Page:A Collection of Esoteric Writings.djvu/216

202 But here again the Nadigrantham was found to be blundering hopelessly. Leo was not in my ascendant and consequently I informed the astrologer again that he was probably reading from the wrong page. My suggestion was again accepted and a few more leaves were turned over. The time the astrologer did not venture to meddle witchwith [sic] my horoscope, but read something which pretended to indicate the time when I put my questions. He informed me that the horoscope of the questioner would not be given in every case and that, because the time of questioning was properly defined, I must infer that the answers which followed were intended to be replies to my questions. But a fresh difficulty presented itself to my mind. In two separate places in his book, the astrologer appeared to have found an indication of the time when my questions were made known to him, but it was clear that, at that particular instant, I was the only person that questioned him. Why was the same moment noticed, then, in two different places in the Nadigrautham and apparently in connection with two distinct personalities? If it should be asserted that at that very moment, some other person might be proposing questions to a Nadigrantham astrologer at some other place, and that consequently the second account might refer to him, then, it would be necessary to find a correct indication of time as well as a proper description of the questioner to assure one's self that answers were being searched for in the right place. If so, the description of the horoscope would be indispensably necessary in every case; if, on the other hand, it should be admitted that there could be but one questioner at a time, the discovery in two different places of the description of the same moment or Arudhalagnam would be altogether inexplicable and exceedingly suspicious. I plainly pointed out my difficulties to the astrologer and asked him for a satisfactory explanation. He was mute for a few seconds, then grew passionate and told my friend that I had spoiled the whole business. I expected that the affair would come to a disagreeable close if I should insist upon getting an explanation which, from the astrologer's standpoint, was clearly impossible. I