Astrology is defined in the Chambers Dictionary as:

"...the study of the movements of the stars and planets and their influence on people's lives".

Although astrology is viewed as a crank belief by many people (who usually have no understanding of it at all) there is no doubt that the sun, moon, and planets of our solar system have an effect on the human body and the planet Earth. Although many serious astrologers dismiss as "nonsense" the popular “sun sign astrology" which is responsible for the plethora of daily horoscope columns, zodiac sign personality profiles, and the annual tabloid predictions given by astrologers each year, many people ignorantly equate the entire science of astrology with these dubious things.

A major principle in astrology is the idea represented by the saying, "As above, so below" or "That which is above is the same as that which is below." In quantum physics terminology, it means that what applies to the very large (the solar system) applies to the very small (the atom). The same laws apply to both. In mathematical terms, human beings are like a "fractal" of the universe, each cell in our body is like a "fractal" (DNA) of our entire body, the atom is like a fractal of each cell, and so on, ad infinitum. The ancients believed the study of the stars is a study of the inner workings of the human mind. This does not seem like such an odd idea when you consider that everything - including our minds - evolved from the stars from the Big Bang. Astrology is simply a system of thought concerning the connections between external reality and internal reality.

Everyday we rise with the sun when our bodies release hormones that awaken us in the morning. In the summer, when the sun appears in the sky longer, our endocrine glands release more hormones which bring us a sense of well-being. By late afternoon we become more relaxed as the sun's strength wanes. Lunar cycles also have an effect on the Earth and human beings. The tidal flow of the world's oceans corresponds to the waxing and waning of the moon, as does the menstrual cycle. The mental disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is the result of the long nights and weeks during winter when the sun does not appear in the sky as long. However, on the equator, where the sun is stronger and appears for longer periods, SAD does not exist. The American Institute of Medical Climatology did a study for the Philadelphia Police Department and the results were documented in a report entitled “The Effect of the Full Moon on Human Behavior.” The report provided evidence that the full moon marks a monthly peak in various kinds of psychotically oriented crimes such as murder, arson, dangerous driving, and kleptomania. Psychologist Arnold Lieber at the University of Miami collected data on homicide in Miami's Dade County over a period of 15 years involving 1,887 murders. When they matched the incidence of homicide with the phases of the moon, they found, much to their surprise, that the two rose and fell together, almost infallibly, for the entire 15 years. As the full or the new moon approached, the murder rate rose sharply; it distinctly declined during the first and last quarters of the moon. The study was replicated using murder statistics from Cuyahoga County in Ohio (Cleveland). Again, the statistics revealed that more murders do indeed occur at the full and new moons.

The monthly lunar cycle can be in choosing the timing and gender of babies. The Southern California Methodist Hospital discovered that more babies are conceived on the waxing moon than on the waning. Out of 11,025 births over a period of six years, nearly 1,000 more children were conceived during the waxing moon which is statistically significant. It appears that successful conception is easier at that time of the waxing moon. In another study, German researcher W. Buehler analyzed 33,000 births and discovered that there was a significant preponderance of male births during the waxing moon. This knowledge, combined with medical techniques known to affect fertility and sex, can help people in planning for their children.

As you will see later in this article, many scientific studies have validated astrological principles.

Carl Jung's astrology study

Carl Jung, the world-renowned psychologist and founder of analytical psychology, believed that when people are born, or when anything at all occurs, the influence of the planets are exerted on them. Jung believed astrology to be an archetypal system that works through synchronicity, a term coined by Jung. Synchronicity is the belief that everything in the universe is interrelated which explains phenomena such as meaningful coincidences and astrology. In 1944, Jung had a heart attack which resulted in a near-death experience. His vivid encounter with the light, plus the intensely meaningful insights he received, helped Jung develop his ideas on the archetypes of the collective unconscious and how it relates to concepts found in astrology. Jung's experiences and knowledge led him to create the field of analytical psychology. Jung did an analysis of astrology to determine its place in synchronicity. He studied 483 married couples and noted the astrological connections between the birth dates of married couples. These findings concluded that long lasting relationships had a certain astrological pattern which were found to be three times higher than the rate of coincidence. Also astounding was the fact that the couples whom astrologers would interpret as being the most conducive to marriage were the couples whose astrological pattern occurred most frequently. The pattern that astrologers interpret as least conducive to marriage occurred least often among the couples. Jung calculated the odds of the this result occurring randomly is 1 in 62,500,000. Jung believed incidents like these are the result of synchronicity.

