I'm not asking the question. I know that the answer is a definitive No without a good reason. I write this because it was a headline that I saw as part of what can be both one of the most amusing and one of the saddest sections of the newspaper - The Horoscope section. As someone who has never taken more than a passing interest in anything related to this I was shocked to find that in a recent study, 31% of Americans asked believed in Astrology and 39% believed it to be scientific. I have to ask the question of these people Why do you think this?
Astrology is the art (not science) of looking at the ghosts of dead stars that live, in the case of Alpha Centauri, 4.37 light years away. Even if it did happen to know something about what was happening tomorrow, we would only find out in approximatly 4 years, 4 months and a week - useless when you read it in the paper for today - and this is the closest star. Others will be telling us many hundreds of years in the future. You then align this with the positions of the planets in our own solar system and you can supposedly find out what is going to happen to all of the population of the world which at the time of writing is 6.95 billion people. This is then split up into groups based on an erroneous calendar system which has changed since all this has started, thus rendering the whole thing pointless any way, and telling us that these groups are going to experience the same sorts of things no matter where they are, what situation they are in and what they were going to be doing. That's a remarkable generality, 579 million people are going to have the same things happen to them within a 24 hour period.
Then you need to realise that the night sky changes over time. Stars shift and what is known today as Orion (the Hunter) may one day be known as one half of the turtle and one half of the duck.
It gets even more ludicrous when you look at different star signs. An example from today. Gemini (my star sign) for the 13th of September 2009 compared with Libra (chosen at random) for the same day.
Gemini: This is a very important work cycle peak, representing new jobs, new positions, new projects, and new goals developing in the surrounding month that will last for the next two years. What you accept, you're stuck with for that time, so choose well. Impact your options, then make your power moves with renewed vigor.
Libra: Knowing what you want and moving on to procure it is the opportunity of the day, and what you fall into now may be just the chance you've been waiting for. Sharing goals and deciding to mutually go for it will be the best of all possible worlds for everybody, with a minimum of conflict resulting later.
My interpretation of both of them: Make wise decisions today
This is very generalised and is good advice for anyone at any time. And this is standard procedure. Around the end of financial year time you see horoscopes saying that you should budget, around Christmas you see horoscopes saying that it's better to give than receive and the list goes on.
Another nail in the coffin comes when you look at different astrologists interpretations of the same pictures. Taurus from the same date taken from astrology.com.au (1) and astrology.com (2).
(1) Desires deceive and getting hold of what's wanted seems to be a continuing and elusive task. Watch out for illusions and delusions being sold as the real thing, and then snatched out of reach just before consummation. If you're unsure, don't invest time or money or you'll be perpetuating the situation.
(2) You are almost certain to hear some good news today -- and you've waited long enough for it! Make sure to express the right amount of gratitude when it starts to flow your way and all will be well.
Interesting that for the same person, the opposite things will happen.
I'd like to finish with my favourite horoscope happening. In order to find out how accurate they actually were, One scientist (name with held) found 1000 volunteers to rate a horoscope which he sent them for a week. All bar 10 said that they were happy with it and would like to keep on receiving them. He sent a letter back to them saying that it would be impossible as it had been specifically written for a person who had since died due to his being on death row, 3 years previously. Which means that what was written for a man in prison three years before still applied to 99% of average Joes from all 12 star signs.
Believable? Scientific? Nope.
Astrology is the art (not science) of looking at the ghosts of dead stars that live, in the case of Alpha Centauri, 4.37 light years away. Even if it did happen to know something about what was happening tomorrow, we would only find out in approximatly 4 years, 4 months and a week - useless when you read it in the paper for today - and this is the closest star. Others will be telling us many hundreds of years in the future. You then align this with the positions of the planets in our own solar system and you can supposedly find out what is going to happen to all of the population of the world which at the time of writing is 6.95 billion people. This is then split up into groups based on an erroneous calendar system which has changed since all this has started, thus rendering the whole thing pointless any way, and telling us that these groups are going to experience the same sorts of things no matter where they are, what situation they are in and what they were going to be doing. That's a remarkable generality, 579 million people are going to have the same things happen to them within a 24 hour period.
Then you need to realise that the night sky changes over time. Stars shift and what is known today as Orion (the Hunter) may one day be known as one half of the turtle and one half of the duck.
It gets even more ludicrous when you look at different star signs. An example from today. Gemini (my star sign) for the 13th of September 2009 compared with Libra (chosen at random) for the same day.
Gemini: This is a very important work cycle peak, representing new jobs, new positions, new projects, and new goals developing in the surrounding month that will last for the next two years. What you accept, you're stuck with for that time, so choose well. Impact your options, then make your power moves with renewed vigor.
Libra: Knowing what you want and moving on to procure it is the opportunity of the day, and what you fall into now may be just the chance you've been waiting for. Sharing goals and deciding to mutually go for it will be the best of all possible worlds for everybody, with a minimum of conflict resulting later.
My interpretation of both of them: Make wise decisions today
This is very generalised and is good advice for anyone at any time. And this is standard procedure. Around the end of financial year time you see horoscopes saying that you should budget, around Christmas you see horoscopes saying that it's better to give than receive and the list goes on.
Another nail in the coffin comes when you look at different astrologists interpretations of the same pictures. Taurus from the same date taken from astrology.com.au (1) and astrology.com (2).
(1) Desires deceive and getting hold of what's wanted seems to be a continuing and elusive task. Watch out for illusions and delusions being sold as the real thing, and then snatched out of reach just before consummation. If you're unsure, don't invest time or money or you'll be perpetuating the situation.
(2) You are almost certain to hear some good news today -- and you've waited long enough for it! Make sure to express the right amount of gratitude when it starts to flow your way and all will be well.
Interesting that for the same person, the opposite things will happen.
I'd like to finish with my favourite horoscope happening. In order to find out how accurate they actually were, One scientist (name with held) found 1000 volunteers to rate a horoscope which he sent them for a week. All bar 10 said that they were happy with it and would like to keep on receiving them. He sent a letter back to them saying that it would be impossible as it had been specifically written for a person who had since died due to his being on death row, 3 years previously. Which means that what was written for a man in prison three years before still applied to 99% of average Joes from all 12 star signs.
Believable? Scientific? Nope.
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