After a brief commentary on the stormy weather, a young man in the elevator said comfortingly, "But the stars are favorable today!" The response came quickly from another passenger, "Who cares?" Still the young man was not put off. "Watch it," he said. "The stars are all-powerful." "Indeed they are not," replied the other. "God is all-powerful, and He has given man dominion. The stars and man are under God's government." She was thinking of the statement in the Bible that says God crowned man "with glory and honour" and "put all things under his feet." ^{Ps. 8:5, 6;}

According to a recent Gallup Poll, one American in five expresses belief in astrology. Probably many more, from curiosity or for fun, make a fairly consistent habit of reading the syndicated horoscopes appearing in their newspapers. What effect does this have on the human lives and actions of the nation and the world? It may be serious. If a minimum of forty million people of one country look to the stars for guidance and believe astrological predictions enough to act in accordance with them, the probability is that millions more are also unknowingly to some extent thereby influenced.

With these facts in mind, many thinking people believe that the commonly tolerant attitude toward popular astrology—dictated by the feeling that it is merely harmless fantasy, not to be taken seriously —should be hardened and replaced by enlightened resistance to its subtle influence, just as it was advised by the prophet centuries ago. The Bible tells us that in ancient times the great city of Babylon was renowned for astrology and magic, yet despite the claims of the practitioners of the occult arts the city was destroyed. The prophet spoke of the all-power of God and the divine judgment against the wickedness of the city, saying, "Let now the astrologers, the star gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee." ^{Isa. 47:13;} But history shows that they could not.

In this age, the great Leader of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, warns humanity in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "The planets have no more power over man than over his Maker, since God governs the universe; but man, reflecting God's power, has dominion over all the earth and its hosts." ^{Science and Health, p. 102;} And further on in the same chapter Mrs. Eddy says, "Christian Science goes to the bottom of mental action, and reveals the theodicy which indicates the rightness of all divine action, as the emanation of divine Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the opposite so-called action,—evil, occultism, necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism." ^{ibid., p. 104;}

The universe, including man, was created by God, eternal Mind, the infinite Principle of all that really exists. God's creations are emanations of His sublime being, reflecting His perfect substance of spiritual qualities and ideas. These creations are never separated from Him, and they move as directed by His wisdom under divine law. Paul, the devoted follower of Christ Jesus, described Deity to the Athenians as "Lord of heaven and earth" and said, "In him we live, and move, and have our being;…For we are also his offspring." ^{Acts 17:24, 28;}

Offspring of the Supreme Ruler of both heaven and earth! That is what we truly are—children of the one God, of whom the Bible says, "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" ^{Dan. 4:35.}

No good can come of ignoring these revelations of Scripture and of Christian Science, for they are statements of truth. God is divine Love, the one governing Principle of the universe. His laws are paramount—the only laws that actually exist—and they ensure harmony for all His creations. But mortals should beware of denying God's government and of setting up and honoring in their false belief a supposed system of laws or prophecies apart from the divine will. Such laws and prophecies—whether promising harmful or beneficial consequences—are imaginary, existing only as fabrications of the carnal mind. Those who accept them as having authority may find themselves suffering or benefiting from them —but only in belief.

In mortal existence the beliefs that people entertain can be self fulfilling. A dreamer may outline in his dream the circumstances that he believes are liable to occur—such as the fulfillment of the astrologers' prophecies. These will not be actual but they may seem to the dreamer to be so and may cause pleasure or suffering in his dream until he awakes. Similarly, the whole experience of material living is illusion. In fact man is spiritual and forever harmoniously governed by God's laws.

The demand of the divine creator, God, is that we have no other power or law than His. We are wise to acquiesce and trust Him who created all that truly exists, and who gave His offspring, man, dominion over both heaven and earth. Obedience will ensure for us consistent daily unfoldment of good, no matter what may be the position of the stars.

Naomi Price