I’ll admit that I’m guilty of reading my horoscope (Pisces, represent!) and thinking, “oh wow this is so true” or looking back and thinking “wow this totally happened.” I’ll also admit to googling what my zodiac says about my personality. Most of us take it at face value and then walk away. But are these types of things actually accurate?
When I was a sophomore in high school, my English class was heavy on speeches. One of these speeches was to be persuasive, on any topic of our choosing. I decided to investigate this topic. While most sources said that it was scientifically inaccurate, I do remember reading one that I found intriguing, yet flawed. It mentioned that your brain is 75% water (true) and that moon phases affect water (also true; think of the tides). Then it started to get a little iffy – it said that the position of the water in your brain when you’re born affects the neurons in your brain and their composition, which can change your likes, dislikes, and even personality. Oddly enough, I could not find that source as I was writing this blog, so you’ll have to take my word for it, which makes me highly question its legitimacy, even more than I did before. Nonetheless, I found that to be an interesting idea, though it still left me asking questions. For example, wouldn’t the moon continue to rearrange the water and neurons in your brain even after you are born, therefore negating the notion that it’s your birthday and zodiac that impacts personality? It seems illogical to think that something affected by the moon would only occur while in the womb.
A more likely explanation, brought up by Pacific Standard, says that horoscopes and personality descriptions based on the zodiac are nothing more than general statements. The observations and predictions made based on your sign are usually very vague and can be related to many situations, hence making nearly anyone relate to the topic. Here’s a sample horoscope:“You may feel as if you’re being drawn in conflicting directions today, yet you still might believe that it’s possible to simultaneously follow more than one path. But the weird truth is that all roads eventually lead you to the same destination now. Entertain as many possibilities as you can and then choose the course of least resistance. There are many ways to make your dreams come true.”
Do you feel like this applies to you? Probably. This is actually my horoscope for today, and I doubt all of you are Pisces. Notice that it contains very general statements with which most people can relate.
Berkeley made a checklist to help people decide if astrology is science. It almost deals with a type of the “supernatural” as far as heavenly bodies and mythology. It mentions that it does help to explain the natural world, IF you believe that it is accurate. The major factor is that it does not rely on scientific evidence, and in fact most evidence is proven invalid. So, it’s up to you to decide. Do you think anything about astrology is legitimate, or is it all just a shot in the dark trying to find a bullseye?
I always wondered this same thing! I used to be a frequent horoscope checker, but recently decided to stop looking up my horoscopes for the day. I sometimes found that my horoscope would match perfectly to what was actually going on in my life, while other times it did not. It is funny to me because after reading yours I could also relate that to my life even though we are not the same zodiac sign. Like you said most of the signs are very general and can relate to anyone really. One article I read states that people will read and interpret what they want to read and interpret. All the studies that were done in this article show no difference in people of the 12 different signs.
http://www.psmag.com/culture-society/horoscopes-fun-but-utterly-fallible-25533/