Astro Meteorology

Revelations:
Forecasting Weather Using
Astrology
By
Tricia, U.K

H
EALTH WARNING! Be
prepared to be exposed to some
new concepts you may never
have considered before throughout this

Tricia is an astrologer of over 40 years

application of tropical and over twenty five
years experience in Vedic astrology.
She does natal, synastry as well as mundane and
weather predictions, and has had many articles
on astrology and other topics published in her
lifetime. Amongst these are research pieces, one
about widowhood and it's significations in
Vedic astrology, another about death and car
accidents, and significations in Vedic astrology.
These have been published internationally in
Gocara, the in-house journal of BAVA ( The
British Association for Vedic Astrology)
She is regularly featured on local radio at BBC
radio Leeds, where people phone in for instant
astrological readings, a role which can be
challenging and is a true test of an astrologer‟s
ability to command insight into planetary
movement and give instant predictions. She has
a unique feature ''a first in mundane astrology
on the web'' all about the Leeds astrological
chart on the local website at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2
005/02/08/living_stars_leeds_chart_capital_featu
re.shtml
article! What role did
Yorkshire monks
play in reviving the
use of the ancient
wind rose of the
Babylonians, and
how far back in time
can the use of astro-
meteorology be traced? What exactly is
astro meteorology? I am going to tell you
some amazing things you may have never
heard of before. Can observing the planets
really help with weather forecasts? What
role might the stone circles in the UK have
had in helping the system of astro
meteorology evolve? Do rulers use
astrology to fight wars and spin a line to
the masses? Which governments plan to
use weather as a weapon of mass
destruction? Will governments of the
future tax us more so that scientists can
alter the universe to prevent climate
change? All this and more is revealed in
this article by UK weather forecaster and
astro meteorologist
Tricia, www.starsite.org.uk read on>>>

D
id women have influence on the development of astro meteorology, apart from
washing the pots and cooking for good ole Ptolemy and Manilius et al, if so how
and when? Who exactly are astro meteorologists? Many astronomers call
themselves astro meteorologists, but don't apply the principles of astrology as an astrologer
would when producing UK weather forecasts. Astrology can produce outstanding results in
predicting weather and has been handed down in diverse traditions for more than two
millennia. Even conventional meteorologists would find it hard to respectably deny their
job of weather forecasting was borne of the tradition of astrologers sky watching to see the
correlation of certain celestial events and their coincidence with terrestrial weather.

Do you want to learn the fascinating art and science of weather forecasting? Read on to find
out more about the route of this study of the stars and their use in weather forecasting.

After first learning Astro meteorology and the ancient system of weather forecasting using
Vedic astrology in 2003 ( more about Vedic system of weather forecasting later) I was given
an excellent book on the tropical system of forecasting weather which I will share with you
later in this article. I will teach you what you can do to learn this branch of astrology, and
then how to use it to demonstrate to the whole world that astrology still has resonance for a
modern era when even conventional meteorologists with all their trillions of pounds of
equipment, still struggle to give an accurate forecast for events such as the Royal Wedding,
when I could accurately forecast what the UK weather would be in the centre of London, a
week before the event using astro meteorology.

Vedic astrology is excellent for accuracy in forecasting events, but doesn't seem to have
reference to weather patterns such as snow, icy blizzards, fog and mists, frost, rhime and
other UK weather we experience. I was delighted to discover the works, discussed below, of
many ancient, medieval and a few practising modern astro meteorologists in the western
system of astrology who had lots of techniques and information about how to use astrology
to deliver truly amazing weather predictions. More of these later. See how accurate this
system can be in successfully forecasting UK weather, at my blog with UK weather
predictions for the season ahead:-

amazingweather.wordpress.com and for the week ahead at:-

UKweatherbrief.wordpress.com

Press on underlined links to retrieve further FREE useful information throughout this
article. I will also tell you what you can do to learn astrometeorology the system of
forecasting weather
Brief History of Astro Meteorology.

So how does Yorkshire fare in the history of the noble study of astro
meteorology? First, in order to find out, we have to take a thumbnail
tour of astro meteorology traditions in the west that takes us far back in
time to the Babylonians whose astronomer Asideru observed:- "When
it thunders in the day of the moon's disappearance, the crops will
prosper and the market will be steady.'' After doing this we find
Yorkshire attains the height of royal recognition in history due to
Alcuin, a learned monk, reviving the ancient use of the wind-rose the
Babylonians employed to detect wind directions:-

''The Babylonians had the wind-rose of eight thumbs, and used already the names of the four
cardinal points to denominate the intermediate directions; whereas it was till now generally
supposed that we owe to Charles the Great, or perhaps to his learned monk Alcuin, who
came from Yorkshire, this progress of the combination of the four principal winds to denote
all others.''

Another Yorkshire astrologer makes his mark on the study later. Ancient astrologers dating
from Egyptian times are known to have occupied places of supreme respect in courts of
rulers, who had to assure prosperity for the nation. The art and science of astro meteorology
was developed by these astronomer astrologers who were revered as priests who could
forecast weather and other events by observing skies above. ''The state of meteorology in
the old Babylonian culture, namely, three to one thousand years B.C., shows quite another
character than it did in those primeval times in which the weather proverbs originated. After
having been formed into the beginnings of a learned profession by the priests, the
atmospheric phenomena were brought by them into connection with the constellations of
the heavenly bodies, and a complete system of consequences and combinations was
established, which gave rise to the Astro-Meteorology. It even formed an integral part of the
Assyric-Babylonian religion.'' Quotes above ref: Q. J. Roy. Met. Soc. vol. xxxiv, 1908, p. 221,
revised and extended in Met. Z. 1908,Bd. xxv, p. 482.

