DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

LUCKNOW UNIVERSITY

INDIAN ETHOS AND VALUES

Term Project on

“A study on Astrology”

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. B.L. Bajpai Vimal Kumar Verma
M.B.A. (Ist Sem.)
Roll no. 59
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

During the course of this project there have been many people who have
been greatly helpful to me within their personal capacities in various ways. I
take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the cooperation and
patience they have shown.

I would first and foremost like to thank Dr.B.L.Bajpai, who have guided me
at every stage of this project.

I would also like to thank my seniors and friends, who have always
provided me valuable suggestions and helped me a lot in the completion of
the project.
 CONTENT

1. Astrology

2. Core Beliefs

3. Tradition

4. The Zodiac

5. Horoscopic Astrology

6. History of Astrology

7. Indian Astrology

8. Western Astrology

9. Astrology and Science

10. Effect on World Culture

 ASTROLOGY

Astrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs in which knowledge of the

relative positions of celestial bodies and related details is held to be useful in
understanding, interpreting, and organizing information about personality, human
affairs, and other terrestrial matters. Numerous traditions and applications employing
astrological concepts have arisen since its earliest recorded beginnings in the 3rd
millennium BC. It has played a role in the shaping of culture, early astronomy, and
other disciplines throughout history.
Astrology and astronomy were often indistinguishable before the modern era, with
the desire for predictive and divinatory knowledge one of the primary motivating
factors for astronomical observation. Astronomy began to diverge from astrology
after a period of gradual separation from the Renaissance up until the 18th century.
Eventually, astronomy distinguished itself as the scientific study of astronomical
objects and phenomena without regard to the supposed astrological meaning of
these phenomena.
Since the 18th century they have come to be regarded as completely separate
disciplines. Astronomy, the study of objects and phenomena beyond the Earth's
atmosphere, is accepted as a science and is a widely studied academic discipline.
Astrology, which uses the apparent positions of celestial objects as the basis for
psychology, prediction of future events, and other esoteric knowledge, is not widely
regarded as science and is typically defined as a form of divination.
Proponents have defined astrology variously, as a symbolic language, an art form, a
science, and a method of divination. The scientific community considers astrology a
pseudoscience or superstition. Although there is no scientific evidence supporting
astrology that is accepted by mainstream science, belief in astrology is widespread
in the general public.
CORE BELIEFS:

The core beliefs of astrology were prevalent in most of the ancient world and are
epitomized in the Hermetic maxim "as above, so below". Tycho Brahe used a similar
phrase to summarize his studies in astrology: suspiciendo despicio, "by looking up I
see downward". Although the principle that events in the heavens are mirrored by
those on Earth was once generally held in most traditions of astrology around the
world, in the West there has historically been a debate among astrologers over the
nature of the mechanism behind astrology. The debate also covers whether or not
celestial bodies are only signs or portents of events, or if they are actual causes of
events through some sort of force or mechanism.
Although the connection between celestial mechanics and terrestrial dynamics was
explored first by Isaac Newton with his development of a universal theory of
gravitation, claims that the gravitational effects of the celestial bodies are what
accounts for astrological generalizations are not substantiated by scientific research,
nor are they advocated by most astrologers.
A common belief held by astrologers is that the positions of certain celestial bodies
either influence or correlate with human affairs.
Most astrological traditions are based on the relative positions and movements of
various real or construed celestial bodies and on the construction of implied or
calculated celestial patterns as seen at the time and place of the event being
studied. These are chiefly the astrological planets, dwarf planets, the asteroids, the
stars, the lunar nodes, Arabic parts and hypothetical planets. The frame of reference
for such apparent positions is defined by the tropical or sidereal zodiac of twelve
signs on one hand, and by the local horizon (ascendant-descendant axis) and
midheaven-imum coeli axis on the other. This latter (local) frame is typically further
divided into the twelve astrological houses. Furthermore, the astrological aspects
are used to determine the geometric/angular relationship(s) between the various
celestial bodies and angles in the horoscope.
The claim of astrology to predict future trends and developments, or predictive
astrology, is based on two main methods: astrological transits and astrological
progressions. In astrological transits the ongoing movements of the planets are
interpreted for their significance as they transit through space and the horoscope. In
astrological progressions the horoscope is progressed forward in time according to
set methods. Most modern astrologers no longer try to forecast actual events, but
focus instead on general trends and developments. Skeptics respond that this
allows astrologers to avoid making verifiable predictions, and gives them the ability
to attach significance to arbitrary and unrelated events, in a way that suits their
purpose.
In the past, astrologers often relied on close observation of celestial objects and the
charting of their movements. Modern astrologers use data provided by astronomers
which are transformed to a set of astrological tables called ephemerides, showing
the changing zodiacal positions of the heavenly bodies through time.

