Appropriately named book?

[Terry B]

For all those budding astrologers.:lol:

[leon]

Astrology, what's that. :shrug: :lol: :lol:

Leon :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

:rofl:

[Enchilada]

Yes, I too have dabbled a little in the "dark side", as when it come to astrology, I've always adopted the rule "Know thy enemy" !!
When I was teaching basic astronomy at the local community college several years, I was presented with about a dozen astrology books as a "guiding" help. These were a good giggle I must say, but I used them to show the difference between astronomy and astrology, then why astrology is misguided.
What is even funnier, is that this same book is in its 4th Edition!
Of course the other classic is "Astrology for Dummies"
However, if you want a really good chuckle, then your source of amusement is the on-line "Astrology Weekly" (The astrologer's equivalent of IIS)
Two truly hilarious articles are;
"Portable Astrology" http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/portable-astrology.php
and the "Astrology of the "First Man on the Moon"", which proves that Neil Armstrong was not the first to land on the Moon, and that his reincarnated self 'proves' he was a liar and a cheat. (See http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/first-man-moon.php )
You might also really enjoy reading the "Astrologers' Community" http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/ - especially the section "Fixed stars, asteroids and other cosmic objects" to see just how well informed astrologers are... :scared::scared: Just a classic! :lol:

[jjjnettie]

I just had a look at that site.
One half of me is laughing at the loonies, the other half is feeling quite sad that these people believe this pseudo science and take it very seriously.

[Barrykgerdes]

I don't know

I see there are many very bright astrologers. Just read the astrology columns in the paper. They all know how to make a quid.

Look on the news stands there are many more magazines on astrology than astronomy. The big name astrologers make more money out of astrology than all of us astronomers put together. It's probably the most lucrative bit of gobleldy gook ever practiced.

Anyone who can take a full page ad in a big city daily must be making pots of dough.

One thing I am pretty sure of is our pollies must most certainly follow the path of leaders down through the ages and probably don't make a move without consulting their favourite astrologer.

Barry:screwy::doh::whistle::P:lol:

[Ric]

Very apt:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Enchilada]

Actually, in Queensland Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania and Victoria there is legislation that makes it a criminal offence against those practising fortune-telling. Even in Queensland and Victoria, it is even equally unlaw to practice witchcraft, sorcery and enchantment.
Astrology wishes to call itself a science just to avoid prosecution.
As Barrykgerdes points out, astrologers do know how to make a quid, but much of these monies are made by illegal means (except in N.S.W.) - that can only be described as deluded at best to being plain fraudulent. (It also comes to mind some amateur astronomers are making a quid too - and although they don't use sleight of hand nor as much gobbledygook, their deception is selling us regurgitated information which is often just rehashed and reborn.)
The main problem is the often exploited frailties through vanity and narcissistic of their target customers who are the suckers believing in such augury - so believing in omens and signs of what or won't happen in the future.

Doris Day I got it right in the Livingston and Evans 1958 song; "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" I.e.

"What ever will be will be,
the future's not ours to see....
Que Sera, Sera."

[jungle11]

LMAO:lol:

[xelasnave]

Well I suspect you know of my association with a lady Astrologer.
I listen with no rebutals.
The irony is she can tell exactly where any planet is at anytime and I can not...unless I look up charts programs whatever...so that makes me smile.
She can predict my moods via what she does and other things with unfortunate acuracy... so very strange meeting of beliefs.
Fortunately by the time of our first meeting I had learnt the hard way to respect others and their opinions and being right or wrong has nothing to do with the matter.
Anyways if you have wondered where I have been... I have been trying to get daily readings of my stars;):D
alex:):):):):)

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

Some more recent politicians who consulted astrologers

Ronald Reagan (I find that absolutely frightening)
Charles de Gaulle
Francois Mitterand
Franklin Roosevelt (at least he only had 3 nuclear weapons)
Leonid Brezhnev (he had more)
Boris Yeltsin
Indira Ghandi
Winston Churchill thought Adolf Hitler did, but was wrong

and
Princess Di

Cheers

[xelasnave]

I find it interesting that folk will take notice of their stars or tarot card reading over their doctor lawyer or accountant ...but on that point at least it gets them to act..as my mate the reader tells me...
AND therein lays the key... it is a good day to see the bank because MArs is in Capricorn ...so at least something that in many cases may be stupidly put off actually gets a day assigned to it...

But if there is one thing I have learned by not saying anything...it seems most ladies are into the star stuff... they hear your star sign and thats it..you have that personality and that is it..if the stars say you are not compatible you may as well give up...
but they never tell you they believe in it ..that is the tricky bit... I recently found out this other lady friend was way into it..I have known her for years...and guess what our stars say..I dont know I am afraid to ask...

alex

[Enchilada]

IIS bloggers might be interested in an Astronomical Society of the Pacific article by Andrew Fraknoi; "The Universe At Your Fingertips Activity: Activities With Astrology : Your Astrology Defense Kit" http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/act3/astrology3.html

This has a lot of information regarding defence against astrology - useful in never-ending debates on the Astronomy versus Astrology. Its concluding advice is highly relevant...

