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Wicca threads by @Vitriol and @dollarhuviya got me thinking about astrology, since it's in a similar vein of new-age pseudo-cult, while even going so far as to try and pass itself off like some kind of legitimate science from time to time. I nearly posted this in one of those threads, thinking it could count as a sort of subset of wicca/paganism, but once I started in on this post I figured it might be too off-topic as an add-on to existing threads (please, correct me if I'm wrong).
So, to start, there's the published medical study out of Nigeria actually trying to suggest that astrology can somehow predict a person's likelihood of developing schizophrenia:
Instead of dying off as some kind of obscure oddity like you might hope, this study actually gets resurrected from time to time.
Here's a particularly notable instance, where a "professional" astrologer cites this study in justifying a retroactive claim that she would have prevented the 2011 Arizona shooting:
http://www.mysticboard.com/
www.astrologyweekly.com - active + bigger emphasis on western astrology in particular
Other forums I haven't dug through in depth but which seem active, at the least:
http://forum.astro.com/cgi/forum.cgi?lang=e
http://www.astrogle.com/forums/
And, of course, tumblr.com - astrology blogs and posts are growing in popularity every day; most are run-of-the-mill horoscope posts, some go a little over the top, some get fairly preachy about it all.
EDIT: grammar
So, to start, there's the published medical study out of Nigeria actually trying to suggest that astrology can somehow predict a person's likelihood of developing schizophrenia:
- Just right out of the gate: "Some astrological hypotheses related to predisposition to severe mental illness..."
- "These findings are in keeping with the well-known oddity of schizophrenia (schiz = split; phren = mind); such that, a group which collectively is characterised by an "introverted" self (i.e. sun sign), has a coexisting aggressive tendency (i.e. strong mars) and poor integration between the elements of the psyche and the self (i.e. inadequacy of aspects between Sun and other planets)."
- (This is in a peer-reviewed journal, established almost 20 years ago, tied to Nigerian university hospital.)
Instead of dying off as some kind of obscure oddity like you might hope, this study actually gets resurrected from time to time.
Here's a particularly notable instance, where a "professional" astrologer cites this study in justifying a retroactive claim that she would have prevented the 2011 Arizona shooting:
-"If Jared Loughner’s parents had come to me for a reading, I would have explained to them that their son had a tremendous amount of energy with that Aries Mars that needed an outlet of some kind."
-And yeah, this woman is still actively posting on her blog (though unfortunately she's not giving readings right now).
-And yeah, this woman is still actively posting on her blog (though unfortunately she's not giving readings right now).
Here's another article she links to. Slight off-topic but still an incredible read:
-"The schizophrenic may indeed be mad. He is mad. He is not ill. I have been told by people who have been through the mad experience how what was then revealed to them was veritable manna from Heaven. The person's whole life may be changed, but it is difficult not to doubt the validity of such vision. Also, not everyone comes back to us again."
-"He has lost his sense of self, his feelings, his place in the world as we know it. He tells us he is dead. But we are distracted from our cozy security by this mad ghost that haunts us with his visions and voices that seem so senseless and of which we feel impelled to rid him, cleanse him, cure him. Madness need not be all breakdown. It is also breakthrough. It is potentially liberation and renewal, as well as enslavement and existential death."
Yep. Curing schizophrenia = bad. Giving somebody with severe delusions of grandeur a different delusional framework to lose their minds in = liberation and breakthrough.-"He has lost his sense of self, his feelings, his place in the world as we know it. He tells us he is dead. But we are distracted from our cozy security by this mad ghost that haunts us with his visions and voices that seem so senseless and of which we feel impelled to rid him, cleanse him, cure him. Madness need not be all breakdown. It is also breakthrough. It is potentially liberation and renewal, as well as enslavement and existential death."
