24 of 29 - Tiruvonam (Shravana)

22.                 Should we use Astrology for matching horoscopes?  How does it matter?

Answer: The idea for checking horoscope is to see if there are drastic negative effects, like early death, health disorders, scope for progeny, etc.  This is to just try to ensure that the spouse together with the son/daughter of the person seeing the horoscope will have a long married life.

VRVD
(24 of 29 - Tiruvonam / Shravana)

23 of 29 - Utthiradam (Uttara Ashada)

21.                 In that case, when does the effect of the celestial objects start for a human being?

Answer: For our calculations, we say that it is at birth.  When the child comes out of the womb, it starts to directly get affected by changing temperatures, heat, rain, cold, bacteria, virus, etc!  Hence, then on, it has become independent & has to be reactive to the environment, including the (a) gravity, light & heat of sun, (b) gravity, light of moon, (c) gravity of the bigger planets and (d) azimuth position of moon with respect to the place (Rahu and Ketu), etc.

In fact, the “protective” shield of parents is said to be there for a longer duration.  Some astrologers say up to 27 years the negative effects are protected – that is, for example, the first 7 ½ year “Saturn” effect is supposed to be less due to this protection (heresay only please - don't quote me).  The true effects are expected to be in the second cycle when Saturn is in the same zodiac as the birth zodiac! 

Hence, the effects are not simple as x is here, y is there – so this is good, or that is bad. All factors have to be taken into account, which comes only from experienced astrologers who have learnt all the facets of Astrology.

VRVD

(23 of 29 - Uthiradam / Uttara Ashada)

22 of 29 - Pooradam (Purva Ashada)

20.                 Since the time a baby is conceived there are events happening.  Why are they not taken into account upto time of birth?

Answer: This is a good point to think about.  When the baby is tiny, the items that affect the baby the most are the food, chemicals that are around it.  Hence, we have the view that the mother should have good thoughts & good food.  If the mother has tension / depression during pregnancy, then baby is going to get some chemicals that are going to give a different effect during those growth stages.  Now, that is why the “mother’s” horoscope “affects the child”!  If the mother is going through tough period in pregnancy, it does show in the growth, development, genes, organs and limbs of the child.

Then why is not the “sun” and “moon” at time of conceiving not considered.  The effects of the sun and moon are less compared to the two huge bodies within which the two parts join to get conceived.  The mother’s womb protects the child from sun, rain, cloud, heat, cold, bacteria, virus, whatever!  Hence there is no change to affect it, in my opinion!

VRVD
(22 of 29 - Pooradam / Purva Ashada)

21 of 29 - Moolam

19.                 Are you again trying to twist words to favour your arguments?

Answer: This is not an attempt to hide or let astrologers hide behind the “words” – but people have to objectively analyze “science”.  Whenever science includes “itself” the problem starts for itself!  Since “astrology” can be used to predict & change the “future” such predictions have to include the “possibility” that such a reading itself is included in the end results predicted!

Yes, I don’t have an answer as of now, but hope rest of the questions help us arrive at a good approximation to the reality of Astrology as Science!

VRVD

(21 of 29 - Moolam)

20 of 29 - Kettai (Jyesta)

18.                 Can we control destiny just by birth date & time – by Caesarean section at particular time?

Answer: This is difficult to answer.  I will try to give the generalities and hope everyone can work it out from these points.

First we are already a small individual in the magnitude of universe, whose “specific events” cannot be predicted (see uncertainty principle).  If we can predict that, then world becomes “deterministic” – no free will!

Second fact is that any “self-referencing” system has a problem (see Godel’s theorem or related points).  The question is, if astrology is a valid system which is fairly accurate, then can it include the fact that astrology will be used to “change the happenings” based on a study of astrology. 

Then, if for a moment a “blind spot” is created in the astrologer, he makes wrong calculations / predictions, which leads to a different outcome – which may have been the “correct destiny” (actual destiny of the child)! This is later confirmed by a different astrologer on reworking the correct horoscope.

It is also possible that one person is told, due to astrology, that he is expecting a certain problem, which makes the person plan well accordingly.  The person reduces / avoids the problem.  Now, this could be construed as a failure of astrology itself.  It is also possible that other aspects point to a longevity in that activity – which in itself says that “finally successfully tackling."

Another usual occurrence is that the person worries about the problem, works hard and solves it – hence the worries & headaches were the negative & not the “end result”.

VRVD

(20 of 29 - Kettai / Jyesta)

19 of 29 - Anusham (Anuradha)

17.                 Is there any other possibility for wrong predictions?

Answer: There are many along the lines of “human angle”.  Let us move on to other possibilities, like science’s limitations!  As mentioned before, science itself uses approximations.  Science itself keeps changing as and when we see observations different from “known system”!

Over and above the scientific progress, there is the proven Godel’s theorem.  In any complete system there will be statements that cannot be proven true or false!  Hence, even if we were to find “a system” that is accurate, some aspect of the system will not be provable one way or other!

VRVD

(19 of 29 - Anusham / Anuradha)

18 of 29 - Visakam

Here is a long one on the human aspect...

16.                 Then what is the reason for wrong prediction from reasonably ‘good’ astrologers?

Answer: There are many aspects to look at. One aspect of astrologer is that he is also human, which means that there are possibilities of mistakes.  For example, let us say the astrologer’s father-in-law is coming to town and astrologer has to pick him up in 30 minutes (father-in-law is bringing 40 gram gold necklace for the astrologer’s daughter).  The appointments are running late & you enter.  The mind is now a “little hurried”.  A small detail is overlooked in the hurry – don’t we all make small mistakes.

8x8 is 16, yes, I reviewed it, and again at end of the exam also – totally 3 times! When the paper comes back we bang our head & know that during the exam “our mind” was elsewhere and kept calculating 8x8 was 16!  It happens to astrolgers too!  We can call this a “temporary blind spot”!  In thamizh we say “kannai maraichudum”! (It is also used in context that the truth is shown in chart, but temporarily the astrologer misses it - like car's blind spot in rear view mirror)

If we look at even great people, they make blunders.  Experts in sports fail in some crucial situations!  How?  Sometimes “over confidence” or even “arrogance”, sometimes called EGO, takes more control than the “reasoning” leading the individual away from the “reality” or “truth”.  This leads to errors / mistakes.  This leads to the downfall of a specific event or even a series of steps down leading to a permanent fall from grace.  The same “blind spot” due to ANY number of reasons can happen to astrologers as well!

Second aspect is that astrologer is also human in that he/she “holds on” to earlier words (Jalpa vada - I said so, and hence I will hold on to it for ever)!  For example, if you visit an astrologer and he says be careful in October.  When you visit in November, he will try to “project” (from memory) that October “would have been” bad!  Astrologer already knows what has been said earlier!  So, astrologer is holding on to same line of thinking – instead of looking afresh (in some cases intentionally hides the fact that he calculated 8x8 as 16, maybe)!

Astrologer also by now knows more about what is happening in your life (office, parents, spouse, children) – and this influences predictions.  So, have to guard against that aspect of “human touch” of attachment to clients – trying to “go along” with past predictions OR known flow of your own life!

This is not “escapism” – it is just “explanation” after the fact.  It is NOT an excuse for the astrologer – it is an explanation of events that arises due to the human nature of the astrologer!

VRVD
(18 of 29 - Visakam)