An Interview With Ken Paone US Astro-Meteorologist by Tricia

Article by Tricia, U.K

The Neomania, or new Moon, was observed as a festival with much solemnity in earlier ages and by most ancient nations. It was celebrated by the Israelites, as well as by Pagan’s; and it may perhaps be gathered from the 5th and 6th verses of the 10th Chapter of the 1st Book of Samuel, that it was kept once in a year with greater ceremony than at other times: this was done, probably, at the ‘New Moon of the Year,’ as Ptolemy calls it; or, in other words, at the New Moon nearest to the vernal equinox.’

Quote from Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos: Bk2 Ch X1. The New Moon of the Year

Over two millennia ago Ptolemy wrote his great treatise on astrology which included many chapters devoted to the influence of the signs and planets on the earth’s atmosphere and therefore the weather.

Due to the expertise with which Ptolemy reports his astro – meteorological observations, it seems likely that this science was in constant world use around the globe sufficient for such a body of knowledge to have been compiled at this late stage in the evolution of man.

Great henges sited around the globe would seem to bear testimony to early ‘computer technology’ used to divine the revolution of planets and their influence on earth’s affairs, and to the ancient reliance upon understanding ‘as above, so below.’ An IBM computer found that the Aubrey holes at Salisbury in the UK can be used to calculate Moon positions with the kind of accuracy we compute with today’s technology. These henges were clearly needed in order to predict cosmic effects on earth, probably to help mankind survive the catastrophic results of bad weather and other natural catastrophes heralded by planetary placements. Here is what the Encyclopedia Britannica has to say about the role of the henges in ancient times:

More recently, though, the astronomer Gerald Hawkins has argued that Stonehenge is not merely aligned with solar and lunar astronomical events, but can be used to predict other events such as eclipses. In other words, Stonehenge was more than a temple, it was an astronomical calculator.

For the archaeoastronomists, the “Aubrey Holes” served as fixed reference points along a circle, and their number was essential to astronomical calculations. The cycle of the moon, for example, which takes 27.3 days, can be tracked by moving a marker by two holes each day to complete a circuit in 28 days.

A much longer calculation is to move the marker by three holes per year to complete a full circuit in 18.67 years. In this way, it is argued, it would be possible to keep track of the “nodes”, points where the paths of the sun and the moon apparently intersect to produce an eclipse. Because the moon slews around in its path, the two “nodes” move along the path of the sun, a complete circuit of which takes 18.61 years. By means of the markers in the “Aubrey Holes” and keeping track of the directions of the sun and the moon, the astronomer at Stonehenge could calculate nodal points ahead of time and thus predict both lunar and solar eclipses.

Calculating lunar and solar cycles is essential to the study of astro meteorology for correct weather prediction. Ancient astronomers must have been aware, as we are today, of the influence of the sun and the moon on the earth’s atmosphere and weather.

Astro Meteorology is currently a less used system of astrology in the west particularly, perhaps due to the rise of the science of meteorology generally. The barometer was discovered in 1643 enabling scientists to measure air pressure, and then the hygrometer 1644 was invented and used to study humidity levels. By 1765 scientists congratulated themselves that they had enough tools with which to accurately measure air, wind and moisture to be able to predict weather one to two days ahead, and from then on this capability developed into our daily TV met telling us what the weather will be in the week ahead.

Oddly, this rise in science meant that although new tools were being devised to predict weather in the short term, the very tool which would enable longer term accuracy of prediction was being knocked off the university campus in the west to pave the way for this new science of meteorology without the astrological element.

Has science taken us backwards rather than forward?

Happily astrology is now a well established system of study once again in the west and many tropical astrologers are using it for weather prediction once more. Using planets to predict the weather years ahead, astrology outstrips the efficiency of many modern and expensive meteorological tools known to man.

There are few on the world stage that specializes in this most important application of astrology. Certainly there are some good specialists in India where the constellational system of weather prediction is recorded to a certain degree in Brihat Samhita, and the Sapta Nadi system for predicting rains and drought is still in use by many Indian astro meteorologists and helps farmers with agriculture and husbandry today in the same way it helped ancient people. Western astrologers rely heavily on texts from Ptolemy, Kepler and William Ramsay to name just a few, and a few astrologers currently work hard to continue the tradition of using planets to forecast weather months, if not years, in advance.