TRADITION:
There are many traditions of astrology, some of which share similar features due to
the transmission of astrological doctrines between cultures. Other traditions
developed in isolation and hold completely different doctrines, although they too
share some similar features due to the fact that they are drawing on similar
astronomical sources.
Current traditions
The main traditions used by modern astrologers are:

 Vedic astrology
 Western astrology
 Chinese astrology

Vedic and Western astrology

Vedic and Western astrology share a common ancestry as horoscopic systems of
astrology, in that both traditions focus on the casting of an astrological chart or
horoscope, a representation of celestial entities, for an event based on the position
of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the moment of the event. However, Vedic astrology
uses the sidereal zodiac, linking the signs of the zodiac to their original
constellations, while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac. Because of the
precession of the equinoxes, over the centuries the twelve zodiacal signs in Western
astrology no longer correspond to the same part of the sky as their original
constellations. In effect, in Western astrology the link between sign and constellation
has been broken, whereas in Vedic astrology it remains of paramount importance.
Other differences between the two traditions include the use of 27 (or 28)
nakshatras or lunar mansions, which have been used in India since Vedic times, and
the system of planetary periods known as dashas.

Chinese astrology
In Chinese astrology a quite different tradition has evolved. By contrast to Western
and Indian astrology, the twelve signs of the zodiac do not divide the sky, but rather
the celestial equator. The Chinese evolved a system where each sign corresponds
to one of twelve 'double-hours' that govern the day, and to one of the twelve months.
Each sign of the zodiac governs a different year, and combines with a system based
on the five elements of Chinese cosmology to give a 60 (12 x 5) year cycle. The
term Chinese astrology is used here for convenience, but it must be recognised that
versions of the same tradition exist in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian
countries.
In modern times, these traditions have come into greater contact with each other,
notably with Indian and Chinese astrology having spread to the West, while
awareness of Western astrology is still fairly limited in Asia. Astrology in the Western
world has diversified greatly in modern times. New movements have appeared,
which have jettisoned much of traditional astrology to concentrate on different
approaches, such as a greater emphasis on midpoints, or a more psychological
approach.
THE ZODAIC:

