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The Nature of Astrology, with Bruce Scofield

The Astrology Podcast・140 minutes read

Bruce Scofield's book on astrology delves into the history and science of astrology, discussing the need for a more naturalistic view and exploring celestial influences on natural systems. The text emphasizes the importance of understanding astrology as a subject with theory, research, and practice, despite challenges from skepticism and scientific pushback in the past.

Insights

  • The book "The Nature of Astrology" by Bruce Scofield is a culmination of a 60-year quest to define astrology beyond divination, focusing on causal mechanisms aligned with existing physical processes.
  • Astrology is portrayed as a subject with theory, research, and practice, advocating for a more naturalistic view and emphasizing the distinction between natural and judicial astrology.
  • The decline of astrological research in the '80s stemmed from skepticism and scientific pushback, impacting credibility and institutional support, hindering progress in the field.
  • Life on Earth is intricately connected to celestial movements, with organisms internalizing solar and lunar cycles, exhibiting circadian rhythms, and responding to environmental changes, influenced by planetary aspects.
  • Astrology's survival and progression hinge on adapting to modern standards, education, and testing, with a push for certification, standards, and improved organization to establish credibility and contribute to society.
  • The text encourages astrologers to explore beyond traditional practices, engage with other fields for growth, and avoid fundamentalism, advocating for a synthesis of ancient and modern astrology for a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

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Recent questions

  • What is the main focus of Bruce Scofield's book on astrology?

    Bruce Scofield's book delves into the history, philosophy, and scientific aspects of astrology, aiming to answer the fundamental question of "What is astrology?" The book is divided into three parts, exploring how astrology measures similar phenomena as biology and geosciences, discussing astro-meteorology experiments, and advocating for a more scientific approach to understanding astrology. Scofield argues for a causal mechanism behind astrology, rejecting the idea of astrology as divination and criticizing synchronicity as an explanatory mechanism. He highlights the distinction between natural and judicial astrology, emphasizing celestial influences on natural systems. The book also addresses the decline of astrological research enthusiasm, the impact of skepticism and scientific pushback in the '80s, and the future of astrology in the face of scientific advancements.

  • How does astrology relate to natural systems and self-organizing systems?

    Astrology, as discussed in Bruce Scofield's book, is intricately linked to natural systems and self-organizing systems. The text explores how celestial movements influence life on Earth, impacting organisms' biological clocks and circadian rhythms. Organisms, from single cells to complex beings, internalize celestial cycles, regulating functions based on these movements. The book highlights how life on Earth is a self-organizing system sensitive to environmental influences like weather patterns, hurricanes, and tornadoes. By studying the influence of celestial bodies on Earth's processes, astrology provides insights into the interconnectedness of natural systems and the role of celestial movements in shaping life on our planet.

  • What challenges has astrology faced historically and in modern times?

    Throughout history, astrology has faced numerous challenges that have impacted its credibility and acceptance. The text discusses how astrology's decline during the Scientific Revolution was influenced by social, political, and religious factors, leading to its removal from universities and intellectual circles. The rise of humanism emphasized free will, conflicting with astrology's deterministic nature. In modern times, astrology has struggled with scientific skepticism, ideological bias, and a lack of standardization in the field. The text highlights the importance of certification, education, and testing to establish standards in astrology and distinguish between skilled practitioners and newcomers. Despite these challenges, efforts are being made to update certification exams and adapt astrology institutions to the digital age to maintain relevance and progress in the field.

  • How does astrology differentiate between divination and causal celestial forces?

    The debate within astrology between divination and causal celestial forces is a complex and ongoing one, as discussed in the text. While some view astrology as a form of divination, focusing on predicting life events based on celestial placements, others argue for a more nuanced perspective. Astrology is seen as a study of higher-order self-organizing systems that may be sensitive to various influences, including celestial movements. By exploring the concept of astrology beyond mere divination, practitioners can delve into the underlying mechanisms and causal relationships between celestial bodies and life on Earth. This shift in perspective encourages astrologers to formulate theories, engage with other fields, and explore the scientific aspects of astrology beyond traditional practices.

  • How has astrology evolved and adapted over time to address criticisms and challenges?

    Astrology has undergone significant evolution and adaptation to address criticisms and challenges throughout history and in contemporary times. The text emphasizes the importance of progressing from practical knowledge to theoretical understanding, encouraging astrologers to explore and formulate theories on how astrology works. By engaging with other fields, cross-fertilization in astrology can lead to growth and development in the practice. Efforts to establish certification standards, update exams, and adapt to the digital age reflect astrology's resilience in the face of skepticism and scientific pushback. Astrology's delayed revolution, attributed to its study of self-organizing systems, underscores the field's potential for scientific validation and recognition in the future. Through education, testing, and critical evaluation, astrology continues to evolve and address criticisms to establish itself as a respected and relevant field of study.

