The Biggest Grain of Salt:
One Skeptic view of
Astrology.
Though many, many have tried to get me to believe in astrology; while they have tried to convince me I'm like this or that, or there's no way I could ever get along with this person or that based on a constellation, while I've had a star chart (who knows how many) done on me by various and sundry folks--always without my permission--I don't believe in them. I wholeheartedly, absolutely, believe no stock can be held in astrology. It has its historical roots, going back to Babylon, threading up through the era when the Greeks were the dominate force in the world,--and finding itself debunked by the Great Greek men of thought--meandering up through the Roman era to find itself run underground again in the Middle Ages. It then came back into vogue during the Renaissance, to be run out again with the rise of the Age of Reason. Once again, astrology came out of the shadows in the 19th century.

But it has been most popular within recent times; the 20th and early 21st century have seen the biggest surge in belief and interest in the subject.

One would think not, though. When we live in a world where the actual nature of the planets, and their real relation to the Earth is scientifically substantiated, it would seem Astrology would diminish in popularity, but no.

But why? There are many reasons. Peoplehave a need to know what to expect. It's a great pick up line. It's ancient, even the Chinese have their own Zodiac.

True. However, aside from the Chinese, which, sorta seems to make a kind of sense; it's all arbitrary. And this is where this commentator's suspension of disbelief fails. The metaphysical relation and relevance of the planets and stars to the lives of humans has not now, nor has ever been proven. It cannot be proven by any method that we have now; what may happen in the future could refute that, but it is highly unlikely. Even the moon's influence on lunacy has been substantially debunked. The planets cannot be said to have any real influence on humans, whatsoever. An astrological "sign" can have no relation to human endeavor. Why do so many people believe in it?

Why don't I believe in it? It's all based on ancient pagan religions, isn't it? Kings and Pharaohs won and lost battles, kingdoms and religions were lost based on the position of the stars, right? It's all the things your Ravin' Hostess should love, right?

So why shouldn't I believe it?

Because as romantic and flowery and magical as it sounds, I'm rational, to a point, and this makes very little sense, to me.

1) The stars and planets are so far away from us, they cannot have had any influence on the day or way I was born, or conceived or gestated. They cannot influence my life as it stands today.

2) many of the positions of the constellations involved aren't still in the spots they resided in when the system of astrology was invented. Aries, comes to mind.

3) I am married to, and are very good friends with, people who, according to their arbitrary star sign I should loathe, or at least, avoid.

4) I am not artistic because of a month or a constellation, I am not moody because of a moon on Jupiter being out of whack.

5) Galileo, Newton, and Sagan would be appalled at me, if I did. ;)

Other than those big five, this is just the way I see it: I was born on the day I was born, in the hour I was born, out of sheer stubbornness and impatience to wait one second longer to get my breath of fresh air, and my fair share of inspiration love, and woes. I was too curious to wait long enough to be born based on a certain arbitrary position of the stars.

I am not what I am not because of a date and a star/planet/constellation; I am what I am because I worked damned hard to be so. The sheer arbitrariness of astrology just doesn't work for me. I have enough of that, in other areas of my life, thank you.

By the way, as you might notice, my horoscope in the day's paper is undeniably wrong, and must apply more to the neighbor's cat than it does to me.... It's unsubstantiated, unequivocal nonsense. I know the reader might not agree; I know many believe in the undeniable power of astrology, and to those I say, you are welcome to it. By all means, do. After all, the Cosmo Bedside Astrologer does have a certain charm to it. More power to you ... To each his own. Me? I'll believe it, when I see it. ;)