Scientist confirms what Kardec said about the astrologers' misconception

 

Kunkle says that it is an indisputable scientific fact: astrology's sky is wrong.

In this sense, he explained that 3,000 years ago, when the astrological charts were drawn, their designers did a good job aligning the sun's path in the sky with the constellations.

What, then, would be the problem? The problem is that the sky changes, at least the visible portion of the night sky. This means, Kunkle says, that the constellations drawn by astrologers years ago to set month and day of the month corresponding to each star sign, are not the same as today's sky. This is due to the tilted position of the Earth's axis. Our planet revolves around the Sun and rotates on its own axis. The ancients thought that these movements were perfect - the orbit would be circular and the axis absolutely vertical.

Science has shown that the orbits of planets are elliptical and the Earth's axis is tilted by about 23 degrees. If the tilt were zero degree, the same sector of the night sky would be forever seen from the same spot on the planet's surface. With the axial inclination of 23 degrees, the night sky that one sees from the same point on the Earth's surface changes over time, due to variations in the positioning of the axis of the planet. 

The revelation is not new to Spiritism 

Such statements, at least for us Spiritists, have lost their freshness because since 1868 they had already been proclaimed by Allan Kardec in his book Genesis, in which he examines the question in Chapter IX the issue about the periodical revolutions of the Earth.

In this chapter, in a footnote, we read the following quote:

"The precession of the equinoxes causes another change, which has been brought to pass in the signs of the Zodiac. The Earth going around the sun in a year, according as it advances, the sun finds itself every month opposite a new constellation; these are twelve in number; viz., Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Virgo, Libra, Leo, Cancer, Gemini. These are the signs of the Zodiac and they form a circle in the plan of the terrestrial equator. According to the month of birth of an individual, they say that he was born under such a sign: whence the prognostications of astrology. But in consequence of the precession of the equinoxes, it happens that the months do not correspond to the constellations as they did 2,000 years ago. For instance, a person born in July is not now born in the sign Leo, but in that of Cancer. Thus there falls the superstition attaching to signs." (Genesis, chap. V, no. 12) 

The third movement 

The note written by Allan Kardec has the purpose of explaining that the "precession of the equinoxes" occurs because the Earth, besides the yearly revolution around the sun, which causes the seasons, and the movement of rotation about its own axis in 24 hours, which determines day and night, has a third movement which is completed in 25,000 years or, more exactly, 25,868 years.

This movement, which would be impossible to explain in just a few words without both the aid of figures and a geometric demonstration, consists of a circular kind of wobble, which can be compared to the wobble of a spinning top about to stop. As a result of this wobble, the Earth's axis changes its inclination and describes a double cone whose apex is at the centre of the planet, and the bases cover the area circumscribed by the polar circles, i.e., an amplitude of 23.5 degrees radius .

See figure below: ⁽¹⁾

How many believe 

Although astrology has no scientific basis, according to the Veja magazine’s article, one in four Americans and half of French population believe that their life is partly governed by the stars. In Brazil, a recent poll done over the Internet with 2,000 Brazilians has found that 51% read their horoscopes daily and 37% believe that the stars influence fates and suggest options.

However, for a better understanding of the superstitious belief about the influence of signs in our lives, we begin by analyzing the groups of stars who took the constellation names.

In fact, they constitute no more than apparent forms, due to the cluster of stars caused by the long distance, as explained by Allan Kardec in paragraph 12 of Chapter V of the book Genesis.

Based on this reasoning, the codifier of the Spiritism concludes by saying that because these clusters formed of stars only exist but in appearance, the meaning that a superstitious vulgar belief gives them is illusory and can only be a product of imagination. Furthermore, the Codifier adds, the belief in the influence of the constellations, particularly those which constitute the twelve zodiac signs, comes from the idea attached to the names they bear. If that which is called "Lion" had been given the name "Donkey" or "Lamb", people would certainly have attributed to it another influence. 

Superstitious belief 

Confirming this explanation, the Spiritual Benefactors, when interviewed by Allan Kardec in question 867 of The Spirits' Book on the origin of the expression "born under a lucky star," replied emphatically that it was the old superstition that connected the stars with the destiny of men. They also said to be a figure that some people are silly enough to take for literal truth.

The answer is logical, because if man's fate were already determined by the stars, it would void free will and he would not feel guilty for doing evil or have merit in doing good.

All of this is in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the most perfect and wisest Spirit who ever lived on our planet, when he categorically stated: "To each is given according to their works", not "To each according to their sign," for the lack of logical reasoning and, especially, common sense to this statement.  

⁽¹⁾ For further information, see the chart of the precessional motion of the Earth, from the book Genesis by Allan Kardec and revised by Claudio Lirang Zanatta and published by Leon Denis - Gráfica e Editora.