"Clearly, those of us who love astronomy cannot just hope that the public's infatuation with astrology will go away. We must speak out whenever it is useful or appropriate - to discuss the shortcomings of astrology and the shaky ground it is based on. Those of us working with youngsters can use these ideas to develop a healthy skepticism in the students and encourage an interest in the real cosmos - the one of remote worlds and suns that are mercifully unconcerned with the lives and desires of the creatures on planet Earth. Let's not allow another generation of young people to grow up tied to an ancient fantasy, left over from a time when we huddled by the firelight, afraid of the night"

Sage advise indeed!! :thumbsup:

[snowyskiesau]

This thread prompted me to check my horoscope.
Seems my life is currently controlled by neptune.

This doesn't seem fair. I can't even find neptune but neptune not only knows where I am but when my birthday is :shrug:

[Dog Star]

I've been known to delve into many curious nooks and crannies in my lifetime and I must confess that when I was younger I signed up for a 3 evening course of astrology. The first night was enough for me. Never could bring myself to go back the second evening.
Oddly enough, it wasn't what was being "taught" so much as the attitude of the teacher and students that put me right off. When I asked a couple of what I thought were valid and reasonable questions, the teacher got a bit hostile and the other students shunned me as if I was just a trouble maker.
No one was there to ask questions. Just to believe.:shrug:
Looking over some of the titles in my library, I ruefully admit to the following;
Digital Photography for Dummies
Windows XP for Dummies
The Internet for Dummies
and yes,
The Idiots Guide to Astronomy!:lol:

[jjjnettie]

Hey, The Idiots Guide to Astronomy is a great read.
I can highly recommend it.

[Enchilada]

You point is taken, but what worries me is the unseen planets and moons. From my general understanding, many astrologers believe in Lilith - The so-called Dark Moon or Black Moon. It is supposed to be the separate body opposite of the bright moon, and is unseen but as a strong astrological influence on the Earth. For example, the Dutch/ German astrologer Joëlle de Gravelain says;

"During my years of astrological practice, I have come to use the Dark Moon in all my chart analyses, as a complement to interpretating the Moon. It would never occur to me to neglect this influence."
I.e. http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_lilith_e.htm

What worries me not that there are real planets (say like Neptune), but they believe in NO real astronomical objects - like this invisible "Moon" now orbiting the Earth!! Even the single reference above shows where it is placed in an supposed orbit between the Earth and Moon.
A further discussion appears in Wikipedia under Lilith (hypothetical moon) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith_(hypothetical_moon) ,
which says (with suitable reference that; "Astronomically, Dark Moon Lilith is supposed to have a geocentric period of 119 days and to orbit at three times the distance of the Moon.[8] Its diameter is said to be about one quarter that of the Moon." Worst they even produce ephemereides for the next century! (Messers. Dawes, Wallace and Northfield might want to make sure of this for their next "Astronomy Year Book 2010" I think.)

Worst is the slap in the face to astronomers with Joëlle de Gravelain ; saying; "The Dark Moon describes our relationship to the absolute, to sacrifice as such, and shows how we let go."

This is really dangerous stuff - often referred to as Esoteric Astrology - meaning that it is produced and intended to be understood by only a small number of "special" people with a specialized knowledge or interests.

IMO. While this thread might seem a bit of harmless fun, there is a far more serious side in people who have been bamboozled by this presumed pseudo-science. Indeed, people have been known to lose their entire livelihood and direction life - leaving their own lives in other people's hands, while these producers of astrology gain millions creamed-off the top.
One example of this was empire-building Australian astrologer Athena Starwoman. In an article in "The Sun Herald" on 12th April 2002 "Athena's $3m sea change was written in the stars" http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/13/1018333432220.html - that talks specifically on her riches. This was at the time of her peak of popularity, with the claims in the magazines like Vogue, Daily Telegraph, etc. of her uncanny accuracy. She predicted from her own horoscopes her rise in power and affluence using horoscopes, and yet she could not predict that in a short period of ten weeks, she would die from breast cancer on 16th December 2004. Her many fans mourned her death for years, and yet, no one used Astrology to predict her passing - before or after. Why is that do you think?

[lacad01]

I came very close to being the purpetrator of domestic violence the other day when I heard my better half on the phone to a friend say, "Yeah, 2009 is the international year of astrology", yikes! :eyepop:She was gently corrected after the conversation:rofl:

[Terry B]

?justifiable homicide. :P