The zodiac is the belt or band of constellations through which the Sun, Moon, and
planets transit across the sky. Astrologers noted these constellations and so
attached a particular significance to them. Over time they developed the system of
twelve signs of the zodiac, based on twelve of the constellations they considered to
be particularly important.
The Western and Vedic zodiac signs have a common origin in the tradition of
horoscopic astrology, and so are very similar in meaning. In China on the other
hand, the development of the zodiac was different. Although the Chinese too have a
system of twelve signs (named after animals), the Chinese zodiac refers to a pure
calendrical cycle, as there are no equivalent constellations linked to it like the
Western or Indian zodiacs. The common choice of twelve zodiac signs is
understandable considering the interaction of the Sun and Moon was central to all
forms of astrology. Twelve cycles of the Moon — the months — roughly coincide
with one solar year, making twelve a natural choice.
The majority of Western astrologers base their work on the tropical zodiac which
divides the sky into twelve equal segments of 30 degrees each, beginning with the
first point of Aries, the point where the line of the earth's celestial equator and the
ecliptic (the Sun's path through the sky) meet at the northern hemisphere spring
equinox. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the slow changing of the way
Earth rotates in space, the zodiacal signs in this system bear no relation to the
constellations of the same name but stay aligned to the months and seasons.
Practitioners of the Vedic astrological tradition and a minority of Western astrologers
use the sidereal zodiac. This zodiac uses the same evenly divided ecliptic but
approximately stays aligned to the positions of the observable constellations with the
same name as the zodiacal signs. The sidereal zodiac differs from the tropical
zodiac by an offset called the ayanamsa, which steadily increases as the equinoxes
drift further. Furthermore, some siderealists (i.e. astrologers employing sidereal
techniques) use the actual, unequal constellations of the zodiac in their work.
HOROSCOPIC ASTROLOGY:
Horoscopic astrology is a system that was developed in the Mediterranean region
and specifically Hellenistic Egypt around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE. The
tradition deals with two-dimensional diagrams of the heavens, or horoscopes,
created for specific moments in time. The diagram is then used to interpret the
inherent meaning underlying the alignment of celestial bodies at that moment based
on a specific set of rules and guidelines. A horoscope was calculated normally for
the moment of an individual's birth, or at the beginning of an enterprise or event,
because the alignments of the heavens at that moment were thought to determine
the nature of the subject in question. One of the defining characteristics of this form
of astrology that makes it distinct from other traditions is the computation of the
degree of the Eastern horizon rising against the backdrop of the ecliptic at the
specific moment under examination, otherwise known as the ascendant. Horoscopic
astrology has been the most influential and widespread form of astrology across the
world, especially in Africa, India, Europe, and the Middle East, and there are several
major traditions of horoscopic astrology whose origins are Hellenistic, including
Indian, Medieval, and most other modern Western traditions of astrology.

The horoscope:

Central to horoscopic astrology and its branches is the calculation of the horoscope
or astrological chart. This two-dimensional diagrammatic representation shows the
celestial bodies' apparent positions in the heavens from the vantage of a location on
Earth at a given time and place. The horoscope is also divided into twelve different
celestial houses which govern different areas of life. Calculations performed in
casting a horoscope involve arithmetic and simple geometry which serve to locate
the apparent position of heavenly bodies on desired dates and times based on
astronomical tables. In ancient Hellenistic astrology the ascendant demarcated the
first celestial house of a horoscope. The word for the ascendant in Greek was
horoskopos from which horoscope derives. In modern times, the word has come to
refer to the astrological chart as a whole.

HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY:
Origins
The origins of much of the astrological doctrine and method that would later develop
in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East are found among the ancient Babylonians and
their system of celestial omens that began to be compiled around the middle of the
2nd millennium BCE. This system of celestial omens later spread either directly or
indirectly through the Babylonians and Assyrians to other areas such as India,
China, and Greece where it merged with pre-existing indigenous forms of astrology.
This Babylonian astrology came to Greece initially as early as the middle of the 4th
century BCE, and then around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE after the
Alexandrian conquests, this Babylonian astrology was mixed with the Egyptian
tradition of decanic astrology to create horoscopic astrology. This new form of
astrology, which appears to have originated in Alexandrian Egypt, quickly spread
across the ancient world into Europe, the Middle East and India.

Before the scientific revolution

From the classical period through the scientific revolution, astrological training
played a critical role in advancing astronomical, mathematical, medical and
psychological knowledge. Astrological influences included the observation and long-
term tracking of celestial objects. It was astrologers who provided the first systematic
documentation of the movements of the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars.
The differentiation between astronomy and astrology varied from place to place;
they were indistinguishable in ancient Babylonia and for most of the Middle Ages,
but separated to a greater degree in ancient Greece (see astrology and astronomy).
Astrology was not always uncritically accepted before the modern era; it was often
challenged by Hellenistic skeptics, church authorities, and medieval thinkers.
The pattern of astronomical knowledge gained from astrological endeavours has
been historically repeated across numerous cultures, from ancient India through the
classical Maya civilization to medieval Europe. Given this historical contribution,
astrology has been called a protoscience along with pseudosciences such as
alchemy.