How do our UK stone circles factor into the history of

astro meteorology? The temples in Assyria were aligned
towards the point of sunrise at equinox points, and
standing stones in the UK are similarly aligned with the
skies implying the importance of celestial observation
for ancient civilizations that perished if not equipped
with some warning of perils warned of by the heavens.
The Egyptians used astro meteorological observations to warn them of the incoming floods
of the Nile, which aided fertility, just as the Babylonians foresaw the Euphrates would flood,
allowing agriculture to flourish and bring prosperity to the nation.

I often visit the Castle Rig stone circles in Cumbria at the summer solstice, and can easily
imagine how ancient people could stand there at the solstice and construe a map of the
heavens the same way I do with my computer, and use it to forecast the weather for the
season ahead. The stone circles on Lewis Island off the coast of NW Scotland is uniquely
placed and oriented in terms of measuring what is now called the „‟still moon‟‟
demonstrating that even in ancient times people were aware of the need to track a variety of
lunar and other planetary movements if they were to be prepared for any impending weather
disasters. An exciting reference to this is made by Diodorus who wrote circa 1BC that in a
circular temple on the Hyperborean Isle (Britain), the moon appeared close to earth and god
Apollo visited the island every 19 years.

Weather forecasting was still evolving it's methods of effectiveness in many ways from
ancient times, with much documentations still to be unearthed in many parts of the globe,
some of it perhaps lost to climate change, as vast continents are reported by Plato, Pliny,
Aristotle and others, who record how cultures and regions disappear with deserts forming,
and silt being carried away by strong destructive winds that then deposit it upon long lost
settlements and forgotten cities which remain to be uncovered by some future excavation by
man or more bad weather. While some regions of the globe such as Egypt depended upon
rivers for fertility of the land, other regions depended upon rains and sunshine for their own
agricultural needs, so traditions of weather lore were evolved in different ways to cater to
the demands of farmers, merchants and ordinary folk, depending on the climatic needs of
their region. One compendium of such weather lore remains with us to this day.

An elaborate exposition of weather-lore was drawn up by Greek Theophrastus, who lived

circa the third century BCE, and was a student of Aristotle who wrote Meteorologica. He
gave us eighty different rain signs, forty five wind signs along with fifty signs for a storm in
his ''Book of Signs.'' In Book 2 he relates how these events have been foreseen through
observing the heavens. Theophrastus gives us an amazing overview of the collective
understanding of weather-lore taught by eminent people of his day, and provides us with a
breathtaking description of how the moon is used to forecast weather that nearly mirrors the
way modern astrologers use the lunar charts to forecast weather:-

''So too is it with each month; the full moon and the eighth and the fourth days make
divisions into halves, so that one should make the new moon the starting-point of one's
survey. A change most often takes place on the fourth day, or, failing that, on the eighth, or,
failing that, at the full moon; after that the periods are from the full moon to the eighth day
from the end of the month, from that to the fourth day from the end, and from that to the
new moon. ''
I will show you later in „„learn astro meteorology‟‟ how to find out how modern astro
meteorologists still use the moon to forecast weather.

Around 340 BC Aristotle wrote his Meteorologica. He was a Greek philosopher

born at Stagirus in 384 BCE. Not only does his work give us some idea about
climate change affecting land masses at the time, but it also tells how far
weather forecasting and understanding the weather had evolved since
Babylonian and Egyptian times. He divides the physical world into four key elements
reminiscent of Greek Hippocrates view of nature as well as the Ayurvedic view of the
physical body ''Two of the qualities, the hot and the cold, are active; two, the dry and the
moist, passive.''

His evaluation of weather patterns such as winds, frosts, hoar frosts and the air generally
shows a deep understanding of differing types of weather not formerly found to be discussed
in previous centuries. download Meteorologica

There are myriad texts that record the widespread nature and use of ancient
weather lore and its role in weather forecasting. '' The Eclogues and Georgics''
of Virgil, first century, talks about Roman weather lore, Homer's Oddyssey
and the Iliad are full of references to the constellations demonstrating how
much observation and recording of the stars had taken place by the Greeks as well as
Romans by the first century. The first century treatise ''Calendarium rusticum'' of the
Roman Columella, a respected eminent expert on rural affairs, informs of the best times
and seasons to perform farming tasks, husbandry and wine making, along with a
description of the twelve winds widely understood to bring specific types of weather of
benefit or destruction to the Mediterranean regions and beyond.

The Bible has many verses that remind us of how old the practise of astro meteorology is.
The Old Testament, biblical book of Daniel is no less than an ancient record of an Israelite
astrologer employed by King Nebuchadnezzar to forecast weather. In the New Testament
we have more evidence of astro meteorological observation in St. Matthew xxiv. 32, „Now
learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh‟ a platitude that we see repeated in many versions of weather
lore of more ancient times, including Hesiod‟s (circa 700 B.C) „‟Work and Days‟‟ one of my
favourite references for lunar lore in my regular sun sign columns published by a variety of
online media, and available to read at www.sacred-texts.com. These fragments of cultural
knowledge remind us that the topic of astro-meteorology is the oldest branch of astronomy
and astrology, still being applied, even though some modern meteorologists may scorn
predecessors in this field of weather forecasting.

