Can a believer ever be a sceptic? Conversely, can there ever be a logical conclusion to the instinct behind questioning the nature of the cosmos in order to make sense of our lives?
Such questions are eternal and find a gentle as well as thorough discussion in this research on Hindu astrology by Anthony Philip Stone.
Trained in mathematics and Sanskrit, he undertakes a historical analysis of how Hindu astrological concepts like Karma, Nakshatras, and more, developed over time.
An average enquirer tends to take an astrologer's brief at face value, but there can be a lot of merit in understanding the system of Hindu astrology from within. That is evident from this book. For instance, if Karma i.e., the fruit of actions performed in previous births - is the basis of what we call fate in our current lives, then how do we begin to understand this Karma? How many previous births have we sailed through and how many more do we have to go through? Clearly, the answer here is infinity but then, once again, we're tempted to ask what is Karma in an individual context in a given time and space? That becomes a matter of analysis of one's horoscope, and of whether and to what extent one exhibits one's trust in it by acting in view of it. Few individuals ever really understand the mechanics behind any system of astrology, be it Indian, Hellenistic, or any other.
Initially a form of cosmology and religion in ancient civilizations around the world, astrology was quite indistinguishable from what we now understand as astronomy. Our sense of time, calendars, and many festivals like Christmas, Diwali, Dussehra, and Holi comes from the heavenly bodies up above-sun, moon, planets, and stars. Changes in their movements meant something to us and so, human civilizations began to order their lives accordingly. "As above, so below" was the stargazer astrologer's dictum. So, if a comet was seen in skies, it portended an assassination of a king or similarly important individual. After all, it's not for nothing that William Shakespeare penned the immortal words- "When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes"- in Julius Caesar, right before he was stabbed in an ambush. It is also noteworthy that when Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, a "comet-like orb streaked across the sky" in the UK region the night she died. The sceptic might say that was merely a SpaceX Starlink satellite or space debris. But what impresses believers in astrology is the timing.
Whether one thinks of instances like these as coincidence or something worth investigating depends entirely on the worldview of the individual. But the fact of the matter is that humans have always been fascinated, terrified, and uncertain about the skies and what they mean for us. It is for this reason that astrology continues to survive well into 21" century, despite this being the age of international space stations and telescopes that explore deep space and black holes.
Stone is a Christian and starts from wanting to understand astrology as a belief system and why people often submit to it. Reading through his research, one may inevitably muse if one can ever truly know or believe anything. However, just as all belief systems have faith at their core, sceptics rely on their spirit of questioning. Stone does that sincerely and brings out many facets of Hindu astrology and indeed, astronomy, that are not commonly known to a layman. His discipline as a scholar shine through as he goes through many Hindu texts and works of Indian scholars in putting together a factual narrative. In the end, there are no final answers to this debate. Perhaps even this eternal dance between faith and scepticism is destined to keep us enthralled forever.
Horoscopes (198)
Medical Astrology (51)
Nadi (38)
Numerology (59)
Original Texts (254)
Palmistry (53)
Planets (264)
Romance (35)
Vastu (130)
Vedic Astrology (105)
हिन्दी (266)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist