Saturday, August 19, 2017
I doubt it
Lots of writers are earning their clickbait pay today by writing about the eclipse. Science vs superstition, bash ignorant Deplorable Denier TRUMPHITLER, all the usual ratshit.
Basic point: When an event is regular and periodic, nobody gives it occult significance. Nervous systems adapt to short periodicity (<= one year) without any trouble. A culture with a good hive brain adapts to longer periodicities. Eclipses fall into the same range as droughts and floods, with periods near a decade. Well within the realm of cultural learning. Million-year periodicities like magnetic field reversals or ice ages are not naturally learnable.
I doubt that most "primitive" people were surprised by eclipses. "Primitive" people had strong cultural memories. Modern "advanced enlightened tolerant" people, intentionally deprived of cultural learning by TV and "education", are far more likely to be surprised, and far more likely to attribute occult significance. That's the whole point of "education". Wipe common sense, make us totally vulnerable to the Official Answer given by TV.
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Later: What about astrology? Turning regularity into occult? Partly yes, mostly no. Modern astrologers don't talk like prophets or preachers. They talk more like engineers. Adjusting your behavior to fit today's combination of quadratures and oppositions is the same as adjusting your spark timing to 5 degrees before TDC on cylinder #2. You can predict the effects of the quadratures BECAUSE they're running on the solar crankshaft, and you can optimize your power stroke accordingly.
¶ 3:32 AM 
