Such is the way of all superstition, whether in astrology, dreams, omens, divine judgments, or the like; wherein men, having a delight in such vanities, mark the events where they are fulfilled, but where they fail, though this happen much oftener, neglect and pass them by. ~ Francis Bacon
An admirable evasion of whore-master man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star! ~ Shakespeare
This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeit of our own behaviour, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars. ~ Shakespeare

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. A practitioner of astrology is called an astrologer, or, less often, an astrologist.

Quotes

  • Such is the way of all superstition, whether in astrology, dreams, omens, divine judgments, or the like; wherein men, having a delight in such vanities, mark the events where they are fulfilled, but where they fail, though this happen much oftener, neglect and pass them by.
  • That astrology is a science, and a coming science, is true. That astrology in its highest aspect and its true interpretation, will enable man eventually to focus his understanding, and to function rightly, is equally true... But that astrology is not yet to be found. Too much is overlooked and too little known, to make astrology the exact science that many claim it is. The claim will be fulfilled at some future date, but the time is not yet. The claims of the astrologers as to the reality of the energies playing upon the human organism, can be seen to be true; their claims as to their capacity to interpret, are for the most part unfounded. So little is really known... The energy of the particular constellation or sign in which a man is born, is more deeply significant than has ever yet been suggested. It embodies or indicates his present problem, sets the pace or tempo of his life, and is related to the quality of his personality. It governs, if I may so express it, the . . . activity aspect of his life during incarnation.
    • Alice Bailey A Treatise on W.M., Lucis Trust publishing (1934) p. 434/5
  • Amusingly, it falls foul of our modern taboo against lazy stereotyping. How would we react if a newspaper published a daily columm that read something like this: "Germans: It is in your nature to be hard-working and methodical, which should serve you well at work today. In your personal relationships, especially this evening, you will need to curb your natural tendency to obey orders. Chinese: Inscrutability has many advantages, but it may be your undoing today. British: Your stiff upper lip may serve you well in business dealings, but try to relax and let yourself go in your social life."
  • And most people say of astrology, "Oh, it's harmless fun, isn't it?" And I should say probably for about 80% of the cases it probably is harmless fun, but there's a strong way in which it isn't harmless: one, because it's so anti-science; you know, you'll hear things like "Science doesn't know everything." Well, of course science doesn't know everything, but because science doesn't know everything that doesn't mean science knows nothing. Science knows enough for us to be watched by a few million people now on television, for these lights to be working, for quite extraordinary miracles to have taken place in terms of the harnessing of the physical world and our dim approaches towards understanding it.
  • He considered horoscopes as silly as spectacles on a cow.
  • Their [the stars] influence on our fate is considerably less than the influence of a banana peel, on which you can slip and break your leg. But there is no interest in banana peels, whereas serious periodicals include horoscopes ... It lifts his spirits. The whole universe revolves around him, and even if things aren't going well, even if the stars are lined up in such a way that the suspenders manufacturer loses his shirt and the individual consequently loses his job, it's still more comforting than to know that the stars don't really give a damn. Knock astrology out of his head, and the belief too that the cactus on his windowsill cares about him, and what is left? Barefoot, naked despair.
    • Stanislaw Lem, Peace on Earth (1987), tr. Elinor Ford (1994) from Pojój na Zemi, Ch. 5.
  • Astrology is a disease, not a science.
  • The oracles are dumb,
    No voice or hideous hum
    Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving
    Apollo from his shrine
    Can no more divine,
    With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving.
    No nightly trance or breathèd spell,
    Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.
  • “Doesn’t she read chicken entrails?”
    “Oh! No, astrology.”
    “Same sort of thing.”
  • “It makes you wonder if there is anything to astrology after all.”
    “Oh, there is,” said Susan. “Delusion, wishful thinking, and gullibility.”
  • Astrology can be tested by the lives of twins. There are many real cases like this: one twin is killed in childhood, in say a riding accident, or is struck by lightning, but the other lives to a prosperous old age. Suppose that happens to me. My twin and I would be born in precisely the same place, and within minutes of each other. Exactly the same planets would be rising at our births. If astrology were valid, how could we have such profoundly different fates?
  • How could the rising of Mars at the moment of my birth affect me, then, or now? I was born in a closed room. Light from Mars couldn't get in. The only influence of Mars which could affect me was its gravity. But the gravitational influence of the obstetrician was much larger than the gravitational influence of Mars. Mars is a lot more massive, but the obstetrician was a lot closer.
    • Carl Sagan, "The Harmony of Worlds", Cosmos (1980-10-12), episode 3
  • This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are
    sick in fortune, often the surfeit of our own behaviour, we make
    guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars; as if
    we were villains on necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion;
    knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical pre-dominance;
    drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforc’d obedience of
    planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine
    thrusting on. An admirable evasion of whore-master man, to lay
    his goatish disposition to the charge of a star!
  • “Excuse me,” she said hesitantly, “but what effect do these minor planets have on our behavior and fortunes? I mean, you know, astrological influence?”
    He looked at her. “None.”
    “None at all.”
    “No.”
    “But if the planets affect our fortunes—” She stumbled to a stop at the dispassionately scornful look on the pale man’s face, the slow way he shook his head. “Surely you’ll agree that the planets order and control our destinies?”
    “They do not.”
    “Not at all?”
    “Then what does? Control our destinies, I mean.”
    “The only external forces that have any influence on us are those we can see every day: the smile, the frown, the fist, the brick wall. What you call ‘destiny’ is merely a semantic fallacy, the attribution of purpose to blind causality. Insofar as any of us are compelled to resist the flow of random events, we are driven solely by internal drives and forces.”
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