Astrology The Oldest Science
in the World
Before we can
discuss what is the oldest science in the world, we must arrive at some
conclusion as to the definition of science. What exactly is science? Buckets and
buckets of ink have been used in defining the word, but they all boil down to
the statement: Science is knowledge arrived at by the scientific method. Even
more buckets of ink have been used in trying to define scientific method. The
essential of the method may easily be described. They are a series of steps, the
first of which is direct observation.
Of
course, what the scientist observes is often the result of deliberately
contrived experimentation. Contrived in some cases, as it were, to reveal what
the scientist wants to see. After such a scientist has made a whole string of
direct observations, he goes into a huddle with himself, pulls his beard,
scratches his head, or perhaps contemplates his navel. From all this he forms
an hypothesis or an explanation of some kind for the things he designed the
observations and experiments to reveal. This hypothesis is a guess‑an
educated guess, perhaps, but still a guess.
The
next step is a simple one. The scientist says to himself, "I know my idea
is right, and if I do some more experiments I will be able to prove it."
The final step, then, for this scientist, is to do the new experiment. If the
experiment proves his guess, everything is fine. But if it doesn't‑which
is often the case‑he uses Finagle's Laws and introduces a constant into
the mathematics or a fudge factor into the experiment. Frequently, merely
fudging a little doesn't really prove the original hypothesis, so he takes one
other step and draws on the truly mystical realm of mathematics‑the art of
juggling figures. Now the
hypothesis is Substantiated, and it can be called a theory. The
theory is
nothing, then, but a well‑tested guess.
Yet
such scientists have overwhelming confidence in their own ability, and thus make
no attempts to teach the limitations of science. In fact, they rarely recognize
the limitations. But there are limits to science.
Let
us consider
the question: Can science disprove ghosts? Many students of
modern
science would agree that science has found no evidence, nor reason to suspect
evidence, of spirits. Such things are only superstitions. But ghosts and spirits
can appear when the psychological conditions are exactly right. Perhaps one of
the very necessary conditions for the appearance of any ghost is the absence of
a modern scientist. What then? Science would and could investigate ghost after
ghost but no evidence of ghosts would be found. And ghosts would continue to
appear when the cynical scientists weren't looking.
This
is a very simple case, yet it illustrates the true impossibility of disproving
things by the scientific method. Perhaps this is the case in the current
investigation into flying saucers. The Air Force and the scientists seem much
more interested in disproving their existence than they are in proving it.
Not
many years ago any claim about unknown forces from outside our world affecting
the lives and behavior of human beings would have thrown scientists into an
uproar. To accept such a concept would have been to acknowledge a belief in
Astrology. To the cynical scientist, believing in Astrology is like believing in
ghosts or witchcraft.
Paradoxically,
scientists consider Sir Isaac Newton one of the greatest of all scientists. They
conveniently forget that Newton chose Astrology as his life's work! It was with
great reluctance that he took tip the study of astronomy. He
accused his colleagues of thinking too materialistically. He also accused them
of neglecting the real cause of events. When fellow members of the
Royal Society‑true blue scientists‑asked Newton why he believed in
Astrology, he replied, "I do not believe in a universe of accidents and,
after all, I have studied the subject and you haven't." Other notable men who firmly believed in
Astrology were Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare, Cromwell, Copernicus, Kepler, Plato,
and Bacon.Thc great Nostradamus based all his predictions on Astrology.
Astrology
is the oldest science in the world. It had its origins in the worship or the
moon. Through the long nights before any history bookt4 were written,
generations upon generations of savages sat and contemplated the wondrous and
orderly procession of the seasons and the shining stars in the heavens. Man soon
gave them names, and the names were those of the animal spirits he worshipped.
In
Mesopotamia, archaeologists have unearthed clay tablets recording astrological
events which are over sixty centuries old. Five thousand years ago the
astrologer‑priests predicted the flooding of the rivers by watching the
starry heavens. The Assyrian priests discovered the Zodiac and its twelve
divisions. They even learned to calculate the irregular paths of the major
planets and predicted eclipses.
In
the early days, Astrology was a bloody, religious faith. It was reserved for the
king and rich, powerful citizens. When a major event occurred in the heavens, a
ritual murder frequently occurred. Such mu ders rivaled the blood baths of the
Aztecs.
Yet
Astrologers of the ancient world were the Wise Men who were the earliest
mathematicians and who arranged the first calendars. These same Astrologers were
the founding fathers of the first universities, and they built the world's
first skyscrapers in order to observe the stars in the heavens.
