The very name of Kepler College asserts its compatibility with modern science. Johannes Kepler, the 17th-century German astronomer who helped determine the laws of planetary motion, was the last great astronomical figure who held fast to astrological beliefs, even as his work served to undermine the picture of the universe on which astrology was founded. Boston University chancellor John Silber argues that naming an astrology college for Kepler is like naming a school of drunkenness after Hemingway; it honors a great man for his major failing.
In "authorizing" Kepler to give B.A. and M.A. degrees, state regulators make no judgments as to the value of astrology. "We're not saying [Kepler] is great or worth going to," says Barbara Dunn, spokesperson for the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board. "We're saying they met the requirements to operate in the state of Washington"—which include such practical criteria as adequate financial and administrative resources, "qualified faculty," and an appropriate academic catalog.
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Last month, the board sent a letter about its decision to Gov. Gary Locke, preparing him for any political fallout. With notable bureaucratic backbone, the board averred: "It is not the responsibility, nor should it be, of government to dictate what citizens should study or think."
Kepler's academic programming will get a more thorough assessment when the college seeks accreditation, which is granted by one of a half-dozen quasi-public associations around the country. Once a school is accredited, its students can qualify for federal loans. But the symbolic value is at least as important. Newberg says Kepler will seek accreditation first from the Distance Education and Training Council, which has certified schools of nutrition, religious studies, business, gemology, hypnosis, and motel management, among others. Later, she says, Kepler may apply to the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, a more arduous process that takes at least seven years.
The long-term viability of Kepler is in question. Only a dozen students enrolled as freshman this fall, and that number will seriously dwindle if last year's one-third attrition rate continues. Tuition is $5,000 a year, and Newberg says that a class size of 65 students represents a "survivable rate" for the school. She and her board of directors continue to raise funds, but Keplerites acknowledge that the arrival of their institution has not been universally celebrated in the astrological community. "The people who do astrology in a personal, intuitive way are very threatened by what we're doing," says student Karen Hawkwood. Observes faculty member Lehman: "People who for years have been studying on their own are going to be suddenly confronted with people who have a credential."
THERE'S NO DOUBT that the faculty at Kepler are, to one degree or another, astrology believers. Dr. Lehman claims to have had success in predicting the outcome of sports games and beating the house in Vegas. (She says her own astrological practice focuses on "answering life's little problems—'Should I buy this house?' etc.") The overall viewpoint of the school, she says, is that "there is an influence between planetary position and human and biological behavior on earth—and the nature of that connection is worth studying."
Yet there's certainly no evidence of indoctrination going on at Kepler. As student Mark Kuenzel puts it, "They really are heavy into critical thinking. They're not just jamming a philosophy down your throat. They're exposing you to all the philosophies and saying, 'Well, these people contradict each other, why do you think that is?' Kepler really encourages you to question pretty much everything you are told and read."
Student Karen Hawkwood, who moonlights as an astrological counselor, says it makes her laugh when people ask, "Do you believe in astrology?" "Because that's like asking, 'Do you believe in biology?' Of course this thing exists. The question is, what do you believe it can or cannot do?" She says she "violently disbelieves that the planets cause anything." But she thinks astrology "can show us patterns, how the pattern in the sky represents synchronistically the pattern in the human being. I don't know how this works. The microcosm reflects the macrocosm. We see patterns in things that there's no objective way to explain. I believe astrology is one of the best ways to see those patterns."
Read more about Kepler College in "Battle of the Stars."
mfefer@seattleweekly.com
