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What is Astrology?
What’s your zodiac sign?
Although not scientifically proven, zodiac signs may reveal a lot about an individual’s personality and behaviour. Whether you’re a Scorpio, Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, or others, each sign holds certain characteristics. Astrology is the study of the influence that distant cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, have on human lives. The position of the sun, stars, moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth is said to shape their personality, affect their social relationships, and predict their future successes. Most people only know about their 'zodiac sign' when it comes to astrology, which corresponds to one of the zodiac's 12 constellations. This astrology type is based on your sun-sign, and these horoscopes can usually be found in newspapers. It is probably the simplest method because to produce a sun-sign horoscope, nothing more than the date of someone's birthday is required. Although horoscopes and astrology, in general, aren’t scientifically proven to have any validity, there are reasons that they can be beneficial to follow and understand.
Astrology in the age of Gen Z
Horoscopes and astrology have been analyzed for years, but it has gained a larger attraction and interest among Gen Z over the past few months. TikTok users see an increase of videos on their feed relating to daily horoscopes, important dates, and future predictions based on their personal zodiac signs. “I claim this” is a phrase that fills the comment sections as a way to have these predictions come true in real life. If viewers feel connected or feel that the video is relevant to them personally, they’ll "claim" the prediction as a way to be hopeful about their love life, future success, or exciting moments.
Tarot cards, crystals, and angel numbers are commonly used in TikTok videos revolving around astrology and horoscopes. These appear to be ways to communicate to viewers, if of relevance, that something will be happening in their lives. These ideas have led to certain people manifesting. Manifesting believes you can make anything a reality if you direct your energy, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts into believing it will happen. There are limits, but those who manifest are hopeful for a positive outcome. Watching these videos and taking part in these spiritual activities are ways that people hope that everything will work out and that good will come into their lives.
When we read our horoscopes and see these videos on social media that somehow describe us perfectly, we start to believe it. “How did they know that?” “That perfectly describes the type of friend I am.” When we realize that, we want to learn more about ourselves and how we should act or adapt to be our best selves. The astrology app, Co-Star, takes the date, time, and city you were born to find out how the stars and planets were positioned during that moment. Every day the app gives you a brief message about how you should take on the day. It tells you the areas you may succeed and have some trouble in, such as routine, thinking, social life, love, spirituality, and self. The app gives you a much more detailed explanation of these areas. You can add your friends and see how your relationship may work out during the rest of the day. Sometimes parts of the app won’t feel relevant, and that’s because astrology isn’t actually scientifically proven to be valid. It’s up to you to interpret the advice given and the explanations and see how you can apply it to your life for the better.
Final Thoughts
Especially during these bizarre and emotionally draining times, astrology gives us a sense of purpose. Astrology provides reasons for why the world is so rough and is spinning out of control. It gives us hope that everything will be less nauseating tomorrow. Within daily horoscopes, it encourages us to look within to find strength and resilience. The position of the planets at the time of our birth allows us to determine the vulnerable and strong areas of our lives. Astrology can allow us to understand the events of our experience better. Astrology also helps to enjoy good health, stability, spiritual growth, and escape stresses in relationships, employment, and self. We will discover what attributes we prefer in a partner with the help of astrology. Additionally, it helps us discover how to solve any conflicts because we will have a greater understanding of various personalities. Horoscopes can give us an insight into the attitude and the qualities of the people we live with. In this way, we can better adjust to each other's weaknesses and strengths, and we can also prevent conflicts and reduce the negative effects of character differences.
Whether you believe in astrology or not, it’s something that benefits those who follow it. It helps improve their lives for the better and improve their relationships with those around them.
References
Ghahremani, T. (2019, December 24). Astrology doesn't need to be scientifically proven to be empowering - or feminist. Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/astrology-doesn-t-need-be-scientifically-proven-be-empowering-or-ncna1103411
Article Author: Alizeh Qaiser
Article Editor: Linda Duong