Another rich cultural heritage is vividly and often beautifully portrayed in Hesiod, who
gives an enriching picture of rural life pre motor car and the rush of modern life with his
descriptions of the seasonal migration of birds and cranes flying south to Libya, even talking
about the slowness of the snail bringing its message for the forthcoming summer months.
The seas, an important form of transport, trade and economic growth for early civilisations
also have their own astro meteorological messages at a time when people felt at the mercy of
weather fate if they were not aware if the season would come early or late. Much of the
weather lore in Hesiod was probably used later by Pliny to help him sail the seas. Copies of
Hesiod‟s „Work and Days‟ is freely available at www.sacred-texts.com providing insight
into the rhythm of life in an agriculturally dependent era, with no mod cons!

In the last century a remarkable artefact was raised from the

depths of the ocean causing ripples of excitement around the
globe. It was an ancient instrument for measuring the
position of planets now known as 'antikythera' used by the
Greeks and thought to be in use circa 150 BC. Made of
bronze and found in a wooden frame it displayed
information in over 3,000 characters which subsequently
turned out to be a manual for it. It talked of Aphrodite
(Venus), Hermes (Mercury), and eclipses. It wouldn‟t fit on
our bookshelves or look good in the garden, so be thankful for the good old barometer and
computer! This artefact does convey the idea of how hard ancient cultures strived to
transport their latest weather forecasting technology across the globe, obviously a great trade
in such things heralded the modern obsession with the new meteorological tools which I talk
more of later.

Chinese Systems, Parapegmata and Astro Meteorology

I
t is worth having a closer, though not detailed, look at the parapegmata system of
observing the heavens and correlating weather events with the stars as it seems to be a
major tool utilized by ancient astrologer/astronomers to formulate their pending
forecasts of weather. The Babylonians are known to have had a linear view of the
constellations and parapegmata happily fit in with a linear view of the heavens. Parapegmata
are a linear recording of the position of stars with some observations written next to them
and a hole next to each entry for a peg to be placed in. Daryn Lehoux in his recent paper
''Observation and Prediction in Ancient Astrology‟‟ offers an excellent study of why he now
believes parapegmata were not a tool for researching what the weather effects would be, but
for actually forecasting them, and he offers erudite information on this issue. His conclusion
demonstrates that astronomical observations must have been thousands of years old to get to
this stage.

We already know that the Chinese, who use the North Pole for establishing the precise
position of their „‟Central Palace,‟‟ have changed their calculations of the star at the centre of
their calculations more than twice. The „‟Central Palace‟‟ of the sky is defined by a large
dome, with its centre at the Celestial North Pole and the
circumference on the horizon. The Pole Star gives pride of
place to the central position but the fascinating thing about
the heavens is this, the occupying star at the North Pole can
actually change over millennia! Just think of a massive
journey the stars undertake over time, shifting their
positions ever so slowly and most unobserved by us in one
lifetime, when at some stages of evolution Thuban is at the
North Pole and can be viewed as the Pole star, while
amazingly at other times, due to the precession of the
equinox, Polaris can occupy this near central position. The
Pole Star is very close to the Celestial North Pole but not
exactly central. According to my own calculations, given the
ZET programme I use(free download on my links page) may differ from others to some
slight degree, each takes Pole Position at the following times:-

*Polaris highest declination 2101 28 August: 89 32 17(Thuban in 93 taurus virginius)

Thuban highest declination 2800BC Dec 9: 89 56 08 (polaris 11 aurietus/aswini/hamal)
These two stars are opposite each other and signify equinox both vernal and autumnal
equinox at some stages of their sojourn, and a deeper research may actually uncover that
they are the movers and shakers of the earth's climate, and the engine behind climate
change. Can you possibly imagine future governments will tax us more to pay some scientist
who believes he can alter this celestial phenomenon to prevent climate change from
happening The Chinese system of astrology certainly is a very ancient one, as is the
Egyptian system in a culture that boasts its celebration of the seventh millennia, while here
in the west we shout about reaching our second! If only our modern astro meteorologists
could read hieroglyphs I am sure we would find much to inform us in the treatises on
constellations painted on the walls of pyramids, and perhaps used as teaching tools to pass
on treasured knowledge of weather forecasting to the next generation of priest astro
meteorologists.

By the first century oral traditions of cultures, where writing was not widely practised by
all, most knowledge was handed down to a select inner circle by word of mouth and had
been sparsely written down for posterity. I hesitate to add that no written tradition existed,
can only be assumption because lack of evidence of mass production in earlier times, does
not mean some evidence it did exist won‟t be unearthed at some stage. The Chinese were
producing paper for centuries before it was used in the west, and papyrus was the medium of
the written word in the east and Africa. Much of what then happened in the millennia after
the first century was built upon this foundation of emergent astro meteorology. The
parapegmata system of observing weather to devise an understanding of what the heavens
portend for the season ahead gives a rare insight into how the ancient observers watched and
recorded stars and coincidence with weather events. In 1902 fragments of parapegmata were
found at Miletus. Parapegmata were tablets with holes in and next to one of the pegs in the
holes of the tablet of this is recorded:-„‟Arcturus sets in the morning and there is a change in
the weather according to Euctomon. ON this day Aquila rises in the evening also, according
to Philippus‟‟ (translation by Daryn Lehoux)

