A recent article exploring the place of something called Vedic astrology in the local wellness scene has produced a firestorm of criticism [“Written in the Stars: Local Vedic Astrologers Decipher Map for Healing Inner Cosmos,” March 2, Xpress]. See [http://avl.mx/2ei].
First, we heard from a conservative who insisted on the superiority of viewing cosmological influences through the lens of traditional Western values [“Western Astrology Helps With Planetary Energies, Too,” March 16, Xpress]. See [http://avl.mx/2ej]. Didn’t see that one coming.
Next came a rationalist who contended that uncritical coverage of Vedic astrology gives these oddball practices a false legitimacy. This critic even went so far as to imply that all forms of astrology — no matter how familiar, profitable and likely to buy ads — should be subjected to scientific skepticism [“Astrology Article Needed Journalistic Skepticism,” March 16, Xpress]. See [http://avl.mx/2ek].
Finally, an editorial note at the end of the letter reiterated the Xpress’ policy of neutrality with respect to facts.
I agree with the Xpress.
To single out Vedic astrology — or astrology in general — for dismissal as mere entertainment would unfairly privilege all the other unscientific, unproven and unsound approaches to health and well-being about which the paper periodically apprises its readers.
You start down that road, and where does it end? Do you really want to live in a town where people struggle through life unaware of the assistance available from healing rocks, homeopathic tinctures, flower essences and friendly nature spirits?
People clearly need to be informed about such evidence-free pathways to healthy living, and if reassurance that one’s planets are lined up right gives some seekers an unrealistically optimistic outlook, I’m not sure that everybody else’s annoyance outweighs the gain.
But the real question here remains: Why aren’t Asheville Tourist games equally part of the coverage of the wellness scene?
A properly inclusive editorial policy should give equal attention to all therapeutic modalities, no matter how unconventional.
And who could deny that baseball is therapeutic?
A nine-inning session with the national pastime makes people happier (when we win) and better equipped to face life’s disappointments (when we lose or get rained out or a pickpocket steals your wallet).
Providers of diamond-centered therapy even have actual standards — albeit evolving and ever-improving ones — by which we can determine when they have made an error.
Almost like science.
The blackout on Tourist games seems to reflect a discriminating and fact-centric bias whose baleful influence threatens the entire pluralistic ethos of alternative publications such as this one.
Isn’t it time to start playing ball with this potential advertiser as well?
— Peter Robbins
Marshall
Beeeeeaaaauuutifully written piece.
At the risk of sounding like an ‘oinker’, downing cheap beer so cold it hurts your fillings while watching college girls in cutoffs selling it- oh yeah, and watching baseball too sounds like a good way to stay wellful, mindfull, and after a gut full of cheap beer and a hot dog slathered in goddess knows what, just full.
To truly beat a dead horse, consider this:
If one uses the Greek zodiac for astrology, one is seeing patterns that don’t really exist in the stars. No, those stars aren’t a crab or a lion, that’s how they looked to people in the Bronze Age, and that’s called anthropomorphism. That is real. Socrates was real. Socrates described the parable of the cave to illustrate the idea of believing in woo woo.
If you lived in India, China or the Blue Ridge Mtns as a Cherokee, well, all those stars look like different things. There are no lions in China.
There are no crabs at the North Pole. Much like religion and ‘spirituality’ in general, how can they all be correct?
The Greeks tell me that’s called Orion, but the Cherokee call that constellation Long Sash, How can an Australian aborigine know how to balance his planetary influences if he can’t even see the same stars from the Southern hemisphere? How’s he going to balance his chi?! The horror! What the bleep does ‘balancing your planetary influences’ or ‘channeling your energy’ mean anyway? Define these terms before you try to sell them to an arguably gullible public. To espouse that while laughing at creationism is muy hypocritical. They’re both bunk.
Try this next time someone asks your birthday- tell them a different day- when they say “ohhhhh yea, you’re really such an Aquarius- I knew it!” then tell them you just lied to them and laugh in their face for them having a 1 in 12 chance of putting your personalty in a nice neat little box.
Then play with your phone. The phone that in a large part was developed by the technology that allowed us to put a man on the moon. You know, trigonometry, ballistics, physics, science, all that learny stuff. Look up an old episode of Cosmos, or an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson, or find the youtube video of Buzz Aldrin socking that guy in the face when he suggests that we didn’t go to the moon.
Finally, count every ad in a typical print issue of Mtn X before you wrap fish with it or line a bird cage. How many ads are for pie in the sky woo woo vs. an actual service that one can verify has been adequately delivered or not. You could even do this at say a baseball game.
If you dislike the Mountain Xpress so much, you should probably find a better use of your negativity and your time.
What’s up NewAge capitalist shill?
If you can’t deal with my writing truth to power, then maybe you are the one who needs to crawl back into his/her yoga mat.
If you have indeed read each issue for 20 yrs then you’d realize how much it has gone downhill. Every firing, resignation, purge-
Oh never mind…Naaaaaaaamaste.
I challenge you to take the test R.J. How many ads in each print edition are woo woo?
Oh never mind- you’re a bright shiny snowflake and you can do no wrong.
Please limit your attacks to attacks on the paper and its content. No need to make this personal with each other.
I mean, obviously also feel free to attack concepts and the establishment in general.
Yea, I get it- question the concepts, not the personalities.
Still, for an X writer to equate a reader’s pertinent ideas as ‘attacks’? Op eds, debates and persuasive writing deconstruct and tear an argument apart- it’s what they’re designed to do.
I don’t expect every issue of the X to contain a Woodward and Bernstein like expose, but I do get tired of my out of town friends telling me “Dude, really? Another article on crystals?”- consider this a cry of “Arggg, not another one- where’s the X I used to enjoy reading?”.
Thank you at least for implying with a written wink and nod 3 min after posting above comment that maybe, just maybe, the concepts of woo woo pseudoscience might not be valid.
‘pie in the sky woo-woo’ ! ! ! roflmao! hilarious today BR!
I’m also not sure you and I have the ‘post bro’ like relationship where I go by BR given the nature of some of your content that I make a point of explaining why I don’t agree with it. Still, tipping the hat to acknowledge a compliment ( I think).
Climate change deniers, far right Rayndian weirdos and posters who scream in all caps and overuse lols, etc also fall under ‘woo woo’.
-PS did you know that a baseball field is actually shaped like a rhombus? I didn’t sleep through that part of math class.