Is Astrology religion for those of us with no religion?

[_canpakes]

Children, children!

Maybe you need to start another thread so you can have fun there without disturbing others?

I suspect banishing him to the children’s table will only see him start to throw food.

[_AmyJo]

Jeanne Dixon was one of the most esteemed and widely respected astrologers to ever live. Nancy Reagan employed her and other noted astrologists to include planning her husband's calendar, especially after his assassination attempt.

Jeanne's astrology forecast for my dob has been quite accurate throughput my life.

Nothing short of remarkable in my opinion.

[_Chap]

Jeanne Dixon was one of the most esteemed and widely respected astrologers to ever live. Nancy Reagan employed her and other noted astrologists to include planning her husband's calendar, especially after his assassination attempt.

Jeanne's astrology forecast for my dob has been quite accurate throughput my life.

Nothing short of remarkable in my opinion.

So we have some positive anecdotal evidence from you to the effect that you have a favorable evaluation of one astrologer's work.

One the other hand:

The detailed study I cited in an earlier post involved a good sample of astrologers selected by other astrologers as being expert, and a large number of persons whose horoscopes were cast. It suggests strongly that professional astrology is not in fact accurate:

viewtopic.php?p=1127227#p1127227

The conclusion of that study, published in the scientific journal Nature, included these words:

We are now in a position to argue a surprisingly strong case against natal astrology as practiced by reputable astrologers. Great pains were taken to insure that the experiment was unbiased and to make sure that astrology was given every reasonable chance to succeed. It failed. Despite the fact that we worked with some of the best astrologers in the country, recommended by the advising astrologers for their expertise in astrology and in their ability to use the CPI, despite the fact that every reasonable suggestion made by advising astrologers was worked into the experiment, despite the fact that the astrologers approved the design and predicted 50% as the "minimum" effect they would expect to see, astrology failed to perform at a level better than chance.

Did you read that post, where I quoted full information on the study conducted and its results? If so, don't you think that it suggests that the 'expert astrologers' who were involved were, perhaps, not able to perform as promised?

Maybe Jeanne Dixon is an exception. But someone not already committed to a belief in astrology might wonder whether your individual testimony is a sound basis for spending money on professional astrological services, given the results of the study I refer to.

[_Gunnar]

Maybe Jeanne Dixon is an exception. But someone not already committed to a belief in astrology might wonder whether your individual testimony is a sound basis for spending money on professional astrological services, given the results of the study I refer to.

Jeane Dixon was definitely no exception. Like all other astrologers, her popularity was based only on she and her true believers focusing on the tiny minority of predictions she got right, while ignoring the vast majority she got wrong.

Respected mathematician John Allen Paulos coined the “Dixon effect,” in which self-proclaimed psychics make a few accurate predictions, but people ignore the hundreds of predictions that never happened.

Resources:

Offley, Ed. Scorpion Down. AllNavyBooks.com. (2008). Accessed on December 6, 2013.

Pace, Eric. Jeane Dixon, 79, Astrologer Claiming Psychic Power, Dies. (1997). New York Times. Accessed on December 6, 2013.

Tomlinson, Alex. Psychic in the White House. (2009). Fortean Times. Accessed December 6, 2013.

Paulos, John Allen. Innumeracy Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences. (1988). Hill & Wang.

Carroll, Robert T. Jeane Dixon & the Jeane Dixon effect. The Skeptic’s Dictionary. Accessed on December 6, 2013.

Her erroneous predictions included:

World War III would begin in 1958 over the Chinese islands, Quemoy and Matsu.
Walter Reuther, United Auto Workers President, would run for President in 1964.
There would be a cure for cancer in 1967.
The Soviets would send the first man to the moon. (The USA did in 1969.)
There would be a holocaust in the 1980s when Rome would be the world’s primary hub of culture, education and religion and a Middle Eastern child, who would be born on February 5, 1962, would unite all religions into one.
President George Bush would be re-elected in 1992. (Bill Clinton won.)
There would be peace on earth by the year 2000.

[_Chap]

Like all other astrologers, her popularity was based only on she and her true believers focusing on the tiny minority of predictions she got right, while ignoring the vast majority she got wrong.

I am not very surprised to hear this ...