The Astrology

By Rolando José Olivo

From the beginning of time, the first astrologers observed the heavens in order to communicate properly with the gods. They believed that the celestial bodies were living gods, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and eternal.

As the ancient astrologers discovered that the movements of the Sun coincide with the changes of the seasons, and the lunar phases influence in tides and floods, then the superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought was reinforced.

Moreover, the primitive astrologers concluded that the stars (gods) decide the destiny of human beings, moving to convey messages to their legitimate representatives (astrologers, magicians and/or priests).

The astrology is a pseudoscience resulting from these ancient beliefs and it hasn ́t varied considerably in the last 2,000 years.

Although human thought has progressively evolved and astrology is based on false superstitious beliefs, to-date the popular astrological practices are extremely successful, because the astrology exploits human curiosity, promises to predict the future and appears to give results with a high level of precision, among other reasons (the fascination with the great existential mysteries, the fear of death, the human needs, the yearnings of succeeding, etc.).

In this time, the scientists refute: a) the astrological beliefs, b) the obsolete and incomplete astronomical calculations (performed by astrologers), and c) the astrological explanations and predictions. The modern philosophers question the logic, coherence and rationality of the astrological thought, and also reject the explanatory and predictive capacity of the astrology. While the religious ones state that the astrological beliefs are contrary to the foundations of the monotheistic religions (in opposition with the ideas of new age and postmodern thought).

Even more, academics and researchers allege that there is no reliable study that can support the astrology. Rather, the results of various investigations have gone in the other way: these haven ́t been able to test the astrological beliefs and have questioned, objected and/or refuted them.
Therefore, the future isn ́t written in the stars. The astrology is a controversial, questionable, false, anti-religious and anti-Christian pseudoscience, which has no scientific, philosophical and religious foundations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rolando José Olivo
• Release date: Dec 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463598313

Rolando José Olivo

[e-mail] Instagram: @rolandojolivo Systems Engineer with 3 postgraduate degrees: Master's Degree in Applied Economics, Diploma in General Management and Specialization in Management of Social Programs (Summa Cum Laude). Work experience in companies in the oil sector, occupying these positions: Planning and Logistics Manager, Project Coordinator, Financial Advisor and Consultant. Consultant in the economic and financial area. Writer of books on economics, management, self-help, novels and Christianity, among others.

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I. INTRODUCTION

Too much has been said and written about astrology. The popular horoscopes are published in countless newspapers, magazines, electronic newsletters and blogs.

In this postmodern world, where all kind of luxuries and amenities are offered, and information is transmitted at an impressive speed (supported by technology), many persons are fascinated by the astrology and are regular consultants of the astrological predictions. In this sense, they expect to make the best decisions, defy the monotony of their lives and aspire to be favored by the stars and the energies of the universe.

The astrological practices aren´t recent, dating back to thousands of years ago, since the first astrologers observed the heavens in order to communicate properly with the gods. They believed that the celestial bodies were living gods (which move), omnipresent (can be observed from everywhere and are in every place), omnipotent, omniscient and eternal (rule from above).

Moreover, as the ancient astrologers discovered that the movements of the Sun coincide with the changes of the seasons, and the lunar phases influence in tides and floods, then the superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought was reinforced.

The primitive astrologers also concluded that the gods mold the destiny of human beings, moving to convey messages to their legitimate representatives (astrologers, magicians and/or priests).

Therefore, the astrology is a discipline resulting from ancient beliefs, which has no scientific, philosophical and religious (monotheistic) foundations. Even more, it hasn´t varied considerably in the last 2,000 years.

Although, to-date the astrology is extremely successful, because it exploits human curiosity, promises to predict the future and appears to give results with a high level of accuracy, among other reasons.

This literary work contains the following chapters: II. The Evolution of Human Thought, III. The Astrology and IV. The Rejection of Astrology.

The Chapter II. The Evolution of Human Thought reflects how the superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual, and religious thought of Antiquity evolved towards the idealistic, religious, and scientific one (Middle Ages and part of the Modern Age), and ended in the Postmodern thought (secular, materialistic, hedonistic, anti-religious and immoral).

Nonetheless, considering the positive influence of the religions, since the origins of humankind (these established hierarchical organizations, dictated laws, codes and norms, promoted principles and moral values, and contributed to technological development), the postmodern style is an involution of human thought.