The
ancients discovered that each planet controlled the health of certain parts of
the body, and they thought certain food plants grew best when planted during the
full moon. Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, and the Crusaders required the
sanction of the stars. War, peace, treaties, coronations, marriages, operations
‑ all these required a special horoscope. The poisoning Borgias cast
horoscopes before giving arsenic to their enemies. Until just before the Spanish
American War, medicine depended on Astrology. Herbs, plants, and elixirs were
all more potent when gathered or manufactured (luring the proper phase of the
moon.
During
the late nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century, prior
to World War 1, Astrology fell into disrepute. The centuries of opposition by
religion, philosophy, and science drove it underground. Einstein's works were
the vogue. In World War 11 the "royal art" played an odd role in the
management of this great war. Hitler had a battery of Astrologers and planned
his campaigns on the basis of their horoscopes. There was nothing for Roosevelt
and Churchill to do but to employ a special super secret Astrologer to tell them
what the German Astrologers were telling Adolph Hitler.
Even
so, the cynical scientific opinion was that Astrology was nothing more than a
form of witchcraft or mysticism. At best, it was accepted only am
a
pseudo science. Today, however, the climate is rapidly changing. There is
evidence emerging which shows even the cynics that what goes on in the heavens
may have cause‑effect connections with all of us here on earth.
The
great Swiss psychiatrist, Carl G. Jung, was intrigued by Astrology. Astrologers
have always known that by comparing the horoscopes of married couples, or
couples about to be married, they can determine actual or future harmony or
disharmony. Jung began using horoscopes to examine the planetary aspects in the
charts of 483 married couples (966 persons). He used a large group of single
couples who hadn't met as his control group. His remarkable conclu8ion was:
"The statistical material shows that a practical as well as a theoretically
improbable chance combination occurred which coincides in the most remarkable
way with traditional Astrological expectations. That such a coincidence should
occur at all is so improbable and so incredible that nobody could have dared
predict anything like it. It really does look as if the statistical material had
been manipulated and arranged so as to give the appearance of a positive
result."
Even
though the cynical scientists are becoming interested in Astrology again, they
are still reluctant to acknowledge their interest. A
few, though,
do speak out. Frank Brown, a biologist at Northwestern University, has
demonstrated that oysters sense the position of the moon and regulate their
activities by it. Ordinarily oysters open and close their shells
in phase with the ocean tides. Doctor Brown wanted to see what oysters would do
if there were no tides. He hauled some out of the sea off New Haven,
Connecticut, shipped them to Evanston, Illinois, and put them indoors in a tank
of seawater at an even temperature under a steady, dim light. For two weeks they
continued to open and close their shells in phase with the tides at their old
ocean home.
Abruptly
they changed their rhythm. Their shell‑opening cycle slipped
into
phase with the tides which would have existed in Chicago had there been an ocean
covering Illinois. His hypothesis was that it not the ebb and flow of tidal
water, but the position of the moon itself which governs the oysters' behavior.
The mystery now is, What Is the force from the moon which causes this?
It
is a statistical fact that the birthdays of geniuses, of criminals, of the
mentally deranged, tend to be grouped in seasons; for example persons born in
March tend to outlive those born in the summer months, and geniuses are born
more frequently in the spring. Physiologists explain these statistics by
talking about seasonal variations in maternal nutrition during the pregnancy or
seasonal changes in the endocrine activity of the mother, exposing the fetus to
differing hormonal environments.
It
is well established that the earth's atmosphere contains an electric current
composed of ascending negative ions and descending positive ions. This field
varies with the seasons and Zodiac and could conceivably influence maternal
metabolism during gestation.
Business
cycles were for many years believed to coincide with sunspot intensity. One
explanation was that sunspots cause magnetic and ionic storms which alter the
ionic equilibrium of the atmosphere. If the proportion of positive ions
increases, it would cause headaches and malaise, thus depressing morale and
causing a slump in business activity.
A
meteorologist of the Radio Corporation of America once investigated the effect
of various planets on electric storms in the ionosphere and developed formulae
which were very similar to those used by Astrologers in their calculations of
the influence of planets on personalities. Although no scientist has yet
determined the physiologic or psychologic effects of ionic storms on the
individual, the problem remains open.
German
seismologist Rudolf Tomascheck found that strong earthquakes usually occur
when Uranus is within fifteen degrees of the meridian. Two of the world's worst
tremors took place when U ran us was in a very specific aspect in relation to
several other planets. It is highly possible that changes in the interplanetary
gravitational field might produce a "tide" within the earth's molten
core. This "tide" would place a heavier stress on a
surface
fault and thus earthquakes would occur.
The
"Third Eye" or pineal g1sind, which was Descartes' site of the soul,
is now considered
a "clock" for the onset of' puberty. It is
definitely affected by the planets and the seasons.
