About Astrology*
THE subject of this book is one which stands nowadays put away under a sort of
intellectual ban, placed on it some centuries ago by the scientific and
rationalistic European mind and not yet lifted. Mr. N. P. Subramania Iyer has
under- taken an astrological series which will deal with the various parts of
astrology, and the present volume contains the text and translation of the Kalaprakasika,
a treatise on the selection of the right times by astrological rule for
undertaking any and every action of human life. The book is well printed and
got up, the translation admirably done in a style free enough to avoid all
awkwardness, – the author has a thorough control of the English tongue and an
excellent style of his own, – but perfectly faithful to the matter of the text.
But the most interesting part of the work for the ordinary reader is the
introduction, in which he gives amidst other matter the psychological
explanation of the influence of the planets and states for what they stand in
relation to the Indian Vedantic philosophy of existence. I have not seen
elsewhere any exposition of the subject equally original and illuminative.
Astrology is in the general mind associated with that class
of subjects which goes under the name of the occult, and along with others of
its class it has long been discredited by modern "enlightenment", one does not quite
know on what grounds or with what rational justification. It has its psychic
and mystical side, but that is not its ordinary presentation; there it claims
to be a science like any other with fixed processes and an exact and definite
system of rules which ought to be perfectly capable of verification or of
disproof by experiment and induction like any other science. Its basis is
astronomical and mathematical, its data perfectly open and positive and in no
way hidden or occult, nor does it at all shrink back from the test or hide
itself in secrecy and mystery.
* Kalaprakasika: the Standard Book on the Election System by N. P.
Subramania Iyer, Tanjore.
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It does not indeed give ordinarily the why, but only the how of the causes and
effects it professes to establish, but so it is with all other sciences; they
do not give the reason of things, but only their processes. Yet astrology is
supposed at some indefinite time in the march of human mind to have been
exploded, – along with such things as witch-craft and demonology, not to speak
of the existence of spirits and the immortality of the soul, – and
there is a sort of idea that it has been disproved and therefore put aside as a
superstition which no reasonable man can even look at except with a lofty
disdain, much less stoop to investigate with an open mind its truth or falsity.
Still the anathema of Science has not been able to destroy it; in Europe it has
revived, even though its practice as a profession is punishable by the law, and
in India it has always survived. It is not indeed the habit of educated
Indians to profess explicitly their belief in it, they fight shy of that as a
rule, but it is largely consulted by numbers of them, as also by many
Europeans. This is an anomalous position which ought to be corrected. Either
astrology is a true science and should be investigated, proved, improved where
defective and generally rehabilitated in opinion, or else it is a
pseudo-science and should be investigated and disproved so as to cut the ground
away finally from all secret belief or open credulity.
As a matter of fact astrology has never been scientifically disproved, nor has
any rational ground ever been advanced for treating it as a pseudo-science. It
simply came to be assumed at a certain period and under certain intellectual
influences that it was a childish superstition. Or if there were any grounds,
then it was left aside because astrologers were charlatans, because many,
perhaps most predictions went wrong, but. most of all because it was thought
that in the nature of things, in any rational theory of the universe the
planets simply could not have any influence on our characters, lives and
actions. None of those grounds are sufficient. If many astrologers are
charlatans, so also have there been many quacks in the field of medicine; at
one time indeed not only did they pullulate; but the system of medicine itself
seemed so defective that there were plenty of clear and enlightened minds who
were inclined with Moliere to denounce the whole thing as a gross
pseudo-science, an elaborate and solemn
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system of ignorance, humbug and quackery. Supposing that view had prevailed, -
it could not, merely because men are too vitally interested in healing their
ailments and preserving their bodies and know no other way of doing it, – that
would not have done. away with the truth underlying the science.