Lehoux gives a list of various seers who observations are quoted in the parapegmata
including Euctomon, Eudoxus, Philippus, the Egyptians and even Callaneous an Indian.
Interestingly, although the Chinese at this time had outstanding astro meteorological ability,
it seems not to be mentioned in parapegmata found buried at Miletus in 1902. In other
parapegmata we find Hipparchus, Meton of Athens, Callippus and Democritus, along with
Varro and others already discussed above, yet still no reference to Chinese constellations or
observations. So when did Chinese expertise finally penetrate the minds of ancient astro
meteorologists? China has many pyramids suggesting they too were aware of the need to
observe the heavens from a high vantage point, and their own system is perhaps the most
ancient, or at least as old as the Egyptian and Babylonian ones, yet it is hard to find material
translated into English to learn more of their weather forecasting with astrology. More of
Chinese influence later when we‟ll find out how the ancient oracle of the I Ching could
perhaps hold a clue to their own ancient method of weather forecasting.

Do ancient parapegmata exist on the Yorkshire Moors? Ptolemy tells of observations made
across the globe by Aratus, Cicero, Locric, Daritheus, Cyclades and a host of other
astronomer/astrologers around Europe. On Ilkley Moor in Yorkshire there are
many prehistoric stones with potentially astronomical signs, found repeated in
Italy, perhaps of astrological application called 'cup and ring' circles. Some stones
exhibit images that look like the plough shaped constellation, while one large stone actually
looks like a prehistoric parapegmata with groupings of holes in numerical values that suggest
the lunar phases, the days of the week, and five brightest planets easily observed from the
Moors.

Astro Meteorology, Ptolemy, First Century and Beyond

T
his era eventually develops into a time of boys with more toys! However
we do find out how and why astrologers are not ever to be allowed to call
themselves scientists, and how those who do jealously protect their
position with this fashionable term manage to usurp predecessors in the field, and
end up becoming the new magicians in an era of spin! A rapid development during the last
500 years of the last millennia shows a speedy rise in the invention of instruments and
measuring the atmospherics of weather that pushes the study of astrology off the university
campus, replacing seers with scientists and now climatologists who terrify people as much as
astrologers were accused of doing!

How did we get to a stage where scientists and ologists can baffle and bewilder people in
power with cries of global warming, purely by bandying around statistics and calculations
that all serve to blind people with science? Shouldn‟t we be more grateful to the legacy of
research left by all those cultures and seers already mentioned above, who clearly convey
along with Plato and other authors that climate change is inevitable and happened when
aeroplanes and motor cars didn‟t exist?

As today in 2011 some of those using astrology in ancient times were constantly under attack
for unsound use of the system of foreseeing the future. There may be some political spin
surrounding the condemnation of natal astrology by Sextus, circa second to third century
AD, a little like putting a knife in the raw wounds of a defeated Persia, and the traditions of
Zoroaster upheld by those in Sextus day. „‟ The Book of Nativities‟‟ attributed to Zoroaster,
records many nativities and in the third century many astrologers applied this scientific
system, using it more widespreadly than Babylonians who only set them up for important
rulers. However, those who used astrology to forecast weather avoided Sextus' in his
''Adversos Mathematis,'' as he commends their sound methodology.

Certainly you have to be rigorous in understanding the advanced rues of astrology to

forecast weather accurately, which is no doubt what Sextus is pointing out in his
condemnation of natal astrologers, and admiration for astro meteorologists. No
pontificating about character or personality will persuade your client you are expert in the
subject of weather forecasting, nor will waxing lyrical ad ennui about the deeper significance
of aspects or Jupiter or Leo. You will fail miserably in forecasting weather unless you
rigorously command the rules of the subject systematically and are expert at observation of
the correlation of celestial configurations and terrestrial weather. Similarly slavishly
following ancient treatises and weather manuals can also bring pitfalls, as each climate and
region of the globe, even each region of a country can respond to planetary configurations in
varying ways.

Egyptian born Ptolemy agrees with the view that observation is the key
to success in „‟Phaeses‟‟ where he records some weather forecasts.
Clearly Ptolemy, as mentioned, had links with a group of seers
collecting star and weather data from varying regions of the globe.
He refers to our region, the UK, as he talks of what I surmise is the
Hebridean Isle and the standing stones, which may be the ones on
Lewis Island. He also talks of the Druids, and gives the contemporary
view of the natures of the signs of the zodiac and the types of
atmosphere associated with them, assigning an excitement of rain and thunder to Virgo
with an exposition of how each decanate has different effects on weather. By now rather
than a coincidence of stars and weather occurring, we get a more confident command of the
coincidental relationship between celestial and terrestrial weather for weather forecasting
purposes. Ptolemy„s Tetrablibos is a fascinating read encapsulating all that was considered
the cream of knowledge in maths for star computation and understanding of meteors
amongst many other things. Almagest is essential reading for all astrologers

It isn‟t until circa 355 that we women can celebrate a female influence on the astro
meteorological progress through time. Ptolemy‟s knowledge was kept alive by Hypatia
living circa mid fourth to fifth century, the first great woman of science. She was a well-
known professor of philosophy, mathematics and astronomy at Alexandria. With her father
Theon, she edited and wrote commentaries on Ptolemy‟s work. So keep your chin held high
girls, there‟s hope for us to make our mark on history yet!

