Horoscopes are used as symbols and are utilized as a way to group individuals. Their birthdays dictate what horoscope sign they will belong to. There are twelve different horoscopes, most people refer to them as star signs because they were initially named after constellations but they are actually sun signs. They have been used throughout history to find answers to the unknown. Horoscopes are found globally and serve as a huge part of popular culture today, scientists have proven they are not 100% accurate but human nature has kept us reading them.
The word horoscope comes from the Greek meaning “to tell time”. Each horoscope sign is linked to a planet and is responsible for a specific degree in astrology. Horoscopes connect individuals to certain elements, characteristics and qualities. Horoscopes are used to provide reason for situations in life. To some, horoscopes are an important thing to read, some believe they foretell their future, others think they are completely made up.
The meaning behind horoscopes, astrology, has provided countless discoveries for humans over the past thousands of years. Astrology comes from the Greek meaning ‘word’ or ‘logic’ of the stars; astronomy means ‘law’ of the stars. The idea of horoscopes was used thousands of years ago to explain people’s personalities and fates by
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categorizing them according to their birthdays. The signs are twelve equal divisions of thirty degrees beginning at the equinox. Each horoscope was named after lining up that thirty-degree space with a constellation. They do not line up perfectly anymore because the sun actually passes through thirteen constellations, but the thirteenth was traditionally removed from the sun signs. Horoscope birthdays are from the 20th day of the month to the following 20th day of the month. Some people refer to themselves as a “Cuspal” because their birthday falls in between the signs. In ancient history horoscopes were linked with Gods, Kings, Queens, and elite people of society. It wasn’t until the end of the nineteenth century that they started being aimed at ordinary people. Around the 1950’s they became popular in the United States and United Kingdom appealing to the mood of individualism and narcissism, horoscopes were engulfed within our endless quest for identity. The Arabic meaning of astrology translates to ‘the decrees of the stars’, in India it means ‘science of the light’. The Chinese study star patterns and Japanese practice “the Ying-Yang way,” interactions with continuous forces from the cosmos. India integrates astrology with part of Hinduism practices. The Chinese have been utilizing it to tell fortunes. In the West, it was a form of risk management. It is a belief that has stuck with humans even before religion. It became a universal language and story that has been passed down for thousands of years. The Polynesians used the stars for navigation and believe they were placed their creator. Astrology has been used as an aid for special calendar events like Christmas and Easter. Although, some Christians believe astrology is demonic. (Campion 2012.) Horoscopes have been foretelling futures to individuals around the world for years, it is a common way to group individuals or explain certain characteristics or behaviors. Psychologists have proven they cannot be accurate for 100% of the population but it continues to be a popular global entertainment source. Daily horoscopes can be found in almost any magazine, newspaper or website.
There are multiple apps for mobile devices that provide daily passages for every sign. All passages for each sign are not the same in each medium. A daily Gemini horoscope on the Daily Horoscope app will be different than the passage found in a magazine. Horoscopes are everywhere, they are a big part of popular culture globally. Horoscopes oftentimes bring people together and provide a conversation starter. The signs group individuals together by assigning specific commonalities to each sign. This gives humans a sense of belonging especially when suffering through tough
times. Author of the book “The Secret Language of Birthdays,” Gary Goldschnieder interviewed people around the world and asked what significance horoscopes had in each individual’s lives. He found most people find joy by reading them but do not completely believe in them. According to the author, many of the people he interviewed said that horoscopes are generic and up to the reader to interpret. It can be true about anyone depending on how the reader interprets the reading. Everyone he interviewed knew what horoscopes were and most knew which sign their birthday is. According to the interviews most people did not rely on horoscopes to foretell their future. The majority of people will read them just because, but they are hardly ever 100% accurate. (Oberlin, 2006.) Horoscopes are used for entertainment more than anything, but there is something else that keeps humans reading them. Psychologist Bertram Forer established a theory called the Barnum Effect. He gave each of his students a test telling them they were getting a specific description of their characteristics and that they were to rate how accurate it was. The tests were actually identical but each student rated it as an almost identical depiction of their characteristics. It is the temptation to read personal meaning within a general description. People will believe things are true about themselves