There are times when I tell people that my planned major is astronomy, and they do a double-take and hesitantly ask me, “astronomy? Isn’t that like studying the zodiac signs?” No, it is not. That’s astrology. Although astrologers and astronomers both look up to the skies, they two fields are vastly different in that one is considered a science and the other not. Astronomy is the study of the universe and their physical nature, while astrology is the study of the motion of stars and planets and how they influence events here on Earth. Astronomy has been consistently a cornerstone of science for a while, while astrology has seen its ups and downs. Currently, astrology is rising once again.
But why exactly is astrology gaining popularity? According to Julie Beck, writer for The Atlantic, astrology is a meme and is rising just as memes do. People today can joke about their Zodiac sign in countless contexts and post coincidental events, which just happened to aline with the stars. However, memes haven’t really been around as long as astrology, so what caused it to be popular in the past? In 1972, psychologist Graham Tyson found in a study that people turned to astrologers in times of stress, relying on the stars as a coping mechanism. This directly correlates to a survey done by the American Psychological Association, which discovered that millennials are the most stressed generation. This can explain why astrology has been so prevalent these past couple of years. Maybe it’s not just the outward interest astrology signs presents as memes, but rather the underlying psychological reasoning behind a society bending under the weight of constant stress.
My personal astrology zodiac sign is Libra, which is for people born between September 23 – October 22. The symbol for libra is a balance, which gives the defining traits of those who are a libra. According to the website, we are “peaceful, fair, and hate being alone.” I mean, I guess that’s true enough. However, these are pretty generic, positive traits for people, and I’d be surprised if most people weren’t described by these traits.
Astrology is seeing an acceptance in our society after being on the wayside, and people are depending on it more and more. If people decide to follow the stars, who am I to intervene? At the bare minimum astrology is a fun way to guide us on our paths amidst our busy lives.