My shrink is retiring, so she suggested (insisted) I find a new shrink. I went through a process that resulted in two candidates. In a meet-and-greet with candidate #1 she said something about, she thought I was a Scorpio, and I had to say I was a Libra. She said, cusp? Then looked at my birthdate and saw I'm right in the middle. She said, "Hmm."
.
She was struck off my list. The other candidate was a good fit, thankfully.
I went to a certified MD holistic doctor once and he started off with a buncha questions, including about my views on the afterlife. He did manage to help me with my ailment via orthodox establishment medicine, but I later heard from another patient that he would sometimes expound upon his belief in reincarnation, albeit in what sounded like a non-propagandistic way.
In Medieval Europe, the first thing a doctor would do in a consultation was cast your horoscope - this was taught as part of a medical degree. In some places this persisted untill the beginning of the C18th.
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping. For instance, in early 16th century England horoscopes were cast as part of the decision making process in medical treatments and a physician not doing so would be considered negligent. Parts of the body were associated with astrological signs and you did medical treatments at the appropriate phase of the moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Man
(Cross-post with Robertus L)
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping. For instance, in early 16th century England horoscopes were cast as part of the decision making process in medical treatments and a physician not doing so would be considered negligent. Parts of the body were associated with astrological signs and you did medical treatments at the appropriate phase of the moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Man
My own specialism of early modern medical history is in the field of ‘lunatics’ (I am currently researching a thesis on eighteenth century understandings of mania).
OK, so let me dive into the fray here. I am in two minds about all of this, but then, I am a Gemini. Something I have never been interested in, but couldn't avoid when I was younger.
Actually, I think there is something in astrological traits. Not for the reasons they say, but the time of year you are born can have significant impacts on you - on schooling, for example. What year you are in. And social development also, whether you have birthday and Christmas separated or conflated. It is all how you fit in with the social world, so I can see this."
That is why I think my Chinese sign does seem a bit accurate. For example, the cutoff point to start first grade was Dec. 1st I missed it by a few days and had to wait a whole year to start school.
Astrology was very much part of medieval life and considered compatible with Christianity; it was not just for time keeping.
Yes, I should have been a little more precise upthread when I said “My understanding is that Zodiac symbols in medieval church architecture and iconography had little if anything to do with astrology, at least as we’d understand it.” By that last bit (“at least as we’d understand it”), I was really thinking of contemporary pop astrology exemplified by things like the daily horoscopes in the newspapers or comments like the one that gave rise to this thread.
Astrology then was much more intertwined and of a piece with what we know now as astronomy, and much more complicated and nuanced than much of what passes for astrology these days. I’d say much of that is to ancient and medieval astrology as sticking pins in dolls is to actual Vodou/Vodún.
To be clear, I’m not a believer in astrology, at least not as such. But I am interested in various religious and mythological constructs and understandings, and that includes the cosmologies reflected in those constructs and understandings.
My shrink is retiring, so she suggested (insisted) I find a new shrink. I went through a process that resulted in two candidates. In a meet-and-greet with candidate #1 she said something about, she thought I was a Scorpio, and I had to say I was a Libra. She said, cusp? Then looked at my birthdate and saw I'm right in the middle. She said, "Hmm."
.
She was struck off my list. The other candidate was a good fit, thankfully.
There was a period when, for some reason, people keen on astrology used to ask me my star sign. So I asked them to tell me what it was, as they knew so much. None gave the correct answer.
Does anybody remember Bio-Dex, a fortune-telling feature that was published daily in newspapers during the 1980s? It consisted of three separate line graphs, representing(I think) "Emotional", Intellectual", and one other adjective, one on top of each other, and you'd check your month of birth(ie. Jan, Feb, etc) along the bottom to see how you were doing in each category, add up the scores, and then get tabulated into one of three numerical categories with an accompanying fortune for the day.
The fact that the charts were based on calendar months seemed especially hokey. Given the pretentiously technical-sounding title, I assume they were claiming some sort of hard-scientific basis, but I can't find anything about it anywhere on-line, just a few archived newspaper pages with the charts included.
There was a period when, for some reason, people keen on astrology used to ask me my star sign. So I asked them to tell me what it was, as they knew so much. None gave the correct answer.
If anyone asks me my star sign (which hasn't happened for years, if not decades) I just say I'm a dinosaur. And if they complain that that isn't a real star sign, point out that they are all made up.
I did read an astrology book years ago that pointed out that the constellations had changed position since the whole system was set up thousands of years ago, and suggested new dates for the signs, plus a couple of new ones. I think one was Ophiucus, the Serpent Bearer.
In answer to @stetson and @Nick Tamen , yes, really, I didn't (or had long forgotten) my star sign. I asked Mrs Vole hers and she knew it was Sagittarius.
She has often told me that her Chinese year is The Dragon -and that that makes her a Dragon bride -the best type apparently! Maybe there's something more in the year of one's birth.
I did read an astrology book years ago that pointed out that the constellations had changed position since the whole system was set up thousands of years ago, and suggested new dates for the signs, plus a couple of new ones. I think one was Ophiucus, the Serpent Bearer.