But what about the Arab influence on the spread of weather forecasting? Is there a link
between them, the Mayans, even the
Chinese and an obsession with Venus?

Jundishapur in Persia, now named Iran,

housed a university that peaked during
Anoshirvan‟s time around the fifth-
sixth century, bringing together Greek
(Egyptian & Byzantine), Indian and
Persian traditions along with Chinese
Herbal medicine and religion. Oddly
enough the highly regarded Indian work
„‟Parasara,‟‟ the Hindu Bible of Astrologers, seems to condense works of a variety of regions
in Asia, and could be deemed a compendium of astrological insights which may well have
derived from a similar if not the same gathering of astrologers, and some weather lore of
„‟Parasara‟‟ has also been recorded. It makes a very interesting read as he gives a wealth of
information about major disasters including one position of Venus to look out for as a herald
of the next world inundation for he tells us that when Venus rises or sets on the 14th or 15th
day of the dark fortnight then the earth will look as though it were a vast sheet of water
completely flooded. This understanding of planetary connections with weather within
astrological circles perhaps gives us insight into perhaps why the Mayans, thought by the
Indians to be from their continent, were so precise in their calculation of this planet. Maybe
the Mayans took with them the body of knowledge collated by the ancient Persians who also
kept steady records of this planet, perhaps for the same purpose of knowing when the next
flood would arrive. King Ammi-saduqa (1683-47 BC) of the Persian region also commanded
his astrologers to keep assiduous records of the transit of Venus behind the sun, but so far
the reason why is unknown. The Mayans charts for times of war show certain transits of
Venus over the sun indicating an invasion or warring policy rather than a weather interest!
This view of planet Venus as a warring factor is also shared elsewhere in history. What you
may not also know is that far from seeing Venus as a planet of peace, the Chinese see it as
signifying war and catastrophe.

An outstanding author from around the first century, who refers to many of those budding
astro meteorologists already mentioned, was Pliny, a Roman elder who, if I remember
correctly, was a mariner reliant on the weather for navigating rough seas. On his retirement
from sailing the oceans of the world, when he would have been dependant upon maps of the
starry skies and the globe, he collated contemporary literature on natural events including in
Chapter 2 of his 'An Account of the World and Natural Elements' a collection of natural
and weather lore, as well as astrology/astronomy during his day. Pliny tells us about the
progress in calculating the stars positions, ''Anaximander the Milesian, in the 58th Olympiad
, is said to have been the first who understood its obliquity, and thus opened the road to a
correct knowledge of the subject. Afterwards Cleostratus made the signs in it, first marking
those of Aries and Sagittarius; Atlas had formed the sphere long before this time . But now,
leaving the further consideration of this subject, we must treat of the bodies that are situated
between the earth and the heavens.'' Pliny goes on to talk of how and why it was thought
certain weather arrived, ''the fires which fall upon the earth, and receive the name of
thunder-bolts, proceed from the three superior stars...it is commonly said, the thunder-bolts
are darted by Jupiter.''

Unlike Sextus Empiricus, Pliny gives many references to what by now are considered the
influence of the stars upon the earth and individual nativities, rather than just coincidences,
constituting what was formerly regarded as so important a science as judicial astrology. By
the 2nd century Ptolemy has drawn up a regular code of it in his "Centum dicta," or
"Centiloquiums." His Almagest conveys fascinating insight into the astrology of his day
along with many references to weather forecasting with constellations, as does to some
extent Manilius in his ''Astronomica,'' designed as a teaching tool for astrologers and worth
downloading from sacred texts archives at www.sacred-texts.com

Manilius gives a wonderful insight into house systems, and the system of „lots‟‟ as well as
demonstrating that Persian astrology was in vogue and employed by many in the western
world, probably due to the influence of Arab scholars who often travelled India gleaning
perhaps much of India's weather lore and astrological practices. The system of lots can be
seen in some branches of Indian astrology also.

By 2-3 AD we can see the coming together of many cultures to share their love of the
observation of the heavens. Persian astrologers were considered masters of the art of this
science in their heyday and much of their system permeates traditional astrology in the west
today. The most famous Arab astrologer Abumassah ( C.E. 787-886) leaves us '' Flores
Astrologicae.'' Much of „‟Flores‟‟ is probably of more use to those wanting to predict
weather in the region of Iran or Iraq, rather than the UK, for though it is an interesting
sample of how to view planets in weather forecasting, I haven't found it very useful in my
astro meteorological work for the UK weather forecasting!.