if the aspects are positive, same with horoscopes. The readings are always positive, and we crave this appealing illusion of being ‘defined’ positively. Psychologist Susan Blackmore found that avid horoscope believers conformed their personality to their signs characteristics. (Taubes 2010.) Each of the twelve signs has different qualities and traits; therefore, some are known to be more compatible in a relationship than others. For example a Gemini female is most compatible with an Aquarius male because of their specific characteristics. Horoscopes readings are very popular in magazines, celebrities often talk about which sign they belong to and how they resemble it. For example, Reese Witherspoon belongs to the sign Aries, her birthday falls on March 22nd. The sign is known to be a passionate leader, playful, impulsive and dynamic. Witherspoon is an independent, competitive, leader who resembles her sign very well. Adele’s birthday is in May making her a Taurus, who’s symbol is a bull. The sign is known to be stubborn and artistic. Family and creating strong relationships is important to the sign. Adele is known to resemble a true Taurus. Angelina Jolie has an abundance of patience and extreme talent in multitasking; her birthday falls in June making her a Gemini. People who belong to the sign Gemini are found to be intellectual and mutable, easy-going, versatile and communicative. Some call them “the silver tongued devil”. It is nature for a Gemini to have their hands full and intellects stimulated constantly, Angelina usually has both. Selena Gomez is the face of the sun sign Cancer, born in the middle of summer. The sign is known to be deeply romantic and emotional but secretive about it. Selena Gomez is known for her mysterious secretive love life. The sign is known to have an edgy side underneath. Leos are also known as lions, the king of anything they can be. They are passionate and courageous. Jennifer Lopez is known to be a courageous lion, she has created her own empire making her the queen. She is creative and lives for love, while her sign is a fire sign burning with passion. Zeus is the ruling god of this sign. Individuals who have birthdays that fall between August 23- September 22 are known as Virgos, represented by the virgin. They are adaptable, practical, level-headed, service orientated, obsessive over detail and intelligent. Beyonce is a Virgo, she is the celebrity face of this sign because of her pure spirit. She is known as one of the most “realest”, most down to Earth celebrities. Libras are obsessed with justice and fairness, they are very appreciative of beauty. The sign resembles peace, love, and harmony the icon of this sign is Gwen Stefani. She is uplifting and has a keen sense to beauty. Libras strive for balance and wish to live life in a harmonious way as does Gwen. The scorpion symbolizes the sign Scorpio it represents people who have birthdays between October 23- November 21. These individuals are loyal, passionate, grudge-holding and have good detective skills. Julia Robert’s birthday is in the end of October, she often plays a detective in her films. She has very strong emotions and usually plays a strong character. Miley Cyrus rules the sign Sagittarius, they are known to be reckless and adventurous. Miley Cyrus was not always this way, she has conformed to her sign as she got older. She wants to try everything once, she is humorous, quirky and unfiltered. Capricorn’s are known to be practical leaders; they are ambitious, hard working, and reliable. Michelle Obama is a Capricorn, she is driven and disciplined just like her sign. She is firm, loving and wishes to see others thrive as well. Jennifer Aniston belongs to the sign Aquarius. They are progressive, friendly and idealistic. Jennifer Aniston is the stunning, good girl, all-American actress. Rihanna belongs to Pisces resembling a dual nature, naughty and nice, sweet and spicy. This sign depicts a hopeless romantic. They are known to be poetic, dreamy, irresponsible and mysterious. Horoscopes are intertwined in popular culture all over the world. Humans use it like an escape realm, to feel closer to their favorite celebrities. There is a popular trend called “What Would Beyonce Do” (WWBD) and Elle magazine published an article about it linking it to horoscopes. When the viewer reads each description for the sign it sounds like something Beyonce would say, as if she is giving the reader advice. Some of the passages link lyrics into it, making it more fun for the reader. Each sign portrays its own theme and mood but puts a twist of Beyonce into it. This is definitely popular culture because girls are more inspired by their horoscope because it is in the eyes of Beyonce, who is a very empowering icon for many women of all ages. She is strong and courageous. Each sign lists a task to do for the month, and points out a day of the month that will be significant to each sign. Each sign has a description of challenges and strategies to over come those, and ends with a motivational line from Beyonce. In this age of consumerism and saturated medias, zodiac signs are an encouragement to establish hopes, fears, and motivations. It has stuck with humans through thousands of years. Astrology is more than a scientific language, it is relatable to humans by using stories about love and luck. Now that we know Earth is miniscule compared to the universe, astrology has been engulfed within our endless quest for identity.
