Every time I announce my interest in astrology, or make a joke about a zodiac sign, I brace myself for the groans and comments from (usually) men, “You know that stuff isn’t real, right?” Many often quote sarcastically, which is typically followed by a rant on how astrology is used to justify bad behavior, “People will cheat on their significant other and say it’s because they’re a Capri-Sun,” others mock.
As much joy as it gives me to single handedly ruin these people’s day with my innocent commentary, I’d like to ask why on earth this is such a hot trigger for some people. I have never in my life genuinely heard of someone justifying their bad decisions on their zodiac signs. Whether others actually have, or are simply making this up as a joke, is perplexing to me. It’s fine to dislike astrology. In fact, it’s perfectly okay if you do. But the pure unbridled rage that I get from some reactions makes me want to ask: What did astrology lovers ever do to you?
Why do people like astrology? Well, reason number one: it’s fun. It’s a harmless way of people attempting to understand their personalities, as well as others around them. Reason number two: some of us can’t afford therapy. Are astrology enthusiasts mentally deranged and in desperate need of some good one on one analysis about our lives? Yes, but that’s not the point. Astrology can be a good way to analyze our internal thoughts, and the way we interact with others, studying compatibility.
Reason number three: astrology is an excellent way to connect with others. The absolute joy I get from finding a girl with the same astrology sign as me in a bar bathroom makes every negative comment I’ve received about astrology worth it. Matching with my classmates on the popular astrology app, “CoStar”, brings a certain sense of warmth to my heart. Ranting to my friends about our same experiences with a certain sign creates a sort of ironic comradery in the most bizarre of ways.
If people are going to hate astrology so much, at least try to understand it. The amount of people who hate on it cannot usually name more than three signs at the top of their head, and are perplexed when I mention that yes, astrology goes deeper than just your sun sign. When I talk about how every person in fact, possesses multiple different zodiac signs for different placements of their lives, their heads practically explode.
Astrology is a way for many to have light-hearted fun while genuinely attempting to understand the people around them. The desire to understand the human psyche has been around for centuries, and social scientists themselves have constructed tools such as Enneagrams and Myers-Briggs personality tests to better understand the construct of personality. Interestingly enough, these other ways never receive the same amount of hate.
My ending statement? If people want to believe in astrology, let them. It’s not hurting anyone, it’s not ruining your day just because some girl wants to wear a “Pisces” choker around her neck. So what if someone chooses to put their sign in their bio, or make a joke about their “Scorpio rising?” At the end of the day, if it makes them feel a little bit more connected to their friends, partners, and themselves, I can’t see how on earth it is such a bad thing. Astrology lovers have enough on their plates, let’s make their lives a little easier and laugh the next time they attempt to crack a zodiac sign joke, instead of starting a miniature speech and debate session.
Dani Moore can be reached at [email protected]
A woman who is tired of being judged by other women.
Astrology is not harmless at all. As a child, I was told that I was two-faced all the time because i was a Gemini. I've had people that I literally met minutes before actually grimace at me when they found out I'm a Gemini. "Oh I don't get along with Geminis lol." How toxic can you be? Astrology is nothing more than people trying to assign negative personality traits to you because they don't like the day you were born. It has been nothing but something that has been used to insult me around anybody who believes in astrology. I'm so tired of it and I am a woman! So if you want to say I have internalized misogyny because I am tired of people telling me that I'm a horrible person because of the day I was born, then go right ahead, because clearly it makes you a better human being than I am. If people are getting that mad about astrology you should take a step back and think how it affects your personal biases towards other people.
MJ
I guess that days of people having issues with me talking about the language of astrology are behind me. I had similar issues to those you spoke of when I was younger. But these days most of the young people that I talk with about astrology are interested to know more. It helps when I describe astrology as a language that describes the movements of energy through the astro sky. Each planet has its own energy signature. And so when I say things like every time Saturn conjuncts Pluto in the astro sky, the world witnesses another pandemic, people actually ask more intelligent questions.