Astrology and Science
Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 10:18 pm
Here is an interesting site
https://www.astrology-and-science.com/
Editor: Wout Heukelom wout.heukelom@hetnet.nl
Collaborators: Geoffrey Dean (Australia), Rudolf Smit, Cygnea van der Hooning (The Netherlands), Arthur Mather (Scotland), Dvid Nias (England)
Downloads
To download the pdf files visit the download page. No registration or login is required. You are welcome to use the material and distribute it to others for free but please mention the source (book title, authors, publisher, book date, page numbers). The publisher welcomes your comments (email as above also in book and pdfs).
----------------------------------------
In 'Understanding astrology' p. 28-29-30
A critical review of a thousand empirical studies 1900-2020
...
My famous experiment
By now I was going to college and was taking a philosophy class in Kansas City. My teacher was Verle Muhrer, a skeptic who was fascinated by paranormal claims. So I started learning to be skeptical and to carefully check out experiences like mine more carefully. He pointed out that my prediction involved something that happens to young ladies not infrequently, so its success was hardly a big deal.
He also persuaded me and several like-minded friends to do an experiment that eventually became quite famous. It was quite simple. We first ran a test with the help of one of Kansas City's most experienced astrologers. She agreed to match the timed birth charts of ten female students with their personality test scores and dates of important events in their lives. When she achieved only one hit (no better than chance) she said this was because astrological symbols do not translate well into traits and events. Now she tells us!
But was this a reason or an excuse? To find out, we decided to have volunteers go to top astrologers for a reading, paying the requested fee (generally $50 to $100) but with the birth data of John Gacy, one of the worst convicted serial killers in American history. At the time Gacy was on death row at Menard Correctional Center in Chicago. He had received 12 death sentences and 21 life terms for the brutal torture and murder of 33 young men and boys. He was born in Chicago on 17 March 1942 at 00:29 CWT = 05:29 GMT [Rodden AA rating] and was executed by lethal injection on 10 May 1994 after 14 years of appeals.
Verle had picked Gacy for the experiment because Gacy's chart should portray a clear picture of a sadistic sexually motivated killer.
According to Verle, if astrologers are able to spot personality traits and destinies in birth charts, then they should have no trouble with this one. They might not pinpoint a killer (who after all is not exactly your typical everyday client) but they should at least be able to pick up negative influences. Of course I had to agree.
To give astrologers their best shot, our volunteer clients would not guide the conversation in any way but would simply agree with whatever was said. They would ask only two questions, again always agreeing with whatever was said:
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(1) What was going on in the client's life between December 1978 and March of 1980, when Gacy was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. If astrological descriptions of past happenings are incorrect, then one can hardly be confident of future predictions.
(2) Would the client be suitable for the youth ministry? Obviously the answer had to be No. The astrologers should be able to see negative consequences of any connections with youth. Pointing this out ought to be no more difficult than pointing out the negative consequences of connections with say golf or alcohol.
Gacy was then in his mid 40s. All the astrologers were well-known locally and at least one was a national celebrity. In short, I had top astrologers and a really unambiguous subject. So I was expecting a wholly positive outcome. Unfortunately I was wrong. The results were nothing like what my experience had led me to expect. But judge them for yourself:
Reading #1: "a very, very sensitive person"
The first reading was by Norma Knight, former owner of a New Age bookstore and a professional astrologer for seven years with numerous appearances on radio and television. She said the client was "a very, very sensitive person". Re the youth ministry: "I think that you can be very good with kids and that it might be a good medium for you to learn to be more trusting in the giving and receiving". To give her another chance the client asked if there was anything in his chart to suggest he should not go into the youth ministry. She saw nothing.
What about the time when Gacy was arrested and sentenced to death?
"It was a time that should have brought you some recognition with peers or just feeling that people liked you and cared about you". In fact one mother at Gacy's trial said "I hope he burns in hell".
Reading #2: "kind, gentle, considerate"
Our next reading was a 12-page computerized delineation by AGS Software. The Pisces Sun and Moon indicated "a sucker for anyone who needs help ... kind, gentle, considerate ... good taking care of the sick, wounded and helpless".
Each of the chart's 27 aspects could be interpreted as either positive or negative, making their meaning obscure. Thus Jupiter square MC meant "high standards of ethics and morality" and at the same time "selfish and arrogant".
