2 minute read
Stargazing
February horoscope: On the 15th, a solar eclipse in your sign electrifies relationship baggage and old wishes that are holding you back. Opportunities are available for the taking, especially for those Aquariuses with mid-February birthdays. You may not be able to reverse your decision, but chances are you’ll be happier where you’re headed. –Refinery29
writing MADELEINE RITHOLZ
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In hindsight, my past month did not play out anything like this prediction. Aquarians are said to either be shy and quiet or eccentric and energetic—two extremes of the personality spectrum. However, I am very much in the middle. And regardless of being aware that my past horoscopes never came true, every month I still find myself clicking on the email to read my next one.
Written in the Stars. We have all heard this saying time and time again. It means that we depend on a higher celestial power for the fate of our future. Even though astrology rarely plays out how it should, there are many who swear by celestial powers at their core. Whether it’s falling victim to religiously monitoring horoscopes or predicting the future with tarot cards, people have long romanticized the magic of outer space. Where does this fascination come from?
In ancient times, anyone from royalty to farmers depended on astrology and astronomy for everyday purposes. The stars were sacred and to be worshipped. Just look to zodiac signs, the lunar calendar, and ancient Greek literature about the stars and constellations.
Nowadays, I believe this curiosity stems from fear of the uncertainty of the future. Similarly, no matter the amount of research, we truly do not know the depths of outer space. Thus, these two uncertainties spurred an interest in this seemingly magical source of prediction.
We claim to be skeptical realists and deny the celestial influence. As Shakespeare once wrote, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” However, as critical as people like myself claim to be, some little part of us still looks to the heavens for the answers we can’t find. We keep opening the monthly horoscope emails and venturing out to tarot card readers. It is our guilty pleasure, our secret obsession, our sense of security.
