The Scientific Basis of Astrology - Dr Percy Seymour

Where does the author stand? The author is an astronomer and astrophysicist at Plymouth University in the UK. He has had a number of other books published, and a distinguished academic career. We will let him speak for himself on this issue ...

"I am a scientist. As such I cannot propose or understand a model of reality which does not take account of scientific data. I am not an astrologer - in fact this theory developed out of an examination of the arguments that astrology cannot work!

As a theoretical astrophysicist, with an interest in the relationship between fundamental physics and the large-scale structure of the universe, I am searching, as are many others, for a model to explain the current anomalies and paradoxes in these areas that are beyond the domain of astrophysics (ie: biology, chemistry, and to my amazement, astrology.)"

ISBN 0-572-02181-X represents an in-depth treatise concerning the influence of the local cosmic environment (ie: the sun and its solar system) on the environment of the terrestrial realms, and explores a large number of informational facets in the presentation of a history of the development of the sciences (astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, geophysics, solar physics, oceanography, etc) all of which have common roots in man's ancient past and, as the research of the current day is hinting, are inextricably joined together in the face of an holistic cosmos.

Further research is begged by a number of claims and theories presented by the author, and the author draws upon many instances and phenomena in the biological kingdoms of nature which relate to the inter-relationship of living beings with the geomagnetic field, and its outlined sources of fluctuation. The earth's magnetic field - in its extended sense - has only been explored in the modern era of technology and space flight.

The author refreshingly points out the fallibility of modern (and ancient) scientific thought, in that the author clearly understands that the subject matter of astrology is more often dismissed out of hand by the average scientist, due to a number of preconceptions, which the author outlines and clarifies. On the other hand, the book is written by a practicing scientist (astronomer; astrophysicist) and the painstakingly step-by-step progress through the histories of human thought in a number of disciplines is orderly and comprehensive.

Popper and Einstein, Feynman and others all get quoted in this book with references which are similar in nature, the common theme being the ongoing quest of the scientific mind to explain all incidents and events of the inexplicable.

The only omission of note, from my perspective as a gatherer of global traditions and threads, is the lack of any reference to that culture which may have given rise to the earliest of the astrological thoughts, that of the ancient Veda of the land of the Indian Sun. Nonetheless, from my perspective the subject matter of astrology has at last been given a thorough review by an independently thinking scientifically-versed thinker, and the publication (and the author's earlier work) will probably be seen to be forward-scouts of a generic scientific appreciation of more holistic (ie: multi-environmental) views of a resonant structuring of the cosmos.In fact, it is the notion of resonance which is at the heart of this author's presentation and structure of theories.

He uses the word as a keyword in a number of critical places, and it is clear that the properties of resonant systems, within resonant systems opens a very specific, yet very new technical challenge for the future paths of research which will spread from contact with this book, and the author's theory and gathering of not-too-far-fetched hypotheses in the matter of furthering the scientific basis of astrology.

The following section largely contains selected quotes and what I have reacted to as important issues in this publication, and it is hoped that all who read this article will be enthused to take up the challenge of research and development in this most ancient of the arts, and its current manifestation in the age of information and technology.

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PRF Brown
Mountain Man Graphics
Falls Creek,
New South Wales
Australia

Southern winter -- 2001