Ancient Hindu Astrology for the Modern Western Astrologer读书摘要 – 1 – 序

序言是一段对话，发生在1982年印度的Benares市，作者的第一次印度占星：

Astrologer: You are going to write some books.
J.T.B: What!!!
Astrologer: You are going to write some books.
J.T.B: Are you sure?
Astrologer: Yes.
J.T.B: How many?
Astrologer: A few, five or six.
J.T.B: Are you sure?
Astrologer: Yes.
J.T.B: But are you sure? I mean are you positive?
Astrologer: My dear friend, astrology is not an absolute science.
J.T.B: Ahhhhhhh…
Astrologer: But you will write books.

在全书最后，作者引用了《圣经旧约传道书》的一段来作结尾，鉴于我的读书摘要不知道哪天才写得完，不如在开头就把这结尾照抄上来：

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven;
  A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which
  has been planted;
  A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather
  stones together;
  A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
  embracing;
  A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
  A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, a time to hate, a time of war, and a
  time of peace.
— The Bible