Scientific evidence validating astrology

The following are some of the scientific discoveries that have validated astrological concepts:

(1)   Serial killers can be identified through a person's astrological birth chart.
(2)   There is a correlation between a person's chosen profession and their astrological birth chart.
(3)   Mental illness can be predicted by astrology.
(4)   Fetuses might be affected by the movement of the sun, moon, and planets as they interfere with the Earth's magnetic field which may have an influence on the fetuses occupation later in life.
(5)   Women can use the lunar cycle for purposes of contraception.
(6)   Many terrestrial phenomena are influenced by electromagnetic and gravitational effects originating within the solar system.
(7)   Sun spot activity affects the molecular structure of water.
(8)   Sun spot activity affects the molecular structure of blood.
(9)   Potatoes, rats, fiddler crabs, and oysters are all governed by lunar periods.
(10)   A theoretical model using principles of mathematics and physics may account for human consciousness and process as it relates to the zodiac.
(11)   The concept of karma was demonstrated to be a reality in a study which confirmed that acting selflessly has rewards.
 

(1)  Serial killers can be identified through a person's astrological birth chart.

A recent episode of the television program, Unsolved Mysteries, profiled a segment concerning an experiment in astrology. The producers of the show had twenty astrological birth charts from people at random. Included with the twenty astrological charts, the producers put the astrological charts of four serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, David Son of Sam Berkowitz, David the Night Stalker Ramirez, and Ed Kemper. These astrological charts were given to Carolyn Reynolds, a well-known astrologer, to see if she can glean any information from them. Without knowing the identity of the people whose charts she was analyzing, Carolyn Reynolds successfully identified the four people as possible serial killers. She was also able to give other specific information about these serial killers that proved correct. She was able to do all this just by analyzing their astrological birth chart.

A similar experiment was done by other people with a different set of people and a different group of serial killers. The astrologer who evaluated their birth charts without knowing who they were, was Edna Rowland, another professional astrologer. They came up with similar results and published their findings in a book entitled, Destined for Murder: Profiles of Six Serial Killers With Astrological Commentary.

See also Frequencies of Various Aspects in the Horoscopes of Murderers and Serial Killers vs. Those of Randomly Generated Control Groups | Supporting data | Home page |

(2)  There is a correlation between a person's chosen profession and their astrological birth chart.

Michel Gauquelin, a French psychologist and statistician, was highly skeptical of the validity of astrology. In his book, "Written in the Stars" he outlines the research he conducted to find out if there was a correlation between a person's chosen profession and their natal chart. Gauquelin's findings placed astrology firmly on the doorstep of science. His findings revealed that the position of the stars had some indication as to what line of work a person may enter in life. The psychologist Hans Eysenck once said, "How ever much it may go against the grain, I think we must admit that there is something here that requires explanation." His results, however, only seemed to work within the members of the higher professionals, the same response not being achievable with unskilled workers.

Gauquelin found that people of certain professions tend to have the same planets in these critical segments with a greater frequency than statistical average. Not only that, but he also found an effect which he titled the "theory of eminence" which holds that not only do people established in their chosen fields have a greater than statistical chance average of having those planets in these important fields. The more eminent a person is in their field, the greater the likelihood that those planets will be found in those critical segments. For example, doctors were found to have the planet of Saturn in these critical segments. If you take an average, general practice physician, the chances of he or she having Saturn in that critical position is much less than the chart of a highly prominent physician, one who is frequently published and renowned in their field. In other words, the more prominent you are in your field, the greater the chances you will have the corresponding planet in the critical field of the wheel.

Although scientists find Gauquilin's findings very disquieting, increasingly sophisticated analysis seems to confirm, rather than disconfirm, certain of the original results. For example, in a 1986 study, the German researcher, Suitbert Ertel, reported: "A reanalysis of Gauquelin professional data using alternative procedures of statistical treatment supports previous Gauquelin results. Frequency deviations from chance expectancy along the scale of planetary sectors differ markedly between professions." Read more about it at the William James Roots of Consciousness website.

(3)  Mental illness can be predicted by astrology.

Psychiatrist Dr. Mitchell E. Gibson, M.D., did a study of more than 400 astrological birth charts and through the use of scientific statistical research models, discovered a new technique for predicting mental illness. He discovered that the average person's birth chart contains about three marker aspects of depression. The birth chart of someone with major depression contains an average of ten such markers. Even with no previous astrological experience, a person can spot the indicators for mental illness through the declinations and multiple planet aspects that form the basis of this pioneering work. All of the patients were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV, the gold standard of psychiatric diagnostic criteria. The diagnostic groups represented include major depression, anxiety, addictive disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. His study is documented in his book Signs Of Mental Illness: An Astrological & Psychiatric Breakthrough by Mitchell E. Gibson.

