PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY May 26 2014 to June 1 2014 Monday May 26 Debate Of Birth After my recent comments about the reliability of official documents, Kate writes to point out that 'genealogists use birth certificates as primary sources. The information on the certificate isn't just a report of what someone claims; it comes from witnesses to the event. While memory can be used as a guideline it is not acceptable as a primary source.' Elizabeth, meanwhile, disagrees. She says, 'Due to the need to register a birth within a time limit, a later birth date may often have been given to avoid a fine!' The debate rolls on. Do feel free to join in! Tuesday May 27 Babe Watch Dear Jonathan, If the date on the birth certificate is wrong, it is tricky for an astrologer to cast a person's chart. Likewise, the time. When our daughter was born, the clock in the delivery room had stopped. The midwife asked my husband to look at his watch. He usually keeps it a few minutes fast and I don't know if he accounted for this. Five minutes, as you know, can make a big difference to a full personal horoscope. She was born close to the changeover between two rising signs. I'll never know which one is hers. Susana Wednesday May 28 Back to Front Down Under G'day Jonathan, Just a thought on the birth certificate problem. Is it possible to do astrology, as it were, backwards. Can you use significant moments in your life to deduce your birthdate or time? Barry G'day Barry, Many an astrologer would say 'yes'. Several books detail techniques for doing just this but none have been subjected to objective tests. As I'm already fighting to get astrology taken off the scientific 'naughty step', where it has been sent for lack of empirical proof, I don't want to get my profession into any more trouble. So I'm going to answer 'maybe.' Thursday May 29 Second Opinions Hi Jonathan, I am certain the date is right on my birth certificate, but I feel the time is off by thirty minutes. How big a difference does that make? Thanks, Sheila Dear Sheila, You are lucky to have been born in a country that records the birth time on the certificate. But, as we've heard in so many readers' letters lately, that's still no guarantee of accuracy. How much of difference do a few minutes make? Well, according to most traditional astrologers, it's a vital difference. Yet I'm not so sure I agree... as I shall explain tomorrow. Friday May 30 Manger Danger Lately, I've been going on about inaccurate birth information - like a broken record or, perhaps, a stopped clock! I had a light bulb moment when I realised how inaccurate that information can be. Traditional astrologers teach that minutes, even seconds, can make a big difference. This same school of thought insists that people like me, who make predictions based on something as 'loose' as a birth month are over-simplifying a complex subject. Yet isn't there an equal or greater danger of misrepresentation in giving readings based on an exact moment if they aren't sure what that moment actually is? Saturday May 31 Your June Monthly Forecast Mercury turns retrograde for about three weeks at a time, two or three times a year. This happens in June and it's nothing to worry about, no reason to cancel commercial transactions or to avoid any activity that you might normally engage in. But to hear some people speak on the subject, you would think it was when the ides of March caused the Curse of The Mummy to unleash the Wrath of The Abominable Snowman! We might, though, expect a few emails to go astray, some travel plans to need rearranging and some old ideas to need rethinking. Sunday June 1 Your Week Ahead - Love Focus Remember, your Love Forecast today doesn't just cover romance. A love forecast may also have something to say about your family life, your closest friendships and even some of your most important working relationships. Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts