Astrological Musings on The Triple Bottom Line

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As a last resort for a desperate soul seeking answers, astrology is often an easy option to choose. Someone tell me something! With the World Wide Web and various applications promising to reveal the trajectory of your life, astrological information is easy to find today without the absolute need to consult a qualified Pandit or teacher in privacy. Both charge, but we are now in a generation that willingly provides personal information to an app and pays for it because it’s convenient, like ordering food or calling a cab.

Before we get into the subject, for readers who do not follow or believe in astrology, it does not matter whether you like it or not, especially those who work on science-backed empirical data; astrology, at the end of the day, has market value.

For context: The global Astrology App market size was valued at USD 2576.09 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 24.76% during the forecast period, reaching USD 9715.98 million by 2028.

One example from India would be the app AstroTalk. As per Astrotalk’s audited FY23 financials, accessed by Inc42, the company has reported revenue of INR 282 Cr with a profit of INR 27 Cr in the last fiscal year. The model is dependent on verified professionals since 90% of Astrotalk’s revenue comes from one-on-one consultations, where users pay per minute to talk to astrologers.

These financial reports show that people in large numbers do believe in astrology to find answers to their problems. The future is never certain, but here we have solid proof that people are trying to change their circumstances through any means possible.

I never followed astrology, even though I was born into a community of priests and farmers. I was through and through an Army Kid, modern with a colonial influence, a rebel with several causes, and religion was my arch-enemy, for being an enabler of patriarchy. So, while astrology was not near anywhere close to my attention or focus growing up, it was always there beneath the surface. The knowledge was passed on unconsciously, and so when the time came, I was able to understand it, not completely but relatively. And it is fascinating!

What is Astrology and What is a Birth Chart?

Broadly put it is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

An astrological birth chart pin points the positions of planets at birth, dictating behaviour and life trajectory according to the planetary influence and interaction. There are other grahas like Rahu and Ketu, but they do not exist physically. It is said that they are positioned in the north and south nodes of the moon, manifesting through the subconscious in what I can only put as a ‘complicated turn of events’.

Astrology is a lot to take in. Even the calendar that is followed is different from the Roman Calendar that we use officially. I ended up learning about houses where these planets rule and how the exact position of the planets in each houses influences who a person can turn out to be. Do pay attention that I say ‘can’, not ‘will’. We’ll see why in the last section.

Upayas

Is that all? I wondered. So it’s all written beforehand? Do we have any control over our fate and destiny? More research led me to upayas; these are remedies. Pandits run their livelihoods by reading charts and advising with remedies to solve, calm, or provoke the effects of a certain planet or alignment. These remedies are funny to hear, like feed the ants, bathe the sun, wear yellow on Thursdays, fast for 16 Mondays, and so on.

A desperate person would do it all, without a doubt, with complete faith. And so would a Billionaire. The gem stones in the fingers of the top 1% of Rich People in India come with qualified astrologers like Jhunjhunwala and their readings go undisputed.

While the remedy circus is engaging, it might just be psychology. Can faith in something manifest into reality? Motivational speakers talk about how believing in something leads to making it happen. Perhaps these work the same way, and it’s all in your mind to make that change. But who am I to dismiss a belief so old and consistent without data?

Naturally, my next question iterated towards climate change, as is everything.

First Question: Was Climate Change predicted?

I did not find much except Nostradamus. He was a 16th-century French astrologer and physician known for his cryptic prophecies that some believe foretold future events. Nostradamus wrote a collection of 942 quatrains in his work "Les Prophéties," which are four-line verses that are often interpreted as prophetic predictions.

Nostradamus prediction, as reported by the New York Post for 2024, read, “The dry Earth will grow more parched, and there will be great floods when it is seen.”

Nostradamus’s predictions have been hit or miss. Anyway, my question was not rooted in the need to confirm predictions made through astrology; it was to do with the permanence of it.

My second question: Is anyone asking for climate action upayas?

Mostly what I found was articles like: Here’s How You Can Fight Climate Change Based on Horoscope; which was just a click bait to drive more audience.

Although there are some blogs that talk about climate change being the result of Human Karma. Hinduism identifies karma as the relationship between a person's mental or physical action and the consequences following that action. Climate Change as a result of Post-Industrial Revolution Human actions is very well established by scientists since I was 2 years old. (Rio Earth Summit 1992).