(4)  Fetuses might be affected by the movement of the sun, moon, and planets as they interfere with the Earth's magnetic field which may have an influence on the fetuses occupation later in life.

In his latest book, The Scientific Proof of Astrology, Percy Seymour, the former Plymouth University, England, astronomy lecturer, and member of the Royal Astronomical Society, argues that the movement of the sun, moon and various planets undoubtedly hold an influence over us. The argument Seymour puts forward is that the movement of the Sun, moon and sundry planets from Jupiter to Mars, interfere with the Earth's magnetic field. In doing so, the unborn offspring of expectant mothers around the world are exposed to different magnetic fields that toy with the development of their budding brains. A study of the 1991-92 English football league suggested players were nearly twice as likely to be born between September and November than in the summer months. Fast bowlers, according to another study, were more likely to be born in the first half of the year. Read more about all this in the news article entitled "Written in the Stars."

(5)  Women can use the lunar cycle for purposes of contraception.

In 1976, Berkeley health feminist Louise Lacey published a study in her book Lunaception: A Feminine Odyssey into Fertility and Contraception which suggests that women can use the lunar cycle for purposes of contraception (which she claimed was influenced by exposure to light).

(6)  Many terrestrial phenomena are influenced by electromagnetic and gravitational effects originating within the solar system.

Geomagnetic disturbances are particularly correlated with solar storms discharging large clouds of ionic plasma. These solar eddies generally impinge upon the Earth's magnetosphere about two days after the solar flare causing polar lights, radio interference, and compression of the Earth's magnetic lines of flux. Fluctuations in solar storm activity follow a cycle averaging 11.2 years and varying from about nine to thirteen years in length. Scientists have correlated solar storm activity to rates of heart attacks, lung disease, eclampsias, and the activity of microbes. (see "Solar activity and frequency of lymphocytes during 1957 in Sochi, USSR" (After Pressman, p. 199)). Epidemics of diphtheria, typhus, cholera, and smallpox have also been correlated with solar activity. Much of this work was done between the two world wars by the Russian Scientist A. L. Tchijevsky. In a huge study he drew up lists of wars, epidemics, revolutions, and population movements from 500 BC to 1900 and plotted them against curves of solar activity. He found that 78 percent of these outbreaks correlated with peaks of solar activity. He also found an amazing assortment of correlating phenomena ranging from locust hordes in Russia to succession of liberal and conservative governments in England from 1830 to 1930. Sturgeon in the Caspian Sea reproduce and then die in masses following cycles of 11 and 33 years which occur during periods of many sunspots (solar storms). The great financial crisis of 1929 coincided with a peak in solar activity. Other research has shown correlations between solar activity and the number of road accidents and mining disasters reported. This may be due to delayed or inaccurate human reactions in conjunction with very violent solar activity.

(7)  Sun spot activity affects the molecular structure of water.

An Italian chemist, Giorgio Piccardi, was asked to figure out why "activated" water dissolves the calcium deposits from a water boiler at certain times and not at others. (Activated water is a vestige of alchemy. A sealed phial containing neon and mercury is moved around in the water until the neon lights up; there is no chemical change in the water; however the structure of the molecular bonds are altered somewhat.) After years of patient research measuring the rate at which bismuth sulfide becomes a colloid in activated and normal water, Piccardi showed that this colloid-forming rate varies with sunspot activity. A colloid solution is one in which the dissolved particles have large enough molecular weight so that the surface tension of each molecule is of importance in determining the behavior of the solution. Common colloids are glue, gelatin, milk, egg white and blood. (The word colloid is derived from the Greek word kolla, meaning glue.) In general colloidal particles are too big to pass through membranes which will pass smaller dissolved molecules. The influence solar activity exerts upon the molecular structure of water is likely to be even more acute in human organisms as the human body temperature is fixed near the limit where changes in the structure of water normally occur.

(8)  Sun spot activity affects the molecular structure of blood.

