Geoffrey Dean and Arthur Mather

Can cosmological myths survive in today's materialist world?

Abstract

For most of its long history astrology has relied on personal experience, clever arguments, and appealing myths for its survival The idea of evidence as we know it did not exist. Nevertheless history shows that one key to a myth's survival is whether it fails and can be seen to fail. For example astrology was seen to fail in medicine and weather forecasting, so in those areas it fell out of fashion. But not in consulting rooms and the popular press. Today computers have allowed hundreds of tests to be made that were previously unthinkable. Skeptics argue that the results confirm their view that astrology is rubbish. Supporters argue that the views of ignorant skeptics are irrelevant. Either way, the question remains: Is astrology and its associated mythology likely to survive? The authors draw upon little-known empirical findings to suggest that the answer is yes - an answer of perhaps special relevance to today's historians.

Biography

Geoffrey Dean PhD has been presenting illustrated lectures on the case for and against astrology to audiences around the world since the late 1970s. In 1970 Arthur Mather MSc was appointed Research Co-ordinator for the UK Astrological Association and became editor of their research newsletter Correlation. Together with over 50 international experts they compiled the acclaimed "Recent Advances in Natal Astrology" (1977) with over 1000 references. Their work has continued to the present day, ensuring unrivalled familiarity with both historical and contemporary sources.