Medicine in the Elizabethan Era was associated with many sciences. One of these includes Astrology. It was believed that all living creatures were associated with the stars. It was possible to read a persons past, present and future by the positions of the stars and planets. Therefore, if you were to go to a physician, one of the first things he would ask you wa...
The zodiac calendar is an astrological theory that divides the path that the sun seems to follow around the earth into twelve equal sections, each of which are associated with a sign, a symbol and a personality type. John Gardner embraces this astrological theme in his parallel novel, Grendel, by connecting each of the twelve chapters to its coinciding zodiac.
The surest foundation for the origin of science in its practical form is to be found in the ìco–rdination and standardization of the knowledge of common sense and of industry.î[1] One of the first occurrences of this co–rdination can be traced back to 2500 BCE in the form of edicts from the ancient Babylonian rulers, who issued royal standards of length, weight and capacity. Non-Semitic Sumerians also laid down the elements of mathematics and geometry at that time, making use of fractions, decimals, circles and radial angles. But knowledge as we know it today was tightly woven with magical notions, and as both spread westward they instilled in European thought a reverence for ìspecial numbers, their connections to the gods and the application of geometrical diagrams to the prediction of the future.î[2] As well, the ancient Babylonians were fascinated by the heavens. They were the first to make a map of the stars and associate them with animals like the Ram, Crab and Scorpion, names that we still use to this day. They also realized the periodicity and reliability of astronomical movement and phenomena, and were soon able to predict many of them. Tablets have been found dating to the sixth century BCE that predicted the relative positions of the sun and moon, as well as forecasted the occurrences of eclipses.[3] Out of all this knowledge the Babylonians built up a fantastic system of astrology, through which the starsówhich were thought to fix and foretell the course of human affairsówould give up their secrets.
Willis, Roy. and Curry, Patrick . Astrology Science and Culture. Pulling Down the Moo. (Oxford: Berg 2004)
I have chosen to write about the constellation Cancer (The Crab). I chose Cancer because it is one of only a handful of constellations that I am actually able to identify in the night sky. Cancer is one of the twelve Zodiac constellations; people whose birthdays fall between June 21st and July 22nd have Cancer as their sign. Cancer is the Latin word for crab, and despite the fact that the constellation looks more like a lobster then a crab, it is still referred to as a crab. The constellation is visible from the northern hemisphere from late winter to early spring.
There is rarely boredom. They are both talkers. They usually reveal a unique compatibility. Gemini is antsy and enthusiastic to look for new pastures, like an Aries. Both signs are uninhibited. Gemini is witty and will embrace Aries need to rule. Gemini seeks outside interests. However, it can be either sneaky or discrete about it. They sync up with each other mentally. Aries is smart and sparkling. Gemini is flexible and inventive. Aries is likely to sexually lead the bedroom. Gemini delights in contemplating up sexual scenarios to keep Aries attention.
The basic astrological assumptions are not hard to grasp. For if astronomy is the study of the movements of the heavenly bodies, then astrology is the study of the effects of those movements. The astronomers of the ancient world assumed a division of the universe whereby the superior, immutable bodies of the celestial worlds ruled over the terrestrial or sublunary sphere, where all was mortality and change. It was assumed that the stars had special qualities and influences which were transmitted downwards upon the passive earth, and which varied in their effect, according to the changing relationship of the heavenly bodies to each other. They were led to postulate a single system in which the seven moving stars or planet shifted their position in relation to the earth and each other, against a fixed backcloth of the twelve signs of the zodiac.
