Astrology in its traditional form, is a form of divination based on the theory of the position and movements of heavenly bodies (stars, planets, sun and moon) at birth, which can profoundly influence a person’s life. Some forms of astrology claim that certain events such as natural disasters can be predicted using various celestial arrangements.
In its psychological form, astrology is a kind of New Age therapy used for self understanding and personality analysis (astroterapia). Either way, astrology is a manifestation of magical thinking (magical thinking invests in power and special forces many of the things seen as symbols).
Pseudoscience – definition and characteristics

Pseudoscience consists of a certain amount of knowledge, methodologies and / or practices that seek to wrongly intentionally or through ignorance, to pass as science.
The standards for determining a volume of knowledge, methodologies and practices as unscientific include the lack of experimental results, nefalsificabilitate, non scientific method or the principle stingily (also known as Occam’s razor and blade’s razor).

It is often regarded by some commentators of pseudoscientific phenomena that some forms of pseudostiintelor not only an innocent fun. Others, like Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan is considered that all forms of pseudoscience are harmful, even if it offers an immediate danger to followers.
Promotion is pseudostiintelor various reasons, from simple ignorance or naivete about the nature of science and scientific method, up to deliberate fraud made in the financial or political purposes.
Classification pseudostiintelor

Pseudostiintele can be identified by this one of the following characteristics:
– Submission of statements and theories with no connection to the experimental results obtained;
– Presentation of statements that can not be verified or proven false, violating falsificabilitatea;
– Presentation of statements that contradict the known experimental results;
– Neoferirea experimental possibility to obtain reproducible results;
– Avoid academic review results before their publication, called science by press conference
– Asserting that a theory does not predict anything though;
– Asserting that a theory predicts something that is not confirmed in practice;
– Violating the principle stingily, heuristic principle which requires choosing explanations that require a minimum of additional assumptions when multiple possible explanations are viable;
– Lack of progress towards obtaining new evidence of the statements made.
Pseudoscience and means “science”

Pseudoscience is distinguishable from revelation, theology and spirituality by means supposed to use “scientific”. Systems of ideas which is based on knowledge “divine” or “inspired” are not considered pseudoscience if they do not claim themselves as such and not try to change the scientific basis of science. Also collections of practical information not claim to be scientific are not considered pseudoscience.

Ivan Kelly has published several critical articles about astrology, he thinks astrology:
“… Has no relevance to understanding our own people or place in the universe. Modern proponents of astrology can not argue about the astrological associations and terrestrial events, not a plausible explanation for their statements and have not made any contribution to cognitive value in any field of social sciences … ”

Even so, astrology has millions of “believers” and survived thousands of years. The ancient Chaldeans and Assyrians were dealing with astrological divination, some 3,000 years ago. The 450 B.C.E. Babylonians were created with 12 zodiac signs, but the Greeks (the period of Alexander the Great until the period of their conquest by the Romans) were those who provided the first fundamental notions of modern astrology.
Astrology spread was stopped by increasing popularity of Christianity, which emphasized divine intervention and free will. During the Renaissance, astrology regained popularity, in part because interest in science and astronomy. Christian theologians were against it, and in 1585 of Pope Sixtus V condemned it. At the same time, The work of Kepler and others undermined the principles of astrology. Astrology popularity and longevity are, of course, irrelevant to the truth of astrology in any of its forms.
Horoscope and astrological forecast

The most popular form of astrology is the traditonala west of the sun, like horoscoapelor found in most newspapers. Daily is an astrological forecast. This term is used to describe and map the zodiac of someone at birth. Zodiac is divided into 12 areas heavenly, each area within it called constellation (Taurus, Leo, Pisces, etc..). Apparent paths of the sun, moon and other planets are incorporated in the zodiac. Due to changing the direction of the vernal equinox, equinox and solstice points have moved by about 30 degrees in the last 30 years. Therefore, the zodiacal constellations, who were named in ancient times, no longer correspond to segments of their zodiac signs represented.
Also there should be 13 zodiac signs, instead of 12.
Procession equinox is caused by the fact that the axis of rotation (that makes day-night cycle) and the axis of the earth around the sun (which marks the end of the year) are not parallel. Between them there is a difference of 23 1 / 2 degrees, which prevents them to align, that is the axis of rotation of the earth is tilted. This inclination is RESPONSIBLE for the production seasons, something understood by Ptolemy, but that remains unthinkable for others of our time. Ptolemy understood that the axis of rotation of the earth was a circle with a radius of 23 1 / 2 degrees and a period of 26,000 years. Deduced by comparing these things made the notes taken by the Sumerians 2000 years before him. He did not understand the driving force behind this movement, but to understand the movement.
The sun is responsible for the procession equinox, the moon has also a small contribution, but the sun is the main cause, why not coorespund ancient zodiacal signs with the current position of the sun
A simple way to separate the Zodiac would be split into “slices” of 30 degrees, as did Ptolemy, but maintaining the focus of “slices” on astrological patterns. This method would make the astrological signs during 30 days and would eliminate the 13th sign (Ophiuchus), but modern signs would differentiate all of the ancient, a zodiac sign.

