Who even believes in astrology anymore?

TooWet

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I do. But I'm not sure how I feel about Chinese Zodiac. I just know that almost everything that's ever happened in or around my life has made complete and total sense when signs and horoscopes were considered.

Anybody else feel that way, or am I a superstitious dork?
 

D_Thoraxis_Biggulp

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Considering how long the list of possibilities are for each combination of encounters, depending on timing, sign elements, etc., you can find a way that any significant event in your life fits the astrological profiles.
However... breaking it down to brass tacks for a moment... my brother, my father and I are all Geminis, symbolized by The Twins. And all 3 of us have a sort of Jeckyl-and-Hyde personality. That is, we're prone to shift moods without warning, we all have anger management issues, and we're completely different people when angry. So we fit the whole Twin thing rather well.
 

Phil Ayesho

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Astrology is bullshit.


Tests show that ANY horoscope and ANY chart can be handed out to dozens of folks of various "birth signs"... all saying the same thing... and the people told that this is the "chart" for their birth sign... and some 70% will totally agree that the chart describes them.


Horoscopes are no more pertinent than fortune cookies... only with out the cookie.


Stop believing in foolishness.
 

TwasBrillig

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I do. But I'm not sure how I feel about Chinese Zodiac. I just know that almost everything that's ever happened in or around my life has made complete and total sense when signs and horoscopes were considered.

Anybody else feel that way, or am I a superstitious dork?

No, not a superstitious dork. Anything you truly believe in (as opposed to just believing 'cause someone told you) is just as valid as other's beliefs.
 

sdbg

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Astrology is bullshit.
Stop believing in foolishness.
There is nothing inherenly wrong with astrology - it's a matter of how people want to use it. The Farmers Almanac is based on the phases of the moon. People have grown and harvested crops with this information for thousands of years. The tides of the ocean coincide with the phases of the moon. The tides would be of interest to fishermen and surfers. These are 2 incidents of common observations that people have noticed and employed for many years to be more efficient with their activities. I've gone to a few astrologers years ago just for kicks. I was impressed with what they knew about me just from a chart. IMO, astrology is no more bullshit or foolisness than weather forecasting.
 

ZOS23xy

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I had met up with a woman who had made a living dealing with astrology for people, and I gathered in included making various important money link decisions. I've gone over Astrology--like Northland, fine some material on target and others no so.

The woman annoyed me about her insistence that i have my chart made up (for a fee of course), and that I could not possibly do without her assistance.

I angered her by saying "astrology is a road map. I don't live on a road map."
 

lucky8

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The astrology signs are wrong anyways. The stars and the Earth are not in the same position as they were when the signs were first created. In other words, if you think you're a virgo, you're not.

...as for fortune cookies, last week i quit my job, and on the very same day i got a cookie that said "you will soon be changing your line of work"...i said "niiiiiice" and ate the cookie
 

Phil Ayesho

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There is nothing inherenly wrong with astrology - it's a matter of how people want to use it. The Farmers Almanac is based on the phases of the moon. People have grown and harvested crops with this information for thousands of years. The tides of the ocean coincide with the phases of the moon. The tides would be of interest to fishermen and surfers. These are 2 incidents of common observations that people have noticed and employed for many years to be more efficient with their activities. I've gone to a few astrologers years ago just for kicks. I was impressed with what they knew about me just from a chart. IMO, astrology is no more bullshit or foolisness than weather forecasting.

The phases of the moon are NOT astrology, my friend, nor the tides. That is Astronomy... one is a science. the other, delusion.


The way to tell the difference is that when the farmer's almanac predicts a high tide at a certain hour... it ACTUALLY HAPPENS AS PREDICTED.

Lunar phases, properly understood as not synchronizing perfectly with each successive year, form an accurate calendar... especially for people who lived in a rural setting and who may not have access to other accurate sources for the date.
BECAUSE the tides did not rise and fall at the same time on the same day each year... because the phases of the moon did not line up accurately with our calendar, these "observations" you cite WERE essentially useless, because of their inconsistency.

The Farmers almanac used data from actual Observatories and real scientists to calculate the lunar phases and tide so that people could PLAN around events they could finally KNOW were accurately calibrated to the seasons and the time of day.




As far as what the "astrologers" KNEW about you... don't be a rube.
80% of astrology is mouthing crap that is either true of nearly ALL people... or something most of us would like to believe is true.

The other 20% is simply cold reading... guessing thru observation of your subject and paying attention to their 'tells'.

And YOUR belief in it is nothing but confirmation bias. You WANT it to be true, so you give greater weight to the things it guesses right than to the things it guesses wrong.


This is why you won't find any useful inventions from Astrologers... because its foolish idiocy and wishful thinking.