Many astrologers who take up weather prediction often do so knowing that predictions made can easily be verified by objective means rather than subjective interpretation. This means that every astrologer putting out a weather prediction immediately puts their skill to the test, and their reputations on the line, which takes a lot of courage and some confidence in techniques and ability. Successful predictions are verified objectively by the weather itself, and cannot be disputed when the weather arrives to prove the prediction correct. All astro-meteorologists recognize they are only as successful as their last prediction, and it takes time and skill to deliver consistently accurate results.

Consistently good and dedicated contemporary practitioners of astro meteorology are hard to find, let alone available to give up valuable time to participate in an interview for Saptarishis magazine. Therefore when Ken Paone, a dedicated astro-meteorologist, writer and astrologer extraordinaire agreed to give up time for an interview during a major house move in the US, you can imagine how pleased I was. Ken told me ‘I feel that I’m pioneering this great field along with others and that I’m contributing to the body of knowledge that makes up modern astro-meteorology…’

Ken contributes regularly to a range of astrological publications such as American Astrology, Dell Horoscope, The Mountain Astrologer, Considerations, and Prediction Magazine. His e-articles that appear occasionally on EzineArticles.com have been posted on many sites ensuring that his work, and the efforts being made by astro meteorologists to restore this system of prediction, is encountered globally by other people, especially astrologers. His enthusiasm for bringing his work into public forums and success in being published in reputable astrological media demonstrates a commitment to sharing his work and reflects credibility as an effective and successful astro-meteorologist.

I asked Ken how many hours a week he takes to do his weather predictions to which he replied, ‘Since I have a number of different demands on my time, I sometimes wind up working in spurts. During my most organized times, I’ll be able to put in a couple of hours daily. Other times when teaching or musical performances etc. take priority, I’ll have to find time some other way’.

Personally new astro mets find it takes hours to set up the charts for each season and then interpret weather outcomes. I personally decided from the start that I would only predict weather for my own locality, so I could check accuracy immediately by looking outside at the weather, rather than spend hours on the internet checking how successful my predictions had been for distant locations. Time is limited for writing up predictions after hours of reading weather charts, then posting them on the web and checking them as some future day’s weather unfolds. Some astrologers spend hours tracking their world wide weather predictions for the season ahead, and writing up accounts of how accurate these may have been. You can only admire the dedication of astro-mets such as Ken who devote endless hours and expertise to present their work for public scrutiny. Before I continue with the interview, take a look at a sample from Ken’s website to see the quality of his presentation along with the accuracy of his weather predictions

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2008

Here Comes the Sun (Trine Uranus)

Do you see that cool and dry air mass over the U.S. midsection on the Accuweather map? That’s the result of the Sun trine Uranus. The Weather Alternative’s long-range forecast for July 13-15 specified that cool and fair conditions would embrace the Plains at this time.

The Accuweather Midwest report for yesterday said ” As the storms move into the Northeast tonight, the region will experience cooler temperatures and a break from thunderstorms starting on Sunday, due to unseasonably cool air moving southeastward from Canada. ”

The Weather Alternative forecast for July 11-13 was less successful. The forecast expected a low pressure area or moisture to be drawn up from the south and generate storms over the Pacific Northwest.

While the Weather Channel spoke of a return of moisture from the south in their weather summaries on the 11th and 12th, the moisture has not been able to penetrate as far as the Pacific Northwest.

Summer 2008: The Eastern United States

Summer 2008: The West Coast Part 1

Summer 2008: The Rockies Part 1

Summer 2008: The Plains and Mississippi Valley- Part 1

Tricia: Would you tell us a little about when and how and why you learned astrology?

Ken: It was about 1986 when my wife brought home a copy of Debbie Kempton Smith’s book Secrets from a Stargazer’s Notebook. My wife had always been interested in astrology but had never gotten into calculating charts etc. I then became drawn to the subject and wanted to see if this was God’s way of organizing and running things. We’ve always worked as Christian missionaries, and although mainstream Christianity disapproves of its study, we were more open minded about it and other things.

