The Science of Astrology by Dr. Pavan Joshi

The position of planets or grahas is considered relative to the tropical zodiac (12 “signs” dividing in 30^◦ sectors the band of constellations upon which the motions of the Sun and planets are projected during the year, with an arbitrary origin at the vernal –spring– equinox) and to the “houses” (a local reference frame dividing the local sky into 12 sectors of unequal extent). The position of planets or grahas at a given time and place can be calculated through celestial mechanics, and their graphical –and objective– display is the “horoscope”. The horoscope, which reveals astral conjunctions at a given time and place, is the basic tool of astrology. It allows one to define the solar sign (sign “containing” the Sun at the considered time).

The ascendant (rising sign at eastern horizon) and descendant (opposite), the middle of the sky, the positions of planets or grahas in signs and houses, the “aspects” (angles formed by Triplets of planets or grahas), the transits (a planets or grahas passing over another one or over a former particular position), etc. The interpretation of the horoscope is the subjective part which truly characterizes the astrological practice. It is also the point from where astrology divorces/diverges from astronomy.

So much has been told, written and argued against astrology. Physicists will emphatically deny that Planets are very much far away from us and that gravity which holds the Sun and the planets together cannot influence human beings – objects of insignificant masses compared to planets. Apart from the four fundamental forces – electromagnetic, strong, and weak and gravity – some other force which these huge rotating masses may induce on masses of our dimensions will be without any reservation considered blasphemous by Physicists? It is true that in most cases, the tirade against astrology is carried out people who have not

studied astrology in detail. The main aim of this article is to highlight certain scientific aspects of this mysterious, fascinating and a very important subject which tells us about our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so that we can plan and lead a much more disciplined and contended life.

An interesting point is that, in a large number of horoscopes of parents and their children, some interesting similarities can be found. A few planets, not necessarily Jupiter and Saturn (which take 11.8613 and 29.4568 years to complete one revolution around the sun and hence, can easily justify repeatability), are in either similar positions or in similar combinations in the horoscopes of parents and their children. This cannot be a coincidence. If the planets do not have a genetic correlation, this above ‘inheritance’ will not occur. Earlier, the legendary French Astrologer, Michel Gauquelin [1] had proved this point which had baffled even his strong critics. It is heartening to note that, till date, this particular point of inheritance could not be ignored by all those who had tested his data to condemn Astrology. This is one of the strongest points which prove the relationship between genetics and Astrology.

In this connection, the important contribution made by Dr. Percy Seymour [2] of England is worth mentioning. For the first time in 1990, in his book supporting Astrology, he had proposed a Scientific Theory relating planetary influences on human beings. He had proposed that due to the varying gravitational influence of planets on the magnetic field of the Sun, the magnetic perturbations created in the sun, each being specific to individual planets, produce variations in the Solar Wind, which when reaches the earth continuously, affects the foetus at the time of its birth, the influence of each planet in tune with the already expressed (formed) genetic characteristics influencing the child birth and further when it grows. He has categorically described that each individual planet can play a selective role in influencing human beings. His main scientific explanation is that Sun amplifies the gravitational effects of the planets in the form of magnetic field variation which is transmitted to the earth, thereby affecting the human beings. Even today, even stalwart critics on Astrology are finding it difficult to denounce this explanation.

In astrology each planet is responsible for certain characteristics. Besides, the planets, two distinct points in space (Rahu and Ketu), representing the two intersecting points in the orbital plane of the Earth (Ecliptic) to that of the Moon (orbiting around the earth), are also considered important so much so that they are treated as two planets. For a student of astrology, the importance of these two points in predicting certain important aspects like prosperity, accidents, losses, longevity etc are well known. Again, planets between Rahu – Ketu axis and planets between Ketu – Rahu axis do have different connotations in astrology! If astrology is not a science, why should two points in space, and that too, connected with the orbital plane of the earth assume so much significance?

Astrology deals with each individual as a dimensional entity and describes all the characteristics of the individual. It talks about appearance, health, wealth, intelligence, relations, family, wife/husband, friends, longevity, diseases, honor, profession, luck and even losses. While, some of these aspects are visibly noticeable, others involving potentialities like luck, ability to earn wealth, ability to acquire skills, and all the other biological aspects associated to the individual like mother, father, brother, sisters, relatives, wife, children etc. are invisible and hidden. Thus, here is an area where an individual is described by his/her multi-dimensional characteristics – both visible and invisible

It is now unequivocally established that characteristics of individuals are attributable to their genes. The visible characteristics like appearance, speech, intellect and diseases, to name a few, are related to the genes. That planetary combinations can also describe them is another clear indication that planetary influences play a decisive role in controlling genetic expressions in individuals. Expression of genes which result in bestowing certain characteristics and suppression of few genes which may manifest at a later stage in life also show that they should be regulated by planetary progressions. The genetic factor is the one which bring out the differences between individuals born at the same time to different parents at the same place including the twins. The differences in the extent of expression should depend on the individual genetic make-up which accounts for a difference of degree and not of the kind.