By now the ''scientists'' of the day were in much demand by many leaders intent on
dominating the world and extending their empires. How did these rulers
make use of astrology? Nabu-rimanni (Naburianus) was the chief
astrologer of Darius, the famous Persian ruler, and he studied lunar
eclipses calculating them more accurately than Ptolemy and Copernicus.
His work was used for many centuries by observers such Seleucid and
Parthian rulers of Persia. His picture of Heavens was borrowed by the Greeks and
eventually reached the famous Greek scientist Democritus. It was Naburianus who granted
Darius the boon of being able to darken the skies in order to subdue his enemies before a
battle, by being told about the time of the next eclipse of the sun which would darken the air.
Darius warned the enemy to submit as he was so powerful he could darken the sky, which
he did when the eclipse of the sun was full. So even in ancient times rulers used astrology to
spin a line, as today we see the FBI and other governments use astrology to fight wars and
assassinate perceived enemies. Don't believe me? Odd how Bin Laden was killed on the
exact day of Jupiter conjunct with Mars in Aries 2011, on the 11th May when I predicted in
my UK weather forecast for spring, published in February, that terrorism would hit the
headlines on that day. But then the US has many a link with astrology and many books have
been written about these, including the fact that Franklin produced almanacs, a facsimile of
which I have. A former FBI agent now produces some astrological forecasts on website, and
would you believe there is even a document freely available on the net that talks of the
military examining ways of using weather in war? The British military also were looking at
this during WW1 and there is still an investigation about cloud research conducted with the
Royal Air Force in Cornwall. In the US a manual entitled ''Weather as a Force Multiplier:
Owning the Weather in 2025,'' shows a race to control the weather as it is a 'Research Paper
Presented To Air Force 2025' by seven members of the military in August 1996, since when
we have seen cloud seeding undertaken more frequently. Not for the first time are powers
trying to control the world using the findings of scientists of all ages.

Back to Darius and his new tool of domination, eclipses. Apart from the secret knowledge of
eclipses being a handy way to subdue your enemy, the knowledge of when they would occur
would also enable people hundreds of miles apart to calibrate their weather vanes and sun
clocks. So this was an effective new way of arranging times for important meetings and
timing of events between leaders in different parts of the globe. But more knowledge was
still to come.

Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164 CE) was a medieval Jewish scholar who wrote (among many
other things) a number of well-regarded astrological treatises. He extends Ptolemy's
information on decans and their use in astro meteorology in an exposition of how they were
being developed nearly 1000 years post Ptolemy. Ezra talks of decans as a source of magical
''insight'' perhaps echoing the esotericism of the Hermetic tradition of this type of astrology.

Another Arab astrologer or well known

Babylonian astronomer under Persian rule,
Kidinnu (Cidenas) of Sippar, distinguished the
solar year from the lunar, discovered the
precession of the equinoxes and arrived at an
exact calculation of the length of the year,
making an error of only 7 minutes, 41 seconds.
Some of the oldest records of astrology are
astrological omens preserved from the reign of
king Ammi-saduqa (1683-47 BC) and the transit
of Venus behind the sun was considered
important to note in those days in ancient Persian/Babylonian regions, seemingly giving
important omens. This mirrors the fascination of counting the cycles of Venus as used by
the Mayans, though in neither instance does it seem records have emerged that show this
was used in weather forecasting. Of course the ziggurats built in Babylon reflect the height
of those built by the Mayans, giving both cultures a clear view of the sky without fear of
having the view obstructed by trees or other obstacles. Persian basic knowledge of
astronomy/ astrology was probably absorbed by the Greeks after the defeat of the Persian
Empire around 5-4th century BC, and the Greeks excelled at developing the maths to extend
knowledge of the heavens, some Persian knowledge was also shared by Egyptian
astronomers. Hebrew astronomy survived due to the Parthians re conquering the Persian
Empire around 126 BC and the symbolism of darkness and light in Zoroastrian lore, lives on
in Hebrew astronomy/ astrology.

Abu Ma‟shar Balkhi (787-886 AD) exerted a powerful influence on the development of
Western Astrology and his book about his extensive travels of
India make interesting reading. Al Biruni circa 990 was another
well known figure in western astrology 990 AD, and at age 17 he
computed the latitude of his city Kath by observing the
maximum altitude of the sun and shortly afterwards produced
his Cartography, a work on map projections. In Gilan near
Caspian area he observed a major eclipse in 997 and by
comparing his results with another astronomer in Baghdad was
able to calculate the difference in longitude between the cities, an
essential task for those wanting to erect charts for the purpose of
weather forecasting. Biruni also produced books about the astrolabe a brilliant tool used by
ancient astrologers to set up charts for forecasting. The equivalent invention today in mod
cons for the astro meteorologist would be the computer. Not only that he translated much of
the ancient Vedic texts on astrology, originally written in sanskrit, into Arabic, no mean
feat, although much of his translation and interpretation is corrected by R Bhat in his work
on the Brihat Samhita. Al Biruni talks of the Kurma Chakra method of weather forecasting
used by Indian astro meteorologists. Known as the tortoiseshell, the kurma chakra is a
tightly coiled snaking of nadis or nakshatras still used by Indian weather forecasters to
produce outstandingly accurate weather predictions about the monsoons and other weather.
I record these nadis on my forecasts and hopefully at some stage will be able to cor relate
them with our British weather patterns that currently not listed in the tortoise method.

Al Biruni wrote the book of „‟Shadows‟‟ around 1021 AD. Of course Biruni won‟t mind me
using AD as he himself, like any great astrologer, put religious and cultural divisions on one
side and had no time for the burning of books during cultural disputes.

At this stage we have summarised more one thousand years of the evolution of astro-
meteorology but what about its furtherance after the first few thousand years? How have
scientists gone on to steal the show and where does the I Ching fit into all this? More of this
later.

