My husband’s favorite TV channel is the Weather Channel. He loves to watch the changing patterns of the radar, and attempt to predict what the weather will be that day. In North Carolina, weather forecasts are notoriously inaccurate, and I always tell him I have a better chance of predicting the weather with a tarot card than he does with the Weather Channel.

So I was very interested to see this article (turn your popup blocker on!!) about a new project in India by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) on using astrology to predict the weather. This project “will blend well-proven scientific meteorological data, backed by mathematical calculations, with astronomical data for weather prediction.”

Gayatri astronomy expert Devi Vasudev says, when the Sun traverses star Krittika [the star Alcyone/Eta Tauri in the Pleaiades system in the constellation of Taurus], the summer heat gets intensified as this star is associated with Sun, the fire god in Vedic texts. And this is precisely the time, when the mercury shoots up. The stars are ruled by natural elements and it is believed that movement of Sun and Saturn in conjunction imply that winter is ahead. Similarly, dry weather will prevail if Sun and Jupiter conjoin, while with Venus rainfall is round the corner, and so on.

IMD scientists inform that a pilot project has been initiated by the Gujarat government to blend the astronomical data with scientifical data for better rainfall prediction. “The potential for Jyotisha [vedic astrology] to forecast monsoons, if explored, can help to a large extent in improving accuracy based on modern methods,” Vasudev says in a theme paper presented in a recent meeting at CRIDA. The paper highlights that Sun’s entry into a constellation changes the weather pattern and solar ingress into Scorpio has a bearing on monsoon.

Mr Ramakrishna says that these studies point out towards the long-term prediction of rainfall based on astrological parameters that are generated by careful and systematic observation and experience. “These are in no manner inferior to the research models used by modern scientists,” he adds. In no uncertain terms, the next move by IMD and CRIDA is to work together to see how far the data can be blended to draw on the strengths of each segment.

I love the fact that the governmental research centers are cooperating with astronomic data and astrologers in this study! Vedic astrology (which originated in India as opposed to our Western astrology which originated in Greece/Babylonia/Mesopotamia) is not the only branch of astrology that works with weather. Western astrologers such as Astrometerologists Carolyn Egan and Alphee Lavoie also look to the stars and planets to predict cycles of weather using a variety of techniques including casting charts for each New Moon and for the cardinal inegress point at the equinoxes and solstices. A preponderance of water planets and signs indicate humidity and rain; fire signs point to dry heat. Air signs signify a drying of the climate, and Earth signs tend to be cooler.

The correlation of astrology with the material mundane world fascinates me to no end. I am looking forward to hearing of the results of this study!