VOX STELARUM

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2033, 19 March 1907, Page 4

VOX STELARUM

A writer in the 'Westminster Gazette boliovos that astrology is still “going strong,” in spile of tho diffusion of oxact science. Ho points for proof to the sale of tlio almanacs of Itaphaol, Zmlkiel, Orion, and Old Moore. To practice astrology, tho true boliovor must have an almanac for tlio current year, and if there wore not many true boliovors willing to part with sixpences for guidance,, it would not p|iy to set up tho awkward typo of those books. Tlio writor thinks it is probable that there is hardly a town in England “without a citizen who regulates tho groator transactions of life by tho stars. Tliore are mon who will neither draw nor accept a bill of exchange until tlioy have interrogated tho heavenly bodies ns to tho fnvorableness or unfavorablenoss of tho day.” Ho protests mildly against what, as an outsider, ho considers tho arbitrary naturo of much of tho business. Tho astrology of tho star in the east is simple, natural, and beautiful, but to say that “Saturn in the filth house at tho summer solistico at London threatens trouble, and loss to more tlian ono theatre,” is a sin against proportion. “If you reeoivo any letter, hear any news, have anything offered you to buy, or any one taken suddenly ill,” says one almanac, “note the time when you first hoar of it, refer to the table, and see of what nature the influence is that happens next. For instance, suppose on January 4tli I receive an important proposal, which I read at 8 a.m., I turn to tho table and find that tho first influence after 8 a.m. occurs at 11.3 a.m., and is good. Consequently, the proposal will probably turn out beneficial.” Why is the hearing or receiving of tho proposa 1 chosen as the significant moment? Ethel receives a proposal from George at 10.30 a.m. on Monday, December 31st, when the influence is bad, and having consulted lior astrological almanac, informs George that she can only be a sister to him, whereupon George, with his £4OOO a year, marries someone else, and Ethel has to put up with tho curate. But George wrote his proposal on Saturday, December 29tli, and “to a sceptic it would seem that tho crucial moment in the affair is tho moment on December 29tli—tho passion-frauglit, elemental moment —when George makes up his mind, and not the moment whon Ethol’.s postman chancos to complete tho procarious and artificial transaction of dropping an envelope in a box.” As with many other things, astrology lives by its hits, and some of its shots have been “bulls.” Astrologers remind us that it was predicted that Mr. Balfour would be defeated in tho House of Commons by two votes, bub they do not say much about the case of Stolfler, who induced the people of Toulouse to build an ark to meet a deluge, but whose prediction was followed by an exceptional drought.