An introduction to

Chinese Astrology

3. — The scope of Chinese astrology

Is Chinese astrology a valid system of fortune-telling and a reliable method of destiny analysis, or is it simply a carefully studied hoax? Can it really teach us something useful? Can it still have its raison d'être at the threshold of the twenty-first century?

The mere fact that Chinese astrology is thriving not only in the Orient but also in the Western world does not necessarily imply its validity, for "in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible" (Bertrand Russell). We should therefore appraise its value by basing ourselves on other criteria.

Chinese astrology as a science

Many practitioners of Chinese astrology claim that this is a science in the ordinary sense of the word. They base their contention on the fact that this discipline, philosophical though it may sound, reposes on the foundations that are getting more and more scientific confirmation. They point out that Chinese acupuncture and macrobiotic cookery, both issued from the concepts of Yin-Yang and from notion of the Five Elements, just like Chinese astrology, have worked irrefutable wonders and are winning over an ever-increasing number of followers throughout the world.

Rationalistic-minded people may feel skeptical about the true, objective value of Chinese astrology since its findings are not open to scientific demonstration and verification. To allay such suspicion, supporters generally answer that Chinese astrology, in all fairness, must be viewed not as an exact science but as a science dealing with human beings, who are endowed with free will and subject to the influence of their multifaceted environment; it is concededly unable to predict all the details of any person's character and destiny but can assess many aspects of human life in a general way. While it is only fair to allow this science a reasonable margin of uncertainty concerning specific individuals — so the argument goes — its teachings have revealed themselves through the ages quite relevant and sometimes even startling as far as "average" persons are concerned.

My opinion is that Chinese astrology still has to prove its worth conclusively. But it does deserve a fair trial, even though you do not believe in its merits, since in practicing it we run no risk of losing anything and may hit upon the truth. If you subscribe to the idea that only results count, then Chinese astrology is very worthwhile since it has worked indisputable wonders. In any case, Chinese astrology as an earnest study of human character can help acquire a sharp flair for human psychology and behavior. Of course, Chinese astrology, like any other esoteric discipline, cannot expect to be immune against more or less blatant quackery.

Chinese astrology as an art

It would not be excessive to view true Chinese astrology as an art. Unlike other astrologies or methods of divination in the world, it never concerns itself with death, reincarnation or the great Beyond; on the contrary, it deals with the individual as a subject who actually lives in this world and who is free to follow the course of action and reaction of his own choice. It never sets up hard-and-fast rules that would give way to a mechanical interpretation.

Chinese astrologers of the purest tradition never lose sight of all the imponderables that surround the life of the individual. They are artists rather than scientists — they make more use of their intuition, insight and open-mindedness than of their erudition; in other words, they practice their craft in accordance with the rules of the art.

My interpretation of Chinese astrology

As is the case with the I Ching — the bible of the Chinese — the fundamental data of Chinese astrology were given in a very succinct, almost enigmatic form. They need to be explained, paraphrased and formulated explicitly if they are intended for present-day popular use.

On the other hand, since life is an ever-changing process, the inventors of Chinese astrology could not obviously foresee in detail what might happen centuries afterwards; it was impossible for them, for instance, to tackle such items as space travels, the atomic bomb, the telephone, the television, the Women's Liberation Movement, computers, or Internet. But they did give enough basic hints about the eternal components of human nature which could and should be adequately interpreted in the light of given circumstances.

My own interpretation of Chinese astrology has always been to translate the basic teachings of this discipline into terms relevant to the Western world and late-twentieth-century life. And I have tried to do it as faithfully as possible.