A certain Indian YouTuber is doing the rounds for his take down of Astrology as a subject. I saw his video. While some elements of what he said are true and there are people who are making a mockery of the science by making it commercial or maybe hoodwinking people for their personal gain. But there is much to be understood by him on the science itself. Many arguments he has put forth don’t have any basis of understanding of what astrology is and in many places has fallacies in what astrology does for a person. His primary intention is to consolidate his subscriber base, which in todays woke world is achieved by bashing anything which has a tradition to it.
Like any knowledge, there are people who will misuse it for personal gain. Ironically, this YouTuber too seems to be doing the same from the other end of the spectrum. Every profession has quacks, and so does Astrology. Homeopathy has been ridiculed for ages, but has helped many. Ayurveda is barely understood by the medical doctors who criticise it. Galileo spent 9 years in house arrest because the religious authorities did not like the facts he had to say.
We are all believers, or rather born believers. Its just that we chose to believe different things. Thats the beauty in our diversity. Even an atheist has to believe in the non-existence of God. In today’s world, every urban citizen is a believer in astrology, if they follow weather forecasts on a day to day basis. Weather forecasting is a study of data patterns to predict an outcome and steps taken accordingly. Hence we carry our umbrellas on certain days to work, only to be surprised at times, not to have used them at all. On other days, we thank the weatherman.
Astrology has a fundamental of Desh-Kaal-Paristithi (Place-Time-Individual). The ancient traditions and knowledges have to be brought into perspective of todays time and age, and applied to individual circumstances. To draw parallels to a modern concept, Astrology is very much akin to Data Analytics. It’s a study of patterns. Patterns which will help guide a person understanding himself and the ecosystem around him.
The solution is not bashing of Astrology or Ayurveda or Homeopathy or any traditional stream of knowledge. The solution is an harmonious balance between all these sciences and ancient knowledge, to coexist with the modern world to help make life a better life for every human being.
I would not like to defend Astrology much like Galileo would not defend Astronomy. It’s a truth we all should experience. We all chose when we need our umbrellas, some guided by the weatherman, some looking at the sky.
