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But astrology has changed dramatically though, which I was trying to avoid getting into an argument about. I haven't studied or read up on it, but have read a l

But astrology has changed dramatically though, which I was trying to avoid getting into an argument about. I haven't studied or read up on it, but have read a lot of history, particularly of Medieval times and earlier. For hundreds of years it was inseparable from astronomy. Astronomers making predictions, astrologers identifying events in the year or night sky, diligently recording eclipses and comets. The terms were interchangeable. For centuries they were the same thing, thus there probably is valid science potentially in some of those writings, much as chemist and alchemist were at one time the same thing. Alchemists figured out many chemical reactions, or purified real drugs long before we separated them out into chemistry and mystical hogwash. Just as religion were once connected with scholarship and education (and astrology) too. So I suspect if there is any grain of predictive basis it would be astronomical or meteorological in nature rather than the vanishingly unlikely finding a life partner third week of next month or next Tuesday being particularly lucky. shrug

mytailorisrich 7y ago
It hasn't changed. Astrology uses actual astronomical observations and predictions about the movement of planets, which is scientific (astronomy), and uses them to make predictions about events on Earth, the behaviour of people, or whatnot, which isn't. That was the case then, it's still the case now. The difference is that we now know what is fact and what is fiction so that astrology is relegated to harmless issues... Astrology to decide medical treatments is no longer tolerated or legal, but to decide who to date still is.
jelliclesfarm 7y ago
Forget about whether you’d find a partner because of your sun sign..what about predicting eclipses or comets or drought or famine or war. That’s astrology too, yes?
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Well in old enough texts they might all be considered and described so. From our perspective, eclipses or comets -- astronomy, drought or famine -- meteorology or climatology, war -- fun one that could come into several, e.g. a climate change or drought could trigger a war with neighbours, perhaps to try and migrate. War is only one of those I think does fall under modern view of astrology as, like earthquakes, they can't be reliably predicted until inevitable. Comets like Halley's or solar eclipses can be predicted, with decent precision.
- mytailorisrich 7y ago
  Predicting eclipses and transit of comets has nothing to do with astrology. It's astronomy, which is an actual science.

mytailorisrich 7y ago

It hasn't changed. Astrology uses actual astronomical observations and predictions about the movement of planets, which is scientific (astronomy), and uses them to make predictions about events on Earth, the behaviour of people, or whatnot, which isn't. That was the case then, it's still the case now. The difference is that we now know what is fact and what is fiction so that astrology is relegated to harmless issues... Astrology to decide medical treatments is no longer tolerated or legal, but to decide who to date still is.

jelliclesfarm 7y ago

Forget about whether you’d find a partner because of your sun sign..what about predicting eclipses or comets or drought or famine or war. That’s astrology too, yes?

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Well in old enough texts they might all be considered and described so. From our perspective, eclipses or comets -- astronomy, drought or famine -- meteorology or climatology, war -- fun one that could come into several, e.g. a climate change or drought could trigger a war with neighbours, perhaps to try and migrate. War is only one of those I think does fall under modern view of astrology as, like earthquakes, they can't be reliably predicted until inevitable. Comets like Halley's or solar eclipses can be predicted, with decent precision.
mytailorisrich 7y ago
Predicting eclipses and transit of comets has nothing to do with astrology. It's astronomy, which is an actual science.