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October 1st to October 7th 2007
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TUESDAY October 2 Bang out of order! 
The astronomers of yesteryear were happy to mix science and mysticism. Not so their modern counterparts. Everything, they insist, must be logical. As they can’t prove that the planets have meaning, they won’t cast horoscopes. They only want to measure the positions of the planets and the elements they are made of. Strangely, they are not so down to earth about the origin of the universe. They simply cannot comprehend a cosmos with no beginning and end so they have developed a passionate yet illogical belief in a ‘limited version’ of infinity. They call this ‘The Big Bang’.
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WEDNESDAY October 3 Infinity: a challenge to astronomers 
Astronomers don’t really like the big bang theory. It raises just as many questions as it purports to answer. It insults the intelligence. It is full of black holes. Still though, they cling to it for psychological support because the alternative is even worse. If the universe has no beginning, it must be infinite. It must go on forever. In time. And space. No beginning? No end! Ouch. What a headache. A concept that no logical mind can comprehend. To accept the idea of eternity you must concede that your intellect is limited. And then, where is your authority?
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THURSDAY October 4 The Argument! 
Here's just a handful of the many letters I have received since I started commenting on the Big Bang. Tomorrow, I'll leave the topic of infinity alone, though not necessarily forever!
"Dear Jonathan, It is true to say that this is a work in progress and there are a lot of unanswered questions. No doubt the theory will evolve and change over time as new data is found and new discoveries are made. But it most certainly is not full of holes. You're talking rubbish. The universe is expanding. It isn't standing still as was once thought to be the case. The galaxies are moving away from each other. Since the universe is expanding and the galaxies are moving away from each other (they are even accelerating which is a genuine mystery and this is something yet to be explained) logically they must once have been closer together and even colliding. Understand? If they are flying away from each other then once upon a time billions of years ago they must have concentrated together. This is a very simplistic reason for the theory of the big bang.
Do us all a favour and write about tarot cards and other unscientific nonsensical superstitions. Leave the science to people who know what they are talking about."
"Hi Jonathan,
Dear Jonathan, Secondly, you really must notice the difference between astronomers, astrophysicists and cosmologists. Astronomers are sort of like trainspoters; Size, place and time matter. Astrophysicists are mostly concerned with "how do things work". They are good at considering both sides of the coin. Theories are acceptable if they are useful; to show how a system works - not how something does not work. So the idea of Big Bang says nothing about the thought of infinity but everything about a phase transition. Infinity is first year university material. What we are taught is "get it" Do not try to understand it because it will take an infinite amount of time". The Big Bang theory is just a road marker. The cosmological question is very simple: Which of the time and space considerations could we do away with and still "end up with the world we know today". Do we need the Big bang? Do we need Inflation theory? Do we need King's theory, quantum field theory, Higgs fields etc? The answer is yes and no. NO because the answer is not found by adding up details. Yes because, the concepts link up. The truth is that nothing of what either the astronomers, astrophysicists or cosmologists say is out there is really out there. They are just concepts and labels that can be tagged to the light that reaches us here on earth. The whole idea of astrology is to avoid infinity by placing the whole of human possibility upon 9 + 1 + 1 objects in our solar system; humans on earth in relation to 8 planets, the sun + Pluto + one moon. Apparently, size does matter. Place does matter. Time does matter. Who's clinging on to Pluto for psychological support? Which of the planets, moon phases etc could you do away with and still end up with astrology? The Big Bang for Astrologers is the sun, planets and earth's moon. If you could remove the objects (especially time, place and SIZE) you would be dealing with infinity.
Be careful with that whip - it may be your own buttocks you're chasing!"
Dear Jonathan,
Dear Jonathan,
Dear Jonathan, Nice one - brilliantly put!
Regards |
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FRIDAY October 5 Mercury Retro Alert 
Planet Mercury turns retrograde soon. If you live in Britain, you probably guessed that. Across the UK, post office strikes have already started. This suggests the coming phase is due to be severe. If you live elsewhere, don't consider yourself immune. Whether you've got a deal you're keen to complete or a process of dialogue to clarify, move on it now... or wait till November. Oh, and if you're a prime minister, in Australia or Britain, thinking about an imminent election, be wary. 'Official agendas' are more easily hijacked at such times and underdogs tend to come out on top.
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SATURDAY October 5 New Moon and Mercury 
This week's New Moon takes place just as Mercury becomes stationary. Whenever the communication planet stands still, delays and difficulties ensue in the world of commerce and transport. Letters go astray. Travel networks become congested. Internet connections become unstable and even mobile phones misbehave. And that's just if we're lucky! If we are not so fortunate, the problems occur in people, rather than machines. We find ourselves perfectly capable of reaching one another, but entirely unable to understand what is really being said to us! Triple-check your information this week.
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SUNDAY October 6 New Moon and Mercury
This week's New Moon takes place just as Mercury becomes stationary. Whenever the communication planet stands still, delays and difficulties ensue in the world of commerce and transport. Letters go astray. Travel networks become congested. Internet connections become unstable and even mobile phones misbehave. And that's just if we're lucky! If we are not so fortunate, the problems occur in people, rather than machines. We find ourselves perfectly capable of reaching one another, but entirely unable to understand what is really being said to us! Triple-check your information this week.
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Until a couple of centuries ago, there was no distinction between an astrologer and an astronomer. Newton and Kepler, for example, took the mystical side of their work as seriously as the 'scientific'. It's not so surprising. Their knowledge of planetary orbits made them feel as if they were clutching the keys to the cosmos. They could, literally, see the future. If you can say for certain, where a planet will appear in the sky twenty or a hundred years from now, why should you not also feel that you can speak with authority about what this will signify?
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