Daylia,

Sorry for the delay - today is one of my two days off, and I've been out hunting LPs.

I first thought of doing this as a pm, then thought I'd be a bit braver than that.

The alternative to "influence" is that at any moment, the universe has a pattern, existing in every particle of it (vaguely like my own 'pattern' being identifiable in every cell of my body, leg and liver and ear alike, tho' legs, livers and ears don't look like each other). The horoscope was simply discovered to be a way of reading off the pattern. So, correspondences between planetary events, and those here, are about synchronicity (the "same" thing going on in different places), rather than influence.

As I said before, prediction in the precise, scientific sense, is not sought or possible a lot because we do have free will. Astrology speaks more of tendencies (bit like scientists can't predict the exact time of climate collapse - and don't even agree th't that is inevitable - scientists, mark you).

Do I lack free will because I can't announce I'm going to jump off a cliff and fly and that be true?

No, it's just that actual constraints have to be taken into account. One's horoscope shows one's personal constraints and tendencies, the hand one has been dealt (in my earlier analogy).

So it's tendencies, not predictions, tho' it is these tendencies, not those. Each of us has a different bunch of talents, different temperaments. Did we choose our temperaments? Our talents?

Incidentally, when the object of a study is a person or people (psychology, astrology, anthropology, sociology etc.), it is difficult/impossible for the study to be truly scientific. That is, if for no other reason, because the subject and object of the study are, uniquely, of the same species (like trying to see your mind with your eyes), and axes are going to be ground, like it or not.

Dahlia, I'll leave my response to your kind request there for the moment. I'll be happy to share more, on piste or off, as we decide.

Most of the other postings have ignored one part or another of the earlier posts of us astronauts (hey, that could fly.) And there aint a durn thing we can do about (cept say it aint worth going on. You have free will, so it's your choice.)

Just a small point. Clinton, very feisty in asking others to provide answers and evidence (as I agree is oft valuable), may I prod you just once more to enlarge on your statement that you know enough about astro. to know it's bullshit. Don't be shy. We're not enemies, are we? What have you got? Best wishes

Ivor