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ASTROLOGY AND
ITS
INFLUENCE
379
before, sufficiently well known, I shall refrain from repeat-
But I shall
ing here what others have said on the subject.
dwell at some length on the other two branches of their
scientific knowledge, namely, astrology and magic.
Astrology.
Astrology, together with the silly notions which originate
from it, has at all times exercised a great influence over the
In
nations of the world, civilized as well as uncivilized.
Europe the appearance of a comet or a total eclipse formerly
spread the greatest terror in the minds of the multitude,
who looked upon these celestial phenomena as the fore-
and even at the present
runners of some public calamity
day these chimerical fears still exercise some influence over
the imagination of the ignorant and superstitious.
The influence of the stars, scrutinized with the eyes of
reason, need not be looked upon altogether as an idle
imagining and there is doubtless a happy medium to be
observed between the widely divergent opinions of authors
concerning the action, more or less direct, more or less
limited, exercised by the stars over the vegetable and
animal kingdoms of this earth of ours. Be this as it may,
however, no other nation appears to have carried its astro-
logical notions to such extremes of folly as the Hindus.
;
;
their wonted exaggeration in all things, it is only
natural that they should entertain wild ideas about a
science which opens so vast a sphere to the imagination.
All the rubbish they have written on this subject would
I will, therefore, content
certainly be too tedious to read.
myself with referring briefly to a few of the important
principles on which their so-called science of astrology
With
rests.
Each planet in turn is supposed to exercise its influence
during the space of a year. The ruling planet is attended
by another, which plays the part of a minister. The latter
assumes in the following year the supreme functions of the
former and so on year after year.
;
Some
of these planets are beneficent, others the reverse.
The Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus are of the former
order.
Under their sway everything thrives men live
the fertile fields
happily and are blessed with abundance
:
;