A scientific basis of Jyotish - SOLAR MAGNETISM INTEGRATES ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By Rakesh Mathur
Hinduism Today
http://www.hinduismtoday.com
April 1990
Imagine yourself in a lifetime 6,000 years ago in
India. At nightfall, wrapped in a high priest's
cloak and using several ingenius sighting
instruments, you track the stars emerging from
twilight and the east-to-west are of six
pastel-hued planets. Behind their physical
properties are invisible devas, for the cosmos is
not dead matter, but alive with creative mind
forces. You are privy to an intuitive science that
states the geometry of the heavens reveals
detailed patterns in the affairs and natures of
humanity. As an adept of the yoga arts by you
explore the truth that man and cosmos mirror each
other. Man's celestial consciousness contains the
cosmos. The cosmos synchronizes with the
terrestrial layers of that consciousness -- body,
emotions and intellect.
Astrophysicist Percy Seymour synchronizes with
data and testable theory. The scene above,
perfectly realistic, is too supernatural for his
taste. But he knows nature functions at
super-refined levels. As an expert in planetary
magnetism he thinks parts of astrology work
through four features of nature: magnetism,
harmonic resonance, genetics and neurology. He
muses that astrology evolved from ancient
astronomers keenly observing the natural order of
the sky over many centuries to establish systems
of agricultural and sacerdotal timing, weather and
eclipse prediction. By deduction they tied that
data to the events and natures of humanity.
Unwittingly, Seymour says, that had stumbled into
the currents and surf of the magnetic sea of the
solar system that constantly washes over earth's
atmosphere and the human nervous system.
According to his theory, the alignment of
planetary/solar magnetic fields creates a magnetic
tonal chord on Earth that plays into the
neurological development of the fetus. The moment
of birth is determined by the special tone of a
rising planet the fetus is genetically attuned to
a DNA inheritance from the parents. The individual
remains attuned to the particular planetary
alignment for life.
SKEPTIC TO SEEKER: Seymour's ideas are fleshed out
in his book Astrology: the Evidence of Science,
published in 1988, three years after he had
converted from being an intractable skeptic on
astrology to seriously seeking its mechanism. By
taking the frontiers of magnetic astronomy into
the realm of astrology Seymour has startled or
alienated most of his scientific peers. From the
Western astrological community has come a lukewarm
reception --they aren't avidly seeking scientific
peers. From the Western astrological community has
come a lukewarm reception -- they aren't avidly
seeking scientific sanction and feel his model
applies rather arbitrarily to a very small
percentage of the astrological art.
Hindu astrologers are presently unaware of his
ideas or book. And though they would agree that
his magnetism model is extremely limited, the very
fact that it exists a good, bold science would
help bolster their position in India. Jyotish, the
Hindu mode of astrology, is under constant
harassment by the Indian scientist/humanist
community. Though jyotish enjoys immense
popularity --particularly the new computerized
versions -- millions of Hindu youth are being
swayed to skepticism and a materialist worldview.
Gayatri Devi Vasudev, daughter of astrologer
laureate B.V. Raman, calls this the "scientific
temper" in her angry new book, Astrology and the
Hoax of "Scientific Temper."
HINDUISM TODAY spent a day with Dr. Percy Seymour
in Plymouth, England. A relaxed, thoughtful man in
his early fifties, who wears glasses, sweaters and
tweed and smiles with a child's freshness, Seymour
teaches astronomy at Plymouth Polytechnic and is
Director of the William Day Planetarium. "I
believe I am unique in being a fellow of the Royal
Astronomers Society and a member of the
Astrological Association." He is not an astrologer
though. "My own specialty in astronomy is the
magnetic field." A textbook he wrote, Cosmic
Magnetism, was critically applauded, and polished
his reputation. He laughingly points out that the
same theories he applies to astrology appear in
the textbook.
At the Marine Department he teaches tide theory as
well. Tidal physics is a linchpin in the astrology
work as it accounts for the moon's tidal
stimulation of earth's magnetosphere and for the
large-scale amplification of relatively weak
magnetic forces from the other planets.
His office is spartan -- bare white walls relieved
only by a chart of the solar system and a groaning
case of books. Here he answers critics who attack
his thinking simply because it addresses
astrology, or because they think it is bad
science. Most haven't read his book. Undaunted, he
persists, "I am planning a second book on
astrology which should be ready by 1991. It
explores how paranormal phenomenon might link up
with the astrological phenomenon. In the meantime,
my theory of astrology is developing apace with
the mathematical model now. This mathematical
model can be tested."
SOUTH AFRICAN SKIES: Seymour is the latest in a
brave band of scientists who, over the past
several decades, looked at the impact of planetary
aspects -- which from the core of astrological
charts -- on various solar and terrestrial
phenomena. They all paid a price -- one is a
farmer in Scotland now, forced out of NASA.