INDIAN ASTROLOGY:
Jyotish is the ancient Indian system of astrology and astronomy. The term derives
from the ancient language of the Vedas, Sanskrit, where Jyothi means light or flame
and Ish means God. Jyothish thus means Lord of the light. Jyotish is variously
referred to in English as Hindu astrology, Indian astrology, and Vedic astrology.
The Vedic system of astrology is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, the auxiliary
disciplines of Vedic religion. As such, Jyotish has historically been part of a
continuous holistic approach to living and an integral practice based on the ancient
spiritual tradition of India. The foundation of jyotish is the notion of bandhu of the
Vedas or scriptures, which is the connection between the microcosm and the
macrocosm. Its purpose is to offer humanity a means to understand the role and
expression of karma in individual and collective life. Indeed, Hindus believe that
humans have fortune and misfortune in life because of karma. Many use Jyotish to
understand setbacks in life due to the influence of planets and perform religious
ceremonies to mitigate or avoid the pain of separation in life.
The practice of Vedic astrology primarily relies on the visible or sidereal zodiac,
which is different from the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology in that an
ayanamsa adjustment is made for the gradual precession of the vernal equinox. The
tropical zodiac is used in Vedic astrology only to compute ascendant (lagna),
although the end result is converted to sidereal lagna. Prediction of weather and
related phenomena is traditionally made according to sidereal system, especially
through horoscopes for the moment of solar transition into sidereal nakshatras and
rāshis at ancient center of India (near Bhopal at Cancer) or from Meru in
Jamboodvioa ; but some people are now experimenting with tropical syatem for
predicting the course of nature - as in weather, etc.
Vedic astrology also includes several nuanced sub-systems of interpretation and
prediction with unique sacralized elements not found in Western astrology, such as
its specific system of lunar mansions (called nakshatras, encompassing a pantheon
of archetypal deities). The nakshatras are used by some to pick auspicious times of
day or month for every human activity as well as to provide insight into the
motivations and guiding characteristics of humans and events coming under their
influence. Nakshatra cycles based on the natal placement of the Moon or
Vimshottari Dashas are developing a reputation in contemporary culture for the
accuracy with which they time unfolding conditions in one's life. When combined with
an analysis of planetary transits, significant events in life become predictable.
In India, Jyotish is still commonly used to aid in important decisions in life. In Hindu
culture, newborns are traditionally named based on their jyotish charts, and jyotish
concepts are pervasive in the organization of the calendar and holidays as well as in
many areas of life. Astrology is perceived to be vital in Indian culture, in making
decisions made about marriage, opening a new business, and moving into a new
home.

Foundation

Jyotiṣa is not merely horoscope astrology, the latter is a tertiary branch of Jyotiṣa .
Vedic yajñas were religious rites which were performed for obtaining some boons
from the deities, and these rites were performed only at specific astronomical
concurrences which were thought to be more auspicious for the rites. The first Vedic
yajña was Darśapaurnamāsa Yajña (first chapter of Yajurveda :TS,VS) : which could
be performed only at new and full moons as the very name Darśapaurnamāsa
implies. The very concept of auspiciousness of certain astronomical events for
appeasing the gods implies that Jyotiṣa existed then, because this is the very
essence of Jyotiṣa. Vedic yajñas could not be performed without the presence of
Jyotiṣa; that is why Jyotiṣa has been traditionally regarded as a part (anga) of Veda,
i.e., a Vedanga.
The tradition of Jyotish is said to have existed in an unbroken line since 3000 B.C. or
for some 5000 years. The Western tradition is, by comparison, considered to have
existed since the Hellenistic period or for three millennia, but it is also rooted in
Mesopotamian and Egyptian astrology. There are stong indications of a common
origin of Chinese, Indian, Mesopotamian and Egyptian astrology before 3000 BC.
Jyotish is regarded as one of the oldest schools of ancient astrology to have had an
independent origin, affecting all other schools in and around India. Jyotish is often
discussed as the instructional element of the Rigveda, or the Eye of the Veda, for its
alleged ability to view both phenomenal reality and wisdom itself.

