EXAMINE THE CONVENTIONAL BELIEF IN ASTROLOGY OF THE IMPACT OF PLANETS ON EMPLOYMENT

The belief in astrology has been subject of much critical debate and controversy. While astronomy is the scientific study of astronomical objects and phenomena, astrology is the study of the supposed correlation of those objects with earthly and human affairs. There have been many claims and counter-claims regarding correlations between some planetary positions and certain human traits. Many of those who practice astrology believe the planetary combinations either influence or correlate with people's important events in their lives. In Nadi astrology, an ancient method of Indian astrology, Saturn is the planet associated with profession. Conventionally planetary combination or association of Saturn with planet Mars is supposed to give considerable difficulty to come up in profession. The person has to face obstacles and employment changes in this planetary combination.

The objective of my research is to examine the conventional belief in astrology of the impact of planets on employment. I have used the British National Child Development Study to assess intra-cohort career progress employing logistic regression, to obtain models explaining the factors that may influence employment changes. The distinguishing feature of my analysis was to track the same individuals and examine what determined their movement within their own cohort. I used eight time blocks of three years each to measure career progression. I also compared the job changes within the same cohort by forming two groups on the basis of their birth dates. One group of cohort had Saturn-Mars combination that is Saturn and planet Mars are placed in the same zodiac sign and the other group didn’t have this combination.

My research examines conventional belief in astrology of the impact of planets on employment. In Nadi astrology Saturn is the planet associated with profession. Conventionally planetary combination or association of Saturn with planet Mars is supposed to give considerable difficulty in profession. The person has to face obstacles and employment changes in this planetary combination. The planet Saturn takes approximately 29.5 years to orbit the Sun; when it returns to the exact degree along the ecliptic. Planet Saturn’s transit in one sign is about 3 years and which includes the period of retrogression. So we take that planet Saturn remains in one sign for about 3 years. As is conventionally believed during Saturn-Mars period a person may make employment changes. The set of data to be analyzed is British National Child Development Study (NCDS). It is the longitudinal study of these born in the week 3-9 March 1958. The unique feature of using NCDS data for project is that it has birth dates which can be grouped in two sets ---one having Saturn-Mars combination (3-7 March 1958) and the other not having this combination (8-9 March 1958).

My primary interests lies in looking at the Saturn-Mars combination period and employment changes. Since I am interested in career progression over time, I restricted my analysis to employment variables and factors that may directly or indirectly influence employment.

I compared the employment status of individuals from 1976 till 1999 having 8 blocks of three years interval each. My goal is to compare specifically block 5 (1988-1990) for employment changes with other blocks and how career progression differs for the two groups of birth dates during this block 5 period. I focus on a cohort of people and examine employment changes within that cohort by comparing employment changes for each block period. I also looked for differences in employment status in relation to their birth dates for each block period. In the data we have time dependent variables like education and long-standing illness, which vary with time whereas gender and group (birth dates) are not time dependent variables. Start and end dates are coded for current employment and for previous ten employment activities. These dates are recoded together with information into time blocks. Similar recoding for socio-demographic variables-health and education is performed. The possibility of any missing values due to non-reporting cannot be over-ruled but has to be ignored.

The descriptive analysis and data exploration provides the first estimates and summaries, arranged in tables and plots. The concept of odds ratio and a more thorough description of logistic regression and repeated measures analysis using logistic regression is used for analysis. 

My primary interests lies in looking at Saturn-Mars combination period and employment changes. Specifically block 5(1988-1990) for employment changes with other blocks and how career progression differs for the two groups of birth dates during this block 5 period. Table 1 below shows the time blocks used in the analysis

 

Table 1: 8 Time blocks used in the analysis

     Block                                    Time Period

        1                                         '1976- 1978'
        2                                         '1979 - 1981'

        3                                         '1982 - 1984'
        4                                         '1985 - 1987'
        5                                         '1988 - 1990'
        6                                         '1991 - 1993'
        7                                         '1994 - 1996'
        8                                          '1997-1999'.

Statistical methodology employed for analysis

Block 5 is different from other blocks. Block 5 is time period (1988-1990) of Saturn return.

b)      group 1 > group 2 for block 5. In block 5 group 1 has planetary combination of Saturn and Mars whereas group 2 do not have this planetary combination.

Exploratory Analysis to assess the extent to which job changes are associated by the Saturn-Mars combination

Graph 1 is derived from data subset. It shows the distribution of the number of job changes any individual makes in their entire employment history. The number of job changes can range from no job change to maximum number of 11. The graph shows that most likely number of job changes any individual makes is 1 and the least is 10.

 

 

Graph 1: Distribution of the number of job changes

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                                     Number of Job changes

Graph 2: Proportion of Job changes with Time 1=Male;2=Female

The graph 2 above shows proportion who change jobs at different time points for the two genders. Overall males are less likely to change jobs than females. During the initial time periods males are likely to change jobs than females thereafter females change jobs more than males. At time point 5 both the males and females show an increase in job changes.

Graph 3 below shows the proportion who change jobs at different time points for the two groups. At time point 5 it shows group 1 has more job changes than group 2.

Graph 3: Proportion of job changes with time for two groups

group1= 3-7 March born, group2 = 8-9 March born

Graph 4 below shows proportion who change jobs with time for different categories of education. Different categories of education show different trends for job changes. All categories of education show increase in job changes from time point 3 to 5. From time point 5 to 6 there seems to be decrease in job changes except for having other degrees. At time point 8 there is increase in job changes if having technical qualification, first degree or other degree.

Graph 4: Proportion who changes jobs with time for different categories of education.

Graph 5 below also compares proportion of job changes with time for males and females but according to their birth dates (groups). The increase in job changes for both genders at time point 5 is more if belonged to group1 than group 2.

Graph 5: Proportion of job changes with time for males and females for two groups.

 To summarize the results from these logistic regression: -

1. It seems males are more likely to change jobs than females in the beginning of their careers. However, thereafter females change more jobs than males.
2. Each category of education showed mixed trend over time blocks.
3. No long standing illness was reported for time point 2. There could be some explanations to this and it is possible that individuals report more illness at the beginning of their careers.
4. It seems that at time point 3 and 5 individuals belong to group 2 were less likely to change jobs than group 1.

Conclusions

The main objective of my research has been to explore the conventional belief that planetary combination has an impact on employment. The distinguishing feature of my analysis was to track the same individuals and examine what variables were associated with their movement within their own cohort. The unique feature of using this data for project is that it has birth dates which can be grouped in two groups- group one having Saturn-Mars combination (3-7 March 1958) and group 2 not having this combination (8-9 March 1958). The numbers of days in the two groups were not same and this may have certain limitation to our project. However, the comparison of group of people born in one week of birth was an advantage.

My primary aim was to look for Saturn-Mars period and employment changes.  My research has focused on the period from 1976-1999 of the employment. 

Most interestingly the results show that the maximum probability of job change is at time point 5. An individual at time point 5 is 2.935 times as likely to change job than at time point 1. This was an important finding and gave strength to the conventional belief of Saturn-Mars impact on employment.

It emerges that conventional belief that Saturn and Mars combination have impact on job changes.