The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-04
Is NO BEST MONTH";
Astrological Influences in Mems Lives
Quite Unimportant.

=.
A resident of Danbury, Conn, wrote
to New York newspaper the other day,
Ipropounding this strange question: Sir,
what is the best month to be born in?'
Now a query of this sort may be viewed
from many different angles. Its signif-
canoe depends altogether upon what may
happen to be running through the inquir-
er's mind 9at the moment. Being born
is the most important event in any life,
but it is not generally considered in an
abstract sense that one time is any better
than any other The editor whose advice
was sought quite properly assumed that
the Danbury inquirer was interested in
astrological influences. BY the best
month he probably meant the ''luckiest
or most favorable month, as indicated
by the prevailing planetary coniunctions,
apogees, and perIgees and one little thing
and another.
And the editor, with shrewd mixture
Of sapienee and discretion, declared in re-
ply that 'fthere is no indication that the
month of a mans birth has any bearing
On his business That is merely to say,
Of course. that the month of birth does
not necessarily determine his vocational
| career, but it does not deny the POSSIBLE
ty OF planetary conditions at the time
| of ones birth governing ones tempera-
| Inent, disposition, natural predictions,
matrimonial prospects, and chances OF
longevity We call this a decidedly eau,
| tious editorial attitude to take. 1t does
not compromise ones opinion and it avoids
| the risk of a heated controversy.
However, there is the matter of sue
cess IN life, irrespective of vocation. Cae.
| sar and Napoleon, we are told by this re-
| strained expert, were born in midsummer
IN July and August respectively, but
| Grants birthday was in April and Lees
| n January. Moreover, Shakespeare was
born in April and Booth Harrington in
July We cannot figure out just what
this proves, except that General Grant
did not emulate Shakespeare by becoming
a poet and dramatist and that Mr. Tark-
| inston never manifested any of the es
peeal talent of Caesar
| But says the expert, ''Iet MS see wheth
er the birth month has aught to do Will
| advanced years and distinction" So he
takes list of dozen Americans OF whom
The youngest is past 81 and all of whom
have won distinction in their respective
lines above the lot of ordinary mortals
| The oldest man in the lot is 06, and five
| of them are over 90 Four of this doz
on, we are told were born in May. two
in April, and two in July. while Febru
| Try, March. August, and November claim
one each. On this evidence it would ap
| near that a person born in january, June
| september, October, or December stand,
poor chance OF achieving either sue
eess or a long life, and that May is pre-
7ond9antly the best month to be .borr
| n"
Ills is about the sort OF evidence thai
lstrologists depend on rs proof OF then
| theories, but we may reasonably cues
ion its suffciency. The proof of any the
Dry concerning the human race canno
ne based on the experiences of dozer
men, but must reach into the condition.
| characteristic of a great many cases. SAY
not less than twenty or thirty thousand
| That IS the rule that enables life insurance
companies to conduct safe and sane bust
ness, and even at that the insurance meth
cd proves nothing but the operation o
| the laws Of chance on human life Ane
finally the proof is abstract and not con
,rete, applying to masses and in no sense
| 70 individuals.
Caesar may have been born in July ans
Napoleon in August; millions of obscure
dull, and hopeless stngglers have ais,
been born in July and August. Personals
we should class pamistry as superior t,
tstrology as determining factor in I'm
man HE. Probably fairgrounds are quit,
y reliable as planets and stars in thei
influence upon MISUNDERSTANDING Jour
nal