Human beings are always looking for narratives to help them connect their past, present, and future aspirations and expectations, and this is where astrology comes in.
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Is it necessary for us to believe in astrology?
Astrology is a collection of belief systems that assert that there is a connection between astrological phenomena and events or personality traits in the human world. The scientific community has dismissed astrology as having no explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientific testing has discovered no evidence to back up the astrological traditions’ premises or alleged effects.
What does it mean to be an astrology believer?
Is astrology accurate? Reading horoscopes is a popular pastime, but is there any scientific evidence that they are accurate?
When you’re enticed by a familiar interruption and your willpower weakens, problems can occur.
Every day, up to 70 million Americans consult their horoscopes. At least, that’s what the American Federation of Astrologers claims. According to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life poll conducted twenty years ago, 25% of Americans believe that the positions of the stars and planets have an impact on our daily life. In 2012, the General Social Survey indicated that 34% of Americans think astrology is “extremely” or “kind of scientific,” with the percentage of individuals who think astrology is “not at all scientific” dropping from two-thirds to about half.
Astrology is the concept that astronomical phenomena, such as the stars over your head when you were born or the fact that Mercury is retrograde, have the potential to influence our daily lives and personality traits. Of course, this is distinct from astronomy, which is the scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physics of the cosmos.
A particular facet of astrology, the foretelling of a person’s future or the provision of daily counsel via horoscopes, is gaining in popularity. The Cut, for example, recorded a 150 percent rise in horoscope page views in 2017 compared to 2016.
Clearly, a lot of people are trying to figure out how to read the stars for guidance. Understanding the positions of the stars is the foundation of astrology, which appears to be a scientific discipline in and of itself. Is there any scientific evidence that astrology has an impact on our personalities and lives?
But, since I still have five minutes of this six-minute podcast to fill, let’s take a look at how astrology has been put to the test.
Is astrology considered a science? Why do you think that is?
This isn’t the first time astrology has had a moment like this, and it won’t be the last. For thousands of years, the practice has existed in various forms. More recently, the New Age movement of the 1960s and 1970s included a heavy dose of astrology. (Some refer to the New Age as the “Age of Aquarius,” referring to the 2,000-year period after the Earth’s passage through the Aquarius sign.)
While astrology didn’t go completely in the decades between the New Age boom and nowyou could still read horoscopes in the back pages of magazinesit “got back to being a little bit more in the background,” says Chani Nicholas, an astrologer in Los Angeles. “Then there’s something that’s happened in the last five years that’s given it an edge, a relevancy for this time and place that it hasn’t had in 35 years.” The millennial generation has taken it and run with it.
Many of the people I spoke to for this article felt that, while the stigma surrounding astrology still exists, it has faded as the discipline has gained traction in online culture, particularly among young people.
“We’ve seen a reframing of New Age activities over the last two years, very much tailored toward a Millennial and young Gen X component,” says Lucie Greene, global director of J. Walter Thompson’s Intelligence Group, which studies and predicts cultural trends.
Broadly’s horoscope traffic, according to Callie Beusman, a senior editor, “has increased very dramatically.” The Cut’s president and editor-in-chief, Stella Bugbee, claims that a typical horoscope article on the site received 150 percent more traffic in 2017 than the previous year.
Astrology is well-suited to the digital age in some aspects. If you feel like plunging into a Google-research rabbit hole, there’s a low barrier to admission and practically infinite depths to plumb. The availability of more detailed information on the internet has given this cultural wave of astrology a level of sophistication. There will be more jokes about Saturn returns and less “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” questions. lines for a pick-up
A quick refresher: Astrology is not a science, and there is no proof that one’s zodiac sign has anything to do with personality. However, the system has its own logic. The positioning of the sun, moon, and planets within 12 parts of the sky, known as the zodiac signs, is given significance in astrology. Even if you’re not an astrology fan, you’re probably aware of your sun sign, the most well-known zodiac sign. It’s determined by the position of the sun on your birthday. However, the position of the moon and each of the other planets at the time and place of your birth adds more shades to the portrait of you that your “birth chart” paints.
Horoscopes are designed to tell you what the planets are doing right now and in the future, as well as how all of this influences each sign.
Susan Miller, the popular astrologer who developed the Astrology Zone website, describes the planets as a cocktail party. “You could have three individuals chatting at the same time, two people arguing in the corner, and Venus and Mars kissing.” I need to figure out what’s going on in those monthly talks for you.
“Astrologers are continually attempting to break down these massive concepts into manageable chunks of information,” Nicholas explains.
These days’ kids and their memes provide an ideal setting for astrology.
