Astrology and Birth Control

 

November 5, 2004

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/nov5.html

 

Dear Eric:

I have a great book called Love Signs by Linda Goodman which is fab. There is a section in the book called 'A Time to Embrace' which talks about a form of natural contraception called 'Astrobiology'; where a woman can only conceive during a certain approximately two hour period of each Lunar month, when the Sun and the Moon are exactly the same number of degrees apart as they were at the moment of the woman's first breath at birth. Apparently if you know the degree of angle from your birth chart and use a chart you can work out the exact time where this falls each month and then abstain 5 days prior to this, or indeed try to conceive during this time for those who are having trouble.

 

Have you ever heard of this? If so do you think this information is correct and do you know if there are any books dedicated to the subject.

 

Linda also gives a quote on this. The quote is taken from the Bible, which Linda believed was overlooked when they re-wrote the Bible to hide any connections to astrology...

 

'To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven... a time to be born...a time to caste away stones, and a time to gather stones together... a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing

-- Ecclasiastes 3:1-5

 

I look forward to your response,

 

Ashley Young

 

 

Dear Ashley,

There is a time to get pregnant, and that time is when you have unprotected sex.

 

I don't care what sign the Moon is in or which two hours of the month it is.

 

Speaking as one deeply devoted to astrology with every cell of my being, I would not recommend using Astrobiology as a form of birth control. Even if the technique were to work, you would need to be working it very well to have it work right, and besides, the risk -- an unplanned child, or an abortion -- is simply not worth it.

 

I know that there are very few methods of birth control that are both functional and healthy, and that each has its drawbacks. However, sex is worth some inconveniences, and using no birth control at all -- and using Astrobiology counts -- is not an option I would recommend to anyone.

 

There are other factors involved in pregnancy prevention in the modern world, one of which involves sexual health. Condoms provide a reliable method of slowing or blocking the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and are an important addition to sexual activity where partners are not known well to one another, or in situations where multiple partners are involved.

 

I recommend that everyone, including and especially women (who are the only people who can get pregnant), keep a little condom case in their bag or purse, so that you at least have those ready when and where you need them. Condoms are fairly fragile and will deteriorate both over time and in your wallet, purse or backpack unless they are in a case or box. (A bad condom is one where the air seal on the packet is broken.) As an aside, while I'm on the subject, I have read extensively that the 'spermicide' nonoxynol-9, often used to lubricate condoms, is a serious toxin that should not touch the body or be put into the body in any form. (It is also used as a detergent to clean out railroad cars, in case you were wondering about its industrial applications.)

 

Nonoxynol-9 is also a serious irritant to mucous membranes that can make both women and men more susceptible to viruses and other infections. So I recommend plain condoms, or those lubricated with silicone.

 

For people allergic to latex, there are now some excellent non-latex condoms that don't smell or cause dryness and irritation, and which also transmit heat very nicely. Trojan makes one, and so does Durex. They are a bit more expensive, but, you know, we're talking about sex, it's worth it.

 

That is how I feel about Astrobiology as applied to birth control.