Reading #3: "your life will be very, very positive!"
Our most verbose reading came from Randy Goodman, a professional astrologer, psychic, tarot artist, crystal ball reader and spiritual teacher. For $65 the client learnt he was "born to serve other people". He had "healing powers", and was "an old soul, a very old soul ... it is a function of the older souls to guide the newer ... basically your life will be very, very positive!" The analysis went on for an hour and a half. It could have applied to anyone, and there was no hint of the significant events in Gacy's life. The client should join the youth ministry, and this would be a good time to do so. When Gacy was burying bodies in his basement, Uranus was in 12th house showing "you probably decided to become a peacemaker". In 7 years' time you would become "stabilized"; in 14 years "recognized as a public authority"; in 21 years "will achieve another peak in your professional endeavors". All rather optimistic for a man on death row.
Reading #4: "marked capacity to uplift others"
Prolific author John Sandbach had been an astrologer for 22 years, had taught and lectured from coast to coast, and was "one of the best in the country". His humility was exceeded only by the praise he heaped on Gacy. For $50 we received 11 typed pages of glowing prose. Has "a marked capacity to uplift others ... instinctive awareness can refresh and gladden whomever you encounter". Re youth ministry, the "plasticity or lack of aggression ... would be excellent for working around young people", but avoid "regrets about how you could have done more in some past situation ... the world needs your strangeness". At least 33 families would disagree.
Reading #5: "a good role model"
Beverley Farrell was an "internationally recognized author, lecturer and teacher of religion, metaphysics, astrology and psychic awareness" with 30 years of experience. The client had "a fairly well-rounded personality" and was "a good role model", but Farrell had made a 5-hour calculation error by using GMT instead of CWT and had to try again.
The youth ministry indications were now "even stronger ... you're calmer and more pleasant ... when working with young people you'll not have major heavy-duty problems". We can only be thankful Gacy was not born 5 hours earlier.
My astrologers agree on the wrong verdict
These readings from five top astrologers were unanimous - our proxy Gacy should pursue
youth work. None saw any hint of contrary indications. Obviously they were simply unable to see anything of importance. The advice they gave was conspicuously bad, they missed crucial personality traits, their description of his past was vague, and their prediction of his future was impossible. Naturally all this was an enormous challenge to my believing mind.
----------------
More on the website[/b]
https://www.astrology-and-science.com/
Editor: Wout Heukelom wout.heukelom@hetnet.nl
Collaborators: Geoffrey Dean (Australia), Rudolf Smit, Cygnea van der Hooning (The Netherlands), Arthur Mather (Scotland), Dvid Nias (England)
Downloads
To download the pdf files visit the download page. No registration or login is required. You are welcome to use the material and distribute it to others for free but please mention the source (book title, authors, publisher, book date, page numbers). The publisher welcomes your comments (email as above also in book and pdfs).
----------------------------------------
In 'Understanding astrology' p. 28-29-30
A critical review of a thousand empirical studies 1900-2020
...
My famous experiment
By now I was going to college and was taking a philosophy class in Kansas City. My teacher was Verle Muhrer, a skeptic who was fascinated by paranormal claims. So I started learning to be skeptical and to carefully check out experiences like mine more carefully. He pointed out that my prediction involved something that happens to young ladies not infrequently, so its success was hardly a big deal.
He also persuaded me and several like-minded friends to do an experiment that eventually became quite famous. It was quite simple. We first ran a test with the help of one of Kansas City's most experienced astrologers. She agreed to match the timed birth charts of ten female students with their personality test scores and dates of important events in their lives. When she achieved only one hit (no better than chance) she said this was because astrological symbols do not translate well into traits and events. Now she tells us!
But was this a reason or an excuse? To find out, we decided to have volunteers go to top astrologers for a reading, paying the requested fee (generally $50 to $100) but with the birth data of John Gacy, one of the worst convicted serial killers in American history. At the time Gacy was on death row at Menard Correctional Center in Chicago. He had received 12 death sentences and 21 life terms for the brutal torture and murder of 33 young men and boys. He was born in Chicago on 17 March 1942 at 00:29 CWT = 05:29 GMT [Rodden AA rating] and was executed by lethal injection on 10 May 1994 after 14 years of appeals.
Verle had picked Gacy for the experiment because Gacy's chart should portray a clear picture of a sadistic sexually motivated killer.
