Astrology - Is it for real?

Adherents of both Western and Eastern astrology believe that the alignment of distant planets on their birth date can affect their lives. Maybe it can, but compared with what's happening on this planet, while we're living our lives now, must surely have infinitely more impact on our lives than astrology.

And yet people change their actions according to some ancient sage's interpretation of distant planets. Very strange behaviour.

Let's look at some fundamental flaws:

• Orientation: Astronomers of old had a geocentric belief that Earth was at the centre of the Universe, and the heavens rotated around the inside surface of a gigantic spherical ball; quite different from the observations of today's scientific astronomers. Astrologers, however, retain this geocentric concept.
• Calibration: The zodiac used today was formulated some 2,500-3,000 years ago and since then, the moon's gravitation has pulled the Earth's tilt (by about 30° westward) as it revolves around the sun. Its axis no longer points to where it did when the Babylonians mapped the heavens. So if the solstice points were remapped when you were born, your birth date's "star sign", calculated millennia ago, would differ. And that's even before we factor in chaos theory.
• Celebration: When is a birth date? When do we become living beings? Or souls? Why should the zodiac be based on the time we take our first breath of fresh air? Are we not a being before that? At conception perhaps? Twins share the same 'birth sign', yet often have different personalities and talents. And, of course, different luck.
• Rationalisation: Why should the position of distant planets on our birth day, have any effect at all on our lives? Why not the weather, altitude, air pressure, the local level of xenon gas in the air, magnetic field, or any other of the countless components of our very first environment? Why should we accept that the local environment has no significance, yet the position of stars thousands of years ago and billions of miles away dictate our future? The only force distant stars and planets have is their own gravity which has negligible effect on Earth.

Thousands of years ago planets were considered gods, and their mystery and brilliance in the night sky gave people astrology. We've now lost touch with these gods, but some people still hang on to the ideas.

See also the Japanese zodiac.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip.

As they lay down for the night, Holmes says: "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see".

Watson:

"I see millions and millions of stars."

Holmes:

"And Watson, as London's finest doctor, what does that tell you?"

Watson:

"Astronomically, it tells me that space is infinite, that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.

Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

Holmes, as England's finest detective, what does it tell you?"

Holmes:

"Somebody's stolen our tent!"