The Scorpio individual is passionate, secretive, powerful, and penetrating. Being a Scorpio myself includes pros and cons such as many downfalls, exciting moments, and distressful ones too. Realizing the depths of emotion I intend to have varies in the state of mood I currently feel during a situation whether it's a happy one, a frustrating one or a dark one. Many days pass by and we expect for them to be new situations based on the cliche “Tomorrow is a new day”. Well for me tomorrow I will be expecting the same day as I had today, Most likely waking up at 5 pm, completing my chores as well as babysitting while I try to catch up one my online high school Penn Foster falling asleep at 7 am due to my mental disability of insomnia.
During the Elizabethan era, physicians believed that the zodiac signs and planets have control over parts of the body and different diseases. They also believed that it determined the usefulness of different drugs. Plants and herbs had to be collected at the time the related planets were visible. To determine when the planets would be visible, an almanac that stated the rising and setting times of the planets were used. The position of the moon in correlation to the natal chart allowed the physician to tell when the dangerous sickness days would take place. Blood would then be drawn from the patient to return the fluids in the body back to homeostasis (Delahaye 1). Certain planets were believed to affect different parts of the body. For example, Mercury and Uranus affected the brain and nerves. The sun affected the heart, Mars affected the arteries and Saturn affected the veins. The planets were also believed to be the cause of diseases. The sun caused heart and spine disorders, Jupiter caused liver disorders, and Mercury was the cause of insanity (Duchan
Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant that handed you a paper with a bunch of random animals and years on it? Most people will just throw it away and not pay that much attention to it. That little piece of paper contains a basic information about the Chinese Zodiac just enough to get you hooked. There are many people all over the world that very much believe in the ancient Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac can be helpful for finding the current Chinese year, what animal people are, and can help make decisions.
As a child, going to the store with my mom was the highlight of my week. I would always beg her to stop and let me look at the magazines in the book section. I could have spent hours there doing all the personality quizzes and seeing what my “signature style” was. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what all the results meant, but I knew I liked it and that it made me feel important that they were “my” results. Saving the best for last, I would then flip to the back to look at the horoscopes. Being a Cancer, the traits were always “caring” and “sensitive”. I would look to see who my “love match” was and what my lucky numbers were. Ever since those days, the questions of “What is a personality?”, “What types of personalities are there?”, and “Are
Things like astrology and fortune telling have been looked upon as fun diversions to pass the time. Amongst these pseudoscience’s, the art of Tarot card reading has the most diverse and mysterious history. There is much confusion that surrounds the origin of these cards, as well as the original purpose of their creation. Perhaps they were perceived and used differently in different parts of the world. Perhaps they were used the exact same way. The art of Tarot card reading should be considered an art as well as an artifact with relevant historical significance rather than just a leisure activity. While Tarot card reading is not as popular as it once was, many people all over the world still carry on the tradition of fortune telling.
They believed, that they had a set destiny that they could not alter. In Greek myth, Fate was often very mysterious and hard to explain and quite possibly more powerful than Zeus. Early myth explains Fate as a power, much like death. Hamilton says Homer makes, “Hera ask him (Zeus) scornfully if he proposes to deliver from death a man Fate has doomed,” (Hamilton 26). Despite the Greek beliefs that they could not change their fate, they still attempted to understand it. Early Greek myth shows humans trying to understand fate through myths about Apollo’s oracle. Apollo’s oracle is able to predict the future, but its messages are often vague and puzzling. So even though people could be told their future they did not necessarily understand it. The early Greeks clearly believed that life was fixed and nothing they did could change
It was not up until 200 years ago that people started identifying their zodiac sign with the position of the Sun. So when a person is asked what is his or sign, the Sun was passing through on the day that person was born. This can be demonstrated on a birth chart. Our birth charts are special "sky maps" which reflect the quality of the exact moment we drew our first breath. With that first breath, we each began our own incredible hero's journey through life on planet Earth. The birth positions of the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all play their own unique symbolic roles as messengers and ambassadors of the universe.
Modern day astrology is meant to be a philosophy to put into detail different aspects of life instead of predicting the future. (www.astrology.net/about.html, p.2) Astrology has been the stuff that has brought people together. (www.astrology.net/about.html, p.2) It explains the power that people contain in their lives. (www.astrology.net/about.html, p.2)