Astrologers are divided into traditional western tropical and sidereal astrologers. Tropical or solar year, is measured by the sun and is represented by the time between successive vernal equinox (365 days, 5 hours, 48 m and 46 s). sidereal year is the time necessary to complete the earth orbits around the sun (365 days, 6 hours, 9 m, 9.5 s). Sidereal year is longer than the tropical equinox in due procession.
Sidereal astrology uses the actual constellations that the sun is at birth, as a basic principle, tropical astrology uses 30 degrees of the zodiac that principle. Sidereal astrology is practiced by a minority of astrologers and their predictions based on the constellations near the sun at birth.
Tropical Astrology is the most popular form and based their predictions on a time of year, that are made, usually ignoring the sun and constellations. It is based on Ptolemy’s works.

Ptolemy had available Library of Alexandria, was the author of two important works that have become astronomical and astrological theories foundation for the next 1,500 years. Text astrology is known as Tetrabiblos (also known as Quadrapartitium or four books) and contains Greek and Mesopotamian astrological knowledge amount. Among other investment helped as tropical zodiac zodiac zodiac vestic.Deoarece said that Ptolemy should be linked to the seasons, but not the constellations.
The planets and human events

According to some astrologers, the available data supports the hypothesis that there is a relationship between celestial bodies and human events. Such as the relationship between astrological signs and athletics. Even a significant correlation, in statistical terms, between x and y, not a sufficient condition to believe in the causal link between them, much less to believe that xenotransplantation caused by y. Correlation does not prove causation, but is extremely attractive to those who defend astrology.

Length of menstruation in a woman period corresponds with phases of the moon and gravitational fields of the sun and moon are strong enough to cause tides on earth. If months can affect the tides, it means that can affect a person, right? But what are the tides analogous to a person? We are reminded that human life began in the great amniotic and human body contains 70% water. If mussels close their valves open and depending on tides, which is influenced by electromagnetic forces and gravity of the moon and the sun, and people contain much water, it’s not clear as the moon affects humans? Maybe it’s obvious to some, but evidence to support such bills monthly, no.

Important position celestial bodies at birth

Astrologers emfazeaza important position celestial bodies at birth. But the birth, the process is not instantaneous. There is no specific time, a unique moment in which a person is born. The fact that somewhere, someone writes down the date and time of birth is totally irrelevant. When man is born? When water breaks? When first dilation occurs? When leaving at first light hair or a fox? When the umbilical cord is cut? When occurs first breath? Or when the doctor or nurse looked at his watch and notes the time of birth?

Why are most important initial conditions for one’s personality and character, than the terms that follow? What is more important than conception at birth? Why do not you account for the influence of major celestial body closest to us, planet Earth, and take account of bodies that are very far from us, whose influence should be canceled by that of the Earth anyway?

Nobody says that to understand the effects of the tides or potatoes month, must understand initial conditions of the singularity before the Big Bang, or the position of stars and planets when aa potato that was collected. If you want to know when tomorrow will be reflux, not knowing that was a lunar ocean bottom first formed on earth or if the ocean appeared before the month or vice versa. Initial conditions are less important than the present if we want to understand the effects on rivers and vegetables. If it is true for tidal and vegetables, why not be true for humans?
What “works” astrology?

Those who defend astrology accuracy horoscoapelor support professional. Astrology “works” but what that means?
Generally, this means there is a lot of satisfied customers and as an astrologer can handle any event to be classified in a graph.
Astrology can make accurate forecasts about people or human events. There are many people happy with their astrologer horoscope and their exact or advice of astrologers. But these things are not arguments, but only demonstrates and the Forer effect of selective thinking, which eliminate the things that could invalidate the faith.
All things that occur in the horoscopes are vague and fit a large number of people.

Author: Menssana, editor www.descopera.org