Most of the people who believe in astrology do not have any knowledge about how astrology originated or on what basis the astrological predictions are made. Many of them might have found that some sort of predictions made by astrologers did come true in either their own case or in the case of their acquaintances. That is usually the main reason why they believe in it. Unquestioning belief in age-old traditions is also an important reason. The funny part of this belief is that the predictions that went wrong are ignored or easily forgotten by them.

The excuses put up for wrong predictions are commonplace. Pro-astrology people argue that astrologers who have full knowledge of astrology are very rare. The average astrologers who do not have enough knowledge of it can make wrong predictions. And moreover, the time of birth provided to them is often incorrect, which makes their predictions go wrong; but that is no fault of astrology itself! It is obvious that nobody can eliminate such vague factors, and consequently, real assessment of astrology becomes an impossible task.

It’s a sad reflection on the frailty of the human condition that people still believe in the power of divination and foretelling. Because, shorn of all its arcane mumbo-jumbo, astrology is no more than flying a kite into the future. Its tenets are disarmingly simple, though: a person’s character and destiny can be understood from the positions and patterns of the solar system, including the Sun, Moon, and planets, in the zodiac at the moment of birth. Interpreting the location of these bodies using a chart called horoscope, astrologers then claim to predict and explain the course of life and help people, companies and nations with decisions of great import. Ridiculous as such claims may sound to anyone who knows how far the Sun, Moon, and planets really are, millions of people around the world base crucial medical, professional, and personal decisions on advice received from astrologers, astrological publications and zodiac signs.

People believe in astrology because of uncertainty in life. It is never been proved on statistical and scientific level. The methodology as adopted by a very large number of astrologers for interpreting a horoscope is based on a large number of presumptions, against which common sense revolts. Astrologers either flatly deny their existence, or try to explain them away with pseudo-scientific arguments. The following presumptions are generally made by astrologers:

  • All planets send out astrological radiations. Rahu and Ketu are imaginary points, but they too send out similar radiations. These radiations reach every part of the globe simultaneously. In order to do so they travel through the mass of Earth wherever necessary.
  • The radiations coming from the planets contain twelve components. Each component is responsible for giving the phal (effect) of each house of the horoscope. Before reaching the Earth the planetary radiations undergo diffraction and their components are separated from each other.
  • The planets have several eyesight s. They cast their sights on specified houses in the horoscopes and affect the destiny of man. For performing this feat they are endowed with knowledge of rules of astrology and have divine power to act according to them.

When astrologers invoke divine dispensation for astrology, they shut the doors upon scientific inquiry. The ‘hits’ and failures of astrologers cancel each other and so to a rational mind astrology remains a mumbo-jumbo.

Primarily, it is against the Directive Principles of the Constitution, which insists on inculcating scientific temper among the people, since astrology is just a bundle of superstitions, which will lead us back to the days of cavemen. Horoscope, the outcome of astrology is supposed to be the text detailing the destiny of a man which is mainly based on the Hindu scriptures. Secondly, Vedic astrology includes non-existing Rahu and Ketu as two of the nine planets brought out by the wide imagination of the Hindu Vedic Pandits. If that is so, it is against another basic principle of the secular Indian constitution in dividing Indians into Hindus and Non Hindus. Not only have numerous studies failed to support astrology, but the techniques used by astrologers are also very dubious. In fact ANS insists that astrologers' business should be brought under Consumers Protection Act. Consumers should be allowed to sue astrologers if they fail in their predictions.

MANS always questions astrology on every possible level i.e. challenge level, education level and experimental level.

MANS challenges the whole concept of astrology and invites astrologers to participate in the scientific tests devised by ANS. ANS is even ready to pay an award if astrologers pass the tests.Media has given wide publicity to this challenge from time to time. But still nobody has accepted it. However, this challenge has made people to start thinking and questioning.

Educational level is a process to educate people giving details of failed predictions;to let people think regarding counter part of astrology which is generally not available for them,to show internal contradictions of astrology in Siddhanta level or postulate level.

Experimental level is to let the people get the experience of predictions to check possible claims of astrology. For instance:. A horoscope of  a newly born baby but dead within hours of birth was shown to an astrologer. Doctor even queried whether there is  a possibility of short life? Astrologer emphatically predicted that the baby was going to live a healthy and long life when actually the baby had died. This is the wisdom of the astrology!


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