-relation between position of stars, planets, moon, sun, etc. with random events...

if astrology is not a science... then... is it religion??? 'cos its a belief based on faith... hmmm

Anonymous said...

Of course it is not real. Neither is it a science. But it is one of those things humans invent to shield from the fact that we are in fact infinitesimal entities existing in the vastness of the Universe. Religion, luck, destiny, karma...... The list goes on. Nothing wrong in believing in this if it will help you function.

Anonymous said...

“Why do people make decisions based on astrology?”
Insecurity?
The need to succeed?

“Have they ever been proved?”

This is very debatable. The believer will find reasons to validate his claim and the sceptic will find reasons to argue against it.And in the end you walk off achieving nothing.

FYI, American farmers sow according to the lunar cycle. Moon waxing = sowing
They have a special lunar calendar printed each year.


Some even cut their hair according to the lunar cycle. Moon waxing = for healthy re-growth. Waning = if you want to retard the re-growth.
People who follow them swear by them.

Very famous people consult an astrologer before a major event. One of them was Lady Diana.

Overall, it is very difficult to argue against something people are passionate about.

Jerry said...

As mia says, it IS very hard to argue against something people believe passionately about. Like the iPod. God, I hate that thing...(more on that later)...
So, It's not a science. Okay.
Also @mia,
The farming thing might be valid because of tides. Not ocean tides, but the underground water level. When the moon is closer, the water approaches the surface, therefore producing a more..... growable..... environment for whatever he's sowing.
As for the head shaving, Some people would swear to the fact that the world is flat.

Suraaj de Silva said...

Well, depends how you look at it right?
just like everything else...depends on how people look at it...
if people think it'll be good for them and their happy with it...then that's it for them. If they don't like it, they wont do it.
If they don't like and still do it 'cause they have to (Tradition blah blah blah blah) then yeah...that's when thing's pretty much dont work out too well huh?

Anonymous said...

I think that it could be a big hoaxs but hey there is no way to reall prove that it is or isn't. Just like with relgion.