I mentioned this upthread - it shows how arbitrary the whole thing is.
Adding a thirteenth sign messes it up even further for them as one month long "house" would have to be split into two.
I did read an astrology book years ago that pointed out that the constellations had changed position since the whole system was set up thousands of years ago, and suggested new dates for the signs, plus a couple of new ones. I think one was Ophiucus, the Serpent Bearer.
In fact the constellation of Ophiuchus does extend into the Zodiac, but for the purposes of Astrology this is ignored to adhere to the significance of the number twelve.
Just had to look it up. Remember the Fifth Dimension's Song, "Age of Aquarius?" Well, we are still in it. Will last for approximately another 140 years. All I can say is someone got that wrong.
Just had to look it up. Remember the Fifth Dimension's Song, "Age of Aquarius?" Well, we are still in it. Will last for approximately another 140 years. All I can say is someone got that wrong.
Just had to look it up. Remember the Fifth Dimension's Song, "Age of Aquarius?" Well, we are still in it. Will last for approximately another 140 years. All I can say is someone got that wrong.
That was the DAWNING of the Age Of Aquarius, so, yes, assuming it's already started, we'd definitely still be in it, since(as I assume @KarlLB is saying), the Ages last a long, long time. I think the Age Of Pisces is supposed to have started with the birth of Christ, for example.
It doesn’t make less inherent sense than most religions if you think about it.
Please don't remind me of that. I remind myself that there is a difference between believing something that has little evidence either way and believing something contradicted by evidence.
Astrology seems a lot more internally arbitrary than most major religions. Why fire signs differ from water signs, or why Jupiter represents one thing, or the third house represents another, are questions to which the only answer is just because.
Eh, three persons, one property. I really think people make it seem harder to understand than it is because Christians have a different understanding of the word "God" than Judaism or Islam and don't do a good job of saying that explicitly.
I should make this a Purg thread but I'm tired, the world is falling apart, and seminary was a long time ago.
Eh, three persons, one property. I really think people make it seem harder to understand than it is because Christians have a different understanding of the word "God" than Judaism or Islam and don't do a good job of saying that explicitly.
I should make this a Purg thread but I'm tired, the world is falling apart, and seminary was a long time ago.
Comments
You mean it doesn't? Oh. Well the sheep can relax next Easter then.
Well, he is from Yorkshire 😜
In Medieval Europe, the first thing a doctor would do in a consultation was cast your horoscope - this was taught as part of a medical degree. In some places this persisted untill the beginning of the C18th.
(Cross-post with Robertus L)
Am I feck!
Yeah. There's a good reason we don't do that now.
The association of February with Aquarius and, er, rain. (I expect they said 'pissing it down' in the Middle Ages).
Astrology then was much more intertwined and of a piece with what we know now as astronomy, and much more complicated and nuanced than much of what passes for astrology these days. I’d say much of that is to ancient and medieval astrology as sticking pins in dolls is to actual Vodou/Vodún.
To be clear, I’m not a believer in astrology, at least not as such. But I am interested in various religious and mythological constructs and understandings, and that includes the cosmologies reflected in those constructs and understandings.
This is me, too.
There was a period when, for some reason, people keen on astrology used to ask me my star sign. So I asked them to tell me what it was, as they knew so much. None gave the correct answer.
The fact that the charts were based on calendar months seemed especially hokey. Given the pretentiously technical-sounding title, I assume they were claiming some sort of hard-scientific basis, but I can't find anything about it anywhere on-line, just a few archived newspaper pages with the charts included.
She has often told me that her Chinese year is The Dragon -and that that makes her a Dragon bride -the best type apparently! Maybe there's something more in the year of one's birth.
I mentioned this upthread - it shows how arbitrary the whole thing is.
Adding a thirteenth sign messes it up even further for them as one month long "house" would have to be split into two.
In fact the constellation of Ophiuchus does extend into the Zodiac, but for the purposes of Astrology this is ignored to adhere to the significance of the number twelve.
https://elemental-astrology.com/which-astrological-age-are-we-in-right-now/
More like 2000 years. The precession takes about 26000 years and there are 12 zodiac signs.
Why which arbitrary group of stars is behind the sun at the spring equinox supposedly sets the spirit of a two millenium age is a mystery to me.
That's naughty.
That was the DAWNING of the Age Of Aquarius, so, yes, assuming it's already started, we'd definitely still be in it, since(as I assume @KarlLB is saying), the Ages last a long, long time. I think the Age Of Pisces is supposed to have started with the birth of Christ, for example.
Please don't remind me of that. I remind myself that there is a difference between believing something that has little evidence either way and believing something contradicted by evidence.
Eh, three persons, one property. I really think people make it seem harder to understand than it is because Christians have a different understanding of the word "God" than Judaism or Islam and don't do a good job of saying that explicitly.
I should make this a Purg thread but I'm tired, the world is falling apart, and seminary was a long time ago.
Read Revelation, with hope.
Both Christianity and astrology appear on the Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense https://crispian.net/PTOIN.html
Though to be fair not all irrational nonsense is created equal.
Which, to be clear, is just some guy's list of things which he considers to be irrational.