The sub-chapters are: II.1 The Rise of Human Violence (human beings developed at an impressive rate, but they have also been noted for their violence, especially against neighboring communities), II.2 The Origin of Human Violence (the mimetic quality of human beings has led to alarming levels of violence in all ages), II.3 The Search for Existential Responses (based on observation of the heavens), II.4 The Background of Spiritual and Religious Thought (sustained in the diurnal and nocturnal imaginary) and II.5 The Conflict between Science and Religions (the confrontation between the reason and the faith, which now strengthens science), II.6 The Great Existential Mysteries (the search for responses by science and religions), II.7 The Postmodern Thought (the new rational way of thinking and acting of humankind, which emerged in the 1970s), II.8 The Conflict between Monotheism and New Age (the discrepancies between the foundations of the monotheistic religions and the new age ideas) and II.9 Conclusions on The Evolution of Human Thought.

However, the ignorance of natural phenomena, physical laws and the universe, by the ancient Homo sapiens, favored superstitious thinking, giving rise to the astrology, other occult sciences and divinatory methods. Although, the human thinking has progressively evolved and the astrology is based on false superstitious beliefs, still the astrological practices are extremely successful. In this regard, the modern philosophers have responded to this contradiction: the postmodern thought fosters the acceptance of false superstitious beliefs (pseudoscientific and anti-religious), and the relativization of ethics.

The Chapter III. The Astrology presents a broad notion about Western astrology and its main features, emphasizing that astrology: a) is based on astrological beliefs, b) has two products (astral chart and its interpretation, either explanatory or predictive), c) has several divisions, according to the purpose of explanations and predictions, and d) its foundations have been questioned and/or objected by various scientific studies.

In this regard, the astrology is considered as a pseudoscience because it has repeatable, accurate, precise and rigorous techniques (based on astronomical calculations) to perform astral charts (objective part), and at the same time, it is sustained in astrological beliefs and combinations of archetypes (zodiacal houses, zodiacal signs and planets), which lead to personalized, arbitrary and unreliable interpretations (subjective part). In other words, elaborating the astral chart (perhaps according to scientific criteria) and its respective interpretation (maybe this is an artistic expression) gives to astrology this category of pseudoscience (instead of being just a simple method of fortune telling).

The subchapters are: III.1 The Notion of Astrology (What is astrology?), III.2 The Astral Chart (How is this astrological product elaborated?), III.3 The Interpretation of the Astral Chart (How are astrological explanations and predictions made?), III.4 The Divisions of Astrology (What are the types of astrology?), III.5 The Astrological Investigations (What are the results of remarkable astrological scientific studies?), and III.6 Conclusions on The Astrology.

It is relevant to highlight that there are strong objections to astrological explanations and predictions (which are arbitrary and subjective, dependent on astrological beliefs and the particular criteria of astrologers). While several investigations, mentioned in this publication, have failed to prove astrological beliefs, rather these point to the opposite direction (questioning, objecting and/or rejecting the astrological beliefs).

In this sense, these studies are emblematic and demonstrate the scientific refutation to astrology: a) Shawn Carlson (1985), b) Geoffrey Dean & Ivan Kelly (2003), and c) Peter Hartmann, Helmuth Nyborg & Martin Reuter (2006).

The Chapter IV. The Rejection of Astrology reinforces the position of condemnation to this pseudoscience from three perspectives: a) scientific, b) philosophical (modern), and c) religious (monotheist).

The sub-chapters are: IV.1 The Scientific Objections to Astrology (What are the scientific objections to astrology?), IV.2 The Philosophical Objections to Astrology (What are the philosophical objections to astrology?), IV.3 The Religious Objections to Astrology (What are the religious objections to astrology?), and IV.4 Conclusions on The Rejection of Astrology.

In general terms, the scientists refute: a) the astrological beliefs, b) the obsolete and incomplete astronomical calculations (performed by astrologers), and c) the astrological explanations and predictions. In addition, researchers argue that there is no reliable study that supports astrology. The philosophers question the logic, coherence and rationality of astrological thought, rejecting the explanatory and predictive capacity of astrology. The Western religious state that the astrological beliefs are contrary to the foundations of the monotheistic religions (although, the positions are divergent, on the one hand, the true believers of monotheistic religions reject them, and on the other hand, the supporters of the new age, influenced by the postmodern thought, accept them).

