“The Night Speaks” by Steven Forrest: How Astrology Works (part 1)

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“The Night Speaks: How Astrology Works.” Steven Forrest. Seven Paws Press, Inc. Borrego Springs (CA). 1993, 2016.

 

In writing, “The Night Speaks,” Steven Forrest tackles the philosophical foundation of Astrology. He asserts that while Astrology itself is concrete and specific, the foundation is not. He explains, “Ultimately, the philosophy behind the system rests upon a single belief: the conviction that the universe is inherently meaningful. More commonly this principle is expressed another way: that the heavens, specifically the planets, symbolize human realities.”

 

Forrest continues, “But symbolism implies meaning and as soon as we accept that meaning is inherent to the structure of the cosmos, we have entered mysterious and subversive territory.” He explains further, “Subversive to what? To the mechanistic assumptions of Big Science. To the God-is-in-Heaven and Heaven-is-Elsewhere assumptions upon which Big Religion is founded.” (Note 1) By claiming that the galaxy is intelligent and aware is frightening to Big Religion, according to Forrest. However, Albert Einstein, in discussing quantum physics, noted that common sense is whatever people were taught to believe before they are nineteen years old. Since it implies that the Cosmos is alive is commonsense, Forrest claims that Astrology threatens the worldview of Big Religion.

 

Meanwhile, Forrest explores the standard reactions to Astrology by Big Science. He describes these reactions as “Astrophobia” (Note 2). “There exists a persuasive perceptual bias among those ‘normal,’ ‘rational’ people, who feel emotionally compelled to criticize astrology. The bias functions on an unconscious level driving them towards otherwise inexplicable behaviors – behaviors that are characterized by denial, anger, inappropriate assumption of authority and illogic…The triggering stimulus is the suggestion that rational processes might in anyway be influenced by irrational or ‘trans-rational’ processes.”

 

Ordinary people respect and believe scientists because of the Myth of Science. Forrest explains, “one investigates all phenomena with dispassion. Calmly, logically, one attempts to establish principles and actualities. In other words, there is no room for wishes and fears.” That is the myth. However, as Forrest points out, scientists are very human with their own biases and fears. For example, many of them will reject Astrology outright, and go to great extremes to disclaim it.

 

Forrest believes that a fully scientific theory of Astrology can eventually be formulated. He believes that it would have to meet various requirements. One, it has to work: have predictable relations between astronomy and human experiences. Two, it has to be generalizable: applicable across time and culture. Finally, it has to have a mechanism: to describe how the astrological “force” affects the human world. (Emphasis Forrest’s)

 

To advance his theories, Forrest cites the joint work of the physicist Wolfgang Pauli and the psychiatrist Carl Jung. Pauli said of the quantum universe that no natural law is ever entirely binding. The universe, in quantum theory, operates by probabilities, not certainties. Carl Jung added, “The philosophical principle that underlies our conception of natural laws is causality.” Jung believed that the connection of events was other than casual, it was the principle of synchronicity. (Note 3) Forrest extends Jung’s reasoning to “the signs and planets of astrology may be the primordial underlying structures of meaning upon which all synchronistic events hang.” (Emphasis Forrest’s.)

 

Meanwhile, Pauli’s work indicated that patterns from the mind do extend into that of matter and energy. His Exclusion Principle (Note 4) governed the fundamental patterns of quantum matter. “Electrons behave as they do because they conform to overarching forms.” Pauli’s principle could be thought of as an “archetype of matter.”

 

Jung and Pauli postulated a quaternity (Note 5) (Note 6) of these new principles to suggest a cooperative relationship between humans and the Cosmos. Energy (including matter and momentum) is set against Space-Time. (Note 7) The first is Energy moving to Space-Time, the area where the events happen. The second is Synchronicity set against Causality. In quantum physics, the observer effects the observed, and vice-versa.

 

Forrest explains why Astrology works. People are a part of the living Cosmos. As such, they affect the Cosmos as the Cosmos affects them. He cites Plato, “The Great Mind of the Universe and our own little minds are simply in a state of telepathic rapport.” (Emphasis Forrest’s) Life extends both horizontally between humans and nature, and vertically between nature and galaxies. Therefore, Astrology therefore promotes wholeness.

 

Part 2 contains the footnotes.