Seymour knows that science can be chained by its
own dogmas, to the point where scientists behave
like a wolfpack, irrationally defending status quo
tenets and attacking new ideas. Seymour's rebel
attitude stems from his upbringing in apartheid
South Africa, where he fell in love with the skies
and learned of human hate. Born of mixed parentage
and raised in black Kimberley, any form of bigotry
or bias seriously grates him. "I think that my
irreligious attitude towards science comes from
this. I don't accept that science should operate
by authority. There may be more things in haven
and earth than we have dreamt in our philosophy.
It is part of the scientist's job to push science
as far as it can go to explain what we do know."
It also turns out that his astrology chart --
which he says with a smile is surprisingly
accurate as to its personality analysis and
personal history depictions --states his astronomy
vocation will bring him into conflict with
authority and he will be ostracized.
Seymour is also among a handful of professional
scientists endeavoring to wed the esoterics of
sub-atomic quantum physics of the mysteries of the
paranormal. He says the book he is crafting now is
called The Paranormal, A Key to Cosmic Reality.
Not that he took off his science parachute, but he
excitedly talks about landing in order realities
that science cannot account for. "I think that
there might well be another level and this is what
the astrologers are saying. My theory can explain
what all astrologers are saying. I can't explain
what all astrologers are saying. It might well be
that they are seeing a level of reality or sensing
reality in a deeper way than the scientists can. I
don't rule out that possibility. I am trying to
investigate that possibility in my next book [on
astrology]."
SYNCHRONIZED STAR MEN: Seymour is following the
scientific method of looking for a cause/effect
chain to explain astrology. Some material forces
and/or arrangement of matter (gravity,
electromagnetism, nuclear energies,
sun/planets/earth/moon orbital relations) cause a
specific and predictable type of personality and
life pattern. This is called causality. A mythic
example of causality would be if a Hindu believed
that the demigods associated with the planets --
the navagrahs 'nine planets" -- somehow projected
their will and whim to shape the good and
unfortunate details of a person's life. The casual
belief is raw superstition as our sidebar Jyotish
View explains.
The vast majority of contemporary astrologers from
both the East and West systems do not see or look
for, from science, causality in astrology. Their
perception is that astrology would not exist or
work if it was constrained to material causes and
effects. This is indicated by the fact that
Seymour's model touches only two very simple
astrological conditions. Rather astrology is
acausal, or operating under a non-cause/effect
reality that transcends yet includes the material
forces and forms of the cosmos. Another
astrophysicist, Michael Shallis of Oxford
University, who examined astrology in his book On
Time says, "Astrology is an acausal system, even
though it contains the continuity of the causally
connected motions of the planets. To search for
its origins and power by looking at those causal
parts is of course a mistake and an ignorant
mistake..."
Acausal is a slippery, abstract concept that
astrologers themselves rarely use. Western
practitioners use the term synchronicity. This
means on one level that the cosmos is synchronized
to the psychic environment and being a man, and on
other more inclusive level, all life and all
insentient forms and all event,/occasions are
synchronized to each other both physically and
psychically. In this richly intuitive view
astrologers speak of correlations, correspondences
and connections that jump through time and
material laws. The result it is highly nuanced and
accurate interpretation of not only birth charts
(which Seymour's theory partially supports), but
of other major regions of astrology: horary charts
and auspicious timing evaluation. Synchronicity
also says that astrology functions whether you are
on earth or Pluto or in another galaxy.
A fascinating beauty of synchronicity is that it
does not exclude discoveries such as Dr.
Seymour's. Indeed, the more science unveils of
natural laws, the more they conform to mystic
wisdom with its fundamental force of infinitely
varied yet seamless God consciousness.
Seymour on the Harmonics of the Hindu Astrological
System
In HINDUISM TODAY'S conversation with Dr. Percy
Seymour he told us his principle but posthumous
mentor in astrology was John Addey, a world
renowned astrologers who wove the crucial Hindu
navamsa chart techniques into his theory of the
harmonics of astrology. Navamsa "1/9th division"
is the primary house analysis chart used in
conjunction with the actual birth chart. Here are
extracts from our interview:
HT: Have you been exposed to the Hindu system of
astrology?
PS: I haven't studied the astrological system of
India but my work links most naturally with John
Addey. He died a few years ago. I never met him
but I have read his works. In his book of
harmonics in astrology Addey actually talks about
the Hindu navamsa, which is the ninth harmonic
chart.
HT: What do you mean when you speak of harmonics?
PS: Harmonics relates to resonance which can occur
in many different situations in nature, whenever
the fluctuations of an external force are in tune
with the natural vibrations of a system. A
well-known example of resonance is the shattering
of wine glasses by an opera singer.
HT: How do harmonics function in astrology?
PS: Addey sees harmonics as the basis of all
astrology, more so than the planets themselves. He
says in the Western world we concentrated on the
first harmonic. The ninth harmonic is very
important to the Hindu astrologer in relation to
the moon. According to my theory, this should be
so because of the magnetic field the moon.
Basically the magnetic field of Earth is
reflecting how the planets are moving around the
sun and even how the Earth is moving around the
sun. So the magnetic field of Earth is resonating.
Added to this, as the moon goes round the Earth it
affects the tides not only in the ocean but in the
magnetosphere [Earth's magnetic field]. These have
higher order harmonics. My idea of all these tunes
being played by the planets on the magnetic field
of the Earth naturally gives rise to harmonics.