Research by Dr. M. Takata in Japan, since verified in Germany and the Soviet Union, indicates that blood samples showing flocculation (a cloud-like formation) as well as the leukocyte (white blood cell) content of the blood varies in accordance with solar storm activity. This widespread solar influence upon all colloidal substances manifests itself in a wide variety of ways. Individual reaction times, pain felt by amputees, and the number of suicides all reveal a similar variation in response to sunspots. Michael Guaquilin lists numerous ways in which the sunspot cycle effects weather conditions:

During violent solar eruptions, or at the time when important groups of sunspots move to the sun's central zone, a certain number of disturbances occur in our atmosphere, particularly the aurora borealis, as a result of the greater ionization in the upper atmosphere, and magnetic storms, revealed by violent agitation of compass needles.

The level of Lake Victoria-Nyanza changes in accordance with the rhythm of the sunspots, also the number of icebergs, and famines in India due to lack of rain. The Bulletin Astronomique de France brought out a very interesting article on the relation between the activity of sunspots and the quality of Burgundy wines: excellent vintages correspond with periods of maximum solar activity, and bad vintages with periods of minimum activity. A. Douglass and F.N. Shvedov, have observed that the concentric rings formed in the growth of trees have a period of recurrence of eleven years as well. Finally, there is Ralph Emerson De Lury's well-known statistical observation that the number of rabbit skins taken by the Hudson Bay Company follows a curve parallel to that of solar activity.

On this subject, perhaps the most interesting study is that carried out on varves. These say Piccardi, are many-layered deposits of sand or clay which are formed in calm waters, lakes, ponds, swamps, etc., in glacial zones. A varve's thickness depends on the rainfall in a given year. Examination of these fossilize deposits in sedementary rock formed through the geological ages reveals the same inevitable eleven year cycle in the most distant past.

(9)  Potatoes, rats, fiddler crabs, and oysters are all governed by lunar periods.

Frank Brown, an eminent biologist at Northwestern University, Illinois, found that oysters in his laboratory, a thousand miles from their Connecticut shore, opened at the same time as their home shores' high tide, which in turn is related to the moon's orbital pattern. Brown also proved that potatoes, rats and fiddler crabs are all governed by lunar periods. He theorizes that the "biological clock" mechanisms observed in organisms can be explained by animals being sensitive to various subtle environmental factors. He also notes that "fluctuations in intensity of primary cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere were dependent upon the strength of geomagnetism. The magnetic field steadily undergoes fluctuations in intensity. When the field is stronger, fewer primary cosmic rays come into the outer atmosphere; when it weakens, more get in." Other researchers have shown influences on the circadian rhythm of electrostatic fields, gamma radiation, x-rays, and weak radio waves. Recent years have shown an upsurge of interest in the ways in which human activity is effected by the remote environment. Scientists around the world who are doing research in this area have been meeting under the auspices of the International Society for Biometeorology.

(10) A theoretical model using principles of mathematics and physics may account for human consciousness and process as it relates to the zodiac.

Arthur M. Young, the founder of the Institute for the Study of Consciousness located in Berkeley, California, derived a "geometry of meaning" from the angular relationships that exist between the measure formula of physics. Starting from pure physical and mathematical relationships, Young built an elegant theoretical model that bears an uncanny isomorphism to the twelve signs of the zodiac. He began by plotting the motion of a pendulum (as a representative of simple harmonic motion - the basis of all wave motion) over time on a Cartesian coordinate system. Young derived a formula for the cycle of action or learning that leads to consciousness. If we expand upon the "geometry of meaning," a twelve measure formula of physics can be created for which the different astrological signs can be assigned according to the appropriateness of the physical and astrological symbolism. It provides a comprehensive metaphor with which to describe the processes of consciousness. It is also suggestive of a metasystem within which one can integrate the diverse disciplines of human endeavor. The theory also leads to a "wholistic" view of the universe, oneself, and humankind.

(11)  The concept of karma was demonstrated to be a reality in a study which confirmed that acting selflessly has rewards.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Limnology in Germany staged a series of complex computerized social games with 114 students. Their results appear in science magazine Nature. Manfred Milinski and colleagues had the students play two types of games, both using money as an incentive. Each game had six players who were kept anonymous by using pseudonyms. The history of each game was on screen so that the players could see what everyone else was doing, but there was no risk of identification after the game (or when they collected their cash). The central issue in such games is how to sustain a public resource — the "tragedy of the commons". Without controls, individuals tend to use more than their share of the resource, destroying it for everyone. A common way of dealing with this is to punish the greedy people, which acts as an incentive for others to behave. The authors of the German study suggest positive reinforcement as an alternative. If people can see others performing good acts then they are more likely to behave in a publicly beneficial way. Read more about it at this news article here.

Astrology and the near-death experience

Astrological principles have been found in NDE testimony involving the twelve signs of the zodiac.

