History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.297

v6.c82.297

Two circumstances tended to weaken the influence of astrology in Europe, viz. the giving up of the geocentric theory in favour of the heliocentric theory and the vast additions to astronomical knowledge made during the last two centuries. But it should not be supposed that astrology has become defunct in the West or U. S. A. The immense strain and distress caused by the two world wars provided a powerful fillip for the spread and influence of astrology. Even in papers the circulation of which runs into millions there is a regular astrological feature every day or every week, which tells people what the stars portend for twelve groups of the world’s population in the week or on the day mentioned.³²³ What benefit the people derive from these prognostications it is difficult to understand. Often the prognostications are extremely vague and not of greater extent than three or four short cryptic sentences. There must be millions of people in each of the twelve groups (such as those born from 23rd September to October 23rd, those born from 24th October to 22nd November and so on). It is said that in U.S.A alone there are about 25000 registered astrologers.