While in Colombia, South America, I was convinced enough by what I had observed and tested that I wanted to learn the process of setting up and interpreting charts. Following Debbie’s counsel in her book, I wrote the CAO Times in New York asking advice on where I should start.

Astrologer Al Morrison (an important figure in the New York and international astrology community) wrote me and got me started. We began a correspondence that lasted a few years and generous Al would freely send me material and answer my questions. So I began by purchasing books in Spanish. My first one was Alan Leo’s Casting the Horoscope. I picked up others along the way about natal and horary astrology.

By and by, I came across Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos and I became interested in the section on weather forecasting. I began by following the system outlined there and to observe how the weather matched the charts. Al told me that I should get Joseph Goodavage’s book Our Threatened Planet, which outlined G.J. McCormack’s successful astrometeorological technique. McCormack, known as the Weather Prophet of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, was the 20^th Century’s most able long-range weather forecaster, and Goodavage, the writer turned astrologer had been introduced to each other by Al.

I learned much from McCormack’s system and from his predecessors A.J. Pearce, Commander Morrison (Zadkiel), and others. I also spent a lot of time experimenting with charts, making forecasts, and watching the results. I’ve pieced together my own astro-meteorological system over the years and I continue to revise it as I learn more.

Tricia: Which astrologer do you admire the most and why?

Ken: In the area of long-range weather forecasting, I admire McCormack for his excellent research and humility. Johannes Kepler is also among my favorites. I admire him for being a man of science, a man of God, and for defending astrology in spite of the opinions of others. I also admire Lieutenant Saxby, who although he was not an astrologer, contributed his helpful observations on the role of the moon in weather forecasting in his book Saxby’s Weather System.

Tricia: Why is astro-meteorology your favoured application of astrology??

Ken: Of course, as already mentioned, astro-meteorology is the branch I concentrate on primarily. I think this is a great branch of astrology that could perhaps pave the way for the acceptance of astrology as a whole by mainstream thinkers. Astro-meteorology deals with planetary influence on inanimate things such as earth’s atmosphere, water vapor, wind currents etc. In natal astrology, one must deal with the issue of freewill, which can lead to a number of possible outcomes in some cases when interpreting a person’s chart. But the planets’ affect on weather systems is more black and white: the atmosphere should respond to a planet’s influence in more limited ways since these elements cannot “choose” for them how to respond. Therefore, since Mars, for example, governs the principle of heat and dryness, we should have a clearer cut response from the atmosphere in an astrological weather chart without the many variables that would need to be taken into consideration with a Mars’ transit to a natal chart.

Tricia: Do you give personal consultations —give us an example of your most outstanding consultation?

Ken: I always try and help my friends, children, or others that come across my path if I think astrology might give them greater insight into what they are now experiencing. These are informal consultations rarely done for any remuneration. One story that comes to mind has to do with a man I began to work with who was at a very, very low point in his life. He was separated from his wife and children when I met him and had suffered a demotion in his work. It seemed he had very few real friends left.

As I got to know him, I slowly introduced the topic of astrology into our conversations. Eventually, we looked at his chart and assessed what had been going on and how to best handle things. His natal Sun conjoined my natal Mercury so he had a way of really making me think things through in order to answer give him well rounded answers. Since some of the difficult aspect patterns that had produced so much loss in his life were about to repeat themselves, I counseled him about how to conduct his affairs differently during those times. It was truly amazing to see him benefit from the information available through his chart, and to watch him regain his wife, family, and position in the end.

Tricia: How do you keep in touch with the practise of astrology today?

Ken: Well, the internet is a great way of keeping tabs on the many different facets of astrology. It’s all right at your finger tips more then ever before. So I will read from different web sites, and I’ve always got someone asking me to check their chart or set up a horary question etc. Of course, I can’t forget the times when I’m investigating a recent weather pattern. All this keeps me up on what is happening with 21^st Century astrology.

Tricia: What is your most exciting or important finding, insight or discovery during your time as an astrologer?

