Horoscopes
“The intellectual foundations of astrology were swept away 300 years ago, and yet astrology is still taken seriously by a great many people.” – Carl Sagan
The placement of stars in the sky do not have any bearing on what happens here on Earth. (And what about Ophiuchus?)
What’s your sign? That’s a question best left to pure amusement (and the bar at the Regal Beagle). Astrology is worthless. Other than for a wry laugh, there’s no actual use for astrology and horoscopes. Their basis lies in the days of pre-science, and even though astrology may have formed some of the foundation for modern-day astronomy (inasmuch as it got people studying the heavens and the locations of stars and planets before they had any idea what those points of light in the night sky really are) there’s no actual scientific proof that the stars, planets or moons can influence our actions, our fates or our daily lives in any way whatsoever.
It might be fun to classify yourself as one sign or another, but the truth is that the way you think, feel and behave have much more to do with your nature and nuture than where the sun was in the sky on the date of your birth… 2,000 years ago.
Maybe it sounds like making a fuss over nothing, but since there’s a lot of people out there making a living off astrology and basically continuing a tradition of pseudo-science for their own personal financial gain – whether knowingly or innocently – I felt the devaluing of such misleading information had a place here on LITD.
Don’t believe me? That’s fine… but check out some information from some very reputable and very well-respected scientists (who know a thing or two about actual astronomy):
Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy on Astrology: Astrology is Wrong.
Universe Today: Mars Can’t Influence You
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific debunks astrology (and other falsifications)
Another blog’s article on debunking astrology (very good)
And here’s some videos I’ve compiled as well:
Neil deGrasse Tyson on astrology:
Bill Nye (the Science Guy) on astrology:
Carl Sagan on astrology:
Skeptic James Randi on astrology:
“I believe astrology misleads the public, denies scientific progress, and belittles our Universe.There’s a far richer way of looking at the cosmos: astronomy.”
– Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins in Enemies of Reason:
John Stossel’s report on astrology and “The Barnum Effect”:
As I find more I’ll share them here. (Because that’s exactly what a Capricorn would do. 
)
And just to show I’m not a total party-pooper, here’s general information on the zodiac and the dates and critters typically involved:
Zodiac information and history (Wikipedia)
Astrology may be more connected to psychology and theology rather than any type of physical science.
Star-sign dates (new and old):
- Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16 (Old: Dec. 22 – Jan. 20)
- Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11 (Old: Jan. 21 – Feb. 19)
- Pisces: March 11-April 18 (Old: Feb. 20 – March 20)
- Aries: April 18-May 13 (Old: March 21 – April 20)
- Taurus: May 13-June 21 (Old: April 21 – May 21)
- Gemini: June 21-July 20 (Old: May 22 – June 21)
- Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10 (Old: June 22 – July 22)
- Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16 (Old: July 23 – Aug. 22)
- Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30 (Old: Aug. 23 – Sept. 21)
- Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23 (Old: Sept. 22 – October 22)
- Scorpio: Nov. 23-Dec. 17 (Old: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
- Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20 (Old: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
Fact: The term zodiac derives from Latin zōdiacus, which in its turn comes from the Greek ζῳδιακὸς κύκλος (zōdiakos kuklos), meaning “circle of animals”.
Bottom line: astrology is NOT astronomy, even though the words may sound similar and may have meant the same thing hundreds of years ago. We have learned so much about our Universe in the centuries since then that the two are no more closely related now as are chemistry and alchemy.
“How happy are the astrologers if they tell one truth to a hundred lies, while other people lose all credibility if they tell one lie to a hundred truths.”
– Papal advisor Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540)
(Oh, and if you got here from Twitter today… April Fools.)
So what if some people believe in astrology. Leave them alone and let them have their fun, they pay taxes also.
I wonder if all the astrologers who get paid to knowingly sell false information also pay their taxes. I guess they’d have to.
What’s the difference in paying for satellite TV so you can watch mindless BS and paying an astrologer for some BS?
None. My issue is with 1. astrologers who claim their work is “science” (especially those who know very well it is not) and 2. people who think astrology and astronomy is the same, or have equal validity. This page is meant more to educate via actual info to the contrary.
I have similar issues with TV companies that produce crap to feed the masses. TV can have content, it doesn’t have to be mindless.
Drunk drivers make our highways 100 times deadlier than any war going on right now but who gets all the headlines? Similarly astrology is a small thing in matters of importance yet it gets headlines way beyond what it merits. It’s called sensationalism and it drive the news industry. Inflame, not inform, is the MSM battle cry. That’s why most of us just ignore them. The vast majority of people worldwide know the difference between astrology and astronomy regardless of the sensationalists claims otherwise. Those who don’t know are still in diapers or living in caves.
A vast majority implies a ratio… the popularity of horoscopes in media, online and print, says the ratio may not be as much of a majority as you think. Newspapers still post horoscopes in valuable real-estate where they could be putting paid ads or (gasp) content. I wonder how many readers would write in furious if they were to be removed? Astrology is based in myth, while astronomy – even though it has its beginnings in astrology – is based in science and research. Yet I know many more people who know their “signs” and their supposed significance yet have little thought of our place in the cosmos, nevermind the solar system. Which is totally fine, because I’m more than happy to enlighten, but I also often hear questions that denote a marked confusion between actual science and pseudoscience. Which is unfortunate to see in 21st century America.
My page here is far from “mainstream media”, and the compilation of videos is all my own. This is my attempt at leading the horses to water, if they want to drink the info that’s entirely up to them.
Most people don’t believe in astrology nor do they confuse it with astronomy but if you wish to entertain the opposite fantasy go ahead.
25% of Americans believe horoscopes are real. This equates to 78 million people. While not “most”, it’s quite a lot. This number is from a 2005 Gallup poll, not an entertained fantasy.
Fantastic page, the last video was glorious!
Bill Nye the Science Guy!!! I totally grew up on Billy Nye!
For those saying that astrology isn’t really a big issue, I can say that as an educator in astronomy many people (not an actual statistic, I know) come in without an understanding of the difference between astronomy and astrology. That may recognize that they are indeed different things, but if you ask them what the difference is they do not have an answer. And while astrology is certainly far from the worst evil in the world there are certainly instances when it can lead to poor decisions, uninformed choices, misplaced trust, or even more dire circumstances. I recommend checking out whatstheharm.net. They have a section devoted to astrology. I’m not sure the rules on posting links to this forum so I’ll leave the googling to you!
I’m rather late on the scene, but I wanted to mention that Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, wrote one of the clearest refutations of astrology in Book V of his “City of God,” dated about 1,600 years ago. It’s available on the Internet in Latin or English.
Lol, I was about to look for my sign. LOVE this thanks!