Mundane astrology is astrology applied to world affairs and events. It is a branch of astrology which deals with the rise and fall of nations, formation/duration of governments, political events which affect nations and their people, fate of the head of the states, economy and prosperity of the country, war and peace, natural calamities, communal/religious riots, weather etc.
Mundane astrology is based on the belief in “cosmic consciousness” – the belief that that any celestial event anywhere in the universe also affects the earth and all on it. No matter how far away the celestial bodies are, the unique vibration they generate through their movements in the space affects everything on our earth. The Tandava or cosmic dance of Shiva – the endless whirling of each atom and body through space, in musical harmony and empathy- is how we describe it. Everything has its own place and nothing happens without a meaning – even though we are unaware of it at the time.
We, means humans. Animals seem far more attuned to the cosmic dance. How do they sense earthquakes and floods ? No scientists have been able to understand this. Can they sense the earth's vibrations or detect changes in the air or gases ? How do they know how severe the winter will be or even the day that winter sets in when our most sophisticated weather stations fail? What triggers their survival mechanisms ?
Researchers observed the movement of a group of sharks just before Tropical Storm Gabrielle and Hurricane Charlie. After the barometric pressure dropped just a few millibars they swam to deeper waters, where there was more protection from the storm.Birds and bees also sense this drop iand will instinctively seek the cover of their nests or hives.
These are reactions to immediate events. How do animals predict long term events like how harsh winter will be? And how do we help ourselves to their knowledge ?
Predicting the weather has been a human passion for ages. Farmers wanted to know what kind of a season was coming -- would there be enough rain or would there be drought? Would the winter be cold or mild? How could they tell if a violent storm was coming? This being a pre radio/TV and weather station time, they relied on natural signs to help them predict the weather. The most convenient barometers were their own farm animals and these were rarely wrong. Fishermen, for instance,notice that in autumn, migrating fish come back early in years when winter will bring an early freezes, but come out later in years when the rivers freeze late.
In the USA , a groundhog is still used to predict the weather for up to six weeks in advance. If you see a groundhog’s shadow at noon on the 2nd of February (Groundhog Day), then the weather will be cold and wintry for another six weeks.
Animal folklore has passed on from generation to generation. Much of it is now forgotten, retreating in the face of scientific ridicule. But our ancestors did not need fertilizer or pesticides and they had a lot more to eat. The Earth delivered much more. (If you think that this is another old wives tale, read this one statistic: In India we only started using fertilizer in 1960. This went up in 1965 to 1 million tonnes. Today it is 75 million tonnes. The amount of grain produced has not increased)
Native Americans believe black bears choose different sleeping spots in their caves depending on how cold the winter will be, or the fur on a rabbit's feet will grow fluffier if the winter is to bring heavier snow. Simply coincidences ? But science is based on observation, and folklore is based on centuries of observation . The creature with a 100% accuracy in predicting the weather is the ladybird. They announce the coming cold by disappearing and are the first insects to announce the arrival of spring.
Here are some sayings:
-- Cats scratch a post before a wind, wash their faces before a rain, and sit with their back toward the fire before a snow.
-- If a rooster crows at night, there will be rain by morning.
-- Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
-- If a dog starts to whine for no reason, you can expect a major storm .
-- Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.
-- loud singing crickets predict the coming of violent storms.
-- Locusts sing when the air is hot and dry.
-- When toads appear in large numbers, you can expect rain.
-- If bears and horses get thick coats early, then expect a severe winter.
-- Squirrels are busier gathering nuts before a bad winter.
-- If wasps build their nests high, a severe winter is on its way.
-- Frogs croak louder when bad weather is due.
--Birds fly lower and gather in large numbers on tree branches when bad weather is due
. --If roosters crow later than their precise morning hour this is a bad weather prediction.
--Bees and butterflies will vanish from the flowers just before the coming storm or rain .
