Why Astrology isn’t accepted as Science?
It’s after long time back, that I am writing this article on Astrology.
Astrology as we know today is considered as something synonymous to word pseudoscience, which is something appears as Science but with no solid Scientific foundation.
Astrology is treated as fringe subject with no relationship with Science.
Once a period of time both Astronomy and Astrology were treated as same or twin Science, until they were separated from each other during Scientific revolution or age of enlightenment era where Astronomy was accepted as Science and Astrology was considered as occult superstition.
Astrology isn’t accepted as Science due to the main argument that there is no physical force and Scientific mechanism for Astrology.
But, there are many studies which suggest that there is a connection between orbital mechanics of celestial bodies and Solar activity, where resonance is said to be the link for such connection.
Now, Geomagnetic field fluctuates regularly and this fluctuations in Geomagnetic field is linked to Solar activity, during Solar maxima Geomagnetic field fluctuation increases and during Solar minima it decreases.
Fluctuations in Geomagnetic field has an influence on wide variety of organisms including humans, Magneto-reception is an ability of an organism to navigate with the help of Geomagnetic field.
As British Astrophysicist and Astronomer Dr. Percy Seymour puts it.
Dr. Percy Seymour is dividing his theory analogically to the evidence level it is using:
1. In first level, it is accepted by almost all scientists that the sunspots cycle affects the magnetic field of Earth, and the agency responsible for this effect, the solar wind, has been detected. It is also beyond doubt that the Moon causes tides in the upper atmosphere which give rise to electric currents, and these generate the lunal daily magnetic variation.
2. In second level, there is plenty of evidence that both the steady state as well as the fluctuating behavior of the geomagnetic field can be used by organisms, including man, for purposes of finding direction and keeping internal body time. This is much documented and widely accepted.
3. In third level, there is evidence, largely ignored, that positions and movements of planets as seen from Sun, play a role in the Solar cycle. Furthermore, there is some evidence, highly controvercial but difficult to dismiss, that some positions of the planets as seen from Earth at time of Birth are linked to personality characteristics of individuals.
The interpretation that Dr. Percy Seymour proposes that can be scientifically tested has the following steps:
i. Planets affect the solar cycle in specific ways.
ii. The solar cycle affects the geomagnetic field.
iii. The geomagnetic field affects life on Earth in certain observed ways.
iv. Specifically, many species, including man, can be influenced by particular states of the geomagnetic field.
v. These particular influences appear to correlate with planetary positions.
vi. The behavior of the fetus at the time of birth is linked to cycles within the geomagnetic field, which in turn are influenced by the Solar cycle and positions of the planets. Resonance is the phenomenon by which the fetus is phase-locked to specific cycles.
Dr. Percy Seymour’s theory proposes that planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune control the direction of the convective motions
within the Sun, which generate the solar magnetic field.
Thus, the planets play a role in the modulation of Earth’s magnetic field by the solar wind.
He is also proposing that the tidal tug of the planets on the hot gases trapped in our magnetosphere will, because of resonance, lock some of the vibrations of the Earth’s field in step with planetary movements.
The resulting fluctuations of Earth’s field are picked up by the nervous system of the fetus, which acts like an antenna, and these synchronize the internal biological clocks of the fetus which control the moment of birth.
The tuning of the fetal magnetic antenna is carried out by the genes which it inherits, and these to some extent will determine its basic genetically inherited personality characteristic.
But, what if all the above information has nothing to do with Astrology?
Well, In March 1951 an American Radio Engineer John Henry Nelson discovered that the revolving planets under certain Geometric patterns orchestrated Solar activity where they were responsible for distortion in shortwave radio communication signals via fluctuations in ionosphere.
The discovery of Radio Engineer John Nelson seemed to suggest that alignments of planets with
respect to the Sun also had an effect upon Earth. These angles also seem to coincide with Astrological aspects:
Opposition- 180 degrees
Quincunx- 150 degrees
Trine- 120 degrees
Square- 90 degrees
Sextile- 60 degrees
Semi-sextile- 30 degrees
In traditional Astrology, the opposition, square and trine aspects are said to be powerful and other aspects are said to be less powerful.
Astrologers took keen interest in his discovery.
Dr.Jane Blizard’s work for NASA showed evidence for heliocentric planetary conjunctions, oppositions, and certain 90° alignments giving rise to violent solar disturbances. Due to this, the fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field will change from 0.0ci to 2.0ci (ci - International magnetic character figure), as noted by geophysicists. This means earth’s magnetism will change depending on disturbances caused by solar magnetic wind.
Now the question is though, there maybe something to Astrology. Astrology may be Scientific upto here, but real challenge is “Astrological Predictions”, which may can or cannot be explained Scientifically.
“Dr. Percy Seymour wrote a startling book entitled “Astrology:the Evidence of Science”, which states that certain predictions made from horoscopes can be explained logically and tested scientifically. He has wagered his professional standing by espousing such a theory and, as a result, endured much criticism.”
Why still Astrology is not accepted as Science?
Well, it depends upon the mindset or mentality of Science community, their present knowledge of Science and technology.
Example: once upon a time, it was believed that humanity can never fly and it’s impossible to go airborne. Lord Kelvin, famous Mathematician-Physicist in 1895 had said “heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible”, only to be proved definitively wrong just eight years later. Even when Kelvin made his infamous statement, scientists and engineers were closing rapidly on the goal of heavier-than-air flight.
In 1905, Wright brothers created a History and today Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering is a Science of Flying machines, Aerodynamics, Astronautics.
Same can be said to Astrology, it can be accepted as Science in future by future generations.
Refer my other article below:
https://medium.com/the-science-of-astrology/astrology-and-scientific-method-6cce840e561a
