Against the Misunderstandings Perpetuated by Charlatans of the New Age

Regarding the Science of Astrology

Within this paper I would like to decisively banish from discerning minds
certain idiotic notions concerning the ancient science of astrology which have been
perpetuated by charlatans and rightly refuted by the scientific community. Let no
more breath be wasted attempting to reason with those who lack the capacity to do
the samebut let not the proverbial baby be thrown out along with the fetid
bathwater of stupidity. In the same way that no amount of quack doctors would
affect the actual efficacy of penicillin, so no amount of self-deceiving magi can
affect the validity of the esoteric sciences. Listen ye therefore to this exposition on
the soundness of the celestial science.
I. Against the Magical Action of the Stars
In order to refute what is popularly understood to be astrology one must
seemingly proceed no further than to point out that there is no mechanism by which
distant planetary bodies might act upon terrestrial conditions. The charlatans are
unable to retort, except to assert the existence of various invisible rays or other
similarly unfounded bits of nonsense such as attributing the effect of the planets to
gravity or electromagnetism, all of which doesn't deserve to be dignified with
response.

All of this tomfoolery stems from the fact that, in the process of
appropriating it, the new age community of weekend-philosophers have utterly
failed to grasp the metaphysical principles upon which the understanding of
astrology rests. This sort of confusion is bound to arise whenever one attempts to
transplant an idea from one cosmology into another. It is true that the esoteric
sciences are incoherent from within any materialistic paradigm of a billiard-ballstyle, cause-and-effect universe but the hypothesis of astrology is founded upon a
different set of metaphysical assumptions. Critics of astrology correctly point out
that it is ludicrous to attribute human behavior or other terrestrial phenomena to
the actions of the planets when there are other methodologies such as psychology
and physics which offer simpler explanations that are both far more accurate and
easily verifiable. All of this is, of course, correct; yet while the foundation of
modern understandings of astrology crumble before the steady advance of
scientific discovery, a true understanding of astrology remains undisturbed by
scientific advances and, indeed, is perfectly unopposed to any other empirical
discipline because it does not assert that the luminaries, the planets, or the stars
exert any influence whatsoever over terrestrial affairs or the behavior of human
beings.
II. The Principle of Reflection

The hypothesis of astrology does not provoke the question of how celestial
bodies might affect terrestrial phenomena because it is rooted in an esoteric
cosmology which takes as its reference point and basis, not the matter with which
the universe is constituted, but the process of consciousness which apprehends it.
The metaphysical assumption is that consciousness is emerging from what is

experienced as the material universe with increasing complexity; as the sensory

instruments of consciousness apprehend the apparently external material universe,
a corresponding internal universe is apparently generated which is necessarily
limited by the inclusivity of the sensory apparatus in question. As the perspective
from any point in time and space necessarily differs from every other, the material
universe will appear differently from different instances and the "apparent internal
universes" generated by consciousness will vary accordinglythis cosmology
would predict that, by studying the external patterns of the universe,
corresponding information may be obtained regarding any apparent internal
universe--this can be likened to obtaining information from the reflection of an
object that does not yield itself to direct observation.
In contrast to materialistic world-views which assert consciousness to be a
disconnected epiphenomenon of matter, the metaphysical assumption beneath
esoteric cosmology is that consciousness and the experience of matter are

interdependent and mutually arising in much the same way that it is not possible to
forge only one side of a coin because the other side is always necessarily generated;
the ensuing scientific investigation should then concern their relationship. The
internal or subjective experience of consciousness is understood to be
complementary to and reflective of the external or objective realm which is outside
of it. The hypothesis of astrology is not then that the celestial bodies are exerting
any form of magical influence over a given thing but that, when experienced by
consciousness from any particular perspective, or time and place, the celestial
movements appear to be a kind of reflection of the movements of consciousness.
This idea is expressed in the esoteric axiom, As above, so below.
Conclusion
The purpose of the present paper is not to argue for the validity of any
particular cosmology over another; its purpose is first to denounce those pretenders
who have appropriated elements of astrology and in so doing have brought
disrepute to it by distorting its principles; and secondly to argue that, understood in
its correct context and resting upon its proper underlying metaphysical
assumptions, astrology in no way contradicts and is not contradicted by any of the
material sciences; its esoteric principles are founded on reason and in no way do
they require nor would they benefit by the discovery of an explanatory physical

mechanism. Astrology does not infringe upon the causal validity of biological,
chemical, physical, or psychological mechanisms but reflects and should
corroborate them.