Astrology is the study of movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.  Astrology is synonymous with the word horoscope, which is a forecast of a person’s future based on the relative position of the stars and planets at the time of that person’s birth.  Sounds crazy right/  Well according to the Greek tradition of astrology, the heavens are divided according to the 12 constellations of the Zodiac and the bright stars that rise at intervals cast a spiritual influence over human affairs.  What does all of this translate into for us?  Usually 12 small paragraphs in the back of your daily newspaper, predicting what type of day you will have, or hinting towards the idea that you will gain financial success.  One subject that is directly associated with horoscopes is one’s love life.  A majority of people even base their compatibility with the opposite sex on horoscopes and zodiac signs.  Seriously how many times have you been asked the question “what’s your sign?”.  How many of us even pay attention to our zodiac signs?

It may seem a bit unreliable to base your social interaction on an interpretation that comes from the position of the stars in the sky during the time you were born, but many people who believe in astrology and zodiac signs find a relationship between what their horoscope says and their everyday life.  According to an article from the Huffingtonpost.com a survey was conducted amongst women, by a company by the name of iVillage, for the relaunch of their website Astrology.com.  In the survey they found that one third of American women read their horoscope before they make financial decisions.  Besides financial decisions the survey also revealed that 37% of women read their horoscope for personal health information, 33% check their horoscope before a job interview and 35% browse their horoscope before entering a new relationship.  If that wasn’t shocking enough, the survey also discovered that more than 1 in 4 women say after reading their horoscope their mood changes.

Damn you women are really some emotionally unstable creatures.

Enough about the women, lets look at the statistics on how many Americans actually believe in astrology, zodiac signs and horoscopes.  According to a Harris poll conducted in 2009 they discovered that only 21% of Americans actually believe in astrology.  Comparing that percentage to a more recent survey conducted by Astrology.com, I found that in 2012 the number of Americans who believe in astrology had risen to 26%.  After reading several more articles online I found out that the rise in percentage is due to more people believing in astrology as a science.  I also discovered that through several scientific tests there is no concrete evidence that can prove astrology is directly correlated with human behavior.

On another note, 51% of Americans still have no belief in astrology or horoscopes.

Stepping aside from all the statistics, surveys and scientific testing, what I notice is that astrology has some type of affect on people, whether you believe in it or not.  I usually read my horoscope just for entertainment purposes, I never take it serious at all.  What I do feel about horoscopes is that they are very general statements Also I find horoscopes to be extremely repetitive.  How many times can you tell me my love life will be rocky or that I will somehow become rich.  Plus to believe that someone out there can predict what is going to happen in my life and do it on a daily basis just does not excite me.  Although I have my own beliefs on astrology I do find that some of the jargon written in horoscopes can prove to be true.  When I say true I mean that some of the stuff written in your horoscope can relate to things and situations that occur in everyday life.  I only think this is true because the generalization of the comments made.  For example, I can find money in one of my jeans pockets that I had forgot about after a night of partying.  My horoscope could tell me that I will soon encounter an unexpected financial gain.  The 2 have nothing to do with each other because me forgetting about money I left in my pocket had noting to do with the stars or the position of the earth, but some people may think because my horoscope said that, there has to be some truth to it.  You cannot deny the overwhelming affect astrology has on Americans relationships as well.  Many of us tend to play matchmaker using the different zodiac signs and who astrologers tell them they are most compatible with.

If you believe in astrology and horoscopes I have nothing against you at all.  I just feel like you shouldn’t let your horoscope dictate your everyday life.  The way you feel about something, or someone is usually determined by your sociability and character.

By the way, I’m a Leo.