Letter: Sunstroke

Sir: It is undeniable that popular astrology helps to sell newspapers at this time of year, but John Walsh ("What planet are you on?", 5 January) gets it wrong when he says that "all the signs are that horoscopes have a future". In Britain astrologers can be prosecuted under the Fraudulent Mediums Act, 1951, although this has not, so far, happened.

There are serious differences, too, between academic astrologers. Professor Dawkins dismissed the art as "pre-Copernican dabblings". I am a post-Copernican astrologer. I wonder what he would make of that?

Because of my views I am currently banned as a "heretic" by the Astrological Association. It happened after I successfully predicted some early effects of this year's big eclipse using methods that give pride of place to the Sun.

HELEN BEST

London W4