Astrology, according to hardened scientists, does not work. It does, according to believers. Who is correct? They’re both correct. It depends on your definition of “work.” Astrology is the concept that, depending on when one was born, the alignment of stars and planets influences one’s mood, personality, and environment. Astrologers publish customised horoscopes in newspapers based on a person’s birth date. These horoscopes make predictions about people’s personal situations, define their characters, and offer guidance based on astronomical bodies’ positions. According to a poll done by the National Science Foundation, 41% of people believe astrology is “extremely scientific” or “kind of scientific.” Let’s break down the original query into two more precise questions: 1) Is a person’s life affected by the position of astronomical bodies? 2) Can horoscopes improve people’s moods? These are two completely different questions. Both are scientifically verifiable.
Is it true that the positions of astronomical bodies have an impact on people’s lives (beyond the weather)?
No. Seasons are determined by the sun’s position and orientation in relation to the earth. Anyone who has shoveled snow off his path in January when he would rather be at the beach can attest to the fact that the planets have an impact on our lives. Electromagnetic disturbances caused by solar flares can impair satellites and possibly create outages on Earth. Ocean tides are caused by the moon’s position. If you’re a fisherman, the moon’s location might have a big impact on your livelihood. Beautiful auroras are caused by the solar wind, and sunlight is our planet’s primary source of energy. All of these effects, however, are covered by simple meteorology, not astrology. Astrology claims that, depending on a person’s birth date, astronomical bodies have an impact on their lives beyond fundamental weather patterns. This claim is untrue from a scientific standpoint. Several scientific research have refuted the idea that astronomical bodies have an impact on people’s life based on their birth date. For example, Peter Hartmann and his colleagues looked at nearly 4000 people and discovered no link between birth date and personality or IQ. Shawn Carlson conducted one of the most renowned tests in which he had 28 astrologers give predictions and then verified their accuracy. He fine-tuned the approach before conducting the experiment, ensuring that it was scientifically sound and that all of the astrologers believed the test was fair. He discovered that astrologers were no better at predicting the future than random chance, according to a study published in Nature. These findings are consistent with basic science.
Gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force are the four fundamental forces of nature. When an object interacts with a human, it must do so via one of these fundamental forces. Strong acid, for example, burns your skin because the acid’s electromagnetic fields pull on your skin molecules so intensely that they split apart. Gravity drags a falling boulder onto you, crushing you. Because of nuclear forces, a nuclear bomb will evaporate you. Each of the fundamental forces has the potential to be quite powerful. The issue is that they all die out as time passes. Beyond a few nanometers, nuclear forces decay so quickly that they are effectively nil. Electromagnetic forces can range from nanometers to kilometers in length. Electromagnetic waves (light) can be detected from the boundary of the observable universe by sensitive equipment, although the light is extremely feeble. Although a star’s gravity is technically felt across the cosmos, its unique impact on the universe is limited to its solar system. Polaris’ gravitational attraction on an earthbound human is weaker than the gravitational pull of a gnat flying around his head due to the impact of distance. Similarly, the electromagnetic waves (light) from Sirius that reach an earthbound human’s sight are dimmer than the light from a passing firefly. If stars and planets had an impact on humanity, gnats and fireflies would have an even greater impact. Even if the planets’ gravity was powerful enough to influence you, a literal alignment of the planets would not result in you winning the lottery, for the simple reason that it never happens in the real world.
Yes. But it has nothing to do with the accuracy of the horoscopes. Because of a psychological impact known as the placebo effect, horoscopes make individuals feel better. The placebo effect occurs when a person’s belief in a useless procedure makes them feel better. The improvement is caused by the belief rather than the method. The placebo effect has been shown scientifically. If you offer ten sick people water-only pills and tell them it’s a potent new treatment that will assist them, and then have ten sick patients refuse to take the pills, the patients who take the pills will improve in health over time. Because of the placebo effect, a new treatment must be shown to make patients feel better in addition to making them feel better. It must be demonstrated that it outperforms a placebo. The control group in accurate medical experiments is not a group of untreated patients. The control group, on the other hand, is made up of patients who were given a placebo. The placebo effect is at work when it comes to astrology. A large number of people believe in astrology. They feel better when they read their horoscope and follow its advise. However, it is their belief, not the astrology, that makes them feel better. The placebo effect is used in many pseudoscientific treatments, from crystal healing to homeopathy. Believing in a treatment that doesn’t work may be beneficial, but believing in one that does is much better. Sticking to scientifically proven treatments allows you to reap the benefits of both belief and therapy action. Instead of reading your horoscope first thing in the morning, go for a walk. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial to both the body and the mind, and your belief in its benefits will also aid you.
Topics:
astrology, astronomy, gravity, horoscope, placebo, placebo effect, sign, stars, astrology, astronomy
In This Article...
Who chose the personalities of the zodiac signs?
The 12 zodiac signs, with which many people are likely familiar today, were created during this Ancient Greek period.
The signs of Aries (approximately March 21-April 19), Taurus (April 20-May 20), Gemini (May 21-June 20), Cancer (June 21-July 22), Leo (July 23-Aug. 22), Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22), Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21), Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21 These Western, or tropical, zodiac signs were named after constellations and paired with dates based on their apparent relationship to the sun’s position in the sky.
By 1500 BC, the Babylonians had divided the zodiac into 12 equal signs, with constellation names that were similar to those we know today, such as The Great Twins, The Lion, and The Scales, and these were later adopted into Greek divination. These 12 signs were popularized by the astronomer Ptolemy, author of the Tetrabiblos, which became a key work in the history of Western astrology.