Throughout
the history of time, man has always wanted to know and understand the world in
which lie lives. It has been the custom to treat many of mans attempts at
knowledge of nature as folly and superstition, or its pure nonsense. Currently
it is the custom when teaching the history of' science to state, "True
science started with Thales" But man has always asked questions about the
universe in which he lives. It is far too easy, and really immature, for the
modem scientist to dismiss ancient knowledge and science as crude contrived
superstition. It takes knowledge and experience to compare and ,Judge ideas and
beliefs which arise from a different mode of life than that of
the
world today.
The
world has affected man in many ways, and has always left strong emotional
imprints upon his mind. Fire, flood, crop failure, disease, defeat, and
misfortune directly affected man's fate and well being. Such things as comets,
eclipses, and the stars were observed carefully and studied. These phenomena
impressed man, and he believes they were vital to his life and welfare. Theories
and hypothesis were devised for the coordination and interpretation of the
sensory data collected. Early man developed these theories and hypotheses to the
best of his ability and not because of fear or superstition. Many such theories
failed to survive when time, ideas, values, fools. and basic assumptions changed
with man's ever upward progress, New theories were found more acceptable and
replaced the old. The old theories, however, were not acts of childishness or
idiocy. In reality, these old theories were modified, expanded, and changed
gradually over the years to form the new concepts.
The
Astrological outlook was a set of hypotheses which filled a vacancy in the mind
of early man. This outlook has outlasted any purely emotional or prejudiced
beliefs. In spite of its repeatedly being challenged and attacked by
materialistic and fatalistic tenets the Astrological outlook remains important
today.
Astrology
found its support among the most learned as well as among the common people, and this is why it has endured for nearly six
millennia. It was deep within the womb of Astrology that Astronomy was
nurtured,
and there never has been any competition or conflict between the two. They were
very closely connected and Inseparable for many centuries.
From
natural Astrology came the calendar and the ability of man to predict the
movements of the sun, moon, and various planets. Natural Astrology advanced
through the ages and in time was able to predict eclipses of the sun and moon
and the appearance of comets. Judicial or mundane Astrology was studied as a
method of predicting and foretelling the future. Not only was it studied to
determine the character and fate of various individual men, but it was also
studied to predict plagues, wars, earthquakes, and other natural and historical
events. It is this branch of ancient Astrology which is the Astrology of today.
It was, and is, thought by many of the cynical to be a pseudo science, and is
jumbled together with palmistry, numerology, and magic.
Yet,
Astrology is defined as the study of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. It is
disappointing that the modern scientist has not examined this age‑old
science with the modem methods and tools of present day technology, to prove, or
disprove, the effect of the heavenly bodies upon the affairs and
well‑being of mankind.
Alchemy
has faired better throughout recorded history; it is readily accepted as the
forerunner of modern chemistry. The modern chemist has even succeeded in the
principal purposes of medieval Alchemy. It is now possible to change base metals
into gold and silver. Pharmacological chemistry is now approaching the other
great goal of Alchemy by seeking substances which will cure the physical and
mental ailments of man. Modem pharmacy has enabled mankind to live longer and
healthier lives. The medieval Alchemist was unable to do either, but he made the
basic chemical discoveries which led to modern day molecular and atomic
chemistry.
Most
modern day chemists are willing to credit the medieval Alchemist with scientific
achievement. The alchemical workshops even resembled the modem chemical
experimental laboratory. But the original four Greek elements of earth, air,
fire, and water have now been expanded into well over a hundred.
DRY
WET
|
COLD |
Earth
|
Water |
|
HOT |
Fire
|
Air |
Empedocles
taught that everything was formed of these four elements mixed in different
proportions by attractive and repulsive tendencies. The four elements were
themselves formed by the attractions or repulsions of two pairs of contrasting
qualities or cosmic forces.
Alchemy
contained many highly theoretical components which were derived from the
abstract philosophers, such as Empedocles, Plato, and Aristotle. Yet, the
immediate observed events, the sight of compound changing color, vapor turning
to metal, or water turning to air ‑ these were undeniable facts. These
were also subject to the Alchemist's control, for he could repeat them at will.
Neither
Astrology nor Alchemy was ever an obstacle to progress. Progress always requires
change ‑ change in ideas and change in beliefs. Yet, all change is not a
forward progress. A change of ideas or change of beliefs can result in extreme
skepticism and regression.
Science
should be viewed as an aspect of human behavior and founded on a cultural
matrix. True knowledge comes from deep human understanding‑an
understanding which is sympathetic and not critical. Such should be one's
approach to the study of Astrology and the Occult. Both have been with us
since before the coming of a written history; they have survived thousands of
years and will continue to survive for many more.
Man is ever seeking ways to control his fate and destiny. Man is ever asking questions about his Universe. No question should ever be considered foolish, superstitious, or stupid if it concerns where and whence man came, where man goest, or why is man.
