Scientific view of Vedic Astrology

The world over Astrology is viewed in a variety of ways. Some people view it as a hidden science and a mystical subject. A few others take Astrology to be a pure science and some believe it to be a mere superstition. The debate between scientists and astrologers regarding the nature of Astrology continues till date unabated.

Science for one may be superstition for another. Often it is seen that people blindly follow science without understanding what it actually says and what its limitations are. Such a behavior is born out of blind beliefs and even when the concept is scientific, the individual merely “believes” it to be true without its valid reasons. In other words to reject OR to accept a concept or an idea without knowing its fundamentals is nothing but a mere superstition.

We present to you some interesting and thoughtful concepts that will help in understanding Astrology as a subject, its relevance and its limitations.

The Basics: Astrology in scientific terms
Astrology relates itself to planets and to the two luminaries namely Sun and Moon. In modern science, we know, Sun is a star and is the prime mover and, therefore, secondary sources of energy depend upon its energy. Sun sends in its energy directly to the Earth and, also, as reflected energy from the Moon and other planets. This energy may be light, heat, magnetic, gravitational or any other that may be discovered by Scientists in the coming years. The fact of the matter is, the energy reaching Earth comes from the Sun and other planets both in direct and indirect ways.

All events are energy driven. This statement comes from the scientific adage that every effect has a cause and that every happening has a force behind it. In other words, it is safe to understand that energy drives the events.

If we were to understand the kind of energy that drives particular events then we have a formidable knowledge in our hands. This is exactly what the ancient Indians attempted. They divided the energy between planets and developed calculations to measure the contribution of energy from different planets. By studying the effects that the energy brings, repeatedly, the ancient Indians were able to correctly assess, what planetary energy meant for human life, natural habitat and our world in general. This gave them a tool to calculate the following:

Energy received at a particular time at any place on Earth.
The energy received from each planet
The quantum of conflicting and self canceling energy.
and likewise

Now it became easier to correlate any happening in any individual’s life to the planetary system. Astrology is a discovery of natural phenomenon much as discovery of gravity or magnetism is.

Astrology & Astronomy
The calculation of planetary longitudes and their motion is vital to their placement in astrological charts. Astrology takes the reference as Earth and it measures the movement of planets with reference to earth.

Further, it divides the sky into 12 equal parts called signs and 27 equal parts known as constellations. This is to categorize the nature of various parts of our sky through distant stars and constellations.

All of the above calculations are nothing but astronomy. It is only when we try to correlate the astronomy with its effects do we bring in additional observational data and call it Astrology. In other words, a rudimentary definition of Astrology, would be – a study of correlation of cosmic forces with life and natural phenomenon.

Astrology isn’t a set of beliefs and superstitions. It is observation, experimentation and categorization of cause and effects. Both in its study and its application, it resembles pure science.

Why Astrology isn’t always replicable?

Many scientists have a simple query against the astrologers – If astrology is a science then its principles must be replicable?

In Science, a discovery is made a natural law if the same phenomenon is replicable given the same conditions. Let us understand this with a small example of rain. Rain cannot happen without clouds. This is the law but this kind of suggests that whenever clouds are present rain occurs. We all know this isn’t true. The correct replicable law is that for rain to happen not only the clouds have to be present, but, they have to be so full of moisture that they cannot hold it any longer. This is replicable but not always. Anywhere in the tropical world the clouds cannot hold moisture then it rains. In the Tundra regions, however, this law does not hold true. There instead of rain the moisture might fall as snow. So the law of rain is changed again to hold true for some regions.

In Astrology, many astrologers are presently engaged in showing replicable results to the world. They are doing commendable work but here we would like to give reasons why astrology and its laws are not always replicable.

Astrology measures the energy at any given point of an event and then discusses the likely events that are possible in the future in the space time continuum consequent to this event. Each event itself is a cause to a variety of possibilities. It is, therefore, possible to predict the variety of possibilities but very difficult to predict the exact future event.

The events that one faces in life are called destiny. With each event or situation, an individual has a choice:

To react to the situation in many different ways.
To accept the situation and be proactive.
To accept the situation and do nothing.

(space-time continuum diagram as represented in A brief history of time - by eminent scientist Stephan Hawking. We are using the diagram only for the purpose of understanding the events and their possible outcomes with this diagram and in no way suggesting Mr. Hawking's association with astrology or this site or the way of thinking)

Upon the choice of the individual the possibilities of the future events hang. As individual choices can be many the likelihood of the event happening in the future changes. This change in probability is born out of a simple understanding of science of human nature.
The more the humans are non-reactive to their destiny the harder it will be to determine the happenings likely to occur in their future. This may represent only 1% of the total humanity yet it cannot be treated as an exception.

Astrology therefore is, for the very scientific reasons it upholds, not replicable, always.

Light & Astrology

We introduce the word Jyotish to you now. Jyotish means the science of light. Light is another form of energy. Light is known to carry the information of events with it. In other words, light could be one of the main factors that make the time continuum possible. It brings certain continuity between events as it carries vital information from one event and enables its effects.

Let us again use an example. If a very dear friend who is sitting next to you is suddenly sick but this information that is carried by energy to you – through sight and sound is arrested. Imagine something that arrests both the light and sound that it cannot reach you. In such a case, the effect of his cries for help will not be there on you. Whereas, the moment you get this information, you will act. It is safe to presume that light carries information and brings and enables cause and effect. Here light should be understood as energy.

Cause and effect enables time as time is defined as the interval between two events. If events aren’t present time cannot be present. In deep sleep we get a glimpse of no time situation.

The ancient seers of India recognized these facts and employed them beautifully into a subject of Astrology. Astrology takes its subject matter from the very basis of space and time and it does not lack in its scientific approach.

Scientists & Astrology
We believe that if scientific community of the world need to focus on astrology, then it should at least try and prove some of its principles through their know-how rather than waste time and energy in proving something useful as a mere superstition.

Perhaps we can find the lost chapters of astrology (lost or destroyed chapters of various ancient texts over the centuries) ourselves and understand the same in new light.