Horoscopes: Myth or Magic?
By:
Charles Kassotis
Do you
read your horoscope in the daily
newspaper? Maybe you call the
horoscope hotline on occasion to
find out what a reader has to say
about your future. You might even
dabble in the occult yourself from
time to time. Why do people care
about this mysterious reading of
their zodiac sign and the telling of
their futures? Is there any real
truth in the predictions?
Horoscopes have been around for
centuries if not millennia. Humans
have long been fascinated with the
earth and its relationship to other
celestial bodies in the solar system
and even the universe. Star
constellations have been
particularly interesting to
stargazers, who attempt to make
meaning from the constellations
themselves as well as the shift of
certain stars or planets, sometimes
called heavenly bodies. The
significance of certain planetary
groupings, as well as solar or lunar
eclipses, is believed to have a
bearing on the chain of events in a
person's life.
Such
beliefs play a key role in our
culture. Even the Bible emphasizes
the importance of the Star of
Bethlehem that showed the magi, or
scholars, in the East where the
infant Jesus was to be born.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous novel,
The Scarlet Letter, associates
various meanings with a shooting
star viewed one night by Puritans
living in 17th century Salem. The
star was believed by some to stand
for "A" with respect to hero Hester
Prynne, the adulteress, and by
others to represent "A" for angel
regarding the dying governor.
As our
species grew more civilized, we
searched for answers to life's
problems among the things of the
earth. When these did not always pan
out, we turned our collective gaze
to the stars of heaven, hoping for
more information there. Some people
believe they can read the stars and
planets to make meaning that will
illuminate other people's lives.
People of every land and
civilization have attempted to read
those specks of light that can be
seen above us at night to find the
answers to universal and personal
questions.
If you
are wondering whether a horoscope
reader can help you, it may help to
ask a few questions before handing
over your credit card for
processing. Ask about the reader's
credentials. Where did he or she
study? How much experience does the
person have? What are his or her
specialties (i.e., career, romance,
health, etc.). What happens if the
person's predictions don't come
true? Can the reader provide
references for you to consult?
All of
us thrill to the prospect of
learning more about ourselves and
the possibility of things to come.
But be careful to use discernment in
choosing a guide who will provide
this information for you. Anyone can
set up shop as a stargazer or
horoscope hustler, and in fact, many
people do. Their information will
often sound generic, and it could
apply to just about anyone. So look
for someone who seems to be a little
more authentic than just anyone who
puts an ad in the newspaper or sends
you email spam.