--Bees refuse to leave their hives when rain is due
--Dolphins find shelter in protected bays in order to avoid a coming storm.
--If there are many bats at night, or flying much longer than they usually fly, there is a glorious day ahead. If there are fewer bats than usual this indicate bad weather coming.
-- Crows croaking loudly in the morning is a sign of a good day
--If hens roll around in the dust rain is coming
--Swallows flying at very low levels means bad weather. Hawks flying high means the weather will continue to be fine.
--Gnats circling in a mass before sunset denotes good weather approaching
--Before a big storm, fish tend to bite more often, hence the phrase, “trout jump high, when rain is nigh.”
--Ants scuttle around busily before a storm and even cover up the entrance to the ant-hill to keep out rainwater.
--Before a hurricane, sharks that rarely leave their home waters will flee the path of the storm while seagulls instinctively fly inland.
--Earthworms come out of their holes before it rains
--When the cuckoo is heard in low lands, it indicates rain; when on high lands, fair weather.
--Horses sweating in the stable is a sign of rain.
--Flies sting and are more troublesome than usual before rain.
--When cattle go out to pasture and lie down early in the day or assemble at one end of a field with their tails to windward indicate rain or wind.
--Before a storm comes sheep become frisky, leap, and butt or "box" each other.
--When horses and cattle stretch out their necks and sniff the air it will rain.
--When birds cease to sing, rain and thunder will probably occur.
--If crows make much noise and fly round and round, expect rain.
--Wild geese flying past large bodies of water indicate change of weather. Going south, cold; going north, warm.
--Gulls will soar aloft, and, circling around, utter shrill cries before a storm.
--When the peacock loudly bawls, expect both rain and squalls.
--Air bubbles over clam beds indicate rain.
--When pike lie on the bed of a stream quietly, expect rain or wind.
--When porpoises sport and chase one another about ships, expect stormy weather.
--Expect stormy weather when ants travel in lines, and fair weather when they scatter.
--If garden spiders forsake their cobwebs, rain is at hand.
Start observing the behaviour of animals, birds and insects. Perhaps you will learn to predict the increasingly unpredictable weather.
Mundane astrology is based on the belief in “cosmic consciousness” – the belief that that any celestial event anywhere in the universe also affects the earth and all on it. No matter how far away the celestial bodies are, the unique vibration they generate through their movements in the space affects everything on our earth. The Tandava or cosmic dance of Shiva – the endless whirling of each atom and body through space, in musical harmony and empathy- is how we describe it. Everything has its own place and nothing happens without a meaning – even though we are unaware of it at the time.
We, means humans. Animals seem far more attuned to the cosmic dance. How do they sense earthquakes and floods ? No scientists have been able to understand this. Can they sense the earth's vibrations or detect changes in the air or gases ? How do they know how severe the winter will be or even the day that winter sets in when our most sophisticated weather stations fail? What triggers their survival mechanisms ?
Researchers observed the movement of a group of sharks just before Tropical Storm Gabrielle and Hurricane Charlie. After the barometric pressure dropped just a few millibars they swam to deeper waters, where there was more protection from the storm.Birds and bees also sense this drop iand will instinctively seek the cover of their nests or hives.
These are reactions to immediate events. How do animals predict long term events like how harsh winter will be? And how do we help ourselves to their knowledge ?
Predicting the weather has been a human passion for ages. Farmers wanted to know what kind of a season was coming -- would there be enough rain or would there be drought? Would the winter be cold or mild? How could they tell if a violent storm was coming? This being a pre radio/TV and weather station time, they relied on natural signs to help them predict the weather. The most convenient barometers were their own farm animals and these were rarely wrong. Fishermen, for instance,notice that in autumn, migrating fish come back early in years when winter will bring an early freezes, but come out later in years when the rivers freeze late.
In the USA , a groundhog is still used to predict the weather for up to six weeks in advance. If you see a groundhog’s shadow at noon on the 2nd of February (Groundhog Day), then the weather will be cold and wintry for another six weeks.
