Saturday 12 May 2018

All in the stars

I don't believe in astrology. I don't believe my personality is what it is because of the planets' where-abouts the moment I was born. Nor do I believe my future is determined by where the planets might be at any given date and time. It's about as credible as the Lost City of Atlantis.

I have a friend who is very serious about astrology, who once drew up my birth chart and made various predictions about my life. Needless to say, none of the predictions came true. She must have accidentally got Jupiter in the wrong place. Or confused Saturn with Pluto. Or done the birth chart while she was drunk.

I think most people are sceptical about astrology, but that doesn't stop them checking their astrological horoscope every day or telling you they're a typical Gemini or Virgo. Hell, I even see my own personality as typical Pisces - facing both ways, fond of water, romantic, imaginative, compassionate, gentle etc.

It's quite tempting also to believe the old astrological dictum that anyone on the cusp of two star signs is always a bit unhinged. A worrying thought when like me you're straddling Pisces and Aries, and the signs of unhingedness are there for all to see.

But it's a good way of getting to know someone you've just met. You can ask them what star sign they are and whether they live up to it or not. If they scowl at you and say it's all total bollocks, it could be the start of a wonderful friendship.

I was told once by a journalist that newspaper horoscopes are usually written by someone who knows nothing about astrology and simply makes it up as they go along. I can well believe it. How hard can it be to predict that "good things are coming your way" or "you'll overcome a temporary setback"?

I could do that. Gissa job, mister.

20 comments:

  1. Universal truths. Specific bollocks, as John says, but not in general.

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  2. I think the same about psychics. Most of their predictions are very general. I give them credit for being able to read people, though!

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  3. Apparently Geoffrey Boycott used star signs as a chat up line...very successfully.

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  4. Ha Ha!! I love doing readings! I know nothing, other than people like to talk about themselves.
    Sx

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  5. John: Bollocks on stilts!

    Joanne: Surely general bollocks as well?

    Bijoux: As you say, so-called psychics are good at reading people and coming up with something that would probably apply to most of their customers.

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  6. Helen: It's a good tactic because most people have something to say about their star sign, even if they don't really believe in it.

    Ms Scarlet: They do. And people usually have an opinion about astrology - either pro or anti.

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  7. And how do feel about reading chicken entrails?

    XO
    WWW

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  8. I don't believe in horrorscoped either. I however know of a few fellows who religiously read daily newspaper forecasts of the signs of their wives.

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  9. www: There's probably a bunch of people somewhere who consult their chicken entrails at least once a day.

    Ramana: Are these guys who claim they "don't understand women", so reading their horoscopes is a desperate attempt to fathom them out?

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  10. Gross!
    i'm holding all commentary til i'm dead! who knows?
    who cares?? i'm hoping it will be fun finding out! xo

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  11. Tammy: And on my death bed, an astrologer predicts a long and healthy life....

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  12. Tim and I had a very similar conversation a couple of hours ago. Which is coincidence and not spooky in the least .....

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  13. Z: Oh, it's not coincidence, it's all because Mars is in retrograde and Mercury is in reverse gear.

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  14. "Tammy: And on my death bed, an astrologer predicts a long and healthy life.... "
    LOLOL!!! yup. that's about right. :D xo

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  15. Tammy: Caution needed today, Neptune is double-parked with Saturn.

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  16. I occasionally look at my horoscope, but even if I give it a lot of latitude it never seems to apply to me. The ones we get seem to apply more for people who are more out and about.

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  17. Jean: That's true. They don't seem to relate to those of us who spend a lot of time at home. Or for that matter people who're disabled and housebound!

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  18. That could actually be kind of a fun job to make up horoscopes. It's always weird when people find out your sign and expect certain behavior that you don't really exhibit. I'm Aries, but I don't think it suits me well most of the time.

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  19. Danielle: Actually these days it's probably not even a person who creates the horoscopes. I expect it's all been automated.

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