Anyway, though, on the less completely batshit side, here are some active potential communities (some highlights and excerpts under spoilers) :http://www.mysticboard.com/
http://www.mysticboard.com/western_astrology/72974-13th_sign_added_and_signs_are_a-changing-1.html
-Flaming Huffpo as not being credible enough as a source for this debate:
-Calling for a change to the actual real-world calendar so they aren't accidentally mis-signed (last two paragraphs):
-Their sense of self is too tenuous to sleep after this heartbreaking news:
-Flaming Huffpo as not being credible enough as a source for this debate:
-Calling for a change to the actual real-world calendar so they aren't accidentally mis-signed (last two paragraphs):
-Their sense of self is too tenuous to sleep after this heartbreaking news:
www.astrologyweekly.com - active + bigger emphasis on western astrology in particular
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65450&highlight=pseudo-science
Some top responses to the question 'Is Astrology a real science?':
Some top responses to the question 'Is Astrology a real science?':
- "there is no definition of astrology as a pseudo-science that will not also include chemistry and physics."
-"What is meant by the word Science'?"
-"Why ever would you come to an astrology forum and demand that the "proponents" prove themselves? This has ever been thus, and is why there became over the thousands of years of astrology strictures against judgement. If you want to learn about astrology, go learn. Do not expect to engage "proponents" of the science of astrology ... until you yourself can understand and explain the logic behind it."
-(Texas weeb lectures about western-centric views of "science" being too hard) :
-"What is meant by the word Science'?"
-"Why ever would you come to an astrology forum and demand that the "proponents" prove themselves? This has ever been thus, and is why there became over the thousands of years of astrology strictures against judgement. If you want to learn about astrology, go learn. Do not expect to engage "proponents" of the science of astrology ... until you yourself can understand and explain the logic behind it."
-(Texas weeb lectures about western-centric views of "science" being too hard) :
Other forums I haven't dug through in depth but which seem active, at the least:
http://forum.astro.com/cgi/forum.cgi?lang=e
http://www.astrogle.com/forums/
And, of course, tumblr.com - astrology blogs and posts are growing in popularity every day; most are run-of-the-mill horoscope posts, some go a little over the top, some get fairly preachy about it all.
Zodiac Personal advice: Cut ties with someone you've had a years-long relationship with because they were too Scorpio and you dream of Gemini:
Nice informative post about astrology's long, glorious history of being stuck firmly in the 'ridicule' phase of unveiled truths:
Nothing makes your shameless profiteering disguising itself as a pseudo-science seem more legit than weakly trying to attach Carl Jung's name to it:
BONUS: This one astrology dude, Zack vanEyck, is unfortunately inactive now, but his writing style has its own distinctly creepy vibe to it, and he's actually made some shit astrology-related indie films that he reviewed himself with throwaway accounts on IMDB, and has pre-digital examples of his work on youtube that are shitty even for the VHS era. (Tumblr) (Youtube) (IMDB profile) (Presumably fake reviews for his shitty movie Jupiter Landing; only one of these posters ever reviewed another film, so I figure it's either ego-stroking or some kind of mummy curse)
Here's a screengrab of his tumblr's introduction, as if EL James+50shades hadn't made the word 'Goddess' cringe-y enough already:
Actually, reading that again, I'm not convinced 50Shades and this post weren't written by the same person.
Nice informative post about astrology's long, glorious history of being stuck firmly in the 'ridicule' phase of unveiled truths:
Nothing makes your shameless profiteering disguising itself as a pseudo-science seem more legit than weakly trying to attach Carl Jung's name to it:
BONUS: This one astrology dude, Zack vanEyck, is unfortunately inactive now, but his writing style has its own distinctly creepy vibe to it, and he's actually made some shit astrology-related indie films that he reviewed himself with throwaway accounts on IMDB, and has pre-digital examples of his work on youtube that are shitty even for the VHS era. (Tumblr) (Youtube) (IMDB profile) (Presumably fake reviews for his shitty movie Jupiter Landing; only one of these posters ever reviewed another film, so I figure it's either ego-stroking or some kind of mummy curse)
Here's a screengrab of his tumblr's introduction, as if EL James+50shades hadn't made the word 'Goddess' cringe-y enough already:
Actually, reading that again, I'm not convinced 50Shades and this post weren't written by the same person.
EDIT: grammar
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