Pro Astrology: Look to the stars: Astrology and you

The pros of astrology within the life of an individual

By: Chase Willet

Every belief system throughout the world and history has had one common factor.  Each one is meant to help us better understand the world that surrounds us. Astrology should not be looked down upon because it aims to help us do the same thing: explore and understand our world.  Astrology is an ancient belief system dating back to the Babylonians and other ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia. 

Astrology can work in many beneficial ways within the life of the average person. It offers people the chance to feel connected to the universe as a whole. This can enhance a person’s perception of the world around them. While this is true for all belief systems, I argue that the nature of astrology increases this universal belonging uniquely. By having the planets and stars work as the core of astrology, the believer is automatically made aware of a universe greater than themselves.

This connection also works on a personal level. When people see themselves working in the universe, they connect to others with their same or compatible signs. 

While astrology can be refuted and judged from many angles, its usefulness at the individual level cannot be. When a person searches for spiritual guidance, it does not matter if the belief system they choose is scientifically proven. What matters is if the person gains the feeling of belonging that they were searching for in the first place.

The argument that astrology has become purely capitalistic can also be made, due to the selling of horoscopes, star charts and jewelry of the signs. However, does this commercialization take away from the spiritual connection a person feels to these items? An item holds meaning when someone assigns it meaning; therefore, by placing the metaphysical aspects of astrology onto store-bought items, a person can once again feel the connection that they seek. For many people  buying objects that remind them of their beliefs can work as a physical representation of those beliefs and anchor these people more strongly to them.

Is astrology 100% accurate? Probably not, but the feelings generated by belief are real. The benefit comes to the mind of the believer as they attempt to decipher the stars and connect to others through common beliefs. Astrology believers are partaking in what has been done since the beginning of time, creating meaningful relationships through things that are not fully understood.

Anti Astrology: Delete your astrology app

Your heartfelt horoscope is not what it seems

By: Hunter Keaster

Beads of sweat race down the young attorney’s five-o-clock shadow while he flounders around with his pinstripe tie before the oh-so-unamused judge. “Your Honor, you have to understand. My client couldn’t help it — he’s a Scorpio.” 

As I’m sure you can imagine, this fictitious young man would have a difficult time making an astrologically-based argument in court. After all, astrology is just a way for people to have some fun and get away from serious life, right? Right? 

No, not at all. The pseudo-science that is astrology enables predatory businesses to manipulate innocent people’s emotions and grab their money while doing it. 

First (no sugar-coating ahead), astrology is fake. It’s made up. Astrology has never been shown to be effective in any controlled scientific study, and has been shown to have absolutely zero scientific backing in many. In a controlled setting, astrologers’ predictions have been shown to be less accurate than mere chance time and `time again. 

Don’t believe me? Ask any astrologer how astrology works. They will fail to come up with an answer. Even starslikeyou.com, an astrology blog, boasts on its “About” page that “no one knows how or why it works.” 

This would be like if I told you, dear reader, that the price of kosher hot dogs in the supermarket actually has a giant impact on your mood and the events of your life. How does it work? Why does it work? I dunno, take my word for it. 

What’s worse is that the astrology industry doesn’t market itself as a make-believe game for people to get a little bit of entertainment. They brand themselves as omniscient predictors of the universe who you should be begging to pay $10/month to find out the alignment of Venus ($10/month is the actual price for the astrology app “Future” — the top search result on the App Store). 

The Barnum effect is the tendency for individuals to believe information that is supposed to be tailored to them, even when the information is so vague that it is virtually useless. This is how astrology companies manipulate customers. By making vague predictions that can apply to almost anyone, unassuming customers may believe in the predictions because of the Barnum effect. 

Not to mention, if an individual believes astrology is real and accurate — what happens when the stars fate them to have a bad day? Do they go around sulking all day long over something that has no basis in science or truth? Astrology can have a negative effect on people’s mood stability by strapping them into an emotional rollercoaster controlled by clouds of gasses in the sky. 

Let’s move away from group identity and claiming that people born in the same month all have the same traits. Let’s delete the astrology apps. And let’s appreciate the stars for their beauty, not their predictive powers. 

COMMON GROUND

• The benefits of Astrology can be felt by an individual even if it isn’t scientifically provable. 

• Astrology is not necessarily scientifically proven

• Astrology can be helpful to many people