Theos-Talk Archives (August 1995 Message tl00132)

>>K. Paul Johnson: Allow me to state a strong opinion here. IMO
astrological research has been barking up the wrong tree all
along. Personality is such a challenging topic, traits so
ill-defined, models so contradictory, that to do research on
natal chart readings is to build on sand. Life events, on the
contrary, are clear-cut, indisputable, time-specific.

Patrick:

Actually with modern multivariate empirical techniques it is not
necessary to make specific predictions ahead of time. Just place
all the numbers of an astro chart with scores on the MMPI
together in a matrix and mathematics reveals the factors or
correlates which relate the two. In this empirical test the
behavior that is being measured is the MMPI pattern of answers --
this is then correlated with demographics. This type of
measurement does not rely on any personality theory (of which
there are many) but only on directly observed behavior.

>>K. Paul Johnson: Therefore the easy way to find correlations
would be to test hypotheses like these: 1. Some astrological
transits will be found to coincide with a. marriage b. death c.
childbirth d. major illness and so on... at a higher than
random frequency. I could name which transits to look for, but
given the computational and statistical resources available, is
that even necessary? Can't all major transits be correlated
against major life events?

Patrick:

Yes, the goal is to correlate specific planetary cycles with
direct observable demographics. This would lay the scientific
groundwork for IMO the right type of personality theory.

Regards.