Astro Meteorology and Diversification in Meteorological Services

B
y the 13th century we meet up with another Yorkshire scholar in astrology John
Sacrobosco, born about 1195 in Halifax, West Yorkshire. „THE SPHERE OF
SACROBOSCO‟ covers the globe, its regions the pole and shape of the world along
with information about rising and setting of stars at different latitudes and how this affects
diverse localities and climes and the author finishes with describing the circles and motions
of the planets. The most fascinating part of his work is the sources he uses to draw
information from, as they are little known and I don't recall their work in any other book on
the subject. He refers to Alfraganus who talks of the summer and winter and different
experiences of weather in varying parts of the globe, and refers also to an author he names
Lucan who calls the equinoctial "the circle of the high solstice.” What is interesting about
Sacrobosco is how he takes great pains to describe how the globe can be divided up into areas
which then help detect the seven climes he defines so clearly for us. This method of
partitioning the globe is used widely in the grids used by conventional meteorologists but in
a more sophisticated way to forecast weather flow.

After all this work in establishing the foundations of measurement of the stars, and the
celestial dynamics, why can't conventional meteorologists deliver accurate long term
forecasts? Why are they so out of touch with what the public need to know about weather
and why do they get such a bad press for many inaccurate weather forecasts? Why are astro
meteorologists not being used to predict weather in conventional modern forecast services?

By the time of Kepler circa 16th-17th Century the spread of knowledge was made easier by
the rise of that weapon of mass production, the printing press. The 17th Century saw
astrology being taken over by a new fascination with mathematics and physics in ways that
no longer associated themselves with the old science of astro meteorology. The Scientific
revolution meant that everything had to proven in ways that could be tested by the new
equipment such as barometers. Newton‟s theory of the laws of gravity, made him one of the
new heroes of the day, and though he confessed to learning astrology in his youth, and was
suspected of continuing with it later, his impact on the field of science took it in a new
direction that enabled a cult of the scientist to evolve, taking over the previously respectable
role of the ancient astrologer. Astrology was kicked off the university campus which is sad
for people like myself who were destined to become astrologers. Mathematics and physics
took its place. The word scientist however was not used until 100 year after Newton's death,
and astrologers were never to be allowed to use it, if scientists had anything to do with it!

Probably due more to the hostility in the UK to astrologers and the Vagrancy Act of the 19th
century, as well as the imprisonment of one astrologer who predicted a sea event during the
war, few treatises surviving on mainland Europe enjoyed the brightness of day in England.
I'm still amazed at the varying tomes, articles, and books that I encounter from mainland
Europe about astrology and astro meteorology, which were hardly openly available in
England in the days when I first started studying astrology during the 1960's.

Kepler is one of the most famous names in the field interested in atmospherics and although
he refers to the work of Roman and Greek authors already discussed, he is more interested in
cause and effect of atmospheric/weather phenomenon. His interest in the declination of the
planets, an area of calculation essential to astro meteorologists, though not often used by
many natal astrologers, he tells of the greater influence of all planets when in northern
declination on the northern hemisphere. He also tells us Winter Full Moons are more humid
than summer ones, and that in winters when Saturn and Mars are in lower declination they
will have less power for the northern hemisphere, a fact most of us in the astro
meteorological circles now take for granted.

By the end of the 17th Century in England there was greater suppression of astrology as it
had by now been driven underground by cultural and other revolutions.

The subject of astro meteorology being a rigorous application of the use of planet in weather
forecasting, is known to have been employed by Flamsteed (1646-1719 C.E.) Flamsteed set up
a chart for establishing the Royal Observatory and seems to have attended many similar
“foundings‟‟ of buildings linked with astrological election charts. Richard Mead (1673-1754
C.E.), vice president of the Royal Society 1717, also showed an interest in astrology as he
wrote about how epileptic fits coincided with phases of the moon. It was only once Fitzroy
committed suicide in 1865 after making a poor weather forecast that the conventional mets
were told to stop delivering long range forecasts and focus instead on evolving things like
isobars, low pressure and high pressure and the immediate weather ahead.
Nowadays weather forecasting is so technical and over laden with ''science'' and toys for
measuring atmospherics a modern weather report is more likely to look like a list of
statistics like this one posted on a weather forum 17th May 2011:W-8681 at 460ft ASL
Current data for Dover
Temps
Current 13.4
Trend (per hour) +1.2
Average today 11.0
Wind chill 13.2
Heat Index 13.4
Dew Point 9.8
Rel Humidity 79%
Wind (mph):
Current Gust 6.9 NW
Average Speed 4.3 N

Rainfall (mm):
Current rate 0.0
Last hour 0.0
Total today 1.2
Total yesterday 0.0
Total this month 1.8
Total this year 163.8

Pressure (hPa):
Current 1021.8
Trend (per hour) +0.4

Cumulus Forecast: Settled fine.

Observation: 90% light overcast, clearing.
Visibility: Clear

Clearly scientists have stolen the show from astro meteorologists by defining a body of
measurable conditions that creates a new demand for instruments for amateurs that bring in
huge profits they accuse astrologers of making! Ironic, to say the least! These new
instruments used in weather forecasting, including the best toy –a satellite viewing the
whole globe, give us all the technical jargon we ordinary folk don't need or understand.
Many of us listen dumfounded as we are blinded by the ''science'' of meteorological
forecasting that tells us tomorrow a wave of high pressure pictured in the isobars moving
across NW Scotland will land in the south of England.......most of us women want to know
whether to take and umbrella or wear trousers if the wind is set to lift our skirts or blow our
hat off.