That many predictions go wrong, proves nothing essentially, against astrology
any more than the constant failure of doctors to heal diseases proves anything
essential against their science. The first reason of this failure may be that a
great number of practising astrologers are either charlatans who seek to please
their clients rather than predict by scientific rule, – of that kind there are
perhaps many, – or else inefficient and ignorant men who practise only by rule
of thumb, perfunctorily and with a main eye upon their fees. But if even capable
astrologers fail often, that also only proves that either the science or their
way of treating it is largely empirical or that some of its rules and theories
may be errors. But every science has to pass through its empirical stage and
some – as, again, the science of medicine, – have hardly emerged from it, and
every science too burdens itself in its progress with false
generalisations, incorrect theories and imperfect rules which have afterwards
to be discarded or amended. As the main point in medicine is whether herbs and
metals and other remedies have or have not certain effects on the body and
whether their workings can be substantiated by experience in a sufficient
number of cases to establish a regular relation of cause and effect, so it is
in astrology with the fundamental question of planetary influences upon earth
and its creatures.
The a priori argument from the rational theory of the universe cannot
stand. There is nothing essentially irrational in the idea that in this solar
system, so closely linked together, there may be mutual influences of all the
planets upon each other or that the beings of a particular planet are
powerfully influenced or even dominated by influences from the others. The
question remains, the a priori rationality being admitted or at least not
summarily dismissed, first, whether it is so in fact and, secondly, how
far those influences go and of what nature they are. Astrology affirms that
they not only affect our bodies, but also our psychical being. If matter and
mind were entirely independent entities
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having no influence or determining effect upon each other, then such a result
could not be; but that is not the case. According to the materialistic view of
the universe which claims to be the sole rationalistic view, mind is itself an
effect of matter and all its states and movements are determined by matter.
There is nothing then impossible, planetary influence being once admitted, in
the action of material bodies producing psychical conditions on the earth and
thereby determining our psychical states and movements. In a more truly
rationalistic view mind and matter are always influencing and determining each
other; here too, given a universal mind and matter so acting upon individual
matter and mind, the movements of the planetary system may be one or even the
first nodus of their activities, and the assertions of astrology become at
least primarily credible.
Farther, astrology affirms that these influences determine the whole course of
our lives and that the all-important element is time. That raises the major
question of the influence of Time upon human beings’ and events; does Time
determine the course of our fives and the states of our being and if so, how
far and in what way? or to put the question more precisely, as it is raised by
astrology, do or can the conditions reigning at a given critical time, in this
case the moment of birth, determine our physical and psychological conditions
and the whole course of our future lives, or determine them to any considerable
extent? and are the relative movements and therefore the mutual positions of
the sun and planets with regard to the earth- and each other either the nodus
or in some way the effective signs of these determinations? And, secondly, do
the developing time conditions which come afterwards, by themselves or viewed
in reference to the original conditions, determine from moment to moment, from
time to time the subsequent evolution of our primary physical and psychological conditions and the course of linked and successive circumstances
which make up the history of our lives? and if so, again, are the relative
movements and mutual positions of the suns and planets at any given time the
nodus or the effective signs of this later determination also? can they
therefore be taken for all practical purposes as determinants, or at any rate
as sure signs by which the determinations of our life and being can be
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discovered? That is the question which astrology raises, and it is evidently a
perfectly legitimate and rational question: nor can we on a priori
grounds condemn and put away an affirmative answer, which is based upon past
experience systematised into rules and theories, as a superstition or a childish
folly. Granted that in things here there is a chain of cause and effect – or at
least, if causality is disputed, of antecedent condition leading up to
subsequent condition – and that if and so far as we know that chain, scientific
prediction becomes in that proportion possible, – two propositions which, unless
we deny determination altogether, it would be difficult to dispute, – there is
no inherent improbability in the clue to happenings human and other on the
planets being found in the motions of those planets. Astronomy is in a sense the
primary physical science, for the first facts which give all the others their
field are astronomical facts; it may well be that in the psycho-physical field
the same rule holds and that there the first facts may be astrological.
The a priori objections disappearing, the next step is to ask ourselves
whether there is a sufficient prima facie empirical case for inquiring
into the actual truth of astrology. This at present depends upon the experience
of isolated individuals, a very un- satisfactory basis. But if this experience
could be collected, sifted and published, I believe it would be found that a
formidable prima facie case exists in favour of astrology, much stronger
than that which encouraged the Society for Psychical Research to carry on its
work in another psycho-physical field to such important conclusions. I may
state my own experience in the matter in the belief, justified by many
instances, that it is only typical of the experience of hundreds of others. My
first accidental contact with an Indian astrologer was not encouraging. This
gentleman was the most accomplished thought-reader I have ever seen; for he
asked me to think my question without speaking it and not only successfully
named the unspoken question I had fixed on, but three others which had crossed
my mind, one of them only in the merest flash and without leaving any
impression behind: this he pretended to do by mathematical calculation, an
operation which I took leave to regard as humbug or professional parade. For
when it came to his answers, I found that he was still doing
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thought-reading and not astrology; he simply echoed the hopes or thoughts in
my mind and his predictions did not come within one hundred miles of the truth.
Other practitioners I have found to belong, a few plainly to the class of mere
flattering charlatans, but most to the inefficient who read by rule of thumb
and have made no profound study of their science. On the other hand, with
capable astrologers the results have been often of such a remarkable accuracy
as to put quite aside any possibility of chance hit, mere coincidence,
intelligent prevision or any of the current explanations. I may instance the
father of a friend of mine, a deep student of the science but not a
professional, who predicted accurately the exact year, month, day, hour and
even minute of his own death. In my own case accuracy was hampered by the
inability to fix the precise moment of my birth; still some of the results
were extraordinary. Two may be mentioned, from one and the same astrologer,
which related to my public career. One, given when I had not yet plunged into
the political vortex and my then obscure personality was quite unknown to the
astrologer, predicted as an inevitable certitude of the future a political
struggle with powerful non-Indian adversaries during which for a time even my
life would fall under the shadow of danger. The other, given at the time of my
first prosecution in the Bande Mataram case, predicted three successive
criminal trials in each of which the prosecution would fail. I may instance
also two predictions by the book in which Slokas from Sanskrit astrological
writings indicating the result of certain conjunctions or planetary positions
were shown to be applicable to my horoscope. One foretold specific chronic
illnesses for the body of which there was no sign at the time, but long
afterwards they put in their unexpected appearance and persisted. Another indicated very precisely that one of my future activities would be to found a new
spiritual philosophy and its discipline; at that time I had no knowledge of
philosophy or Yoga and no turn or, inclination in my mind which could make the
realisation of this prediction at all probable. These are only the most precise
examples out of a number. Supposing all well-authenticated evidence of the kind
to be collected, I am convinced there would be an overwhelmingly
strong prima facie case and even a body of sufficiently
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strong empirical proof to establish at least a nucleus of truth in astrology.
That would be the first step. For if astrology is a science and is to take its
proper place, the first necessity is to dissipate by an appeal to the empirical
mind of the general public as well as of the sceptical thinker the great mass
of unenquiring prejudice which now exists against it. To publish the text and
translation of the best authorities, as Mr. Iyer is now doing, with
illuminating introductions is a preliminary need in this case so that we may
know what we have to go upon. The second is to mass evidence of the empirical
truth of the science, giving in each case the prediction in all its details,
the more detailed the better, the astrological rules on which it was based
and the event, each detail of the event being compared with the corresponding
detail of the prediction. Only then would there be a clear field for the consideration of the scientific and philosophical doubts, questions and problems
which would still arise; but this, though the most important aspect of the
matter, I must leave for future handling.
An acceptance of the truth of astrology would not necessarily carry with it a
complete determinism of Fate or mechanical law of Karma. In the Indian theory at
least there is room for a determination by human will and endeavour, for Fate is
mainly a determination by past action and a new will and action can cancel it;
only a very strong Karma is imperative and irreducible. Even that may possibly
be cancelled if one can enter into the freedom of the spiritual
consciousness. One instance at any rate came to my knowledge in which the life
had corresponded exactly with the pre-indications of the horoscope so long as
the subject remained in the world but, as soon as he left it for a spiritual
life, there was no longer any correspondence.
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