Page 13 - International Psychics Directory 2018

PSYCHICS DIRECTORY 2018

the meaning of Venus with the the Committee for the Scientific
meaning of Uranus when looking Investigation of Claims of the
at an aspect between them, but Paranormal, their researcher
interpret it in your own individual wrote back a report that stated
manner. By doing so you made their test came out in Gauquelin’s
the astrology reading your own, favour. For those with a strong
no longer a carbon copy of what stomach, what follows is part of
another astrologer had written a blow-by-blow description—
down in a book. That was very which appears in Wikipedia
revealing to me, and helped me (‘Mars effect’, 2017, ‘The Zelen
later on with tarot reading as test’, paras 5–7)—of the tussle
well. Alan these days sells more involved in everyone’s attempt to
astrology books worldwide than get at the ‘truth’:
any other author. He deserves all
his success. In 1975 Paul Kurtz’s journal
The Humanist published an
I kept on learning all I could article on astrology criticizing
about astrology, and in 1983 Gauquelin, to which the latter and
I was asked to appear on a his wife Françoise responded. Simon Turnbull and Garry Wiseman at an APA Christmas Party.
current affairs TV show on Then Professor Marvin Zelen,
New Year’s Eve, to discuss the a statistician and associate of
value of astrology in predicting the recently founded Committee stating that Zelen’s test had purpose of the control test,
the future for the coming year. for the Scientific Investigation come out in the Gauquelins’ which was to check the base
The producers had also asked of Claims of the Paranormal favour. The Gauquelins also rate of births with Mars in the
a sceptic, Harry Edwards, to (CSICOP, now known as the performed the test that Professor “key” sectors. It appeared to him
appear on the show so we Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Zelen had proposed and carried that the test had minimised the
could debate our points of (CSI)), proposed in a 1976 out and found that the chance significance of the Mars/key-
view. Many sceptics were very article in the same periodical Mars-in-key-sector expectation sector correlations with athletes
closed-minded when it came to that, in order to eliminate any for the general population (i.e., by splitting the sample of athletes
psychic matters as they thought demographic anomaly, Gauquelin non-champions) was about and that the experimenters, who
all psychics were frauds, or self- randomly pick 100 athletes from 17%, significantly less than were supposed to be upholding
deluded at best. his data-set of 2,088 and check the 22% observed for athletic scientific standards, were actually
the birth/planet correlations of champions. However the distorting and manipulating
I pointed out how a report by a sample of babies born at the subsequent article by Zelen, evidence to conceal the result of
some US sceptics had been same times and places in order Abell and Kurtz did not clearly an ill-considered test.
doctored to distort the truth to establish a control group, state this outcome but rather
about the Mars effect. French giving the base-rate (chance) questioned the original data. Further changes were made
astrologer, Michel Gauquelin, expectation for comparison In a rebuttal of the Gauquelins’ to these original tests until
had found that the planet Mars (The 100 random athletes later published conclusion, Marvin eventually the sceptics felt they
was prominently placed in the expanded into a subsample of Zelen analysed the composition, could say that the Gauquelins
birth charts of champion sports 303 athletes). not of the 17,000 non-champions were in error. But I do not feel this
people. The statistics proved his of the control group, but of the is so. Despite concerted efforts
point; but when they were looked In April 1977 CSICOP researcher 303 champions, splitting this by sceptics to show the contrary,
at by a sceptical group called George O. Abell wrote to Kurtz secondary subsample (which the Mars effect is a legitimate test
was already nearly too small to that shows astrology is a valid
test 22% vs. 17%) by eliminating analytical process.
female athletes, a subgroup that
gave the results most favourable
to Gauquelin, and dividing the *A previously unpublished
remaining athletes into city/ excerpt from Simon Turnbull’s
rural sections and Parisian/non- memoirs, God in a Chip.
Parisian sections.
Simon Turnbull (1950-2014)
Before and after publication co-founded of the Australian
of Zelen’s results astronomer
and charter CSICOP member Psychics Association in 1983,
Dennis Rawlins, the CSICOP the Psychics Directory in
Council’s only astronomer at 2005 and the International
the time, repeatedly objected to Psychics Association in 2013.
the procedure and to CSICOP’s Simon was a charismatic
subsequent reportage of it. and passionate presence
Rawlins privately urged that in the psychic arena for
the Gauquelins’ results were four decades and made an
valid and the “Zelen test” could extensive contribution to the
only uphold this and that Zelen field.
had diverted from the original

Doreen Van Boxtel Psychic Tarot Reader & Numerologist. Reiki/Seichim Master Teacher.
Chios Master Teacher. A Teacher of Healing, Tarot, Numerology, Angels & Crystals.
Knowledge is Infinite Doreen uses Clairsentience and Clairaudience in combination with Tarot and Numerology to channel
Melbourne, VIC answers that will guide you in all areas of life including your career, finances, love and relationships.
www.sunzmoonz.com Doreen has been passionate about Healing, Tarot and Numerology for over twenty-five years.
info@sunzmoonz.com  Professional Member of the Australian Reiki Connection  Graduate of Builders of the Adytum
Mob: +61 415 558 425  Professional Member of the International Psychic Association  Approved Training Provider IICT
 Association of Australian Professionals  Cert IV Assess’ & Wkplace Training.

13