I felt I had to respond with my opinion about astrology since your answer to whether astrology is real was little more than your opinion. Take a couple minutes to consider: if the way the Earth is positioned with the moon and the sun can have an affect on the tides of the ocean or when and where a tree will grow or a sprout will flower, how can you be so arrogant to think that they don’t have any effect on us.
Astrology does not dictate how your life is going to be or who you should marry. It simply gives some insight into someone disposition. It’s not the “rule”. Just a little extra understanding into the aever confusing human psyche.
There is no proof that astrology gives any insight into someone’s disposition. Out of all of the properly conducted surveys, none of them have shown conclusive evidence. If I am mistaken, I would love to see some results.
If you took, say, twenty people and ten of the best astrologers in the world, do you think that they could accurately guess the signs of the twenty people after a brief interview? Would they even agree with each other? I say that they wouldn’t.
Well, the season (i.e. weather) at time of birth could plausibly have an effect on character, though it apparently does not, in fact, do so. Which proves that astrology is a lot like weather—noisy, moving air, and all wet.
Also, Astrology places meaning on the position of other heavenly bodies than the sun and moon. Anyone fancy calculating the gravitational effect of the planet Mars on a person? (let’s be generous and work it out for the closest possible approach between Earth and Mars). I’m guessing the chair I’m sitting on exerts more gravitational pull on me than Mars ever does.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, Liltees, we’re glad to have you with us.
When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column you’re commenting on. Yes, it happens to be on the front page now, but it will soon sink into the abyss of Archives. So, to keep us all on the same page, and to save searching time, it’s customary and polite to provide a link. I’ve added a link to the bottom of your post, to the column that I assume you’re commenting on. (If you meant a different column, please email me and I’ll be glad to fix that link.)
Anyhow, no biggie, you’ll know for next time. And, as I say, welcome!
Our Sun’s mass is about 3,000,000 times that of Mars. Do astrological birth charts reflect that degree of difference in relative influence?
The gravitational attraction between a healthy 10 lb baby and Mars at it’s closest approach is about 0.00000059 gram (force), a bit less than the 157 lb doctor at 2 feet that delivered the baby.
Do you think I could make any money by founding the new ‘science’ of Obstetrology?
Wonderful, my first customer and I haven’t even launched the website yet.
I was delivered in a living room by my aunt so I suspect there are ominous Obstetrological implications (but I’ll need some time to invent what they are and what they really mean).