Astrology uses the planets and zodiac symbols to express complex ideas about personality, life cycles, and relationship patterns. That shorthand also works well online, where symbols and shorthand are frequently used.
Bertram Malle, a social cognitive scientist at Brown University, wrote me in an email, “Let me say first that I consider astrology a cultural or psychological phenomenon, not a scientific one.” However, “full-fledged astrology,” which goes beyond newspaper-style sun-sign horoscopes, gives you a powerful vocabulary to describe not only your personality and temperament, but also your life’s obstacles and prospects. To the extent that one just learns this vocabulary, it may appeal as a rich method of reflecting (rather than explaining or forecasting) human feelings and life events, as well as identifying some potential coping paths.
In times of stress, people frequently consult astrology. According to a short 1982 research by psychologist Graham Tyson, “those who contact astrologers do so in response to pressures in their lives, notably stress related to the individual’s social duties and connections.” “Under high stress, the individual is willing to employ astrology as a coping mechanism, even though he does not believe in it under low stress.”
Millennials have been the most stressed generation since 2014, according to American Psychological Association survey data, and they are also the group most likely to claim their stress has increased in the past year since 2010. Since 2012, Millennials and Gen Xers have been much more anxious than previous generations. Since the 2016 presidential election, Americans have been experiencing greater stress as a result of the political turmoil. According to the APA’s 2017 survey, 63 percent of Americans are “extremely concerned” about their country’s future. Reading the news stresses out 56% of individuals, with Millennials and Gen Xers being substantially more likely than older people to say so. Political infighting, climate change, global problems, and the prospect of nuclear war have all been prominent in recent news. If stress makes astrology look more appealing, it’s no surprise that more people are interested in it now.
What appeals to you about astrology?
The scorpion is the Zodiac sign of determination, assertiveness, and intuition. Are these the qualities that a world leader must possess? Some speculate that this is the case. According to Vocativ, an analysis of 190 world leaders found that certain Zodiac signs are more likely to hold leadership roles. “Scorpios, who are born between late October and late November, have the most cabinet ministers, with 22, or more than 11% of those in charge around the world, according to the Daily Mail. President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Marie Antoinette, and the Pope are all Scorpios “Sun Yat Sen, the father of modern China. The fiery Leo and Sagittarius are next on the zodiac list of world leaders.
4. Hitler’s horoscope foretold his future.
Someone born on April 20th, 1889, was predicted to ascend to power by an astrologer. Adolf Hitler was that person. Karl Krafft, a Swiss astrologer, prophesied an attempted assassination of Hitler. The Nazis arrested Krafft for foreseeing the sad occurrence. Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda, engaged Krafft as the Nazis’ in-house astrologer after determining the astrologer was innocent. AstrologyCosmos claims that “Hitler began the successful Operation Barossa attack because of Krafft’s astrological predictions.
5. Babylon was the birthplace of astrology.
Babylon was the birthplace of astrology as we know it today. In the cultural region known as Babylonia, some of the first astrological documents date back to 4000 BCE. Planets and stars were noticed and recorded by Babylonians. These astrologers laid the groundwork for Greek and Hellenistic astrology, which is now influencing Western astrology.
6. You have multiple signs
Many people believe that they only have one sign, which is determined by their date of birth. The sun sign is the most well-known, but there are also signs for each of the planets and 12 different houses. ‘The’ “Your sun, moon, and rising sign are the big three, and they give information about your personality, emotions, vulnerability, and how you love. In order to download your birth chart, you’ll need your birth date, birth place, and birth time (as accurate as possible) “The big three
Any of the following free birth chart calculators can be used:
7. The moon has an effect on your emotions.
When the moon is full, you can find yourself sobbing on the couch about your first love. What was the source of that? As far back as 400 B.C., there has been research “The moon’s influence was blamed for the shifts in behavior. According to Healthline, the term “lunatic” comes from the belief that changes in mental condition are linked to lunar cycles. Perhaps this is why Emelia informs Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello that the moon is too close to the Earth and has driven men insane.
8. There is an element in each Zodiac sign.
Water, fire, air, and earth are the four elements linked with each of the twelve Zodiac signs. The characteristics of these elements are inextricably linked to the characteristics of the indications.
Is it possible for you to believe in God and astrology?
I’ve been asked numerous times over the years to speak about the compatibility of astrology and religion by clients who are deeply religious. Despite the fact that some passionately religious people consider astrology to be heretical, I’ve noticed an extraordinary ideological connection between organized religions and the orderly world of astrology.
Astrology is completely compatible with a strict religious belief system. It’s a graceful jump to assume that a God created the universe, with noble ideals guiding even the planets and stars.
