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In 1950, a young French statistician by the name of Michel Gauquelin began an investigation based on personal skepticism. His intention was to prove that there was no connection between the planetary positions at an individual’s birth and his/her future development. When his research was completed, he had compared the horoscopes of approximately 25,000 people in France and other countries where it was a legal requirement to register the birth time of a new born. Since this registration was a matter of public record he did not have to seek permission to cast the necessary horoscopes.

Gauquelin tested the previous claims of some well known astrologers one of whom was Paul Choisnard. Choisnard had discovered a correlation between some astrological aspects and certain vocations and professions. Gauquelin was able to disprove these claims by Choisnard and proceeded to test the findings of another astrologer by the name of Leon Lasson who had also made some interesting discoveries regarding certain occupations in correlation with the planetary aspects of Mercury, Venus and Mars to the Ascendant and Descendant of a chart. Gauquelin continued his quest challenging Lasson’s findings but this time he was in for a shock. In testing the charts of some 1084 eminent professors of medicine and leading doctors.

Gauquelin found definitive correlation between the cosmic conditions of the planets Mars and Saturn and the medical professionals. The results exceeded pure chance by a million to one. Unfortunately, Gauquelin became a target of harsh criticism from the scientific community; fortunately, he did not let this criticism stop his research. He collected and tested more horoscopes mostly of eminent writers, sports figures, politicians, military personnel, and even clerics. The more he tested, the more correlations he found. In certain vocational groups his findings exceeded pure chance by five million to one. Today, planets positioned in the “Gauquelin Sectors” of a chart are considered very seriously in astrological delineation.

Gauquelin was not the only researcher who made remarkable findings. American Edmund van Deusen processed some 163,953 birth dates of individuals living in the United Sates and Canada. A British sociologist, Joe Cooper, working in collaboration with Dr. Alan Smithers of the University of Bradford researched 35,000 birth dates. The combined statistical research of these men produces some outstanding results that are hard to ignore.

Here’s a sample of what they found:

AUTHORS

From samples of 3927 charts of American and British writers, a very high proportion was born under the sign of Virgo.

COMEDIANS 

Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini are the favored signs for this group.

MUSICIANS

From 8932 American and British musician and composer charts, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces took the lead.

DOCTORS 

Charts of 6412 American and British doctors yielded connection to summer and autumn seasons with a high peak in the sign of Scorpio.

POLTICIANS 

Believe it or not…Aries…especially among the Brits!

BANKERS 

From 2696 charts, the winner is Virgo.

Anyone who has had serious work done by a reputable astrologer knows that there is much more to astrology than is presented by media tabloids. As a matter of fact, a very well known skeptical group known as CSICOP-Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal - has tried to sweep the findings of the Gauquelin studies under the carpet because they cannot be debunked. Connected to CSICOP is James Randi, better known as the Amazing Randi, a prestidigitator who has been able to duplicate some of Harry Houdini’s escape tricks. According to astrologer Gary Nolle, who has done his own investigation of CSICOP, Mr. Randi has been voted the number one skeptic of the twentieth century. Further, Mr. Nolle discovered that when the organization devised two scandalous tests trying to debunk Gauquelin’s Mars effect theory about athletes, it was Randi who, by confidential memo, told the organization to resolve the matter quickly because despite all attempts, Gauquelin was correct and the skeptics wrong. When CSICOP member Dennis Rawlins threatened to go public with the organization’s deliberate suppression of evidence regarding Gauquelin’s theory, he was dismissed from CSICOP’s executive council.

So, how far can probability be stretched in terms of astrology? Consider the case of astro twins. If the principles underlying astrology are truly valid then it would make sense that two people born under similar astrological conditions would not only have the likelihood of similar professions but also similar lives. Among some of those who have achieved eminence in their “similar professions” are genius Albert Einstein and physical chemist and Nobel laureate Otto Hahn, both born on March 14, 1879. Singers Cher and the late Peggy Lee were born on May 20 and both are known for their “husky” sounding voices. “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling and Robert Ripley creator of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” were born on December 25 and both dealt with the “macabre and unusual.” Literary giants H.G. Wells and Stephen King were born on September 21. Actors Harrison Ford and Patrick Stewart  born on July 13, had careers that escalated after they were seen in sci-fi flicks namely Star Wars and Star Trek. Operatic tenors Banjamino Gigli and Lauritz Melchior were both born on March 20, 1890. Prominent Nazi party members Hermann Göring and Alfred Rosenberg were not only born on the same day, January 12, 1893, but died in the same prison on the same day, October 15, 1946.

Some astro twins live nearly parallel lives. A rather eerie example of astro twins whose lives have many similarities are Queen Elizabeth I and the English poet, critic, and biographer Dame Edith Sitwell. Both of these grand ladies were born on the same day September 7, between 3:00 and 4:00 pm. Queen Elizabeth was born in London and Dame Edith in Scarborough, North England. The Queen was born in 1533 and Dame Edith in1887 some 354 years later. Their charts (both set for 3:30 pm) have many similarities including a Capricorn Ascendant, Taurus Moon, and Scorpio Midheaven. Artistic renderings of Elizabeth and photographs of Edith show remarkable facial similarities. Both wrote verse and suffered from periods of depression. Neither was welcomed into this world when they were born because both respective families were desirous of a first born male. Both were unmarried.

What about events…do prevailing astrological conditions set the stage for uncanny reoccurrence? Here is a scary story that provides food for thought.** On May 27, 1817 a 20 year old girl by the name of Mary Ashford was found murdered in the small village of Erdington in England. Mary had been strangled and her body was found near a children’s home where she worked as a nurse. On May 27, 1974, some 157 years later to the day, in Erdington, another 20 year old girl by the name of Barbara Forrest, a worker in a children’s home, was found murdered by strangulation. It has been calculated that the deaths took place around the same time of day and that the bodies were found within 400 yards of one another. In both cases attempts had been made to hide the bodies.

According to records, the two girls’ activities on these dates were uncannily similar. Both had visited a friend and changed into a new dress in preparation for a dance later that evening. In both cases a man named Thornton had been arrested for each respective murder and in both cases acquitted. Even though there are no photographs of Mary Ashford, it has been suggested that sketches of her bear a remarkable resemblance to Barbara Forrest. It has also been rumored that the girls had the same birthday. A co-worker of Miss Forrest told police that ten days before her murder, she told him that she thought the month of May was going to be “unlucky” for her although she didn’t know why she felt that way.

So is this merely a case of strange coincidence or perhaps reincarnation replay? Or, can it be attributed to astrological predisposition? The statistics say it’s possible…what do you say?

** Rehash of the Erdington Murders made possible via info from Mysteries of Mind Space & Time # 5