As the author of a book on the subject: 'Star Signs For You And Your Pet' I must state that I personally do believe that our place, date and time of birth do have an influence on our personality. However not everyone shares such a belief and sceptics, such as the notorious and supposedly 'Amazing' James Randi, pour scorn on the idea that Astrology is any way valid. Yet millions of people read their 'Stars' every day in the national press. Even The Sunday Times, that most sober of heavyweights, features an Astrology column. So it seems that there must be a reasonable number of educated and informed people that do believe in the 'Stars'. But is the answer to the mystery that is our lives really there? Or are we the true masters of our own destinies?

Consider this fairly typical example of a weekly astrological prediction: From 'The Southport Advertiser' May 10^th 2001. Leo July 24^th to August 23^rd 'Making the most of your energy to enjoy life, relationships and pursuits of a creative or physical kind has provided a backdrop for some while. From now on however, you can start to feel checked by the responses you receive'. I am a Leo, I did read that and to me it made absolutely no sense. And so it is with countless hundreds of such columns, written, no doubt in good faith and with earnest intent, by 'Astrologers' throughout the country. So if there is an answer in the stars it seems, to me at least, not to be found in the tabloid press Sun Sign columns. Though maybe I should consult Mystic Meg in The News of The World before I make a final decision.

Astrology dates back into the Babylonian age some 3,800 years ago. There are records dating from that era which show the positions of the stars and attempts to relate these to incidents such as war and famine. It is a matter of historical record that the rulers of ancient Babylonia used astrology to predict the future. So certain were these kings that the system provided good results that astrology was restricted to them alone. The ordinary people, their subjects, were prevented by law from consulting the astrologers, so maybe there were no papyrus predictions in general circulation. Had there been perhaps this is how the 'Stars' may have read: from 'The Babylon Curser' May 17^th 1666 BC Leo July 24^th to August 23^rd 'The planet Mars is in your fourth house this week, so avoid contact with formaldehyde and people who want to make you a mummy.' Let's face it, If we are gullible enough to swallow utter gobbledegook now why not then?

The problem is mathematical, there are approximately 55 million people in the UK. There are 12 Star Signs so 55M divided by 12 = 4,583,333 assuming an even distribution across the signs. That means that on any given day of the week over four and a half million people are reading their Star Signs and expecting to meet a tall dark stranger, or a priest of Isis hell bent on mummifying them, depends on the era.

However there have been serious scientific investigations into the accuracy, or inaccuracy of Astrology during recent times. One such enquiry was carried out by a Dr Carlson of San Diego, California USA. Dr Carlson used 28 Astrologers and 118 subjects. The Astrologers duly drew up charts for the subjects and these were then presented to them in a 'Blind Test' i.e. their particulars, date of birth, name etc. had been removed and only the text remained which contained details pertaining to them as determined by the astrological charts. Dr Carlson found that these subjects were unable to recognise their own charts from those of other subjects. The level of accuracy in identifying their personal charts was found to be no more than could be predicted by pure chance.

So the question remains, is the answer in the stars? As I stated at the start of this column I do believe that the astrological aspects pertaining at our birth do have an influence upon our nature and therefore, either directly or indirectly, upon our destiny. It is my belief that before we are born we pre-select our parents, our place, time and date of birth in order to undertake an incarnation on Earth that will lead us to Spiritual progression.

Whilst I do not believe that just because I was born under the sign of Leo I will be theatrical, dynamic and a leader of men, (supposed characteristics of a typical Leo) I do believe that with other circumstances that may be the case. In my personal instance I have indeed been involved in public presentations of Mediumship, most notably at The London Palladium in September of 1992. It could be argued that as the one time manager of many of Britain's best known Psychic-Mediums i.e. Gary Dakin, Derek Acorah, James Byrne etc. that I have been quite dynamic in my time and also a leader of extraordinary men. Would this have been so had I been born under a less forceful Star?

It was Shakespeare that said about Astrology 'This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,- often the surfeit of our own behaviour, - we make guilty of our own disasters the sun, the moon and the stars; as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by the divine thrusting on: an admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star!' (King Lear Act 1, Scene 2.)

In the final analysis the truth may be that what we are told we are, nwe become. This would be rather like a self-fulfilling prophecy. So that if I were told that I am, because of the time and date of my birth, expected to be warlike and aggressive then so I would become because that is what is expected of me. In that respect Astrological insights into characteristics may play a positive or negative role. And so the answer to the question with regard to Astrology seems to that the jury is still out and undecided.