ASTROLOGY AND THE WTS
(From: Investigator No. 41 1995 March)
B J Kotwall
 Three
articles in Awake! magazine (1994 July 8) derided astrology
and star worship. What is missing in these articles is an admission
of what the Watchtower Society (WTS) used to teach.
For 62 years, 1891 to 1953, the WTS taught that God
resided on the star Alcyone in the Pleiades constellation and that
from this star he governed the universe!
This belief was taught in 1891 in Volume 3 of Studies
in the Scriptures p. 327 and was based on passages in the Bible.
The WTS also taught that the Great Pyramid of Egypt
provided additional proof of God's throne in the Pleiades! (The
Golden Age 1924 September 10 pp. 793-794)
From: Studies in the Scriptures (1891)
Vol. 3 p. 327 (Retyped)
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The Great Pyramid
327
this distance to be from ninety to ninety six millions
of miles, their latest calculation and conclusion being
ninety-two millions. The Great Pyramid has also its own
way of indicating that most correct standard of all weights
and measures, based upon the size and weight of the earth,
which it is also claimed to indicate.
Commenting upon the scientific testimony and the location
of this majestic "Witness," Rev. Joseph Seiss, D. D. suggests:
"There is a yet grander thought embodied in this wonderful
structure. Of its five points there is one of special
pre-eminence, in which all its sides and exterior lines
terminate. It is the summit corner, which lifts its solemn
index finger to the sun at midday, and by its distance
from the base tells the mean distance to that sun from
the earth. And if we go back to the date which the Pyramid
gives itself, and look for what that finger pointed to
at midnight, we find a far sublimer indication. Science
has at last discovered that the sun is not a dead center,
with planets wheeling about it, and itself stationary.
It is now ascertained that the sun also is in motion,
carrying with it its splendid retinue of comets, planets,
its satellites and theirs, around some other and vastly
mightier center. Astronomers are not yet fully agreed
as to what or where that center is. Some, however, believe
that they have found the direction of it to be the Pleiades,
and particularly Alcyone, the central one of the renowned
Pleiadic stars. To the distinguished German astronomer,
Prof. J. H. Maedler, belongs the honor of having made
this discovery. Alcyone, then, as far as science has been
able to perceive, would seem to be the 'midnight throne'
in which the whole system of gravitation has its central
seat, and from which the Almighty governs his universe.
And here is the wonderful corresponding fact, that at
the date of the Great Pyramid's building, at midnight
of the autumnal equinox, and hence the true beginning
of the year* as still preserved in the traditions of many
nations, the Pleiades were distributed
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The International Bible Students Souvenir Convention Report
of 1914 says:
The Pleiades, the center of the universe, are
located in Taurus, and as though to emphasize the foundation,
the original meaning of Alcyone, one of the chief stars of the
Pleiades, is "foundation". How significant that the whole universe
should throughout the ages swing about that constellation and
that star which alone picture so clearly the Ransom! The bullock
offered on the brazen altar in the court was indeed the foundation:
it represented the sacrifice of the Lord. The bullock in the sky
represented the very same thing. (pp. 252-253)
The book Reconciliation says:
But the greatness in size of other stars or planets
is small when compared to the Pleiades in importance, because
the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God. (p. 14)
From: Reconciliation (1928) p. 14 (Retyped)
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Reconciliation
man sees that the earth occupies a place of great
importance in God's plan and purposes and that in
his due time every creature in heaven and in earth
will be brought into one grand harmonious whole or
unity. To this effect the inspired witness of Jehovah
wrote:
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed
in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness
of times he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth; even in him."-Eph. 1: 9, 10.
The constellation of the seven stars forming the
Pleiades, appears to be the crowning center around
which the known systems of the planets revolve even
as our sun's planets obey the sun and travel in their
respective orbits. It has been suggested, and with
much weight, that one of the stars of that group is
the dwelling-place of Jehovah and the place of the
highest heavens; that it is the place to which the
inspired writer referred when he said: "Hear thou
from thy dwellingplace, even from heaven" (2 Chron.
