Astrology Making Progress in Britain's House of Commons

    CHICAGO, IL, July 29, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The world may not be ready for this, but astrology has a pulse in Britain's House of Commons, where Conservative MP David Tredinnick fearlessly serves on both the health committee and the science and technology committee as an open advocate for the ancient art.

He admits to casting the occasional astrological chart for colleagues in Parliament, and recently told BBC News he's not afraid of the ridicule and abuse that comes his way.

"There is no logic in attacking something that has a proven track record," he maintains.

Mr. Tredinnick says he studied the Indian astrological system lahiri and the way it was used by that country's government. And he recalled how Chris Patten, Britain's last governor of Hong Kong, had an official astrologer.

The MP said he consulted with the governor's Hong Kong astrologer while on a parliamentary delegation there.

Mr. Tredinnick recently expounded upon his beliefs at the Glastonbury Festival, where he shared the stage with Daily Mail astrologer Jonathan Cainer. At this event, he said he was invited to serve on the health committee in the House of Commons because of his radical agenda on complementary medicine.

He currently is vice-chairman of the government's herbals working group and calls the skeptics who persistently attack him "bullies who have never studied the subjects."

"I'm absolutely convinced that those who look at the map of the sky for the day that they were born and receive some professional guidance will find out a lot about themselves. And it will make their lives easier," he said.

Mr. Tredinnick said he was right about herbal remedies and healing, which are now becoming accepted in parts of the National Health Service (NHS). He now wants to promote astrology, which is "not just about predicting the future but gaining an insight into personal problems."

He stopped short of suggesting astrological readings on the NHS, but said he wanted to raise awareness of it as an alternative among patients and clinicians.

"I think it's something that people should be aware of as an option they have if they are confused about themselves," he said.

"David Tredinnick has shown immense courage and performed a great service in raising this issue, knowing he would face popular misunderstanding that would be fanned by public figures who ought to know better," said Roy Gillett, President of The Astrological Association of Great Britain.

As an example, Gillett cited a popular TV talk show aired in the UK. When commenting on the MP's observations neither of the show's two interviewers or their guests understood that the astrology he was referring to was more than popular newspaper sun sign columns.

"Sun sign columns are to real astrology as a child playing Chopsticks on the piano is to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Neither the interviewers nor their guests understood that a chart for the exact moment of birth involves the position of all the planets in all the signs, not just single sun signs," Gillett said.

"Neither David Tredinnick nor any serious astrologer is suggesting that astrology takes the place of diagnosis or treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. Rather that knowing upcoming pressures in advance can lead to early changes of life-style that avoid illness altogether, or lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.

"When a problem is unavoidable, a more mindful and positive relationship with the treatment and convalescence afterward may be possible. All of which could save considerable amounts of money as well as easing human suffering.

"With such possibilities available, rather than ridicule astrology with simplistic misinformation we should consider it fully and respectfully," he said.

The Astrology News Service (ANS) is jointly sponsored by the American Federation of Astrologers, the Association For Astrological Networking(AFAN), the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR). the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR) and the Organization of Professional Astrologers (OPA).

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