Comments on: Stars in Their Courses http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:47:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: Bruce Baugh http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17846 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 02:44:49 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17846 I think that a lot of divination works by providing two things: 1. A good set of symbols, rich in allusions and implications, which can interact in lots of ways, so that you can combine factual objective details and emotional responses and not-previously-verbalized concepts and all the different sorts of thoughts we have in one fabric, rather than trying to force them all "up" or "down" into the structure of just one kind of thought. 2. A source of randomness in the arrangement of things, to help you get out of a mental rut and see possibilities and connections you might otherwise not have gotten to. The interesting thing is that these seem to be worthwhile regardless of what deeper truth there is (or isn't) to any particular practice. They help let the human mind, a truly amazing pattern-making instrument, do its thing. If they also allow connections of any other sort, so much the better. :) I think that a lot of divination works by providing two things:

1. A good set of symbols, rich in allusions and implications, which can interact in lots of ways, so that you can combine factual objective details and emotional responses and not-previously-verbalized concepts and all the different sorts of thoughts we have in one fabric, rather than trying to force them all “up” or “down” into the structure of just one kind of thought.

2. A source of randomness in the arrangement of things, to help you get out of a mental rut and see possibilities and connections you might otherwise not have gotten to.

The interesting thing is that these seem to be worthwhile regardless of what deeper truth there is (or isn’t) to any particular practice. They help let the human mind, a truly amazing pattern-making instrument, do its thing. If they also allow connections of any other sort, so much the better. :)

]]> by: skippy http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17845 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 02:32:11 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17845 garance let me buy her a drink at ykos, but won't return my emails! she's a <a href="http://xnerg.blogspot.com/2006/06/blog-teaser-skippy-rant.html" rel="nofollow">blog teaser</a>! garance let me buy her a drink at ykos, but won’t return my emails!

she’s a blog teaser!

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17825 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:52:00 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17825 As I said, I don't believe it or disbelieve it; I'd say that on some level I <i>accept</i> it as one more thing in the world I don't understand, like calculus or accupuncture. I wouldn't cancel a plane trip because of a grand cross over the airport at the time of departure. Also, I must say the Age of Aquarius has been a bust so far. On the other hand, natal charts, if they're calculated accurately, in my observation are usually remarkably accurate. As I said, I don’t believe it or disbelieve it; I’d say that on some level I accept it as one more thing in the world I don’t understand, like calculus or accupuncture. I wouldn’t cancel a plane trip because of a grand cross over the airport at the time of departure. Also, I must say the Age of Aquarius has been a bust so far. On the other hand, natal charts, if they’re calculated accurately, in my observation are usually remarkably accurate.

]]> by: Doug Hughes http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17819 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:23:57 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17819 Taking a cheap shot at some one for their beleif in astrology or numerology or their religion for that matter is just that - a cheap shot. Kudo to Maha for the discussion. Let me ask a question (and this is not pointed at you Maha - everything I have read from you shows you are above a cheap shot) Those who are as old as I am may remember that there were credable rumors that Nancy Regan was into astrology. Suppose (for discussion - I am not suggesting this is true) Barbara Bush was a fan of astrology. Where would you stand then on astrology? IMHO defending someone for practicing in private a minority belief has to cross over regardless of who is being ridiculed. This is a real test of how ethically developed you are. Taking a cheap shot at some one for their beleif in astrology or numerology or their religion for that matter is just that - a cheap shot. Kudo to Maha for the discussion.

Let me ask a question (and this is not pointed at you Maha - everything I have read from you shows you are above a cheap shot) Those who are as old as I am may remember that there were credable rumors that Nancy Regan was into astrology. Suppose (for discussion - I am not suggesting this is true) Barbara Bush was a fan of astrology. Where would you stand then on astrology?

IMHO defending someone for practicing in private a minority belief has to cross over regardless of who is being ridiculed. This is a real test of how ethically developed you are.

]]> by: Donna http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17813 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:57:59 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17813 I like astrology when it involves persons who make a serious hobby of it. I once had a teacher who did charts on each student. When he came to mine, he announced that the time of my birth was wrong. [I had asked my Mom for the time, but she later admitted that she was 'guessing'--- yep, I was born at home]. Well, later another person with whom I became friends, offered to 'rectify my chart' to find the exact time of my birth. She used a computer to do a bunch of math.....somehow working back from events in my life. What blew me away was that, as she got closer and closer to the moment of my birth, she began to ask uncannily specific questions of me.....like.... "Did you get spanked your first day of school?" [Well, yes, I did....because the first grade teacher got tired of telling me to stop talking to a girl across the aisle in our classroom. I was from a farm and only had brothers, and was fascinated to find a girl to talk to]. Whether the serious astrology hobbyists are using it as a tool to bring intuition to a focus, or whether there is actually some pattern within small pieces of the universe [individuals] that reflect something from heavenly alignments.....who knows or cares. Energy follows thought, and thought follows energy. I like astrology when it involves persons who make a serious hobby of it. I once had a teacher who did charts on each student. When he came to mine, he announced that the time of my birth was wrong. [I had asked my Mom for the time, but she later admitted that she was ‘guessing’— yep, I was born at home]. Well, later another person with whom I became friends, offered to ‘rectify my chart’ to find the exact time of my birth. She used a computer to do a bunch of math…..somehow working back from events in my life. What blew me away was that, as she got closer and closer to the moment of my birth, she began to ask uncannily specific questions of me…..like…. “Did you get spanked your first day of school?” [Well, yes, I did….because the first grade teacher got tired of telling me to stop talking to a girl across the aisle in our classroom. I was from a farm and only had brothers, and was fascinated to find a girl to talk to].

Whether the serious astrology hobbyists are using it as a tool to bring intuition to a focus, or whether there is actually some pattern within small pieces of the universe [individuals] that reflect something from heavenly alignments…..who knows or cares. Energy follows thought, and thought follows energy.

]]> by: merciless http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17801 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:52:11 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/06/28/stars-in-their-courses/#comment-17801 Another problem is the semantics of the charge. When you read that Jerome "believes" in astrology, it sounds as if he has a little shrine set up in his bedroom, where he goes every night to worship the stars. I'm not saying he doesn't. But that's usually not the case with those who follow astrology. It's not a belief in the current (that is, Christian) sense so much as it is a study of pattern and tendency, which many find helpful as a (not THE) way to make a little more sense out of the world. That's all. People go overboard on all kinds of things. Geez, last year loads of people "believed" in the Atkins diet. But few associated it with wingnuttery, even though I saw lots of people in restaurants and at the ballpark asking for their burgers without buns. I thought it was a little nutty. Another problem is the semantics of the charge. When you read that Jerome “believes” in astrology, it sounds as if he has a little shrine set up in his bedroom, where he goes every night to worship the stars.

I’m not saying he doesn’t. But that’s usually not the case with those who follow astrology. It’s not a belief in the current (that is, Christian) sense so much as it is a study of pattern and tendency, which many find helpful as a (not THE) way to make a little more sense out of the world.

That’s all. People go overboard on all kinds of things. Geez, last year loads of people “believed” in the Atkins diet. But few associated it with wingnuttery, even though I saw lots of people in restaurants and at the ballpark asking for their burgers without buns. I thought it was a little nutty.

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