The association also established itself as an umbrella organization for all
astrologers, whether they adhered its objectives or not. It encouraged debate and the
free exchange of information. Hence, the AA has never had a corporate view con-
cerning the nature of astrology and has published material hostile to astrology and
critical of its claims. The unfettered exchange of ideas is considered a central part of
the AA’s work. Its activities have centered on the organization of weekly meetings (in
London from the late 1950s to the late 1980s) and an annual conference (from 1968
to the present). It has also held other events in the United Kingdom, mainly in Lon-
don (though not exclusively), chiefly an annual research conference.
The AA’s major publication, the Journal,was first published in 1959. This was
followed in the 1960s by the launch of Transit,the newsletter. Correlation,its peer-
reviewed journal of research into astrology, was launched in 1968 and then
relaunched in 1981 after a break in publication in the 1970s. It remains the only acad-
emic journal of its kind. The Astrology and Medicine Newsletteris a specialist magazine
containing articles on medical astrology.Source:
The Astrological Association of Great Britain.www.astrologicalassociation.com (accessed February
21, 2003).ASTROLOGICALDATA
Astrological data are the basis for casting horoscopes and include name, date, place of
birth, and time of birth. Astrologers base their studies on this data as they examine the
patterns and positions of the planets and the signs as they rise, culminate, and set.
Whether they are doing a research study or a personal horoscope, the accuracy of their
observations depends on the accuracy of their data. Whether they are presenting a
paper or delineating a chart, they cannot validate their work unless they can validate
their data.
Speculative charts come from cases where the birth time is unknown and as
such are pure guesswork, usually backed up with events to illustrate the supposed accu-
racy; rectification of a chart begins with an approximate birth time and corrects the
chart to a specific minute. Historically, astrological data have not been presented with
any source of origin. Magazines and journals blithely present charts and articles, and
readers are apparently supposed to accept on faith that the data are accurate.
Astrologers give lectures or present papers with no source given for the data. When
one begins to examine the charts of historical figures and public figures, it may come
as a shock to find that there are several times of birth given. There are over a dozen
times of birth given for Ronald Reagan, and as many for Joseph Stalin, Clark Gable,
and Evita Peron.
There is nothing wrong with speculative data—if they are presented as such.
However, presenting data as factual when they are not is a falsehood; deliberate inac-
curacy is ethically unforgivable; and presenting data without a source is amateurish,
unprofessional, and misleading. Many astrological data are time-specific, so any chart
that does not state the source is open to question, and any conclusions drawn fromAstrological Data
[72] THEASTROLOGYBOOK