That didn't take long

[pecunium]

I have already started to see the "descriptions" of the effects Eris has in astrology.

What amuses me is that no small number of them are based on the idea that Eris' name (i.e. discord) is descriptive of the things he/she/it controls.

So that Eris causes/reflects certain sorts of strife and upeheaval, based on where it is in the zodiac (right now Eris is in Aries, and has been for some 50 years). Since Eris has an elliptical orbit, the periodic intervals are variable.

I can make a reasonable sounding argument for sun-signs (which I can then show to be gibberish; because if one scrambles the various descriptions of what each sign, "means" a person shall be like, as many people as agreed with the canonic explanation will agree with the new ones), but I can't see how to reconcile the "effects" of the planets.

At best it's an amusement, at worst it's a sort of determinism which I not only think worse than non-sense, but anti-sense and nihilistic.

Which is my two-cents.

Comments

[elf]

I think the point is that Eris fits in just fine with traditional astrology. Makes just as much sense, and all that.

So far, I haven't made any assumptions that Eris "causes" strife/upheaval. Or that there is more strife in any particular part of the world's activities when Eris is in a particular sign. (Probably to properly appreciate the Twoo Affex of Eris on the world, I should do a comparison of veiled hats in the 1400's with wimples and goth-veils in the 20th century, and point to that as proof that astrology works.)

Mainly, I'm having fun with the idea that Eris is conjunct my ascendent, and I can now claim Discordian status points that are, umm, redeemable for, ahhh, well... I suppose they're transferable with some kinds of geek points. Which are redeemable for, umm, occasional geek favors, I guess.

I am *delighted* that the astrological community is likely to get into a huge screaming tizzy over this one, when Ceres and Sedna and Chiron were absorbed with barely a comment here & there.

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

I find "serious" astrologers mind-bogglingly weird. Variations in tides related to moon phases being related to actions of animals in some small way? Ok, I can buy that. Things going wrong when something is "retrograde"? Well, if too many people find it confusing at once, I'm sure they'll cause a few things. Beyond that, I'll believe it when I see good data supporting it, which I suspect will be never.

For the most planety one

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

Yep, this irritates me too. It'd send astronomer Brown into fits of laughter to know that he was causing strife among astrologers merely with his choice of name (which, by the way, some astrologers would say the universe mystically directed him to choose).

Yet another reason why I'm sorry they didn't stick with the names Xena and Gabrielle for Eris and its moon. Retrofit that interpretation, mofos!