Tag Archives: astrology

Is Astrology a hoax?

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When Stalin assumed the post of Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu after the recently concluded Tamil Nadu elections, a viral video that caught my attention showed H Raja, a politician commenting that he has researched Stalin’s horoscope and found that the there was practically a zero chance of Stalin becoming the CM. There was also an article that was published in a prominent astrology journal that ruled out his chances. There is a saying that “All’s fair in love and war” and election is generally a war of sorts but astrology should not be used as a weapon to influence the minds of people in any way whatsoever as it is could be utilized as tool of subversion on a grand scale. Let me explain:

Astrology supposedly can predict the trajectory of an individual’s life based on his/her’s time of birth. A recent video I saw on Vijay TV shows a doctor pointing out that the time of birth in an overcrowded hospital (where multiple births may occur at the same time) may not be recorded accurately always. Most of the so called astrological based software that is used nowadays rely heavily on the time of birth of the individual. Also, the fulcrum of the astrological belief is that there are 9 planets which is in itself proved to be wrong. The fact that a lot of universities offer degrees in astrology makes it that much more difficult for the general public to decide on the genuineness of astrology.

I personally do not believe in astrology as I have experienced first hand the death of a close friend of my family, ironically an astrologer, through suicide and because astrology has not predicted any major calamities like the tsunami or the coronavirus outbreak (the videos that are available on Youtube have included a lot of generalizations that could be interpreted in multiple ways). People in general are curious about the future and astrology helps to alleviate anxieties about the future and provide reasons for the shortcomings. Since astrology has a very heavy overlap with religion, people still consider it to be a central guiding force. However, what people fail to understand is that Life is in general a messy affair with several circuitous routes and it is up to us to enjoy Life’s essence without using astrology to predict all of Life’s twists and turns.

To people who point about how there is a software that uses astrological principles to predict, let me point out that it is fairly easy to design software that publishes certain outputs for certain inputs (basically designing an algorithm to help make predictions in the way we constrain them). Also, just because a degree is there for a subject does not mean that it is a valid indictor for genuineness. All you have to do to design a course is to put together a curriculum and a community willing to swear by it. The reason I felt compelled to write this post is because I come across a lot of people who go into a shell (or) accept periods of inactivity just because an astrologer or astrology based app (more common nowadays) said that it is a “bad time” for them. When you accept that your temporary misfortune or lack of progress is due to “bad time”, you fail to grasp that failures help unearth valuable lessons for future progress. If you are a big fan of “The Big Bang Theory” ,there is an episode where the character Sheldon, who is shown as a scientist, laments the fate of people who believe in astrology and homeopathy.

In conclusion, anyone who believes in astrology chooses to live a life restrained by verbal jugglery and non science.

Check out my earlier post on astrology : Do Horoscopes give you a Plan B?

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Do Horoscopes give you a Plan B?

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Recently I came across  a software called Jagannatha Hora through one of my office colleagues. I was surprised to learn that this software was used as a astrology tool. Look at the screenshot below

jhshot

The purpose of this post is not to give an illustration of the software. I am merely examining the effectiveness of astrology while formulating your future plans.

I am in India and most of the astrologers I have come across use methods that vary from weirdly funny and downright stupid. I was not prepared for a software that clearly seemed to work on preset/predefined logic. After a careful demo and by checking the horoscopes of a few people including some  key historical figures,I came to the following conclusions:

Horoscopes don’t give a clearcut definition of what “good times” or “bad times” are :

The charts that indicate “Rahu  kala ” or turbulent period does not mean that you will encounter  a crippling experience. Depending on the numbers shown in a square –above 24 means increasingly difficult and less than 24 means safe– you can expect “trying times”. What this does not take into account is how resilient you may be. For example, some people thrive under difficult conditions and taking risks is a way of life for them.Imagine going up to Evel Knievel and saying that he had to postpone his stunt as it may turn out to be “dangerous”.

Horoscopes don’t indicate your happiness quotient:

At the end of the day,the real reason people turn to astrology is to check if they are  going to be happy. Horoscopes cannot define your attitude. There are thousands of people who are happy without even having the basic of amenities.

Horoscopes force you into an complacent mindset :

Admit it. The real reason you checked your horoscope was to get some external assurance/inputs. Let’s say you checked your horoscope and discover that you are in a purple patch;would you be willing to go the extra mile to get what you want.Even if you finish second best you would convince yourself that the outcome is a minor spot in an otherwise golden period and just wait for something good to happen.”Carpe Diem”goes out the window!!

Conclusion : Horoscopes are not evil and do have scientific background as they are related to the movement of the planets in relation to our beings. (Heard of Newton’s Third Law??).However,if you are not strong-willed and are easily influenced by the tiniest inkling of bad news,steer clear of astrology or horoscopes. Your mind is sensitive and your thoughts will shape your destiny.Also, “I told you so” moments never made anyone popular.