  Dannion Brinkley was led to a heavenly cathedral where he saw the Being of Light with twelve other Beings representing the zodiac:

  Jesus led Betty Eadie before a Council of twelve men who decided to reveal to Betty her mission in order to convince her to return to Earth:

  Edgar Cayce revealed through his out-of-body journeys to heaven that the twelve apostles of Christ were representatives of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

  Jesus himself stated that the twelve apostles would someday judge people in a heavenly council of judges:

"Jesus said to them [the twelve], "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)

  Early Christians believed Jesus was the perfection of all the twelve heavenly constellations. He ruled over twelve disciples on Earth and he rules over the twelve signs of the zodiac in the heavens. The early Church leader Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.) had no hesitation in equating the twelve disciples with the twelve signs of the zodiac, with Christ as the central sun:

  Lynnclaire Dennis discovered an interesting connection between the Light and a Council of twelve Elders. During Lynnclaire Dennis' NDE, she entered into the Light of the Universal Life Source which is God. In the light, she saw what she understood to be "the Pattern" of all life and was told that she was assigned to communicate to the world the message behind the Pattern. After her NDE, she would have recurring dreams of the Pattern and would be able to bring more subconscious memories of it into her consciousness. The pattern eventually caught the eye of quantum physicists because of its compatibility with the knotted pattern of 10-dimensional space in SuperString physics and its possible solution to the so-called Theory of Everything - the holy grail of all physics. The Pattern consists of twelve pieces surrounded by an unbroken line creating seven bridges within it. The mathematical name for it is a Fourier Trefoil knot. The following is the interesting connection between this twelve-piece Pattern and the Council of twelve elders:

World-renowned University of Illinois mathematician Dr. Louis Kauffman had this to say about the unifying principle behind Lynnclaire Dennis' Pattern:

Read more about the astrology connection at the NDE and Astrology page.

Biblical support for astrology

The Bible mentions that God uses the heavenly bodies to show humans the signs of his intentions. These signs can be read by anyone who knows how to interpret them. Astrology is about interpreting these signs in the motions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

Jesus used astrology to reveal the signs in the sky of his coming.

God used astrology to answer Job about questioning his omnipotence.

Astrology refers to every 2160 years as a new "AGE" which is a different sign of the zodiac that comes into position to influence the Earth. The Bible describes events that will occur according to the signs of the astrological ages. Many people would be surprised to learn that the term and concept of a new age originated with the Bible.

Here is an excellent Bible passage that uncannily describes the astrological influences on humanity and the suggestion that the universe operates on a cosmic clock:

According to Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37 - 95), the famed Jewish historian, the Jewish temple at Jerusalem had the twelve signs of the zodiac inlaid in its floor. Josephus also stated that the twelve loaves of showbread in the temple was a reference to the zodiac. In modern times, Israel issued stamps with the zodiac signs identified with the twelve tribes of Israel and the astrological symbolism of the temple. Also, according to Josephus, a kind of miraculous quality was presumed to be found in the stones of the breastplate worn by the high priest of the temple. In this breastplate were twelve stones, representing the twelve signs of the zodiac, and arranged in four rows to represent the four seasons.

  Read more about Biblical astrology at the Astrology in the Bible page.

Conclusion

We have shown that astrology has a scientific, historical, religious, philosophical, and metaphysical basis in reality. Astrology has also played a significant role in many important aspects of the human experience throughout history. In many ways, the current bias against astrology in scientific and religious circles has removed the historical "magic" that once existed in science and religion. Fortunately, quantum physics is restoring some of that "magic" that once existed in science. Near-death experiences are restoring the "magic" that once existed in both science and religion. The concept of "oneness" which quantum physics and near-death experiences are bringing to science and religion is the heart of astrology. It is the idea that everyone and everything is interconnected to form a single "organism". We are more than just a physical human body. The Earth, the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the universe are our larger bodies of which we are one.

Edgar Cayce had some interesting insights on this matter that I would like to close with. According to Cayce, at present, humanity is in a state of great spiritual darkness - the darkness which precedes dawn. Humanity developed a level of skepticism that reached a point where it forced humans to make conclusions that they knew was intuitively wrong. At the same time, humanity continued their investigation of natural phenomena to the point where conscious awareness disproved all the higher knowledge that souls had in the beginning. The free will of humanity is discovering that all roads to higher knowledge is leading toward the same destination and conclusions. Scientific, theological, and philosophical knowledge, which has no desire to join forces, are approaching a point of merger. Skepticism faces destruction by its own hand.