Indian astrologers accept that bird flu has all to do with a virus but say it is Shani (Saturn) and Rahu that caused the scare in India.
NEW DELHI: Bird flu may have got everything to do with a virus, but astrologers have a different take on it - some blame Shani and Rahu for it, while others point a finger at the Pluto-Capricon combination which they say has to do with masks.
Indian astrologers accept that bird flu has all to do with a virus but say it is Shani (Saturn) and Rahu that caused the scare in India.
"The situation is not all that bad in India, but because of Shani in Kark, infectious diseases come. And as Rahu is in Pisces, it gives rise to mysterious diseases. In such circumstances, even the authorities over-react or don't react at all," says astrologer Ajay Bhambi.
"In this case the authorities over-reacted and a panic situation was created," he says, but adds, "things will soon come under control and there is nothing to worry about.”
Agrees Madhu Jha Pathak, a tarot card reader "the effect on the poultry business will be short. It will again flourish... but tourism is bound to suffer."
Pathak says her cards show that bird flu came to India because "many birds were stocked in one place."
However, she says, the flu will not spread its wings much though people might turn away from eating chicken for long.
One thing astrologers agree on is that bird flu is a health issue, "very much scientific" as astrologer Chandrasekhar says.
"Scientists and astrologers agree on global warming and weather change. Such a situation shows that nature is unkind and when that happens, there are many changes... bird flu can also be looked at that way" says Bhambi.
However, according to an astrology website, "medieval Islamic astrologer al-Biruni ascribed rulership of grain-eating birds to Jupiter. Well, here we are in the last two or three years of Pluto in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius. When Pluto enters Capricorn in 2008, we will see a highly contagious global disease, a pandemic.
"Capricorn has to do with masks, the face we put on when we meet the world. When Pluto enters Capricorn, people will wear masks - surgical masks to protect themselves from airborne pathogens. This is beginning to happen, but the trend will accelerate in response to a bird flu mutation or another, as yet unanticipated disease in a couple of years," says the website.
Another website on Chinese astrology says "the year of the dog may bite... viruses, like bird flu, will spread to Western Europe and the United States East Coast. Asian cities like Hong Kong should also be prepared for more frequent "stomach diseases".
Some astro-websites are making charts of people who ought to be careful about traveling to countries where the bird flu is spreading.
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