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BELIEF
IN ASTROLOGY: Astrology is a controversial subject. Harris Polls
in 2003 and 2005 and a Gallup Poll in 2005 confirmed
what other research has found: about 1/4 to 1/3
of Americans believe in astrology: Source: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359 The
results for the 2005 Harris Poll also confirm
what other studies have found: belief
in astrology
is greater among women,
among less educated people, and among young
people. A woman
in
her 20's with
a high school education
is much more likely to believe in astrology
than a man
in his
70's with
a Ph.D. Not
even all astrologers believe that astrology is
valid, if by "valid" we mean scientifically
verifiable validity. Some astrologers believe that
astrology has a more symbolic than empirical truth,
or that the truth of astrology is revealed only
through a divinatory process. These issues have
been discussed extensively elsewhere, and I will
not repeat the discussion here. You can for example
read the article on astrology at www.wikipedia.org for a discussion and links on these ideas. TEST
OF THE OBJECTIVE VALIDITY OF ASTROLOGY: An embarrassing fact for some astrologers is that
to date there have not been any completely unambiguous,
replicable scientific validations of astrology.
Although astrologers may state that Taurus is inclined
to gardening, construction, and finance, Cancer
is inclined to domestic businesses, and Aquarius
is inclined to progressive movements and sciences,
to date these ideas have not been clearly confirmed
and replicated in research studies. While
many people feel strongly about either their
belief or disbelief in astrology, a quiet revolution
is now underway, and this quiet revolution is creating
a new discipline and a new technology. This new
discipline may very well be overlooked by both
ardent believers and skeptics of astrology because
they are so fervently entrenched in a viewpoint
that sees astrological theory in unambiguous terms.
Now a new discipline is emerging that incorporates
concepts from both astrology and from current scientific
theories. We need to be open to new paradigms and
new insights in order to appreciate the vitally
important new insights that this emerging new discipline
can bring. I refer to this emerging discipline
as "cosmic cybernetics". THE
BIRTH OF COSMIC CYBERNETICS: While
astrologers are busily consulting clients and
refining their understanding based on the methods
that they have learned, and while academics in
other fields are engaged in their activities, astrology
software developers and researchers have pioneered
an exciting new technology.
This technology integrates some concepts from astrology and some
concepts
from
physics to form a new discipline that shows much
greater promise of having objective, scientific
validity than any of the astrological ideas more
commonly used by astrologers. Because these new
ideas are more analogous to ideas in physics than
in astrology, the word "astrology" for
these studies may be a misnomer. This emerging
new scientific form of astrology can be called
cosmic cybernetics, a term introduced by Theodor
Landscheidt. Landscheidt introduced the term to
refer to the concept that information could be
communicated through celestial configurations and
events. I use the term in a slightly different
context to refer to the new emerging hybrid of
astrological and scientific thought that uses the
scientific method using a new set of rules and
new applications. Cosmic
Cybernetics thus far has not included the concepts
upon which the great body of astrological
literature is based: zodiac signs, houses, rulerships
and other dignities, fixed stars, asteroids, or
a reliance on major aspects. It is possible that
at some future time research will confirm that
these concepts do provide objectively verifiable
information but thus far they have failed to do
so. A radical departure from these traditional
ideas to a new set of ideas introduced in the 20th
century has provided the theoretical foundations
for scientifically verifiable research studies. Current
studies in cosmic cybernetics treat planetary
positions are based on ideas originally formulated
by astrologer John Addey. Addey developed a system
of astrological analysis based on the assumption
that planet positions acted as defining points
of waves, and that planetary positions somehow
created waves which affect human beings through
the length
of the wave forms, just as different wavelengths
in the electromagnetic spectrum have different
qualities. I do not refer to these studies as studies
in harmonic astrology but rather studies in cosmic
cybernetics because the theoretical basis for these
studies has now grown beyond the framework initiated
by Addey and now incorporates concepts from other
progressive and innovative work in the 20th century,
such as the work of Reinhold Ebertin in an astrologically
based system that he called cosmobiology. A
BRIEF SUMMARY OF FIVE STUDIES
USING COSMIC
CYBERNETICS TECHNIQUE: 1. A pilot study of mathematicians found that mathematicians
have Mercury-Saturn, Mercury-Uranus,
and Mercury-Pluto in harmonics 7, 14, 21, 42, and
84 much more often than would be expected by chance.