Someone hands you a "template" by which to look at your own behavior... and you IMPOSE that template on your behavior and think its amazing that it could be so accurate!
When, in fact, they could have handed you ANY template, and you would have imposed it just as easily and found it just as accurate.

Am I stubborn BECAUSE I am a Taurus... or am I stubborn because all my life folks have been saying, "oh, you are a taurus so you are stubborn..." essentially giving me persmission to act stubbornly?


Grow up.
You live a pretty amazingly wonderful life full of promise, health and material comfort... and it all came from the fact that SOME people only accept as true that which can be DEMONSTRATED to be true and actually predictive of the future.


YOu have TV, computers, cells phones, refrigerated food and healthcare, eyeglasses and automobiles...

The people who made that stuff happen for you were not consulting a chart to do so...
They were doing science... validating theories,...replicating experimental results.

Asstrology is for Asses.
 

Northland

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The phases of the moon are NOT astrology, my friend, nor the tides. That is Astronomy... one is a science. the other, delusion.


The way to tell the difference is that when the farmer's almanac predicts a high tide at a certain hour... it ACTUALLY HAPPENS AS PREDICTED.

Lunar phases, properly understood as not synchronizing perfectly with each successive year, form an accurate calendar... especially for people who lived in a rural setting and who may not have access to other accurate sources for the date.
BECAUSE the tides did not rise and fall at the same time on the same day each year... because the phases of the moon did not line up accurately with our calendar, these "observations" you cite WERE essentially useless, because of their inconsistency.

The Farmers almanac used data from actual Observatories and real scientists to calculate the lunar phases and tide so that people could PLAN around events they could finally KNOW were accurately calibrated to the seasons and the time of day.




As far as what the "astrologers" KNEW about you... don't be a rube.
80% of astrology is mouthing crap that is either true of nearly ALL people... or something most of us would like to believe is true.

The other 20% is simply cold reading... guessing thru observation of your subject and paying attention to their 'tells'.

And YOUR belief in it is nothing but confirmation bias. You WANT it to be true, so you give greater weight to the things it guesses right than to the things it guesses wrong.


This is why you won't find any useful inventions from Astrologers... because its foolish idiocy and wishful thinking.

Someone hands you a "template" by which to look at your own behavior... and you IMPOSE that template on your behavior and think its amazing that it could be so accurate!
When, in fact, they could have handed you ANY template, and you would have imposed it just as easily and found it just as accurate.

Am I stubborn BECAUSE I am a Taurus... or am I stubborn because all my life folks have been saying, "oh, you are a taurus so you are stubborn..." essentially giving me persmission to act stubbornly?


Grow up.
You live a pretty amazingly wonderful life full of promise, health and material comfort... and it all came from the fact that SOME people only accept as true that which can be DEMONSTRATED to be true and actually predictive of the future.


YOu have TV, computers, cells phones, refrigerated food and healthcare, eyeglasses and automobiles...

The people who made that stuff happen for you were not consulting a chart to do so...
They were doing science... validating theories,...replicating experimental results.

Asstrology is for Asses.
Okay so you are a first class jerk. We get it., there's no reason for you to keep proving it to us again and again. Some people choose to believe in astrology-nobody is forcing them, just as nobody has (as far as I know) forced you not to believe.

By closing your mind to any possibility that there may be some level of validity to astrology, you have neglected a portion of your soul-you've neglected imagination and with it, hope.

As you can see from the above, I higlighted-in red-two of your words. My advice would be that you heed them yourself.
 

Phil Ayesho

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Sorry if being right on this issue makes me a jerk.

Your belief in it makes you a RUBE.

I would rather be a Knowing jerk than a deluded rube.



Oh, And BTW... MY mind is NOT closed to astrology.

Show me one iota of replicable EVIDENCE that it is true... that it accurately predicts anything at all... and I would willingly entertain changing my mind.

Being open minded does not mean letting folks dump shit in your skull... does not mean SAYING something is equivalent to PROVING something.

Being open minded means being willing to CONSIDER EVIDENCE that you may be wrong.

Your "feelings" are not evidence.

Show me horoscopes that are accurately predictive more often than random chance.


You toss out the phrase of "people choosing to believe" as if that were a good thing.

Its not. You can choose to believe that the earth is flat.
You'd be wrong.
You can choose to believe that homeopathy will cure your cancer.
You would die.


Of the two... the former is just stupid... but the latter is SOMEONE SELLING YOU SOMETHING.

To choose to believe the earth is flat may be eccentric and silly... But in choosing to believe in homeopathy, or astrology, you are being CONNED.

You are supporting an industry that preys upon people's infantile preference to believe in magic, rather than think critically.