Fundamental of Indian Astrology:

Vedic astrology i.e. Jyotish contains some concepts that are not found in any other
school of astrology.

1. Nakshatra – the lunar mansions

Unique to Jyotisa or Vedic astrology is the idea of the nakshatra or lunar mansion ,
one of the 27 or 28 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star(s) in them,
that the Moon passes through during its monthly cycle, as used in Hindu astronomy
and astrology. Each nakshatra represents a division of the ecliptic (of 13 degree 20
minutes) similar to the zodiac signs. The mansion associated with a given date
corresponds to the constellation which the Moon is passing through at that time.

2. Graha – the planets

Graha literally means any heavenly body or point that can cast an impact on human
affairs. It may be translated as planet for ease. Graha also includes lunar nodes
(Rahu and Ketu) and sub-planets (upgrahas) which are not planets but no less
effective than planets. The extra-saturnine planets (Uranus and Neptune) are not
included in the category of Graha.

The list of nine grahas (heavenly bodies or "planets"):

1. Surya

2. Chandra

3. Mangala

4. Budha

5. Brihaspati

6. Shukra

7. Shani

8. Rahu

9. Ketu

3. Rashi – The Signs

The sidereal zodiac is also an imaginary belt of 360 degrees (like the tropical
zodiac), divided into 12 equal parts. Each twelfth part (of 30 degrees) is called a sign
or Rashi.

1. Mesha

2. Vrishabh

3. Mithuna

4. Karka

5. Simha

6. Kanya

7. Tula

8. Vrishchika

9. Dhanus

10. Makara

11. Kumbha

12. Meena

4. Bhava –The houses

The birth charts are broken into twelve sections, houses or Bhavas, each of which is
related to a rashi in an equal house system when rough and hurried computations
are needed, but when precision is needed Bhavas are made according to
Bhavachalita in which houses are unequal due to the elliptical nature of the apparent
orbit of the Sun. The 12 houses are –

1. Lagna

2. Dhana

3. Parakarma

4. Suhrda
5. Suta

6. Yoga

7. Kama

8. Mrityu

9. Bhagya

10. Karma

11. Aya

12. Vyay

5. Lagna – the ascendant

One's ascendant, or lagna, the rashi which is rising on the eastern horizon at the
time of one's birth, is the most influential and important one.

Some important special lagnas are follows.

1. Chandra Lagna

2. Surya Lagna

3. Karak Lagna

4. Varnada Lagna

5. Shri Lagna

6. Indu Lagna

7. Hora Lagna

8. Gati Lagna

WESTERN ASTROLOGY:
Western astrology is the system of astrology most popular in Western countries.
Western astrology originated in Mesopotamia during the 2nd millennium BC, from
where it spread to much of the world. After spreading to Egypt, where further
developments occurred, it then arrived into Greek or Hellenistic culture, where the
Greek astronomer and astrologer Ptolemy in his work Tetrabiblos laid the
foundations of the Western tradition. Western astrology is largely horoscopic, that is,
it is largely based on the construction of a horoscope for an exact moment in time,
such as a person's birth, in which various cosmic bodies are said to have an
influence. In modern Western sun sign astrology, only the location of the Sun is
considered.
During the Dark Ages in Europe knowledge of astrology was lost along with much
other learning. It was revived and extended by Arab and Persian scholars and
reimported into Europe in the Middle Ages. In medieval Europe, important political
and military decisions were often made in consultation with astrologers. Nowadays,
believers in astrology use it primarily for making personal decisions or attaining
information about an individual through natal astrology. Today, astrology has
become distinct from astronomy and mainstream scientists in general dismiss
astrology as a form of pseudoscience