Animal folklore has passed on from generation to generation. Much of it is now forgotten, retreating in the face of scientific ridicule. But our ancestors did not need fertilizer or pesticides and they had a lot more to eat. The Earth delivered much more. (If you think that this is another old wives tale, read this one statistic: In India we only started using fertilizer in 1960. This went up in 1965 to 1 million tonnes. Today it is 75 million tonnes. The amount of grain produced has not increased)
Native Americans believe black bears choose different sleeping spots in their caves depending on how cold the winter will be, or the fur on a rabbit's feet will grow fluffier if the winter is to bring heavier snow. Simply coincidences ? But science is based on observation, and folklore is based on centuries of observation . The creature with a 100% accuracy in predicting the weather is the ladybird. They announce the coming cold by disappearing and are the first insects to announce the arrival of spring.
Here are some sayings:
-- Cats scratch a post before a wind, wash their faces before a rain, and sit with their back toward the fire before a snow.
-- If a rooster crows at night, there will be rain by morning.
-- Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
-- If a dog starts to whine for no reason, you can expect a major storm .
-- Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.
-- loud singing crickets predict the coming of violent storms.
-- Locusts sing when the air is hot and dry.
-- When toads appear in large numbers, you can expect rain.
-- If bears and horses get thick coats early, then expect a severe winter.
-- Squirrels are busier gathering nuts before a bad winter.
-- If wasps build their nests high, a severe winter is on its way.
-- Frogs croak louder when bad weather is due.
--Birds fly lower and gather in large numbers on tree branches when bad weather is due
. --If roosters crow later than their precise morning hour this is a bad weather prediction.
--Bees and butterflies will vanish from the flowers just before the coming storm or rain .
--Bees refuse to leave their hives when rain is due
--Dolphins find shelter in protected bays in order to avoid a coming storm.
--If there are many bats at night, or flying much longer than they usually fly, there is a glorious day ahead. If there are fewer bats than usual this indicate bad weather coming.
-- Crows croaking loudly in the morning is a sign of a good day
--If hens roll around in the dust rain is coming
--Swallows flying at very low levels means bad weather. Hawks flying high means the weather will continue to be fine.
--Gnats circling in a mass before sunset denotes good weather approaching
--Before a big storm, fish tend to bite more often, hence the phrase, “trout jump high, when rain is nigh.”
--Ants scuttle around busily before a storm and even cover up the entrance to the ant-hill to keep out rainwater.
--Before a hurricane, sharks that rarely leave their home waters will flee the path of the storm while seagulls instinctively fly inland.
--Earthworms come out of their holes before it rains
--When the cuckoo is heard in low lands, it indicates rain; when on high lands, fair weather.
--Horses sweating in the stable is a sign of rain.
--Flies sting and are more troublesome than usual before rain.
--When cattle go out to pasture and lie down early in the day or assemble at one end of a field with their tails to windward indicate rain or wind.
--Before a storm comes sheep become frisky, leap, and butt or "box" each other.
--When horses and cattle stretch out their necks and sniff the air it will rain.
--When birds cease to sing, rain and thunder will probably occur.
--If crows make much noise and fly round and round, expect rain.
--Wild geese flying past large bodies of water indicate change of weather. Going south, cold; going north, warm.
--Gulls will soar aloft, and, circling around, utter shrill cries before a storm.
--When the peacock loudly bawls, expect both rain and squalls.
--Air bubbles over clam beds indicate rain.
--When pike lie on the bed of a stream quietly, expect rain or wind.
--When porpoises sport and chase one another about ships, expect stormy weather.
--Expect stormy weather when ants travel in lines, and fair weather when they scatter.
--If garden spiders forsake their cobwebs, rain is at hand.
Start observing the behaviour of animals, birds and insects. Perhaps you will learn to predict the increasingly unpredictable weather.
Maneka Gandhi
To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.