Ken: In the field of astro-meteorology, I’ve had a number of revelatory moments. These usually center on discovering charts that also work well for weather forecasting–such as eclipse charts, retrograde stations etc. But more importantly, I’ve concluded that as an astro-meteorologist, I was always looking for the “key” that would unlock everything. One outstanding insight for me was that there is no magic, all-encompassing “key.” The truth is that there are many keys and it just depends on which one is prominent at the time. So an impressive weather pattern may one time be explained by the Cardinal Solar Ingress chart, another time by the most recent Lunar Eclipse chart, and some other time by a chart set for a retrograde planet etc.

One other insight comes from the important truth that we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. It’s okay to fail as long as you learn from it. As someone once said “In order to increase your rate of success, you must increase your rate of failure.” So if a particular forecast doesn’t pan out, this is an opportunity for me to find out why and learn something from it. On my weather blog (www.theweatheralternative.blogspot.com), I always post the results of my forecasts–right or wrong. It’s the only way to learn.

Tricia: Which prediction given by any astrologer current or past would you say was the most stunning?

Ken: Among my favorite predictions are Kepler’s long-range weather forecast of the severe winter that would affect Styermark, Germany in 1593, and G.J. McCormack’s forecast of the major blizzard that hit New York on December 27, 1947. He had issued the forecast about 6 months beforehand by sending it to over 400 radio and television stations in the area. The government forecasters had totally missed its approach even 24 hours before.

Tricia: Who do you think has contributed the most to the field of astrology?

Ken: That’s a difficult one to answer. There are so many. In the field of astro-meteorology, there’s McCormack who has taken the work of Kepler, Commander Morrison (Zadkiel) and A.J. Pearce, and along with his own refinements left us a good system to base our long-range forecasts on.

Tricia: What do you think is the purpose of astrological knowledge?

Ken: Natal astrology gives us insight into the special purpose God created us for. It helps us define our weaknesses and strengths so that with care and attention we can best fulfill our earthly mission.

Astro-meteorology is one of God’s thoughtful conveniences providing us with a built-in, environmentally friendly, non-polluting, early warning weather forecast system. It’s a great tool to find out what Mother Nature will be up to in the long and short terms with the potential of saving humankind time, money, and lives.

Tricia: Which major development do you believe needs to be made to promote better understanding and application of astrology?

Ken: We need more material that presents astrology in an unbiased way to children and the young. If from early on they can be taught to look at the subject in a fair-minded way, their interest may produce a generation of students that makes more discoveries beneficial to the study of planetary influence than have been made so far. At present, one must overcome a lot of misconceptions about astrology in people mostly because of the erroneous teachings of conventional science.

Tricia: What is the most unusual task you have been given to do with astrology?

Ken: I can’t really think of anything unusual. Well, when you think of it, trying to figure out when the next hurricane will hit the U.S. or when severe weather patterns will manifest somewhere on earth is very unusual for the uninitiated to astrology. It’s not even that common among astrologers.

I find most of Ken’s predictions amazing as he can carefully locate weather such as ‘storm centers’ with great precision in terms of longitude and latitude of their occurrence. So finally I asked Ken what he felt was his most amazing prediction and he told me,’’ One of my favourites is the double hurricane prediction I made that appeared in the Aug/Sept 2000 issue of The Mountain Astrologer. The forecasts were drawn up during February and March of 2000 and sent to the editor. Two places were pinpointed for tropical storm and/or hurricane formation

between August 6-8, 2000. One was off the west coast of Africa and the other off the west coast of Mexico. General latitudes and longitudes were given for each one. Tropical systems developed over both places: Hurricane Alberto developed off the African coast and Tropical Storm Gilma off the Mexican coast.’’

Hopefully one day we will find out who built henges and why, but in the meantime with modern proficient astro mets like Ken plugging into the cosmic computer, we can be assured that weather prediction is not a lost science in the west.

About Author: Tricia has been studying astrology for over thirty five years,and currently lives in UK. She has been featured by media such as radio, TV, magazines including Starteller, and currently writes western sun columns for two UK newspapers and online magazines.
She has studied Vedic astrology since 1988, and is a member of The British Association of Vedic Astrologers, whose journal Gocara has featured some of her articles.