This paper analyses architectural alignments and reports the results of interviews with priests and lay persons at those temples in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu in which sunlight of the rising or setting sun enters the sanctum, primarily near equinox. The event, known as Surya puja, occurs most frequently in Shaivite temples and is most often understood to be a case of the sun worshipping Lord Shiva. At some temples it is believed the sun suffers from leprosy, which may be associated with an outbreak of sunspots in the late 11th century. Many of today’s Surya puja rituals have strong astrological dimensions, which have probably grown in intensity since the temples were built.

Although astrologers and astrological concepts were instrumental in formulating the core assumptions of the modern New Age movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the increasing number of scholarly studies of the New Age movement pay almost no attention to astrology. The only two English language histories of modern astrology set out the role of the English astrologer Alan Leo (1860-1917) in creating an astrology designed to facilitate spiritual evolution and the coming of the New Age. This paper examines the foundation of an astrology of spiritual development and psychological growth in the USA and examines the key role played by Marc Edmund Jones (1888-1980). Jones used arguments based on the history of astrology, strongly influenced by theosophical theories of history, to justify his reform of astrology.

The explicit astronomical content of the great monument of Antiochus I of Commagene on the summit of Nemrud Dagh warrants the search for astronomical significance in the design of other monuments of this ancient Near Eastern kingdom of the first century BCE. The article advances the hypothesis that the nearby monument of Karakush, built by Antiochus’ son, Mithradates II, as a burial site for the royal women, was astronomically oriented, its three sets of peripheral columns being so positioned that during June Leo would be observed setting behind the lion columns after sunset, Aquila culminating over the eagle columns around midnight, and Taurus rising behind the bull columns before dawn. It is suggested, furthermore, that the astronomical occasion for the foundation of this second monument was a recurrence of significant planetary conjunctions in Leo. The ‘lion horoscope’ of Nemrud Dagh records the conjunctions of 62 BCE; the Karakush site may be related to the conjunctions of 27-26 BCE.

This article is based on a talk given to the Research Conference of the astrological Association in November 2002. The author argues for a non-causal explanantion of the working of astrology and bases his argument on the evidence of “entanglement”, the simultaneity effect of transits, the lack of evidence for any physical connection and the lives of Gaquelin’s professionals. He goes further in proposing that a real “secondary world” exists allowing not only the selection of birth times by the “star-born” but also the successes of Alexander technique and the “Inner Game”. Finally, he suggests that this concept of the secondary world has been anticipated by the ancient Tao beliefs, and that the scientific and Tao views are complementary.

To test whether astrologers using the whole chart can predict E (extraversion) and N (emotionality) in ordinary people, the charts of 160 subjects with extreme scores on the EPI were judged by 45 astrologers from beginners to recognised experts. The atrologers judged the direction (+ or -) of E and N, and indicated how confident they were in each judgement. As a control another 45 astrologers made the same judgements by simply guessing. The result was 5400 judgements each of E and N, the same number of controle judgemenrts, anda further 1500 judgements from a sub-test of 39 astrologers and 14 palmists. For both E and N the agreement among astrologers was very poor (mean kappa .10 for direction and .01 for confidence), and the hit rate was at chance level (mean 50.3% vs 51.0% for controls vs 50% expected by chance), showing if anything that judgements were made worse by looking at charts. Judgements made with high confidence were no better than those made with low confidence. Supposedly crucial factors such as technique, experience, use of intuition, and birth data accuracy made no difference.

The discovery and development of the cyclical index is presented. The paper discusses how to use this model and its possible value in predicting events and, in particular, wars. It is argued that the index is seen to provide a valuable guide to major eras of world stability, the peaks, and world discord, the troughs. The importance of the planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto within this model is also presented.

Once daily and for an instant, there can be no single ecliptic degree rising at the Arctic or Antarctic circles. It is therefore possible that a horoscope cast for one of these latitudes might have no Ascendant. At other places within the Polar Circles, horoscopes might have Ascendant and MC in conjunction or opposition. This paper explains why such phenomena cause the collapse of some methods of house division while leaving others virtually unaffected.

Many published definitions of the “Placidus” house system are either misleadingly incomplete or simply incorrect. This paper, which avoids astronomical or geometric jargon where possible, provides a clear yet comprehensive description of the system. Global application of the methods is then introduced.

The notions of symbolism, archetype and synchronicity in astrology are reviewed in a critical and rational way. It is demonstrated that they can in no way be defended scientifically but are purely literary and “fashionable” notions that undermine the reputation of astrology and fuel the arguments of its critics

The notions of symbolism, archetype and synchronicity in astrology are reviewed in a critical and rational way. It is demonstrated that they can in no way be defended scientifically but are purely literary and “fashionable” notions that undermine the reputation of astrology and fuel the arguments of its critics