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I try to avoid YouTube, I find it irritating, I'm not sure why. However, led there yesterday via an astrologer's website, I watched several videos on the topic of astrology. Oh dear! So now there's another arena in which skeptics and astrologers will clash.
One of my favourite men, Carl Sagan, is shown denouncing my favourite subject, astrology. This wasn't new to me, I got the "Cosmos" DVD set for Christmas. Carl can do no wrong in my estimation - well, maybe just a little bit of wrong! We must not forget that this film was made many years ago. Perhaps, had Carl Sagan and some of the more enlightened astrologers of today (no names, no pack drill) ever had an opportunity to get together and discuss matters in depth, Carl might have had something slightly different to say on the subject. When feeling depressed about his views I return to his famous quote "We are star stuff contemplating the stars". For me that says it all. Carl just needed to reach the next chapter, but tragically he was not allowed to do so.
The other astrologers and skeptics on YouTube, so far, only serve to muddy the water even further in my opinion. It has all been said and written before, and the fact that we can look at the face of the presenter adds little to the proceedings.
As usual, Sun sign astrology bears the brunt of the criticism. Up to a point, this is warranted. The "astrology" column in our local newspaper, for instance, is a synicated and synthetic offering, completely meaningless, possibly written by a group of monkeys, after experimenting with the old idea that if you have enough monkeys banging randomly on typewriters, they will eventually type the works of William Shakespeare. This kind of thing obviously gives astrology a bad name. But a good Sun sign astrologer can be the catalyst who sends a proportion of his/her readers off to find out more, and perhaps even take up the profession themselves, eventually.
Imagine a world with no Sun sign columns, daily, weekly, monthly. No books of the "What's Your Sign?" variety. A world where only "real" astrologers lived, cloistered in their ivory towers, keeping mysterious secrets from the "great unwashed". Wouldn't that be a dreadful step backwards?
Astrology would have sunk without trace decades ago had it not been for the Sun sign astrologers. I look on them as flag-bearers, ensuring that astrology is kept in plain sight of all - whether they like it or not!
One of my favourite men, Carl Sagan, is shown denouncing my favourite subject, astrology. This wasn't new to me, I got the "Cosmos" DVD set for Christmas. Carl can do no wrong in my estimation - well, maybe just a little bit of wrong! We must not forget that this film was made many years ago. Perhaps, had Carl Sagan and some of the more enlightened astrologers of today (no names, no pack drill) ever had an opportunity to get together and discuss matters in depth, Carl might have had something slightly different to say on the subject. When feeling depressed about his views I return to his famous quote "We are star stuff contemplating the stars". For me that says it all. Carl just needed to reach the next chapter, but tragically he was not allowed to do so.
The other astrologers and skeptics on YouTube, so far, only serve to muddy the water even further in my opinion. It has all been said and written before, and the fact that we can look at the face of the presenter adds little to the proceedings.
As usual, Sun sign astrology bears the brunt of the criticism. Up to a point, this is warranted. The "astrology" column in our local newspaper, for instance, is a synicated and synthetic offering, completely meaningless, possibly written by a group of monkeys, after experimenting with the old idea that if you have enough monkeys banging randomly on typewriters, they will eventually type the works of William Shakespeare. This kind of thing obviously gives astrology a bad name. But a good Sun sign astrologer can be the catalyst who sends a proportion of his/her readers off to find out more, and perhaps even take up the profession themselves, eventually.
Imagine a world with no Sun sign columns, daily, weekly, monthly. No books of the "What's Your Sign?" variety. A world where only "real" astrologers lived, cloistered in their ivory towers, keeping mysterious secrets from the "great unwashed". Wouldn't that be a dreadful step backwards?
Astrology would have sunk without trace decades ago had it not been for the Sun sign astrologers. I look on them as flag-bearers, ensuring that astrology is kept in plain sight of all - whether they like it or not!
As one of the very few astrologers who has posted videos on YouTube, I am little disheartened by your comments. Just as blogging has opened up a whole new forum of discussion - and brought a whole new readership - around astrology, so too can YouTube. I hope that these videos can at very least make non-believers sit up and realise there may be more to it than Carl Sagan says.
ReplyDeleteIt is not easy for people who are not trained in front of camera's to speak fluently and articulately about such a comprehensive subject without the ability to even look at notes. Professionals would have autocues. Those of us on YouTube have all tried our best and are pioneering a new way for astrology to reach the masses.
I appreciate your point of view but I politely disagree.
regards
Likewise, Kathryn - I appreciate your opinion, and thank you for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen your video. I've looked in the search facility on YouTube today and couldn't find your contribution. So in no way was I criticising you, or the presentation skills of others.
I just don't think that astrology is being done any favours at all from the videos I've sampled. In fact, I'd say they are doing more harm than good. Again - I have not seen your contribution.
We'll agree to disagree. :-)
Kathryn - As an Astrologer who has a background in film/theatre & TV I would love to give you some helpful hints that makes those dreadful moments infront of camera a little easier. It can be literally like putting yourself under a microscope. I would love to be able to find some of your You Tube vids, but also came up short.
ReplyDeleteI have browsed You Tube, Google Video and Current TV and found some wonderful videos, not all Astrological. Some of the Astrology videos are a little dry, but some are wonderful. Not many people can actually sit down and self teach themselves via a book, and it seems that today there are even less "bookish" folks than even 10 years ago. It seems that if someone can learn from a video, it can only enhance Astrology as a whole.
Some of the slammers of Astrology are just as iritating as they are on paper, if not more. Now you can see the veins pop in their necks and the spittle of contempt land on the lense. Oh well. An open mind is a terrible thing to waste, I always say!
As far as the joys of Sun Sign Astrology, I would just like to add... No bar scene would be quite the same without the cheesy, "So... What sign are you?" pick up lines!
As always, Twilight, you put a smile on my face with your wonderful outlooks, outtakes and way of phrasing your thoughts!
Hi VB - thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI take your point that some people shy away from book learning. I find myself relying much more on what I can find on-line (in print)these days and leaving my books on the shelf.
A good documentary series about astrology on TV would be wonderful - you wouldn't hear me complain about THAT!
I remain unconvinced about YouTube. I feel that a young person interested in astrology and seeking to learn via those videos would soon be put off by the juxtaposition of astrologers and skeptics.
When you read a book, or read on- line, the mind is not distracted by an immediate opposing view.
When a person watches an astrologer on YouTube, then sees a skeptic's version in the next video, before their mind can absorb and consider the information from the first it will be wiped clean and replaced by what is presented next. At best the viewer will be left confused, and probably lose interest.
I think that YouTube is the first time astrologers and skeptics have been viewed so close together, yet separate - not debating.
I had originally posted a picture of the Colloseum in my post, but I removed it before publishing. The feel of astrologers being thrown to the lions was very strong!
Am also a fan of Carl Sagan and the Cosmos series, despite his feelings about astrology, which doesn't phase me at all. (I watched this series on video when it first came out back in the '80's and still drag them out frequently for another excited view.
ReplyDeleteHave recently started an astrology forum where I have gathered various vids (from YouTube & other sources) on astrology, astronomy, mythology, psychology and other subjects along these lines. If you'd like to have a peek, http://astroforumvideo.ning.com/
It also contains music and pics, and discussions about them. You can create your own page, invite others and add vids, music and pics. There's also a Chat area and a Blog facility. Do hope you'll visit, add some stuff and make some comments. Good luck with your projects. Steph.
Thank you for the link Steph - I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new site. It's interesting and attractive.
I'm having to strictly limit computer time for a while, but I'll visit whenever I can. :-)