“Ptolemy codified the idea that there were 12 signs of the zodiac that were 30 broad, and that the sun travelled through these signs on a regular basis throughout the year,” adds Odenwald. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “zodiac” derives from the Greek, from a term for “sculpted animal figure,” and the sequence in which the signs are normally enumerated also stems from that time period.
Do people’s zodiac signs reflect their personality and character?
Every zodiac sign is an essential and strong piece of the puzzle that is the zodiac. The four elements (air, fire, water, and earth) work together to form a comprehensive whole that manifests itself in your life as your distinct personality qualities. Although astrology is a very complex subject, its most basic idea revolves around the 12 zodiac signs. Each sign has gained its own connections, including mythology, animals, and colors, as well as its own features, over the years. Every sign has its own point of view, with its own set of powerful strengths and exhausting flaws.
We know the Sun doesn’t move from an astronomical standpoint since its stability anchors the entire solar system. The Sun, on the other hand, is always moving from our vantage point on planet Earth. Its daily performance (including inspirational sunrises and dramatic sunsets) as well as its position in the sky can be relied upon. Your “sun sign” (also known as “star sign” or “birth sign”) is the cosmic launching pad for both novices and experienced astrologers. It is the position of the Sun at the exact moment of your birth. (Another crucial placement is your Rising Sign, which you can learn more about here.) Your sun sign is defined by your birthday and defines your fundamental personality, sense of self, basic preferences, love compatibility, and ways of life. This astrological alignment illuminates both your natural talents and your hidden flaws. Your joys, wishes, flaws, and fears distinguish you, and your sun sign, when joined with the other planets and placements in your birth chart, provides a unique celestial profile that serves as your cosmic fingerprint.
Is there any validity to 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 are the zodiac signs that are uncommon?
The 12 zodiac signs each have their own set of personality qualities and are unique in their own way (they each even have a corresponding tarot card and connection to your health). Nothing, however, compares to being the rarest. You might be wondering what the rarest zodiac sign is.
Aquarius is the sign that persons born between January 20 and February 18 belong to. According to Lisa Stardust, a New York City-based astrologer and author of Saturn Return Survival Guide: Navigating This Cosmic Rite of Passage, “the least amount of births occur in January and February, making Aquarius the rarest zodiac sign.”
People believe in astrology for a variety of reasons.
Self-Discovery It’s likely that people study astrology in order to gain a better understanding of themselves and increase their self-awareness. Astrology has been shown in studies to significantly impact and even validate a person’s self-concept, as well as improve their confidence in their unique characteristics.
Is it true that your zodiac sign affects your love life?
Many individuals believe that zodiac signs have no meaning, while many others, including me, believe that they do. These compatibility charts, even for those who believe, are just not accurate. Zodiac signs are not always distinctive and specific, and this must be taken into account.
What are the characteristics of each Zodiac?
We all have all twelve Signs on our Natal (birth) Charts somewhere (which is a picture of what the sky looked like the time you were born), and we flow through each Sign’s “season” throughout the year- so it’s crucial to get a handle on them all! Most people are aware of their Sun (star) Sign, but the position of the Moon in your Natal Chart (your Moon Sign) and the Sign rising on the horizon when you were born (your Rising/Ascendant Sign) are also important! You can acquire a free Natal Chart here, and you can learn more about your Rising Sign in this post.
Then there are the “Personal Planets,” Mercury, Venus, and Mars, which have a strong influence on us depending on the Sign they are in; the “Social Planets,” Jupiter and Saturn, whose transits can be extremely prominent for us; and the “Outer Planets,” Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, all of which have significant energies in their transits and placements. Each planet “rules” 1-2 Zodiac Signs and has considerable influences on them. For additional information, see our page on the Planets!
Each Sign also has an Element (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and a Quality/Mode (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable) that indicates whether it occurs at the start, middle, or end of a season. All of this adds to the flavor of their energies and distinguishes them from one another. A Fixed Fire Sign (Leo) differs from a Mutable Fire Sign (Cancer) (Sagittarius). The following is a list of their Elements and Modes:
ELEMENTS:
Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are the fire signs. The burning passion, energy, excitement, and fearlessness associated with these Signs are stated to be present.
EARTH SIGNS = Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn – These are the earthy, grounded Zodiac signs. They are dedicated, realistic, and pragmatic individuals.
AIR SIGNS = Gemini, Libra, Aquarius – Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are the Zodiac’s intelligent thinkers and talkers. They are rational, headstrong, and people-oriented.
SIGNS OF WATER = Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces – These are the Signs that are the most intuitive and emotional. They are emotionally and subconsciously aware, compassionate, and fluid.
Are the signs of the zodiac considered haram?
Astrology is the study of celestial bodies’ movements and relative placements, which are thought to have an impact on human affairs and the natural world. According to historian Emilie Savage-Smith, astrology (ilm al-nujm, “the study of the stars”) was “by far” the most popular of the “many activities aiming to predict future occurrences or perceive hidden phenomena” in early Islamic history.
Despite Islamic prohibitions, some medieval Muslims were interested in studying the apparent motion of the stars. This was partially due to their belief in the importance of the celestial bodies, and partly due to the fact that desert inhabitants frequently traveled at night and relied on knowledge of the constellations for navigation. Muslims needed to determine the time of prayers, the direction the kaaba would face, and the correct orientation of the mosque after the arrival of Islam, all of which helped give a religious impetus to the study of astronomy and contributed to the belief that the celestial bodies had an impact on terrestrial affairs as well as the human condition.
The criteria for Islam’s attitude on astrology are laid out in Islamic jurisprudence, the Quran, the Hadith, Ijma (scholarly consensus), and Qiyas (analogy). The idea is further differentiated into that which is either halal (authorized) or haram (forbidden) (forbidden). The view that astrology is forbidden by the authorities, as enshrined in the Quran and Hadith, is shared by all Islamic sects and academics.