HT: Magnetic harmonics, then, influence people
both before and after birth?
PS: We know our nervous system is actually
electric currents. The fluctuations of the
geomagnetic field cause changes in the
neuro-network. What I am saying is that the
relative position of the sun, Earth and other
planets is causing a very complex tune to be
played on the magnetic field of Earth. We are
genetically tuned not to receive the whole
symphony but to respond to a certain melody. We
are genetically tuned to respond to the magnetic
tunes of the moon, of Mars, of Saturn and so on.
It also tells us how we might respond in future
life to certain positions of the planets. They
might predispose us in certain ways when we have
the tunes that we first heard in the womb.
Planets in the Magnetic Sea
Seymour's theory of solar system magnetism as a
mechanism for astrology is based on two different
science studies: one, a huge statistical analysis
conducted by French psychologist Michel Gauquelin
of professions and personality type that
correlated to the rising planet influence
predicted by astrology. The other study comes out
of a series of important but hushed investigations
conducted in the US into the affects of planetary
alignments. A man named Nelson, investigating
orbital relations to see if he could predict bad
radio conditions for the Radio Corporation of
America, discovered that the planetary aspects of
conjunction, opposition, square and trine degrees
--the classic "power" alignments in astrology --
did correlate to radio disruptions. Later studies
by NASA confirmed that the alignments effected the
huge magnetic field of the sun, triggering violent
solar flare-ups. These spewed intense bursts of
the so-called solar wind (ions, electrons,
photons) into Earth's magnetic field. The
beautiful aurora borealis are produced by this
billowing solar wind hitting our atmosphere.
Gauquelin's statistical work with rising (also the
midheaven, setting and opposite midheaven) planets
uncovered a handful of strong correlations:
1.) Eminent writers born when the moon is rising
or reached its highest point in the sky.
2.) Saturn (in rising position) is associated with
births of scientists and physicians.
3.) Jupiter correlates to actors, journalists,
politicians, politicians, military leaders, top
executives.
4.) Mars distinguishes sports champions,
physicians, politicians, military leaders.
5.) Planetary heredity -- one or other of parents
born when a given planet was rising, or near
midheaven, then there is a tendency for their
children to be born under similar conditions. This
effect was most marked for the moon, Venus and
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
6.) Planetary heredity births and enhanced on days
Earth is magnetically disturbed.
7.) All the above correlations only occur in
natural childbirth, not induced or ceserean.
Using Gauquelin's findings, Seymour added his own
expertise in planetary magnetism and tidal theory
to the Nelson and NASA planet aspect data. Other
scientists have measured the gravitational and
optical/heat effect of Mars, sun and moon, proving
that the sun overwhelms any such planetary fields.
Seymour's theory envisions the planets swimming
through the sun's magnetic field and solar wind in
a continuous interplay of orbital alignments,
magnetic resonances and planetary tidal forces
which tremendously boost the amplitude of the
magnetic music, just as the shape of a bay will
increase the moon's pull on water from 2-3 feet to
a fifty-foot tide. The classic major and minor
aspects of astrology are the same as those that
create the most compelling magnetic/tidal chords
as he calls them. Earth's magnetic field -- the
magnetosphere -- is 20-30 times the planet's size,
its response to other magnetic tones and tidal
forces jumping up to 10,000 times at its
periphery. Earth rings like a bell in harmony with
the solar system chords. Life is bathed in and
neurologically programmed (particularly during
fetal development) by this music. The four main
angles of a rising planet to Earth are specially
potent. The rising planet triggers the final birth
exit. Each individual is genetically calibrated to
a certain planet. The attunement is active for the
entire life. A major astrological flaw is that the
whole theory only applies to natural birth.
Jyotish View
Western scholars suppose that Hindus inherited
astrology from the Greeks who in turn borrowed it
from the civilizations of Central Asia: the
Chaldeans through the Assyrians. Hindu historians
refute this theory and build a case that Hindu
priest/astronomers possessed a sophisticated
science of astronomy/astrology dating back 6,000
years and receding into unchronicled history.
Hindus invented the concept of zero and the
decimal system, giving them tremendous dexterity
in mathematics and astronomy. The Vedas indicate
Hindus knew that the earth rotated on its axis and
of the precessions of the equinoxes into distant
eras.
Hindu jyotish is the most exacting and subtle
astrological system in the world. It functions
within the realities of karma, reincarnation, the
inner world we occupy at death and two chakras of
our soul body: the first chakra of memory, time
and space and high chakra that houses our total
karmic sequence. The stars of Gods don't dictate
events or character. We act with absolute free
will, but also face the results of our pervious
acts of free will -- our teaching karma. Jyotish
is like video we choose to put in the cosmic tape
deck of our karmic/psyche patterns for the present
life. It reveals probabilities. As a video tape
can be altered or erased, we can revise the
pattern of jyotish by changing our subconscious
through a dharmic lifestyle and by yogic sadhanas.
End of forwarded article from:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1990/04/1990-04-04.shtml
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
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