According to Verle, if astrologers are able to spot personality traits and destinies in birth charts, then they should have no trouble with this one. They might not pinpoint a killer (who after all is not exactly your typical everyday client) but they should at least be able to pick up negative influences. Of course I had to agree.
To give astrologers their best shot, our volunteer clients would not guide the conversation in any way but would simply agree with whatever was said. They would ask only two questions, again always agreeing with whatever was said:
(2) Would the client be suitable for the youth ministry? Obviously the answer had to be No. The astrologers should be able to see negative consequences of any connections with youth. Pointing this out ought to be no more difficult than pointing out the negative consequences of connections with say golf or alcohol.
Gacy was then in his mid 40s. All the astrologers were well-known locally and at least one was a national celebrity. In short, I had top astrologers and a really unambiguous subject. So I was expecting a wholly positive outcome. Unfortunately I was wrong. The results were nothing like what my experience had led me to expect. But judge them for yourself:
Reading #1: "a very, very sensitive person"
The first reading was by Norma Knight, former owner of a New Age bookstore and a professional astrologer for seven years with numerous appearances on radio and television. She said the client was "a very, very sensitive person". Re the youth ministry: "I think that you can be very good with kids and that it might be a good medium for you to learn to be more trusting in the giving and receiving". To give her another chance the client asked if there was anything in his chart to suggest he should not go into the youth ministry. She saw nothing.
What about the time when Gacy was arrested and sentenced to death?
"It was a time that should have brought you some recognition with peers or just feeling that people liked you and cared about you". In fact one mother at Gacy's trial said "I hope he burns in hell".
Reading #2: "kind, gentle, considerate"
Our next reading was a 12-page computerized delineation by AGS Software. The Pisces Sun and Moon indicated "a sucker for anyone who needs help ... kind, gentle, considerate ... good taking care of the sick, wounded and helpless".
Each of the chart's 27 aspects could be interpreted as either positive or negative, making their meaning obscure. Thus Jupiter square MC meant "high standards of ethics and morality" and at the same time "selfish and arrogant".
Reading #3: "your life will be very, very positive!"
Our most verbose reading came from Randy Goodman, a professional astrologer, psychic, tarot artist, crystal ball reader and spiritual teacher. For $65 the client learnt he was "born to serve other people". He had "healing powers", and was "an old soul, a very old soul ... it is a function of the older souls to guide the newer ... basically your life will be very, very positive!" The analysis went on for an hour and a half. It could have applied to anyone, and there was no hint of the significant events in Gacy's life. The client should join the youth ministry, and this would be a good time to do so. When Gacy was burying bodies in his basement, Uranus was in 12th house showing "you probably decided to become a peacemaker". In 7 years' time you would become "stabilized"; in 14 years "recognized as a public authority"; in 21 years "will achieve another peak in your professional endeavors". All rather optimistic for a man on death row.
Reading #4: "marked capacity to uplift others"
Prolific author John Sandbach had been an astrologer for 22 years, had taught and lectured from coast to coast, and was "one of the best in the country". His humility was exceeded only by the praise he heaped on Gacy. For $50 we received 11 typed pages of glowing prose. Has "a marked capacity to uplift others ... instinctive awareness can refresh and gladden whomever you encounter". Re youth ministry, the "plasticity or lack of aggression ... would be excellent for working around young people", but avoid "regrets about how you could have done more in some past situation ... the world needs your strangeness". At least 33 families would disagree.
Reading #5: "a good role model"
Beverley Farrell was an "internationally recognized author, lecturer and teacher of religion, metaphysics, astrology and psychic awareness" with 30 years of experience. The client had "a fairly well-rounded personality" and was "a good role model", but Farrell had made a 5-hour calculation error by using GMT instead of CWT and had to try again.
The youth ministry indications were now "even stronger ... you're calmer and more pleasant ... when working with young people you'll not have major heavy-duty problems". We can only be thankful Gacy was not born 5 hours earlier.
My astrologers agree on the wrong verdict
These readings from five top astrologers were unanimous - our proxy Gacy should pursue
youth work. None saw any hint of contrary indications. Obviously they were simply unable to see anything of importance. The advice they gave was conspicuously bad, they missed crucial personality traits, their description of his past was vague, and their prediction of his future was impossible. Naturally all this was an enormous challenge to my believing mind.
----------------
More on the website[/b]
