You’ve probably read your horoscope before – you know, those little blurbs in the newspaper that give a “forecast” for your day or week ahead based on your zodiac sign. Seems harmless enough, right? Just a bit of fun and entertainment.
But what if I told you that astrology and horoscopes can actually be dangerous? I know, it sounds a little dramatic, but when we start making life decisions based on astrological signs or daily horoscopes, we give up our own power.
Your Future Is Not Predestined
Astrology tries to convince you that your destiny and future events are predetermined according to the positions of the stars and planets. This is the real danger since it can lead to a feeling of powerlessness and lack of control over your life. The truth is, you shape your own future through the choices you make, the thoughts you think, and the actions you take.
Your Personality Is Complex
Horoscopes categorize people into 12 simplistic personality types based on their zodiac sign. But human beings are intricate, multi-faceted creatures. Your personality, values, and behaviors depend on many factors like life experiences, education, environment, relationships, and personal growth – not just the position of the stars at your time of birth.
Don’t Rely On Vague Predictions
Horoscopes use intentionally vague language to seem insightful while not actually providing any useful information. Statements like “new opportunities are coming your way” or “you will face challenges at work this month” could apply to anyone and are not helpful for guiding your decisions or preparing you for what’s to come.
False Hope And Unrealistic Expectations
Astrology and horoscopes can give people a false sense of hope or unrealistic expectations about their future. When you read that something good is coming your way or an exciting opportunity is on the horizon, according to the stars, it’s human nature to get your hopes up. But the reality is, the predictions made in horoscopes are so vague, they’re bound to resonate with many people and seem true, whether or not anything actually happens.
When you believe every single thing you read online but then none of it actually comes true, it can really bum you out. You start feeling sad and let down because nothing happened like you thought it would. It may even make you depressed after awhile.
Poor Life Choices
Some people take astrological advice very seriously and use it to make important life decisions, like who to date or marry, what career to pursue, or whether to have children. But basing such pivotal choices on pseudoscience and speculation is extremely unwise and could lead to poor outcomes or many years of regret. The positions of the stars and planets have no actual bearing on your love life or destiny.
Anxiety And Stress
For those who truly believe in astrology (predictions for your sun sign), reading negative predictions about obstacles or hardships to come can induce anxiety, worry, and distress. And even if good things are forecasted, there is the stress of waiting for exciting events or opportunities that may never actually materialize. It’s much healthier and productive to take control of your own future rather than leave it up to celestial bodies.
Escaping Responsibility
Some people use astrology and horoscopes as an excuse for their behavior or life circumstances. It’s a way to escape responsibility for their actions and choices. If the stars predetermined that you were going to have a bad day, lose your job, or get into an argument, then you can blame it on fate rather than owning up to your own role or shortcomings in the situation.
Astrology Promotes Prejudice And Stereotyping
Astrology promotes prejudice by encouraging people to make assumptions about others based on the arbitrary arrangement of stars and planets. When someone reads that Libras are indecisive or that Geminis have dual personalities, it reinforces harmful stereotyping. People are complex beings, and it’s unfair to pigeonhole them based on when they were born.
Ignores Individuality
Astrology also ignores the factors that truly shape a person: their environment, experiences, choices, and personality. Your star sign alone does not determine who you become. Twins, for example, can share a birthday but grow up to have very different lives and characteristics. When we attribute someone’s behavior to their zodiac sign, we strip away their individuality and free will.
You Are More Than Your Sun Sign
Astrological horoscopes that you find in newspapers, websites, and mobile apps are very simplistic. They are based solely on your sun sign, which is the zodiac sign that the sun was in at the time of your birth. However, your personality and destiny are influenced by far more than just your sun sign alone.
To me, it’s kind of like following map directions. If you only follow the first step and don’t look ahead at the other steps, you might end up getting lost. You have to keep moving forward but also have to make turns eventually.
Astrology is similar. If you only look at your sun sign, you’re really not getting the full picture. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally into astrology. But I think it’s more helpful to look at everything – where all your planets are, what houses they’re in, how they interact with each other. Your sun sign alone doesn’t tell you much. To really understand yourself and why you do the things you do, you need to dig deeper and study all the other elements of your birth chart.
Your Moon And Rising Signs Matter, Too
Your moon sign represents your emotional nature and inner self, while your rising sign (also known as your ascendant) influences how you present yourself to the outside world. Both of these signs are equally important in astrology as your sun sign, but horoscopes completely ignore them.
Your Birth Chart Is Complex
A real astrological reading takes into account the positions of all the planets and the aspects they form with each other at the exact time and location of your birth. Your sun, moon, and rising signs are just a few of the many elements that shape your birth chart. Without considering how all these factors interact, horoscopes provide only a superficial glimpse into what the stars might hold for you.
Horoscopes Are Vague (And Stupid)
The next time you read your horoscope, just do it for fun. Don’t put too much stock in what those things say. They’re really vague and not super accurate. I mean, think about it – how many Aries birthdays are there out there? Millions! So, of course, some of them are bound to experience what any given horoscope predicts.
But really, those things are so non-specific that anything could “come true.” If something does end up matching what you read, it’s probably just a coincidence, or you unconsciously made it happen yourself just by focusing on it. Unless a horoscope is looking at your whole birth chart, I wouldn’t put a lot of faith in its predictions. It’s really just for entertainment purposes.
My Advice
There are so many people find entertainment in reading their horoscope, but don’t let it define you or influence how you see yourself – you don’t have to be like others. Your zodiac sign is not your identity. You are a unique, complex human being shaped by many influences – the stars being the least significant. Don’t make important life choices based on the pseudoscience of astrology. You deserve to have agency over your own future.