Another blog explained at length the planetary influence and conjunction that I simply could not follow since I am a Pandit by name, not practice. Interestingly the write-up ended with these lines: yad bhavathi, tad bhavatum: as the feeling, so the result.

In my book: Earth Dissonance, I present a case of psychological blindspots responsible for climate change, how they continue to hinder climate action. Well, reading this old Sanskrit line, maybe a sign from the cosmos or a case of confirmation bias. It’s worth exploring none the less.

I went back and asked, “Are things set in stone?

If yes, then what’s the point of remedies? If remedies or upayas work, is it possible to avert the climate tipping point or is it too late?

It's another thing that the moment you point to the climate crisis, hands go up in the air with a look of helplessness against a change that big. The same hands don’t hesitate twice while offering water to the Sun, a practice known as 'Surya Arghya'. It is believed that by offering water to the Sun God, you can appease the Sun and mitigate any adverse effects caused by a weak Sun in your astrological chart.

If we can believe that by sitting here on Earth, offering water to the sun, we can strengthen its effects on our lives then how is it that global warming is considered a subject far out of our reach? It is true that a Pandit advises but only for the questions individuals ask. We are obsessed with personal lives, our own trajectory, our own fate. The thought of asking after the collective is rare, unlikely unless it serves the agenda of a king maker or a jealous opponent. What do you think politicians do in temples very well known for Tantra just before elections?

Astrological Predictability

Tantra reminds me of a YouTube podcast I was watching the other day featuring a Tantrik. Tantrik refers to practitioners or adepts of Tantra, who engage in rituals, meditation, and practices aimed at spiritual transformation, self-realization, and, in some cases, the attainment of supernatural powers. There is a lot of negative connotation around Tantra because of how the practice has been used to exploit, not because the practice in itself is ‘good or bad’.

The question he was answering was about why astrological predictions fit in with most people’s life trajectory. He said something along the lines of, we are predictable when we stick to our lanes. Astrology charts point to a person’s tendencies gifted to them at birth by the cosmic arrangement. If someone who goes with the flow, doesn’t question, lives a life without inquiry is most likely to lead a life as is told in the charts.

I tried drawing parallels between astrological prediction and probability.

The frameworks don’t get along because science does not recognize interpretation that lacks systematic and empirical data. But something about the Tantrik placing complacency with predictability rings higher probability. I may be wrong. But climate is changing, and if I could collect empirical data, it was bound to happen; the trajectory was laid with the first piece of a pet bottle, white-washed jeans, and McDonald's burger.

Let’s say it was meant to be. Does that mean we cannot change the trajectory?

There is a possibility. It's this belief system that tells you that you can remedy a situation or bring down the probability of an incident to zero. And if most give it a try, can we seek a remedy for a larger incident with the probability backed by empirical data?

Remember when I mentioned ‘can’, not ‘will’ in how a person ‘can’ turn out to be. Similarly, If a person can believe that taking a dip in the Ganges will purify them of all their sins, they can also stop committing injustice, they can also believe in remedying the climate crisis. The triple bottom line requires will because turns out we can do anything.

I believe that one thought can ripple into change one seeks and that it can be transformed into a social psychology phenomenon. Maybe Astrology remedies trick us into having faith in it, and if it doesn’t work out, it’s called bad luck. Fault in our stars.

For the desperate, there is no bad luck; only bouts of trying persistently until the tables are turned. Astrological charts, transits, and observations indicate that somewhere, there is a possibility of changing destiny.

But rich or poor, it all comes down to one thing. Ask and you shall receive (answers). It comes down to Your Questions, Your Prerogative.

The reality of climate change stems from many things, fossil fuel abuse, drilling, mining, single-use products, mono cropping, deforestation, poaching, extinction of species, ecosystem collapse, extreme groundwater depletion and maybe the stars are aligned to call an end to the era. No matter what, human beings are at the center of this mess.

If astrology is indeed so powerful, the large numbers of practitioners should take note of a possible interconnected restorative remedy for the debilitated state of the planet. Hey! maybe next time you consult a pandit, ask them how you can strengthen your Earth along with Sun, Moon and all the planets, physical or metaphysical? I think the Upayas would be worth sharing.

I conclude my astrological musings here.