Astro Meteorology and Cultural use Including the I Ching

A
strology is still used, and rigorous research conducted in some scientific circles in
some regions of the globe. Weather forecasting with Vedic astrology is an ancient
system of astro meteorology still successfully used in India where monsoons are an
essential weather pattern that influences the economy in agriculture. Studies on its
application are still being done in relation to agriculture in many universities. The following
links to one recent study on astro meteorology and effects on agriculture:-

http://www.aau.in/english/news/Science_CongressTN_VC_Lecture.pdf

These links takes you to a study on nadis and rainfall:-

http://www.agrometeorology.org/filesfolder/repository/VarshneyaVaidyaetalarticleMay20
10.pdf

http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Forecasting%20and%20validation%20of%20rainf
all%20for%20Barshi.pdf

Vedic astro meteorology follows a 'snaked' nadi pattern based upon nakshatra, or
constellations with much experience of their effects upon weather being recorded in ancient
classical books such as Brihat Samhita and Kalaprasika, with an interesting study in a book
entitled ''Weather Forecasting'' by K. K. Pathak, that analyses many years of planetary
transits and their effects on monsoons and other types of weather in India.

I am still not well versed in how much China uses astro meteorology, but I do know that
due to a Jesuit influence at their observatory in Peking during the 17th century they found
repeatedly that their eclipse forecasts kept going wrong. Jesuit monks worked at the
observatory at this time. The observatory employed Tycho Brahe‟s formulas in those days
but still kept getting the wrong results. Jesuits of course would still not accept the model of
the universe with sun at centre because of their doctrine and this interfered with their
programming of the new mathematics at the observatory! Once this was sorted out, and
Newton‟s lunar mathematics employed, more accuracy was obtained. More interesting is a
research that demonstrates a potential link between the phases of the moon and weather
forecasts of the I Ching. The moon has eight distinct phases as in Full/New quarter and
gibbous phases, and undoubtedly the I Ching recognises this pattern in its formulation of the
trigrams, which look very like parapegmata.
Here is a table showing the potential Seasonal atmospherics associated with each trigram
due to them being the ones in the commentaries that begin in Spring. See the trigram shown
before each trigram name displayed before the commentary:-

TABLE 3, Trigram cycle of King Wen

1. ::/ Chen, Arousing (Zhen, Quake)

2. //: Sun, Gentle (Sun, Compliance)

3. /:/ Li, Clinging (Li, Cohesion)

4. ::: K‟un, Receptive (Kun, Earth)

5. :// Tui, Joyous (Dui, Joy)

6. /// Ch‟ien, Creative, (Qian, Pure Yang)

7. :/: K‟an, Abysmal (Kan, Sink Hole)

8. /::Ken, Keeping Still (Gen, Restraint)

Hard for an astro meteorologist not to interpret 2 the weak Spring sun is compliant at
equinox, 5 sun in joyous as the moon reaches this phase, or 1 a quake or severe weather is
forthcoming, would 3 clinging translate better as winds expected by that phase of the moon?
The I Ching Hexagram interpretations are full of weather references.

Ancient Chinese literature is referred to in the I Ching Version by Wilhelm such

as Sequence of Earlier Heaven(Wilhelm/Baynes,) This is traditionally attributed to the
legendary Fu Xi, before the compilation of the I Chingduring the term of King Wen (1177-
1122 BC) of the Zhou dynasty. (Lynn, 1994, p. 4) There is also theSequence of
Later Heaven This is traditionally attributed to King Wen. (Wilhelm/Baynes, p. 269) It is
not beyond the realm of reason and could be possible that these earlier treatises contained
astro meteorological lore of the day. Table taken from: „‟ The Hexagrams of the
Moon‟‟ by Ralph H. Abraham, Visual Math Institute Santa Cruz, CA 96061-7920
USA Dedicated to Dane Rudhyar, 1895-1985
Learn Astro Meteorology

A
s a professional teacher, lecturer, trainer and writer of over 40 years experience, and
successful UK weather forecaster using astro meteorology, it is only natural that I
would want to share with you the system of forecasting weather. Hopefully my
account of some of the literature I have read on the way to becoming a successful UK astro
meteorologist, has helped encourage you to take up this branch of astrology. I am thankful to
K N Rao who first posted some Vedic astro meteorology lessons on the jyotish list in 2003/4,
and to D Nair who kindly sent me the book I am recommending to you now, along with his
own book on astro meteorology.

You need to download this FREE book by C. C. Zain on „Weather Forecasting‟

(http://www.lightofegypt.com/home/index.aspx?action=courses_by_serial#start) if you are sure you
have the time, diligence and application to take the subject seriously. The book will take you
through the basic steps of weather forecasting setting up solar ingress charts for the season,
lunar charts for each phase, and Mercury charts for the wind. Using some of the basic
guidelines in this book you can begin your study of weather forecasting, but do remember
British weather patterns demand you also study our climate and planetary coincidences with
weather in this part of the world. Who knows after years of study you too can be making
accurate UK or beyond weather forests with the help of „‟astrology that doesn‟t cost the
earth.‟‟

*What is a eureka moment is the fact that these two stars shine out their brightness outstandingly and share habitation of the North
Pole, moving away to let the other take over every 4600 years!!! They seem to be sharing rulership of earth's rotational Pole
between them. Houses drawn from ecliptic in 2500BC are topocentric at centre of Draco Whist Thuban of Draco constellation is
nearly aligned with North Pole (They are also this position in 0001) If using equitorial house divisions rather than ecliptical, then
Polaris is also aligned with this centre, as well as North Pole, but if using ecliptical house system then it is not lined up with the
topocentre of the house system at the north pole in 2102