The study of the planets and stars precedes and has influenced religious belief and practice around the world, according to evidence from ancient texts, sculptures, and stained glass art. Symbols of astrological signs and planets can be found in our earliest ancient religious sites. Significant religious luminaries including Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Buddha, and Mary Baker Eddy were born within astrological alignments that synchronistically confirmed their arrival.
Some devoted religious believers’ opposition can be traced back to a time when priests and religious authorities sought to interpret and mediate all religious experiences from their positions of authority. Our forefathers sought divine inspiration straight from the stars and considered themselves to be an intricate part of an active universe evolving before the development of male-dominated organized religion. Astrology as a technique and a belief system founded on an enchantment with the divine orchestrations of the heavens was open to anyone. Astrology does not necessitate the worship of a single deity or figurehead; rather, it assumes the existence of an infinite and purposeful intellect that pervades the heavens and the earth in a grand symphony of meaning.
Religion comes from the Latin term religio, which meaning “to connect together.” What could be more inextricably interwoven than celestial motions and human experiences and events?
The meanings of the 9th and 12th houses, as well as the archetypes of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, all honor the importance of religion and spirituality in astrology. The 9th and 12th houses represent areas of life where religious or spiritual guidance, experience, and/or ordainment may be sought. Jupiter can represent a powerful spiritual or religious figure, Saturn a harsh God image, and Neptune mystical experiences and religious rapture.
A trustworthy, unbiased astrologer can assist a client in strengthening their confidence. Through an examination of their chart, I’ve assisted several clients in reclaiming and activating their religious roots, leading them toward the power that comes from following a religious path. Religion is a cornerstone of psychological and mental well-being for some people.
Unlike many organized religions, astrological ideas and practices are free of sexism, racism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression. Even the old astrological metaphors of masculine and feminine planets and energies have been redesigned as receptive and active energies that are not gendered in expression. Every human has a strong seat at the table of the universe, just as every planet and star has a position in the sky.
Astrology and organized faiths are both:
- Are you looking for a way to express yourself?
- Are not backed up by scientific evidence
- Thousands of years have passed
- Are based on legend and folklore.
- Have spawned works of art and poetry that are both inspired and stunning.
- Give people a sense of belonging and identity
- Assist folks who are going through a lot of pain and loss.
- Investigate the concepts of fate and free will.
- Have a history of group rituals?
- Keep track of important dates on your calendar.
In contrast to religion, astrology:
- There are no places of worship.
- There are no membership requirements or vows.
- There are no moral edicts.
- Has no claim to superiority based on merit
- Is there no human saint?
- There is no such thing as a hierarchy of worthiness.
- Does not indicate that there is an afterlife.
- There is no specific code of social conduct outlined.
- There is no formal consensus on the amount of training that must be completed.
- There are no official uniforms or costuming for practitioners.
- It does not necessitate worship.
These lists demonstrate how religion and astrology can have a fruitful relationship.
Religion is a Saturn word in astrological terms: it is ordered, spells out right and wrong, and is constructed on and in institutions and agreements. Astrology has a Uranian bent to it:
Is it possible to prove astrology?
After attempting and failing to show the reality of astrological beliefs, scientific investigations including astrology have come to a halt. So yet, there have been no reported occurrences of astrology assisting in a scientific breakthrough.
Is it possible to foretell the future using astrology?
This is likely the most harmful assumption about astrology that people make. Its function, contrary to popular assumption, is not to predict what will happen to you in the future. Instead, it’s supposed to be a guiding tool that allows you to make informed judgments and steer clear of life’s pitfalls. Astrology seeks to keep you in tune with the universe’s oneness. It can help you make better decisions when you’re not aligned and things keep going wrong.
Many individuals believe that an astrologer has the power to influence their lives or fate. This is not an option. Consider the following scenario: Because an astrologer did not create your fate, he cannot alter it. Your subconscious and collected karma are the ones who have shaped your fate. You have the opportunity to edit your life a little bit in life by your choices and decisions. You built it, so you have some control over it, but you can’t change it entirely.
Let me put it this way: you’ll never grow into an orange tree if you’re an apple seed. You may not be able to avoid contracting a sickness, but you can choose how you treat and deal with it. In this way, astrology may assist you by serving as a guide to help you make decisions that will allow you to experience the finest possible outcome of your own personal destiny. It all begins with you and finishes with you; it’s that simple.
Do you think astrology can explain your personal response?
It’s a whole science that revolves on the positions of stars and planets. A large number of people believe in astrology. Many astrologers’ forecasts have come true. Astrology can aid with future planning.