The twelve signs

In modern Western astrology the signs of the zodiac are believed to represent
twelve basic personality types or characteristic modes of expression. The twelve
signs are divided into four elements fire, earth, air and water. They are also divided
into three qualities, cardinal, mutable and fixed. The personality traits of the twelve
signs are as follows:

1. Aries (The Ram)

2. Taurus (The Bull)

3. Gemini (The Twins)

4. Cancer (The Crab)

5. Leo (The Lion)

6. Virgo (The Virgin)

7. Libra (The Scales)

8. Scorpio (The Scorpion)

9. Sagittarius (The Archer)

10.Capricorn (The Sea goat)

11. Aquarius (the Water carrier)

12.Pisces (The Fishes)

How important a zodiac sign is for an individual depends on the placement of

planets and the ascendant in that sign. If a person has nothing placed in a
particular sign, that sign will play no active role in their personality.
ASTROLOGY AND SCIENCE:
By the time of Francis Bacon and the scientific revolution, newly emerging scientific
disciplines acquired a method of systematic empirical induction validated by
experimental observations, which led to the scientific revolution. At this point,
astrology and astronomy began to diverge; astronomy became one of the central
sciences while astrology was increasingly viewed as an occult science or
superstition by natural scientists. This separation accelerated through the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries.
Astrology is now regarded as unscientific both by scientific bodies and by individual
scientists and has been labeled as a pseudoscience. In 1975, the American
Humanist Association published one of the most widely known modern criticisms of
astrology, characterizing those who continue to have faith in the subject as doing so
"in spite of the fact that there is no verified scientific basis for their beliefs, and
indeed that there is strong evidence to the contrary".Astronomer Carl Sagan found
himself unable to sign the statement, not because he felt astrology had any validity
whatever, but because he found the statement's tone authoritarian. Sagan stated
that he would instead have been willing to sign a statement describing and refuting
the principal tenets of astrological belief, which he believed would have been far
more persuasive and would have produced much less controversy than the
circulated statement. Although astrology has had no scientific standing for some
time, it has been the subject of much research among astrologers since the
beginning of the twentieth century. In their landmark study of twentieth-century
research into natal astrology, vocal astrology critic Geoffrey Dean et al noted and
documented the burgeoning research activity, primarily within the astrological
community.

Obstacles to research
Astrologers have argued that there are significant obstacles in carrying out scientific
research into astrology today, including lack of funding, lack of background in
science and statistics by astrologers, and insufficient expertise in astrology by
research scientists and skeptics. There are only a handful of journals dealing with
scientific research into astrology (i.e. astrological journals directed towards scientific
research or scientific journals publishing astrological research). Some astrologers
have argued that few practitioners today pursue scientific testing of astrology
because they feel that working with clients on a daily basis provides a personal
validation for them.
Another argument made by astrologers is that most studies of astrology do not
reflect the nature of astrological practice and that the scientific method does not
apply to astrology. Some astrology proponents claim that the prevailing attitudes and
motives of many opponents of astrology introduce conscious or unconscious bias in
the formulation of hypotheses to be tested, the conduct of the tests, and the
reporting of results.