There is no easter bunny, no tooth fairy. Belief in magic and imaginary friends is quintessentially childish.


I am grown up... I look for proof of efficacy before I take the pill.
And I NEVER drink the koolaid.
 

Blocko

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Well, the main thing is that if you think of it as a bit of fun, like playing a game at a carnival or a board game or something, then it can't really hurt you. Or if you use it to stimulate yourself or provide positive reinforcement.

It's only dangerous when you take it far too seriously and let it rule your life.
 

Principessa

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I believe in parts of astrology-some things are on target, others are not.
Ditto. :yup:

I do. But I'm not sure how I feel about Chinese Zodiac. I just know that almost everything that's ever happened in or around my life has made complete and total sense when signs and horoscopes were considered.

Anybody else feel that way, or am I a superstitious dork?

Really? :confused: It's been kind of hit or miss with me. :cool:
Chinese Astrology is for some reason spot on with the larger issues in my life. Apparently I am born in the year of not just the Horse but the Fire Horse which is a very bad thing for a woman. It didn't make any predictions; but it did explain some of the many unfortunate events that ocurred in my early years.
 

Phil Ayesho

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Like All delusions... its only dangerous if you believe it.

I love sci-fi

I would absolutely love to find out that space aliens where visiting, that UFOs were real.
But I can enjoy the fantasy of sci-fi without succumbing to the belief that its true.


And the fact that I wish UFOs were real does not overwhelm the fact of there being no credible evidence whatsoever.
I have to stand on the evidence.
 

Calboner

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Anything you truly believe in (as opposed to just believing 'cause someone told you) is just as valid as other's beliefs.

Oh, great -- so all I have to do is "truly believe" something, and even if what I believe is complete and utter bullshit, I can be sure that it is "valid"! How comforting! So much easier than having to subject my beliefs to rational examination!
 

Phil Ayesho

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Anything you truly believe in (as opposed to just believing 'cause someone told you) is just as valid as other's beliefs.

I hope you mean in the sense that no one else's "belief" is any more valid because no independently unsupported belief is valid.

Otherwise, This is the Tinkerbell theory of reality.
Validity tied to earnestness...


Um... wrong.
NO belief is valid, no matter how fervently held, in the face of evidence proving it false.

And in presence of a total lack of evidence? Belief is nothing at all.

I don't care what you believe. What can you demonstrate?

That is the only position consistent with reason.
 

JustAsking

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...By closing your mind to any possibility that there may be some level of validity to astrology, you have neglected a portion of your soul-you've neglected imagination and with it, hope.
....
North,
How about Zeus? Do you believe in Zeus? Or what about Baal? I am sure someone with an open mind like yours must believe in Baal, right? If you don't believe in Baal, then I must insist that "you have closed your mind that there may be some validity to the existence of Baal. You have neglected a portion of your soul and your imagination and with it, hope."

You see? Any ridiculous superstition can be used substituted for Astrology wth equal results. If you don't believe in any of them, I can simply accuse you of not having an open mind.
 

JustAsking

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... just believing 'cause someone told you) is just as valid as other's beliefs.
Yes, and without any evidence that it is true, that validity is close to zero. My belief in Baal would be just as valid as your belief in Zeus, with that validity being close to zero.
 

Axcess

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Sorry if being right on this issue makes me a jerk.

Your belief in it makes you a RUBE.

I would rather be a Knowing jerk than a deluded rube.



Oh, And BTW... MY mind is NOT closed to astrology.

Show me one iota of replicable EVIDENCE that it is true... that it accurately predicts anything at all... and I would willingly entertain changing my mind.

Being open minded does not mean letting folks dump shit in your skull... does not mean SAYING something is equivalent to PROVING something.

Being open minded means being willing to CONSIDER EVIDENCE that you may be wrong.

Your "feelings" are not evidence.

Show me horoscopes that are accurately predictive more often than random chance.


You toss out the phrase of "people choosing to believe" as if that were a good thing.

Its not. You can choose to believe that the earth is flat.
You'd be wrong.
You can choose to believe that homeopathy will cure your cancer.
You would die.


Of the two... the former is just stupid... but the latter is SOMEONE SELLING YOU SOMETHING.

To choose to believe the earth is flat may be eccentric and silly... But in choosing to believe in homeopathy, or astrology, you are being CONNED.

You are supporting an industry that preys upon people's infantile preference to believe in magic, rather than think critically.

There is no easter bunny, no tooth fairy. Belief in magic and imaginary friends is quintessentially childish.


I am grown up... I look for proof of efficacy before I take the pill.
And I NEVER drink the koolaid.
I know how that feel . I'm often acused of being cynic jerk by believers because my position of not accepting anything as true without evidence .