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Summary

00:00

"The Nature of Astrology: A Scientific Perspective"

  • Chris Brennan interviews astrologer Bruce Scofield about his book "The Nature of Astrology: History, Philosophy, and the Science of Self-Organizing Systems."
  • Scofield's book is a culmination of his 60-year quest to answer the question, "What is astrology?"
  • The book is divided into three parts: showing astrology measures similar things as biology and geosciences, discussing astro-meteorology experiments, and encouraging scientific thinking about astrology.
  • Scofield argues for a causal mechanism behind astrology, pointing out existing physical mechanisms that align with astrology.
  • He rejects the idea of astrology as divination, emphasizing the need for a more naturalistic view of astrology.
  • Scofield criticizes synchronicity as an explanatory mechanism for astrology, noting Jung's shift away from it.
  • The book explores the distinction between natural astrology and judicial astrology, highlighting celestial influences on natural systems.
  • Scofield advocates for astrology to be seen as a subject with theory, research, and practice, not just a practice.
  • The lack of institutional support hinders astrological research and theory development, impacting the field's progress.
  • The book discusses the decline in astrological research enthusiasm due to skepticism and scientific pushback in the '80s, leading to a loss of credibility for astrology.

15:41

Astrology's History, Science, and Biological Clocks

  • The book delves into the history and decline of astrology during the Scientific Revolution in the Western world.
  • The author discusses recent scientific research into astrology and offers insights into the future of astrology.
  • The author's academic background includes a degree in history, a master's thesis on 17th-century astrological research, and a PhD in geosciences focusing on astro-meteorology.
  • The author's academic pursuits were driven by a desire to learn rather than a focus on making a living.
  • The author shares his birth chart details, including a rectified birth time and the use of the Porphyry house system.
  • The book explores the influence of solar and lunar cycles on biological life, particularly in marine organisms sensitive to lunar fluctuations.
  • Life evolves not just spatially but also temporally, with organisms internalizing celestial movements and cycles.
  • Organisms have evolved biological clocks that replicate the cycle of day and night internally, regulating functions based on protein levels.
  • Circadian rhythms, influenced by the alternation of day and night, are present in all organisms, from single cells to complex organisms.
  • Organisms, including plants, use circadian rhythms to predict photo periods and adapt to seasonal changes, a concept that aligns with the tropical zodiac in astrology.

31:34

Environmental Sensitivity and Celestial Influences on Life

  • Life is sensitive to minute changes in the environment, with organisms being influenced by various factors.
  • Fish hunting and consuming organisms affect the fish, leading to a chain reaction in the environment.
  • Fishermen observe that fish tend to bite more during moonrise, moonset, sunrise, and sunset.
  • Microorganisms and megafauna respond to the Earth's magnetic field, with bacteria called magnetotactic bacteria aligning themselves using magnetite chips.
  • Birds, turtles, and cetaceans navigate using the Earth's magnetic field.
  • Studies suggest that children can sense direction when blindfolded in nature, indicating a potential sensitivity to the magnetic field.
  • Animals may react to subtle changes before earthquakes, possibly due to sensing pressure or electrical changes in the environment.
  • Planetary aspects with the Sun and Moon have been correlated with earthquakes, while Milankovitch orbital cycles influence Earth's processes over deep time.
  • The barycenter of the solar system can be outside the Sun due to the gravitational influence of planets like Jupiter.
  • The Sun's activity is modulated by the planets, affecting processes on Earth, potentially aligning with astrology's definition as the study of celestial bodies' influence on Earth.

47:46

Self-organizing systems in nature and society

  • Electrons are captured and stored in proteins or molecules for energy in autotrophs like algae, plants, and cyanobacteria.
  • Autotrophs make their own food from solar energy, while chemotrophs use chemical energy.
  • Heterotrophs, like humans, obtain energy by consuming plants or animals.
  • Self-organizing systems progress from cells to organs, animals, and plants, culminating in humans.
  • Human beings are self-organized, requiring food, water, sunlight, movement, and reproduction to survive.
  • Life on Earth is a self-organizing system sensitive to environmental influences like hurricanes and tornadoes.
  • Weather patterns, driven by solar radiation, Earth's rotation, and wind, are self-organizing systems.
  • The Earth's stable temperatures over three billion years are maintained by life interacting with the atmosphere and oceans.
  • The Gaia hypothesis posits that Earth's surface, the biosphere, is a self-organizing system sensitive to cosmic influences.
  • Humans form self-organizing systems through communication, seen in phenomena like the stock market and national character.

01:05:07

Evolution of Astrology in Scientific Paradigm

  • Schmidt translated one theory of the planets for Project Hindsight, an early translation.
  • Ptolemy did not originate astrology but adapted and explained it within the scientific paradigm of his time.
  • Ptolemy's modifications to astrology were linked to the Aristotelian paradigm.
  • Errors in Ptolemy's model were highlighted by more precise observations by astronomers like Tycho Brahe.
  • Intellectuals began to question astrology's validity due to its connection to the Aristotelian model.
  • Kepler's work straddled the line between astrology and science, advocating not to discard astrology entirely.
  • Galileo's experiments with cannonballs and Kepler's mathematical modeling of the solar system showcased the accuracy of scientific predictions.
  • Astrology faced a decline due to the loss of its assumed mechanism during the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution.
  • The rise of humanism emphasized free will and conflicted with astrology's deterministic nature.
  • Pico della Mirandola's attack on astrology, influenced by humanism, contributed to astrology's decline.

01:20:09

Astrology's Decline and Survival in Europe

  • Astrologers in Europe were involved in politics and social matters, serving as court astrologers and printing almanacs with political predictions.
  • William Lilly, an astrologer, took sides in a war and faced consequences when the party he supported fell out of power.
  • Astrologers faced isolation due to the rise of reductionist science, leading to a decline in their social status.
  • Astrologers survived in the middle and lower classes, with some like Sibley operating in the middle class zone, mainly in London.
  • Astrology declined in intellectual circles, moving away from higher-level intellectual spheres.
  • Astrology was not statistically tested in the 16th or 17th century but faced a paradigm shift that made it seem implausible.
  • Astrology's decline was influenced by social, political, and religious factors, leading to its removal from universities.
  • Astrology persisted among individual practitioners in England, focusing on casting charts and interpreting them for clients.
  • Astrology survived as a middle-class practice in England, passed down through generations as part of a collective empirical tradition.
  • Astrology, like other scientific fields, relies on observations and correlations without always understanding the underlying mechanisms, emphasizing the empirical aspect of the practice.

01:36:09

Astrology Study Critiques and Challenges

  • Study conducted by Shawn Carlson published in Nature tested astrologers' abilities to connect charts with personality profiles from the California Personality Inventory.
  • Carlson's study criticized for comparing apples to oranges and for potential statistical errors.
  • Lack of standardization in astrology field highlighted, leading to varying skill levels among practitioners.
  • Accessibility to becoming an astrologer emphasized, with good PR skills often trumping competence.
  • Criticism of studies collecting astrologers from local groups, leading to flawed conclusions about astrology.
  • Skeptical community's ideological bias against astrology discussed, hindering validation attempts.
  • Astrology's conflict with reductionist scientific perspectives explained, making acceptance challenging.
  • Social stigma around astrology revealed, with many practitioners keeping their interest hidden.
  • Gauquelin studies praised for their rigor and complexity, standing out as a sophisticated astrological study.
  • Excitement surrounding Gauquelin's work and other scientific studies of astrology noted, emphasizing the importance of testing specific astrological factors scientifically.

01:51:57

Challenges and Potential of Astrology Validation

  • Astrological community faced challenges in the 1980s and 1990s due to failed studies and underhanded actions like withholding Gauquelin's study replications.
  • Reflections and decline in enthusiasm in the '90s led to questions about astrology's validation methods.
  • Geoffrey Cornelius' work "The Moment of Astrology" questioned the effectiveness of statistical tests in validating astrology.
  • Testing astrology through reductionism initially may not yield accurate results due to its self-organizing nature.
  • The NCGR suicide study attempted to find common factors among suicide cases but didn't yield statistically significant results.
  • Gauquelin's success was attributed to extreme sampling, focusing on eminent athletes rather than all athletes.
  • Astrology's complexity is likened to psychology, facing similar challenges in testing and validation.
  • Astrology's synthesis nature makes it more of an art than a science, but it has potential for scientific validation in the future.
  • Astrology's delayed revolution is attributed to its study of self-organizing systems, which are hard to quantify.
  • Improving astrology's organization and seriousness could lead to its recognition and contribution to society.

02:07:26

Astrology: Standards, Criticisms, and Survival Crisis

  • Astrology operates as an 'outsider bubble' with its own rules and regulations, leading to a survival crisis of a collective.
  • The astrological community is in a cultural bubble, isolated, and recovering from past attacks by the Church and skeptics.
  • Certification and standards in astrology are crucial to distinguish between skilled, ethical practitioners and newcomers.
  • Education and testing are proposed as the best options to establish standards in astrology.
  • A set of standards is deemed better than none to allow institutions to grow and astrology to progress.
  • Certification and experience criteria are suggested for selecting practitioners in studies like the Vernon Clark trials.
  • Understanding criticisms of astrology should be a required course in astrological education.
  • Arguing with skeptics is generally unproductive, but analyzing arguments in a larger context could be beneficial.
  • The ability to critically evaluate astrology has been a hallmark of significant figures in the field's history.
  • Astrological organizations struggle to stay relevant in contemporary times, with declining volunteer numbers and a lack of scientific research support.

02:23:13

Astrology Organizations Adapt to Digital Age

  • Having a captivating topic is crucial for drawing people to a conference, enabling the committee to cover expenses like trade shows.
  • Organizations in astrology face challenges but continue to function well, offering certification programs like the Professional Astrologers Alliance.
  • Efforts are underway to update certification exams based on Ken Negus’ vision of a four-year college program in astrology, with equivalencies for programs like Kepler.
  • Astrology institutions like Kepler College and IAA, along with organizations like NCGR and ISAR, play vital roles in the field.
  • The struggle to maintain relevance among younger astrologers is evident, with a shift from traditional mailing lists to social media for community updates.
  • Organizations formed before the internet era need to adapt to the digital age to remain effective.
  • The term 'time-slice' is preferred over 'horoscope' for birth charts, representing a snapshot of the sky at a specific moment.
  • Astrology analyzes time-slices and cycles to understand self-organizing systems like humans and animals, extending to decisions and non-living entities.
  • The application of astrology to electional and horary astrology involves abstract and symbolic interpretations, exploring higher-order systems and emergence.
  • Bifurcation points in self-organizing systems mark crucial moments that can be analyzed through astrology, reflecting a shift or decision point in their existence.

02:37:55

Astrology's Evolution and Self-Organizing Systems

  • Lorenz's butterfly effect in weather modeling shows changing starting points lead to different outcomes, akin to astrology's starting points like transitions and separations.
  • Astrology delves into the nature of time, hinting at underlying mechanisms and the role of time in reality.
  • Astrology may involve imprinting during human development, with planets' timing windows affecting patterns.
  • Astrology's progress requires more knowledge on time and internal time, akin to the evolution of other sciences.
  • Modern science relies on instrumentation for accurate data, lacking in historical astrological studies.
  • Astrology should focus on self-organizing systems and expand beyond current limitations.
  • The book aims to explain astrology's current state, its history, and potential future improvements.
  • Emphasizing natural astrology and causal mechanisms, the book seeks to elevate astrology's understanding and practice.
  • The debate within astrology between divination and causal celestial forces is complex and ongoing.
  • The author's experiences with divination systems suggest a need for further research into emergent self-organizing systems in human minds.

02:53:34

Astrology: Beyond Divination, Celestial Influences Explored

  • The text discusses the concept of astrology and its various interpretations, with one viewpoint suggesting it's more than just divination.
  • Evidence is presented in the text that life on Earth is influenced by celestial movements, such as the Moon and the Sun, impacting the biosphere.
  • The debate within astrology revolves around whether celestial placements like Mars in the 7th house can predict life events like divorce at a certain age.
  • The text suggests a perspective of looking at higher-order self-organizing systems that may be sensitive to various influences, including celestial movements.
  • Historical examples like the discovery of electricity and heat are used to illustrate how phenomena were recognized before their mechanisms were understood.
  • The text emphasizes the importance of progressing from practical knowledge to theoretical understanding in various fields, including astrology.
  • Encouragement is given for astrologers to explore and formulate theories on how astrology works, looking beyond traditional practices.
  • The text highlights the need for cross-fertilization in astrology, urging practitioners to engage with other fields for growth.
  • The author discusses personal health challenges and astrological influences on health, like Saturn opposition and Uranian astrology.
  • The text concludes with reflections on the author's extensive research in astrology, encouraging readers to explore both ancient and modern astrological practices.

03:08:51

"Reviving Ancient Astrology: A Synthesis Journey"

  • George and BS taught a course on progressions, solar arcs, and transits, with CB seeking permission to attend while Nick lectured on ancient astrology.
  • CB had studied modern astrology for several years, leading to his interest in traditional astrology.
  • CB expressed gratitude for the high-level astrology lectures at Kepler College, including those by BS, Rob Hand, Demetra George, and Nick Campion.
  • BS noted CB's immersion in ancient astrology at a pivotal time when translations were being made, especially during CB's two-year stay at Project Hindsight.
  • CB emphasized the importance of not succumbing to astrological fundamentalism, advocating for a synthesis of ancient and modern astrology.
  • BS highlighted the significance of understanding astrology's roots and credited the resurgence of ancient astrology to scholars like the 'three Roberts.'
  • CB discussed the resurgence of interest in ancient astrology coinciding with the Uranus-Neptune conjunction in 1992-93, leading to a synthesis of modern and ancient practices.
  • CB thanked BS for allowing him to clarify his book's content, encouraging listeners to explore the depth of information beyond the podcast episode.
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