Mechanism
As astrologers have been consistently unable to present physical mechanisms for
astrology, few modern astrologers believe in a direct causal relationship between
heavenly bodies and earthly events. An editorial published by the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific reports that they can find no evidence for a scientifically
defined mechanism by which celestial objects can supposedly influence terrestrial
affairs. Some researchers have posited acausal, purely correlative, relationships
between astrological observations and events, such as the theory of synchronicity
proposed by Carl Jung. Others have posited a basis in divination. Still others have
argued that empirical correlations can stand on their own epistemologically, and do
not need the support of any theory or mechanism. To some observers, these non-
mechanistic concepts raise serious questions about the feasibility of validating
astrology through scientific testing, and some have gone so far as to reject the
applicability of the scientific method to astrology almost entirely. Some astrologers,
on the other hand, believe that astrology is amenable to the scientific method, given
sufficiently sophisticated analytical methods, and they cite pilot studies they claim
support this view. Consequently, several astrologers have called for or advocated
continuing studies of astrology based on statistical validation.

Research
French psychologist and statistician Michel Gauquelin claimed to have found
correlations between some planetary positions and certain human traits such as
vocations. Gauquelin's most widely known claim is known as the Mars effect, which
is said to demonstrate a correlation between the planet Mars occupying certain
positions in the sky more often at the birth of eminent sports champions than at the
birth of ordinary people. Since its original publication in 1955, the Mars effect has
been the subject of critical studies and skeptical publications which refute it,[48][49][50]
and studies in fringe journals claiming to support or expand the original claims.[51][52]
Gauquelin's research has not received mainstream scientific notice.
The scientific community says that astrology has repeatedly failed to demonstrate its
effectiveness in numerous controlled studies. Effect size studies in astrology
conclude that the mean accuracy of astrological predictions is no greater than what
is expected by chance, and astrology's perceived performance has disappeared on
critical inspection. When testing for cognitive, behavioral, physical and other
variables, one study of astrological "time twins" showed that human characteristics
are not molded by the influence of the Sun, Moon and planets at the time of birth.
Skeptics of astrology also suggest that the perceived accuracy of astrological
interpretations and descriptions of one's personality can be accounted for by the fact
that people tend to exaggerate positive 'hits' and overlook whatever does not fit,
especially when vague language is used. They also argue that statistical research is
often wrongly seen as evidence for astrology due to uncontrolled artifacts. A large-
scale study, with a sample size of about 15,000 "astro-twins", was published in 2006.
It examined the relationship between date of birth and individual differences in
personality and general intelligence, and found no evidence that a connection
existed. It also found no relationship between the zodiacal signs and participants'
personal traits.
EFFECTS ON WORLD CULTURE:
Astrology has had a profound influence over the past few thousand years on
Western and Eastern cultures. In the Middle Ages, when the educated of the time
believed in astrology, the system of heavenly spheres and bodies was believed to
reflect on the system of knowledge and the world itself below.
Astrology has had an influence on both language and literature. For example,
influenza, from medieval Latin influentia meaning influence, was so named because
doctors once believed epidemics to be caused by unfavorable planetary and stellar
influences. The word "disaster" comes from the Latin dis-aster meaning "bad star".
Adjectives "lunatic" (Luna/Moon), "mercurial" (Mercury), "venereal" (Venus), "martial"
(Mars), "jovial" (Jupiter), and "saturnine" (Saturn) are all old words used to describe
personal qualities said to resemble or be highly influenced by the astrological
characteristics of the planet, some of which are derived from the attributes of the
ancient Roman gods they are named after. In literature, many writers, notably
Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, used astrological symbolism to add
subtlety and nuance to the description of their characters' motivation(s). Often, an
understanding of astrological symbolism is needed to fully appreciate such literature.
Some modern thinkers, notably Carl Jung, believe in astrology's descriptive powers
regarding the mind without necessarily subscribing to its predictive claims. In
education astrology is reflected in the university education of medieval Europe,
which was divided into seven distinct areas, each represented by a particular planet
and known as the seven liberal arts. Dante Alighieri speculated that these arts,
which grew into the sciences we know today, fitted the same structure as the
planets. In music the best known example of astrology's influence is in the orchestral
suite called "The Planets" by the British composer Gustav Holst, the framework of
which is based upon the astrological symbolism of the planets.