A horoscope is a short forecast for people born under a particular sign. They use natal astrology, the part which makes judgements about someone’s personality. It attempts to pinpoint generally good things that readers can apply to particular experiences or perceptions of themselves. We have all likely been asked by someone what our sign is, but is there really any truth behind our horoscope readings?
Heather Peacock is a junior in Business and Economics, “I believe them to an extent,” she said, “I don’t take them very seriously, but I enjoy reading about my own just to form comparisons between myself and the predications. Horoscopes are given very generally; I’ve met other Pisces born the same year as myself and we were very different.”
Alyssa Caron, a senior in social work, said she takes her horoscope seriously, but only when it is convenient to her. Similar to Peacock, Caron said, “Horoscopes tend to be rather generic, as there are millions of other Geminis like me, who live completely different lives.
Many non-believers critic horoscopes for this reason specifically, stating that they are too broad and vague to be accurate predictions of life. However, as the knowledge of astronomy and the world has evolved, the art of astrology has evolved along with it. Horoscope predictions can be very thorough if they are done by a professional astrologist. “Astrology tells us many things that are relevant,” Caron said, “and I am rather firm in believing science, so I find there are useful truths in them. For example, everyone knows that shit hits the fan when Mercury is in retrograde because the messenger planet is backtracking and slowing down, which is believed to mess with communication here on Earth.”
There are different reasons why people will check their horoscopes. It could be for guidance, predictions, daily readings, or checking compatibility. Peacock said she checks her horoscopes mostly for compatibility between other signs.
“It’s hard to look for predictions and signs since I believe our paths can change at any given time.” Unlike Peacock, Caron tries to immediately connect her horoscopes to her life and current situations. “I have never relied on them to seek compatibility rates or predictions” Caron said, “I like to live my life, “blindly” and would rather not have skewed perceptions about others or my future.”
Horoscopes are most accurate when they are coming from a professional astrologist, but there are many different sources for checking your horoscopes. Social media has become a very popular source for horoscope memes and predictions. Spotify also has podcasts about daily horoscopes and more in-depth sign descriptions. Horoscope apps such as “Co-Star” or “The Pattern” also offer in-depth astrology-based horoscopes that are personalized for you to read daily. You can decide whether you believe in them or not, but you have to admit they can be scary true at times.