For generations, human beings have searched the stars for cosmic wisdom. Astrology has been a phenomena studied and practiced throughout the ancient civilizations of Europe, Asia and Africa, only to re-emerge in Western popular culture.
Astrology tracks the movement of the sun, moon, planets and stars along with their influence on Earth and individuals alike. The roots of Western astrology date back to ancient Mesopotamia, around 2300 B.C., making its way into ancient Greece and coinciding with the introduction of numerous great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle–all of whom took an avid interest in the subject of heavens, planets and their relationship to the future.
In 200 A.D., philosopher Claudius Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos was published and his works became the core for the many Western and eastern astrology books that followed.
In Western astrology there are twelve Zodiac signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. An individual’s sign is determined by his or her date of birth and supposedly characterizes one’s personality traits or tendencies. Astrology analyzes the interaction between the planets and these signs—and is believed to be mathematically based.
Horoscopes have been used past and present as a prediction of future events, prospects and situations to be wary of. In the past, horoscopes have held much cultural relevancy as individuals in ancient societies would turn to the stars to determine crucial harvesting patterns, war trends, marriage proposals and many other aspects of daily life.
While some view astrology as a form of flimsy mysticism, others choose to understand it as the ancient Greeks did—as a philosophy which helps explain life and our own tendencies. The twelve zodiac signs are correlated with the four elements of earth: earth, air, water and fire, thus implying a connection between man and his planet.
Today, many read their daily horoscope as a source of daily entertainment. Generally these daily horoscopes are vague, fortune-cookie-like tidbits of suggestions and ego boosters.
I decided to look into the accuracy of my own horoscope for a week to examine the celestial world and whether it had a better idea of where and what exactly I should be doing with my days. Each day I looked at my daily horoscope on several websites as well as several newspapers—like the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and National Post. What I noticed immediately was that every daily horoscope tended to coincide with all the others.
On Oct. 15 my Aquarius horoscope on Astrologytoday said “[a]n unexpected detail pops up early today that must be handled with care. Make sure that you’re the right person for it—or that you know who can tackle it. Use your network to get it right!” The only unexpected detail that arose came when I crumpled to the ground and injured my knee when it quite literally popped out of its socket. I handled it with care by icing and elevating it, but I wasn’t sure how much my horoscope revealed about my day.
The following day my horoscope stated in several different phrasings “there have been too many questions and hypothetical scenarios. You don’t need any more. You require certainty and strength. Keep things simple and common sense will prevail.”
The week continued with vague yet uplifting suggestions. Friday was the notification that “these are exciting times, and the outlook has rarely been brighter.” Saturday started off with the words “don’t try to deny your feelings today.” Energy practitioner Carly Stong said she thinks there’s a beauty in the generality of daily horoscopes. Stong writes horoscope predictions through a process of card readings, choosing a card from a deck on behalf of each sign and interpreting that meaning.
“I recognize that many have different techniques for this, such as using information like moon phases, time of year and interpreting the meaning of these cards with regards to all the external criterion,”she said.
After recovering from a long-term illness, Stong turned to alternative medicines, eventually becoming an energy practitioner.She said alternative notions of healing led her to an interest in astrology.
“Astrology is a more accepted way of putting a message out there,” she said. “It is already mainstreamed through newspapers, magazines, online and so on. This makes people more comfortable than with alternatives. The fact is that everyone is inclined to read it, and many do contest to their validity because they are so widely available and attainable, people believe they have a better control over their future.”
“Horoscopes are able to shed light on something you already really know. You cannot really be offended by the truths you hear. You can simply choose to disregard or to take into consideration when you are prepared,” she said. “Horoscopes should never tell you to turn left instead of right. They are not dictating your destiny but rather can be used broadly to apply to something you already know. It is all in your hands at the end of it.”
Stong said the usefulness of horoscopes depends on the reader’s individual circumstances.
“You may think it means one thing, someone else may see it as a whole other concept and this is beautiful. Your truth is not my truth and our written shared destiny effects each of us on different levels.” What I took as newspapers publishing similar predictions to try and reinforce their claims, Stong saw as something much more positive and wholesome.
When asked about the reasoning behind the fact that my horoscope from each source was almost identical, Stong said it was probably a message I needed to hear.
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