(http://www.astrosoftware.com/Proveast.htm and
the book "Astrology
for the 21st Century" by
David Cochrane) 2. A pilot study of relocational astrology
found that people who relocate more than 100
miles
from their place of birth and living contentedly
in
the new place are more likely to have
Moon and Venus in 9th harmonic to the relocated
Asc
and
MC in the place in which they live. (http://www.astrosoftware.com/AstroLocalityArticle.htm and the book "AstroLocality
Magic" by
David Cochrane) 3. An analysis of the Gauquelin data reveals that
artists have 5th harmonic aspects, scientists 7th
harmonic aspects, musicians 11th harmonic aspects,
and actors 17th harmonic aspects with statistically
significance. Also higher harmonics based on these
harmonics were included in the study. (http://www.astrosoftware.com/DISCOVERY.HTM) 4. An analysis of gold prices reveals that Venus
and Jupiter are in 7th or 14th harmonic aspect
and other harmonic aspects occur with extremely
high statistical significance when gold prices
go up (http://www.astrosoftware.com/goldforecast.htm) 5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average correlates
very closely with a harmonic analysis of planetary
angles. This research has been conducted by Richard
Schulz and an article on the details of the results
will be posted on a website soon. An extraordinary feature of these studies is that
the research was conducted fairly quickly, the
astrological formula used is simple and elegant
and is in accordance with astrological theory,
and statistically significant results were obtained. CROSSING
BRIDGES TO A SCIENCE OF COSMIC CYBERNETICS: The
research studies summarized above fall a little
bit short of scientific proof. At the outset of
the studies a range of possible findings was presented,
rather
than a very specific hypothesis. Also, in the first
two studies the sample size was very
small. If similar studies are conducted with a
very specific hypothesis stated at the outset and
positive results are obtained, then peer review
and replication is needed to firmly establish cosmic
cybernetics as a new scientific discipline. In
the studies described above, extreme measures
were taken to ensure that obvious biases and
distortions
did not creep into the studies. A serious attempt
was made to determine if cosmic cybernetics shows
promise of becoming a scientific discipline rather
than a defensive, naive, and biased set of steps
taken in order to defend a belief. The extremely
positive results indicate that cosmic cybernetics
shows great promise of becoming a sound scientific
discipline. Because of the radically new nature
of cosmic cybernetics, it threatens the beliefs
of both believers and skeptics of astrology.
Cosmic cybernetics is not astrology as we think
of astrology
nor is it psychology or physics as we normally
think of them. Cosmic Cybernetics is a new discipline
created out of a hybrid of different disciplines.
In the past I have presented these ideas primarily
to the astrological community, but now I am presenting
these ideas more to the academic community where
I think there is the opportunity for the ideas
to develop, grow, and become thorughly tested and
analyzed. At this point in time it appears that
cosmic cybernetics may blossom within the academic
community rather than the astrological community. COMPUTER
SOFTWARE: the Primary Reason
for the BIrth of
Cosmic Cybernetics Speculating
and theorizing are often much easier than careful
testing of an idea. For thousands
of years astrology has mushroomed into a vast subject
with seemingly endless concepts. Without
rigorous testing and validation of the ideas, astrology
has grown horizontally (that is, the mass of ideas
has expanded) but has not grown vertically (that
is, without a solid, emperically supported base,
it has been difficult for astrology to become more
refined and specific as the sciences have been
able to do). In the history of human inquiry and analysis,
the scientific method is a relatively new innovation
for determining what is true (see, for example,
the article at this link: http://www.astrosoftware.com/ParadigmShift.htm).
The ancients were not likely to develop scientific
studies to determine the validity of astrology.
Modern astrologers can conduct research if they
have the motivation, skills, data, and time to
conduct the research. Cosmic cybernetics, currently
based primarily on Addey's wave theory requires
a time-consuming analysis of the chart. Without
data and without computer software, the question
of the validity of astrology cannot be unequivocally
known, and people can only voice their opinions
as loudly and assertively as they may wish to,
but without knowing for certain if they are correct. In
May, 2008, Cosmic
Patterns Software, the
company that I founded over 25 years ago released
a new version of the software
that propelled our ability to conduct research
in cosmic cybernetics forward to a completely new
level. This software is called "SIRIUS". With
this new software
we visually see the harmonic patterns, we can
obtain
graphs
and
bar
charts of results, we can present data in a number
of different ways, and we can build and refine
a formula for whatever phenomenon we wish to study
(success in various professions and commodity prices
as was done in the studies cited above, as well
as many other behaviors). With the new forecasting
tools in Sirius, I was able to see the graph of
actual gold prices, the forecasted gold prices,
the correlation
coefficient between the two graphs, and also whether
the correlation is statistically significant automatically
without needing to export the data or even navigate
to a different part of the software. Astrologers are accustomed to thinking of astrology
software as providing chart calculations, and listings
of data of various kinds. For astrological research
the astrologer may wish to see how many musicians
and artists have Venus in Pisces or the ruler of
Venus in particular houses, etc. Although our software
can do this, it is the tools for analyzing complex
patterns that provide the breakthrough needed to
give birth to cosmic cybernetics. Because cosmic tapestry is so progressive, the
software so innovative, the need for training and
education to appreciate these breakthroughs so
great, the quiet revolution taking place through
the development of these software tools is going
completely unnoticed by some astrologers. Other
astrologers note the developments but are busy
with their own more astrological interests. Ironically,
it may be academics and scientists, not astrologers,
who recognize the power, potential impact, and
viability of cosmic cybernetics. A
knowledge of scientific research methods and
the sensitivity
to finding potential weaknesses in research are
the key ingredients needed at this point. Academics
and scientists have the knowledge and training
to test and apply cosmic cybernetics. A form
of astrology is now going mainstream and may
very
well be slipping away from the hands of astrologers.
As the software is further expanded and perfected,
as data is analyzed, and new research studies
are conducted, we can expect cosmic cybernetics
to
take its first baby steps. Personally,
I have no doubt about the viability of cosmic
cybernetics.
Decades of anecdotal evidence are now being
reinforced in more controlled studies and we
are approaching
the time when research studies will be replicated with positive results. Of course, I may be wrong.
This is why we conduct research: to discover the
truth. The worst case is that this research will,
once and for all, provide the data to confirm that
astrology in all of its variations is incapable
of producing objectively verifiable information.
At best, we are witnessing one of the greatest
achievements in human understanding. Those who
prefer to stay glued to their preconceived notions
will miss the excitement of this revolution entirely.
The rest of us can enjoy participating in another
important step forward in our understanding of
the world and of ourselves. |
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Cosmic Patterns. All Rights Reserved