Unified Field Theory and its related String Theory (and recently Brane Theory) is still contemplating on 10-32 dimensional (or more) universe with four dimensions of space and time and the remaining probable hidden dimensions. Astrology clearly describes the multi- dimensional characteristics of the universe. Thus Astrology links huge masses like planets on one hand and the humans characterized by genes made up of strands of DNA molecules. In this way, it represents unification all the four fundamental forces (electromagnetic, strong , weak and gravity) whereas Science is still unable to bring all these four fundamental forces together, gravity defying unification while the other three forces- strong , weak and electromagnetic forces- integrated.

It is also quite interesting to observe that the proposed effects for the planets in astrology are of the same magnitude. None too small, irrespective of the masses and distances of these planets from the earth. Gravity, however, varies with mass and distance.

The effects of Retrogression of planets is another area worth mentioning where the apparent backward motions of the planets caused due to the relative motions of the planets with respect to that of earth clearly indicates that motions of these planets have pronounced scientific implication. Around the dates of Retrogression and De-retrogression (resumption of direct motion) of especially Saturn and Jupiter, one can experience the occurrence of decisive things which had been dragging without end for sometime before. In Retrogression, the distance between the respective planet and the Earth is the shortest. Why should distance play a role if there is no such scientific basis in Astrology? Let us not forget that most of these time tested observations have been made much before the proposal of Laws of Planetary Motions by Johannes Kepler and Law of Gravitation by Sir Isaac Newton, great minds inspired by astrology.

Astrology deals with probability of manifestation of dimensions in human beings – the nature, extent and the time of such manifestations being dictated through planetary positions and their motions which serve as co-ordinates. A few mis concepts like Sun, Moon and Moon’s nodes as planets and earth as the centre exist which can be corrected through collective efforts. Also in a continuous varying function like time, periodical observances like

Rahu Kala and Yamagantaka do not have any meaning. Although the existing empirical correlations indicate quite a large number of general rules, ‘One Cause One Effect’ correlation is still lacking in astrology, which is possible only with a well conducted statistical analyses. Only time tested and statistically analyzed and accepted astrological concepts will enhance the credibility of astrology. In the meantime, let all the well wishers of astrology hope that a breakthrough in cracking the scientific basis of astrology is achieved soon (and if done, it will be probably by a western scientist and not by ours), for no laws of Contemporary Physics can explain astrology.

Similar theories like the one proposed by Dr. Percy Seymour can be proposed. One such proposal is outlined below. String or Brane theories predict formation of huge strings or membrane like surfaces in the universes from strings or branes from particles of the size of Planck’s length or Einstein’s gravitons. This could be true of our solar system also where such abundant strings or branes in the space could be churned by the motions of the planets and the sun in our solar system through both their revolutionary and rotational motions resulting in huge vibrating strings or branes, the vibrating frequency being characteristic of a particular planet or celestial body in question and its position and motion in space relative to that of earth. Such huge vibrating strings and branes could travel at the velocity of light. They could probably possess the extra-ordinary ability to interact with similar vibrating bodies like matter

– inanimate and biological, especially like the molecules of the size of genes in biological molecules. Under resonating conditions of these matching frequencies between the genetic material of humans and those of the huge strings or branes, the genes could get activated and express itself during the formation of the child in the mother’s womb. This could be responsible for the generation of all the hidden dimensions associated with that particular planet in human beings. Thus each planet contribute to vibrating strings or branes of matching frequencies to such specific genes, the extent of resonance being dependent of the genetic composition (base pair sequencing) of these genes. At the time of the child birth, the entire multiple hidden dimensions contributed by the genes (indirectly by the strings or branes) is complete and the child is born when the position of all or most of the planets contribute to

the matching strings or branes of these above mentioned dimensions. As the child grows further, the positions of the planets continue to influence these hidden dimensions through their contributing vibrating strings or branes depending on the extent of their matching frequencies in the form of resonance to various degrees. This can not only explain astrology but can also integrate gravity to the other three forces operating at the atomic level.