No worries, I don’t feel my problems are belittled at all.
I have this habit of, shall I say, “determined optimism.” I have suffered some pretty grim depressions before, and I find that taking positive, practical advice, no matter what the source helps me stay away from the downward spiral. That and talking to friends and family.
This is the first time I’ve ever done one of these things, and I just thought it was weird how it described my state of mind to a T.
On the other hand, my therapist knows me pretty well, and he can describe my state of mind to a T as well. And he doesn’t use any woo-woo methodology to do it.
I’ve read that even the basic tenets of astrology are no longer valid. The twelve star signs were established over two thousand years ago and since then the drifting of the constellations means they’re no longer present during the birthdates they’re supposed to influence. And there are now thirteen constellations which supposedly are birthsigns.
See, this is what I don’t get. What’s fun about it? Reading statements that may or may not apply to you … you may as well pick a random page in the dictionary and read it once a day. At least you might learn some vocab while you’re at it!
One thing I’ve never got a straight answer for from any astrology believer: are the positions of the sun, planets, etc, just an elaborate way of fixing time and place of birth, or are they supposed to be exerting actual influence on personality by some magical means?
Either way, if it was valid then two children born in the same hospital ward in the same minute of the same day ought to have identical personalities.
That’s how a good friend of mine uses Astrology. Of course, I have to bite my tongue every time she says something like “Oh this bad thing happened because Mars is in retrograde.” She doesn’t even know what “Mars is in retrograde” even means! It drives me batshit.
“At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary,and reserved. You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety, and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. Disciplined and controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You have a great deal of unused capacity, which you have not turned to your advantage. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself. You have a strong need for other people to like you and for them to admire you.”
This is an all-purpose astrological “read” written by Carl Sagan in The Demon-Haunted World. How many posters recognise themselves in it?
Well, I’m a Cancer, but I was born on the cusp, so I’m sort of a Leo, too. But because of the Procession of the Equinox that makes me sort of a Gemini, and Geminis don’t believe in astrology.
My wife does it in her head and is happy to tell you that she is an Orion. Seems that these days the Sun is in Orion for a few hours on June 18th so she’s neither a Gemini nor a Cancer.
She doesn’t believe in astrology but I guess it was a way to use her knowledge of astronomy and her ability to do mental math and impress her friends instead of putting them to sleep, which is what she does when she starts talking about long-extinct invertebrates. They wake up when she mentions “animals without assholes” but start nodding off again when she explains further.
I remember a news story along these lines years ago (except for the 13 constellations part, which I simply don’t recall). We are supposedly one month off what the ancients who invented astrology saw, so if you think you’re a Libra, you’re really an ancient Virgo (or maybe the shift goes in the other direction; whatever).
I once confronted a 20-something, extremely devoted amateur astrologer with this revelation. His reaction was priceless: a pause, followed by something like "well… that’s interesting, but… it doesn’t really matter… ". He went on to argue that because astrology is such a richly detailed, *time-tested tool * [circular argument here] for achieving insight, it [somehow] overcomes the objections of skeptics and doubters such as myself. :rolleyes: Granting the absurd truth-claims of astrology’s proponents for a moment, just for the sake of hypothetical argument, if astrological readings ever had specific merit in ancient times, being a month off now should invalidate the readings, and vice-versa.
Yes- the drifting of the constellations (actually, precession of the vernal equinox ) is what the “Age of Aquarius” is about. The vernal equinox is moving backwards through the zodiac, so the sun is actually near the border between Aquarius and Pisces on the vernal equinox (not Pisces and Aries, as assumed by astrology). Astrologers seem to me to take this into account when it suits them (the Age of Aquarius) and ignore it when it doesn’t (sun sign astrology).
Here’s an article on the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. Not only is there an additional zodiac constellation that astrology doesn’t take into account, the zodiac constellations don’t all take up the same amount of space along the ecliptic. The linked article contains the dates that the sun is actually in those constellations.
What’s more, the moon and planets don’t move exactly along the ecliptic, because their orbits are inclined with respect to the earth’s orbit. Here is a list of 21(!) constellations that the sun, moon, and planets can be found in.
Yeesh. Calm down. You sound like it’s really bugging you that now and then (and I mean now and then—like a few times a year at most) I read some bullshit for fun.
Hey, I don’t understand the appeal of most computer games, but I realize that some people think they’re “fun.” I don’t give a damn either way, but if it’s fun for them, it is. No big deal.
Question of the astronomers reading this thread: I thought the Sun “was in Cetus,” in terms of passing through the boundaries of ecliptic constellations, for a few days annually, too. Confirm or correct?
As for the 21-constellation list, the possibilities for astrological forecasting abound:
[ul][li]Uranus in Scutum: You enjoy line dancing.[/li][li]Venus in Sextans: You have a fondness for “marital aid” adult toys.[/li][li]Neptune in Cetus: You tend to read the Bible literally. [/ul][/li]
According to the University of Utrecht site, the sun approaces within half a degree of Cetus around the 27th March. Part, but not all of the Sun traverses Cetus.
Yes, Tuesday usually are for people working in a corporate environment.
Whoa! I have a doctor’s appointment today. How’d they know? Or maybe they’re referring to my writing, or my exercise routine tonight. Great, now I’m filled with anxiety over not knowing which one it is.
I bet this means I’ll get more ice cream than my husband tonight. Goody!
Someone’s going to try to horn in my doctor appointment time. I’ll have to report back this afternoon when that inevitably happens.
