How should we view astrology?

Thread Content

Fortune-telling based on the eight characters has been a topic of great interest for thousands of years. Even today, with the highly developed state of scientific civilization, and after being influenced by Chinese concepts related to fate, this practice of fortune-telling has not disappeared; rather, it has become even more popular. So, what exactly can fortune-telling tell us? Is it really that amazing? Can personnel matters really be predicted accurately? Can it really ward off disasters and diseases? Today, I will discuss this issue from a relatively objective perspective. First of all, I would like to tell you that the things that can be predicted through the eight-character birth chart include: a person’s thoughts and personality traits, their physical health, the situation of their relatives such as parents and siblings, their romantic and marital status, their educational background, their prospects in terms of career and wealth, as well as their overall life trajectory. It also covers information regarding potential disasters and misfortunes, legal issues and lawsuits, as well as methods for overcoming bad luck and adverse circumstances throughout one’s life. Next, I have two things to say in response to everyone: Fortune-telling based on the eight characters does indeed have a high degree of accuracy, and it offers significant guidance for life ； But fortune-telling can never be 100% accurate. One could use this analogy: for example, two people with identical birth charts set out from roughly the same place, both aiming to go to Beijing; in that case, their direction of travel is the same (that is, the information contained in their birth charts and life paths is similar, such as both having a destiny or fortune associated with wealth). But as the saying goes, there are many roads leading to Beijing; you can take your path and I can take mine, so the processes and ways of moving forward differ, and the time it takes to reach Beijing may vary as well (that is, there are differences in the timing and specific circumstances, such as in terms of wealth or good fortune – the timing, manner, and extent to which one becomes wealthy can vary). Looking more closely, the time it takes to move from one place to another varies even further, and the things that happen along the way also differ significantly (that is, there are greater variations in days, hours, as well as specific events and data; it’s difficult to find any absolute consistent pattern). This is the general picture regarding the accuracy of fortune-telling. In short, fortune-telling does indeed have a high degree of accuracy, but it’s impossible to be 100% accurate. But now, a strange phenomenon has emerged. Those who go to fortune-tellers, especially those with no knowledge of astrology, expect the fortune-teller to predict their affairs with 100% accuracy, even the smallest details. And those fortune-tellers, in order to cater to their customers’ desires, claim to be divine seers or masters who can predict everything with absolute accuracy; as if Zhuge Liang could tell everything about one’s past and future just by counting on his fingers. Hehe. The person who went to see a fortune-teller thought, \"I’ve spent money, so I expect you to give me an accurate prediction; otherwise I’ll have lost out, and you’re just a scammer.\" And the fortune-teller thought to himself: I’ll first lure you in, and then use my eloquent tongue… Hehe, look at both sides – isn’t it greed driving them? For that tiny amount of money involved, both sides try to figure out ways to avoid losing out, and that’s when bluffing and lying come into play. There are also some unscrupulous fortune-tellers who, for money, deliberately intimidate and extort their clients, which is an even worse situation. In fact, it is precisely because fortune-telling is not 100% accurate yet still quite reliable that people dare to give it a try. Otherwise, if it is said that you will have an accident next year, then you will definitely have an accident; if it is said that you will suffer financial losses next year, then you will definitely do so; if it is said that you will die next year, then you will definitely die. Then, who in the world would still dare to consult a fortune-teller? Therefore, the expectation that fortune-tellers must predict one’s fate with 100% accuracy is unrealistic in the first place, while it is unethical for fortune-tellers to exaggerate or even threaten and extort customers. Here comes the second question: since fortune-telling can be quite accurate, if my future is not good or even fraught with disasters, how can I change my fate and overcome these difficulties? I can’t just stand by and watch myself die, can I? This is what is meant by changing one’s fate. Yes, one can predict the future but not change it; if good things are predicted, there’s reason to laugh, but if bad things are predicted, isn’t there reason to cry? This issue is really complicated; it’s a problem that fortune-tellers find very difficult to handle. In my view, fate is determined by heaven; if a person wants to change their fate, it is tantamount to challenging heaven. Is it reasonable to fight against heaven? Can one win such a fight? In fact, for thousands of years, we humans have been striving against nature. We can consider ourselves successful in this struggle, which means we have won against nature; yet we are also often punished by it, and we are unable to accurately predict or control our future fate – which is a sign that we cannot overcome nature. The same is true for individuals as well; we can strive against fate and try to take control of our own destiny, but whether we succeed or not ultimately depends on fate – as the saying goes, \"It’s up to us to plan, but it’s fate that decides.\" But from the perspective of I Ching astrology, the issue is far from that simple; it cannot be resolved with just the saying that \"it lies in human effort to plan things, but in heaven’s will for them to succeed.\" The ancients held the view of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, believing that the functions of I Ching divination lay not only in prediction but also in changing one’s fate and averting disasters. This view has become even more popular these days; people nowadays seem more irrational than those in the past: if it turns out that I’m destined for misfortune and no way can be found to avert it, then why bother with fortune-telling? Isn’t that just inviting trouble upon oneself? Thus, in order to meet the desires of their clients, fortune-tellers came up with various methods to change one’s luck and avert misfortunes. These included using the directions, seasons, colors, and industries associated with the five elements that are considered favorable, as well as practices such as feng shui adjustments, magical spells and talismans, naming or changing names, and praying to gods and Buddhas. The list is endless. But if one follows everything that the fortune-teller says, can it really change one’s fate? It seems that throughout history, there has been no conclusive evidence; some say it works well, while others claim it does not, and the debate continues. In my opinion, if these things are within your capabilities and you are willing to do them, then it’s fine to give them a try; but under no circumstances should you engage in immoral or dishonorable acts. For example, there are magical spells; some of them are quite evil in nature, such as using needles on paper figures or cursing others in front of gods and deities. Such actions should not be carried out, as they may end up harming oneself instead of others. There’s also the issue of feng shui adjustments. To be honest, there aren’t many people in China’s feng shui field who truly possess real expertise (don’t let the names of certain masters fool you). Some feng shui adjustments are completely useless – they’re just a waste of money. Moreover, if certain feng shui adjustments are done incorrectly, they can even bring about greater disasters! But I believe that some straightforward ways to change one’s fortune, such as praying to deities with good intentions, choosing a new name, and selecting directions, seasons, colors, and occupations that correspond to one’s preferred elements, are still worth trying. As for the effect? I can only say that it’s worth trying, but there’s no clear evidence. Determining one’s fate is similar to seeking medical treatment: minor illnesses may be curable, while serious ones are certainly difficult to treat. If you are destined to be poor, no matter how much you try to change your fate, you won’t be able to become rich. However, through your own efforts, you can determine whether you will earn 20,000 or 30,000 per year; this isn’t fixed and can be changed through hard work. But even if it can be changed, the range remains between 20,000 and 30,000 per year – it’s not possible to go from earning only 20,000 or 30,000 to earning 200,000 or 300,000 per year. Author: Zhu Suanzi