Astrology

Astrologer predicts own death

Hundreds of Indians flocked to a village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday to see if an astrologer who forecast his own death would die as predicted.

Kunjilal Malviya, 75, who lives in Sehara village, about 125 miles south of state capital Bhopal, was meditating in his house after announcing he would die on Thursday.

His family fears his forecast will come true. "We are afraid of his prediction coming true because all his predictions till date have been correct," his son Anirudh said by phone. "My father had predicted the death of my grandfather 15 years ago and it came true exactly like he calculated."

Television footage showed relatives and friends seated around Malviya, singing religious songs and reading Hindu texts. Policemen have been posted near his house to prevent the astrologer from killing himself, authorities said ("Pakistan Daily Times," Reuters, October 21, 2005).

[TBC: Since astrology has been "Westernized" in the US with popular astrologers putting more positive spins on their horoscopes, it is possible to overlook the fact that at its base astrology is fatalistic. A number of commentators have compiled a list of symptoms surrounding those taken up with astrology or other occult practices. "unusual paranoia, emotional ailments, frightening, recurring nightmares, hearing voices, insomnia, suicidal/murderous thoughts, [or have] attempted suicide."]