6:21); and that it is the place to which Job referred
when under inspiration he wrote: "Canst thou bind
the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands
of Orion?"-Job 38: 31.
The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one
compared with others which scientific instruments
disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness
in size of other stars or planets is small when compared
with the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades
is the place of the eternal throne of God. For a like
reason the various groups of stars, greater in size
than the planet earth, must in the eyes of
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In 1953 the doctrine about Alcyone and the Pleiades was discarded:
Some attribute striking qualities to these constellations
or star groups and on the basis of such they then offer private
interpretations of Job 38:31, 32 that amaze their hearers. when
viewed scripturally they are completely without foundation.
(The Watchtower 1953 November 15 p. 703)
The Bible verses quoted in this 1953 article which were used by
"Some" to "amaze their hearers" were in fact the verses used by
the WTS to prove that God resided on the Star Alcyone! (The Watchtower
1915 June 15 p. 185; The Golden Age 1928 May 16 p. 540)
A different link of WTS doctrine with astrology appeared
in The Watch Tower of 1903. There astrology and planetary
positions were said to support the WTS's predictions of "the long
promised era" to start by 1914. (Watchtower Reprints 1903 May 1
p. 3184)
From: Zion's Watch Tower 1903 May 1 p.
3184 (Retyped)
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AN ASTROLOGER'S OUTLOOK
We seriously question all the claims of astrology; yet
the following-from whatever source the suggestions come,
even though of the adversary himself-seem remarkably true
to our expectations based upon the Word of the Lord. For
this reason alone we present them here,-as follows:-
"Saturn is the representative of the great motive power
that has dominated the mind of man up to the present time.
The great organizations of Capital, attracting now so
much attention, are in reality the last great struggle
of this Saturn-god to save his throne. But his efforts
will be futile, yet far from useless, for he is blindly
doing service for a still greater God in the same way
as the other planets have contributed blindly to Saturn's
glory.
"Jupiter, representing law, religion and morality, has
been perforce subservient to Saturn's greater and more
potent force. It explains why the church, the law, the
charitable and educational institutions have contributed
to increasing the power and prestige of the worldly and
material Saturn, whose selfish monopolizing material nature
must be disposed of and made tributary to a higher, nobler
force that will carry out the work of human evolution.
"Jupiter must also transfer his allegiance from the grasping
Saturn to the newly discovered factor that stands for
universal brotherhood; namely, Uranus. When Uranus and
Jupiter meet in the humane sign of Aquarius in 1914, the
long-promised era will have made a fair start in the work
of setting man free to work out his own salvation, and
will insure the ultimate realization of dreams and ideals
of all poets and sages in history.
"Uranus is preparing the way for Neptune, who symbolizes
love in its very highest form-the fulfilling of the law.
By this, we see that Socialism, or whatever the new order
may be called, will not and can not be the rule of the
common or ignorant masses but the leadership of the very
highest developed members of the human family.
"In 1903 Jupiter will be in the Sign of Pisces-sign of
the feet, or understanding, and the synthesis of the new
religion is Love;-Love that words cannot define. We are
nearing a condition where "masters" will be unknown-where
humanity will instinctively conform to the injunction,
'Call no man master, neither be ye called master.'
"Note-Uranus: Great commotions are expected when it shall
take its ascendancy over Saturn."
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The constellations of the Zodiac are presently considered by
the WTS as being of Pagan origin. (Insight on the Scriptures Volume
2 1988 p. 1240) The same were regarded in 1914 as of Divine origin
with each of the 12 Zodiacal signs having numerous correspondencies
with the Bible.
To my knowledge the WTS has not directly admitted
their error about God's throne on the Star Alcyone. Their latest
history book JWs Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (1993) which
they claim is "objective" and "candid" is silent on the subject.
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