Astrology is wrong, has weak achievements, harmful goal

6 minutes • 1251 words

Astrologers think that astrology, with the knowledge it gives of astral powers, individually or in combination, and of astral influences upon elemental creations, enables them to know the things that are going to be in the world of the elements, before they are created.

The positions of the spheres and the stars are thus taken to indicate every single kind of future event, both universal and individual.

The ancient (astrologers) were of the opinion that the knowledge of astral powers and influence is acquired through experience.

It (thus) is something that all human lives combined would not be able to achieve, because experience is obtained through numerous repetitions which make the obtainment of (empirical) knowledge or conjectures possible. Astral revolutions may be very long.

Greatly extended periods of time are required for their repetition. Even (all) the lives 1044 in the world (combined) would be too short for (observing) them. Some weak-minded (astrologers) take the attitude that the knowledge of astral powers and influences comes through revelation. This is a fallacy. They themselves have furnished us arguments sufficient to refute it. The clearest proof is that, as one knows, of all people, the prophets are least familiar with the crafts. 1045 They do not undertake to give information about the supernatural, unless (such information) comes (to them) from God. Why, then, should they claim to produce (supernatural information) through a craft (such as astrology) and make it the law for their followers to do so?

Ptolemy and his followers thought that the stars could indicate the future as the natural result of a temper they produce in the elemental existing things.

He said; 1046

The influence of the sun and the moon on elemental things are so obvious that no one can deny them. The sun causes changes in the seasons, the ripening of fruits and grains, and so on. The moon influences humidity, the water, the ripening (putrefaction) in putrescent substances and cucumbers, etc. We have two approaches to the stars that come after sun and moon. The unsatisfactory approach is to follow the astrological tradition.

The other is to rely on conjecture and empirical knowledge from comparing each star to the sun whose nature and influence is clearly known to us. Thus, a given star increases the power and temper of (the sun) at (its) conjunction (with it). We will then know if the nature of that star agrees with the nature of the sun. If, on the other hand, (the star) diminishes (the power and temper of the sun), then its nature is opposite to that of (the sun). 1047 Then, when we know the individual powers of the stars, we (can also) know them in combination. That happens when they look upon each other in the trine, the quartile, or other aspects. The knowledge here is derived from the natures of the signs (of the zodiac), which similarly (are known) through comparison with the sun.

Thus we learn all the astral powers. They exercise an influence on the air. This is obvious. The resulting temper of the air communicates itself to thecreated things below the air, and shapes sperm and seeds. Thus, (this temper) comes to underlie the body created from (sperm or seed), the soul which attaches itself to the body, pours itself into the body, and acquires its perfection from the body, and all the conditions depending on soul and body. The qualities of sperm and seed are the qualities of the things that are created and produced from (sperm and seed)." 1048

Astrology remains conjectural and is not certain. It does not mean predestination. It is just one of the natural causes common to all existing things, whereas predestination is prior to everything."

Quadriiartitum and other works

This is the sum total of the discussion by Ptolemy and his colleagues. (This discussion) is found in the . It makes the weakness of the achievements of astrology clear. Knowledge of, or conjectures about, things that come into being can only result from knowledge of all their causes, that is, agent, recipient, form, and end, as has been explained in the proper place.

According to (the astrologers), the astral powers are merely agents. The elemental part is the recipient. Furthermore, the astral powers are not the sole agents. There are other powers that act together with (the astral powers) on the material element (involved), such as the generative power of father and species contained in the sperm, the powers of the particular quality distinguishing each variety within the species, and other things. When the astral powers reach perfection and are known, they (still) are only one among many causes that go into the making of a thing that comes into being.

In addition to a knowledge of astral powers and influences, much guesswork is required. Only then is (the astrologer) able to guess that a thing might happen. Now, conjecturing and guesswork are powers in the mind of the student. They are not causes or reasons 1050 of the things that come into being; Without conjectures and guesswork, (astrology) steps down from conjecture to doubtfulness. 1050a

Such is the situation (even) if one’s knowledge of the astral powers is accurate and without defect. Now, that is difficult. The ability to calculate the courses of the stars is required in order to know their positions. Moreover, it is not proven that every star has its own particular power. The method Ptolemy used in establishing the powers of the five planets, that is, comparison with the sun, is a weak one, because the power of the sun is superior to all (other) astral powers and dominates them. Thus, one hardly ever becomes aware of an increase or decrease in the (powers of the sun) at its conjunction (with a given star) , 1051 as Ptolemy said.

All this speaks against the assumption that it is possible to predict things that will happen in the world of the elements with the help of astrology.

Furthermore, it is wrong to assume that the stars exercise an influence on (the world) below them. It has been proven deductively in the chapter on the Oneness of God, as one has seen, 1052 that there is no agent but God. In this connection, speculative theologians use the self-evident argument that how causes are related to the things caused is not known, and suspicion attaches to the conclusions of the intellect regarding what appears superficially to be (due to some definite) influence. Perhaps, the relationship of (the causes to the things caused) is effected by some other than the ordinary form of influence. The divine power (would seem to) tie the two together, as it does with all created things, (both) high and low, especially since the religious law attributes all happenings to the power of God and does not want to have anything to do with anything else.

Prophecy also denies the importance and influence of the stars. A perusal of the legal material also attests this fact. For instance, (Muhammad) said= “No eclipseof either sun or moon takes place to indicate the death or life of anybody.” 1053

God said= “Some of My servants believe in Me. Others do not. Those who say, ‘We had rain through the kindness and mercy of God,’ believe in Me and do not believe in the stars. Whereas those who say, ‘We had rain through such and such a constellation,’ do not believe in Me, but believe in the stars,” (as) the sound tradition (goes). 1054