More specifically, some researchers, philosophers and religious agree that the supposed mechanism of transmission of the effect of the stars on people and events is diffuse (possibly non-existent), and that the astrological archetypes of personality (zodiacal houses, zodiacal signs and planets) are false.

Finally, the statements presented in this book confirm the following premise: The astrology is a controversial, questionable, false, anti-religious and anti-Christian pseudoscience, which has no scientific, philosophical and religious foundations.

II. THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN THOUGHT

II.1 THE RISE OF HUMAN VIOLENCE

II.2 THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN VIOLENCE

II.3 THE SEARCH FOR EXISTENTIAL RESPONSES

II.4 THE BACKGROUND OF SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

II.5 THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGIONS

II.6 THE GREAT EXISTENTIAL MYSTERIES

II.6.1 THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

II.6.2 ORIGIN AND EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE

II.6.3 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE AND HUMAN BEINGS

II.6.4 LIFE AFTER DEATH

II.6.5 THE TIME

II.6.6 THE DESTINY OF HUMANITY

II.6.7 THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GOOD AND THE EVIL

II.6.8 THE HUMAN SUFFERING PROBLEM

II.6.9 THE MEANING OF HUMAN LIFE

II.7 THE POSTMODERN THOUGHT

II.8 THE CONFLICT BETWEEN MONOTHEISM AND NEW AGE

II.9 CONCLUSIONS ON THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN THOUGHT

II.1 THE RISE OF HUMAN VIOLENCE

More than 50,000 years ago, the Homo sapiens miraculously appeared on the planet Earth. Some believe that this extraordinary phenomenon was a divine act, while others attribute it to the result of a process of evolution or the work of extraterrestrials.

The first humans were nomads, hunters and gatherers. They liked to stay in caves and learned to master fire, make tools, cultivate and domesticate some animals. They became sedentary and constituted small tribes, which were forming communities, increasingly more numerous.

In these clans emerged different social hierarchies. Laws, codes and norms were also enacted to stimulate the duties and rights of each person, and the property rights were determined. In addition, the demands of the members of each tribe were met, in part, by their protection mechanisms and the plans to expand the territories.

The humans looked at the heavens, wondering about the great existential enigmas (origin, purpose, and destiny of humankind), the meaning of life, and the ultimate reality after death. They also sought a meaning to various unexplained natural phenomena. This propitiated a superstitious, mystical, esoteric, spiritual and religious thought.

Although some anthropologists argue that the earliest generations of human beings worshiped a single Creator God, most of the next worshiped several gods.

In that sense, in almost all primitive cultures, the following ideas stood out:

1. There is a god for every inexplicable fact. Therefore, there are innumerable gods and goddesses associated with nature (the crops, the fire, the rain, the thunder, the sea, etc.), the cosmos (the Sun, the Moon, the planets, etc.) and more abstract notions (the good, the beauty, the life, the fertility, the justice, the time, the new year, the dreams, the war, the death, the evil, etc.).

2. The catastrophic events (floods, droughts, earthquakes, diseases, famines, invasions, military defeats, deaths, etc.) are due to the wrath of the gods.

3. It is necessary to make human or animal sacrifices to please the gods, calm their fury, and solicit them various favors (an ideal climate for harvests, protection against enemies, victory in war, long life for rulers and their descendants, etc.).

4. The legitimate leaders of the community are those who communicate with the gods, and act according to their will.

The tribes organized themselves. On the one hand, the first kings were astrologers, magicians and/or priests (who supposedly communicated with the gods and transmitted their messages, appealing to a divine, spiritual and religious authority), and on the other hand, the remaining social classes were constituted by: warriors, farmers, shepherds, hunters, gatherers, builders, craftsmen and slaves.

The efficient division of labor and the guarantees to rights (mainly the property ones), resulting from religions, laws and hierarchies, allowed these archaic communities to subsist and gradually improve their quality of life.

At some time in the Old Age (it isn´t known exactly when these events occurred), many of these tribes gave up violent actions against their neighbors and began to exchange several products.

At the beginning, the system of barter prevailed, later the commercial activities were carried out with a novel invention, made up of small portions of minerals: the money.

The considerable profits of foreign trade stimulated the increase of the agricultural production, the manufacture of better