Astrology - A Scientific Outlook

By: Sean M. Clarke

From time immemorial, the concept that celestial bodies in the sky can provide a map of the future has fascinated mankind. Mankind’s romance with Astrology ranges from a casual glance at the newspaper’s zodiac signs section, to making important decisions in life such as matrimonial, financial and even medical on the advice of astrologers. It is known that some heads of state too have consulted astrologers to help make decisions that could influence the course of history.
So what is the accuracy of Astrology when used as a tool to predict the future or for decision making? Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) has used spiritual research methodologies to assist in shedding light on this question along with providing a spiritual perspective to the accuracy of Astrology and the parameters that could affect it.
1. Astrology as a science
Astrology has been confirmed and reconfirmed based on observation, inference and conclusion just like modern sciences. However the use of intuition in the science of Astrology is only possible if the astrologer is of a high spiritual level.
2. Accuracy of Astrology
Maximum amount of accuracy that can be obtained on average in the below four applications of Astrology:

Predictive – 30%
Diagnostic – 27%
Basic human nature and compatibility between people – 27%
Decision-making – 5%

(To view the chart in detail and read the interpretation of the percentages, please click on the link at the end of the article and go to point 5.4.)
3. Factors influencing accuracy of Astrology
3.1. Depending on the tradition of Astrology used
There are various traditions used in Astrology. Each of them has varying methodologies. The following table (to view the table please click on the link at the end of the article and go to point 5.5.1) is a comparative chart of the accuracy able to be achieved by the more significant traditions obtained through spiritual research.
3. 2. Based on the spiritual level of the astrologer
Depending on the spiritual level of an astrologer results can vary in accuracy. An accuracy of 100 % can only be achieved by a Saint of a spiritual level of 90% and above and that too only if He wishes to know. (To view the chart in detail, please click on the link at the end of the article and go to point 5.5.2)
3. 3. Based on the person doing spiritual practice
The only way to overcome destiny, which Astrology attempts to view and predict, or be insulated from it, is to do spiritual practice. This is because destiny is a spiritual problem that can only be overcome by a spiritual remedy. However the effect of spiritual practice and religious rituals done to overcome a problem where the root cause is spiritual in nature is not reflected in the astrological chart. Hence an astrological reading does not reflect the spiritual practice undertaken by the person.
3.4. Based on the type of question asked to the astrologer
Accuracy also depends on the type of question asked to the astrologer. For example, someone may ask an astrologer whether to invest in one venture or the other. Another person may ask whether to get married to person A or person B. A better result of accuracy could have been achieved if the person asked whether to invest or not in the first place or whether to get married or not.
3. 5. According to the time of one’s birth
Mapping the horoscope as per the time of conception increases its accuracy.
Summary