Astrology and Horoscopes
I believe in astrology and horoscopes to a certain extent. And if that made you roll your eyes, please feel free to close your browser tab and ignore the rest of the article. But let me explain why!
You guys probably know I'm Tamil by now. And in our culture, astrology has a pretty important place. As soon as babies are born, their zodiac sign and associated star sign is calculated based on time and date of birth and with globalisation, place of birth, i.e., the longitudes and latitudes of where you were born. In Tamil astrology, more than the zodiac signs, the 27 star signs are of more value and perceived to be more accurate (each zodiac sign has about 2-3 star signs) This is used to predict about what your life is going to be like and if you have to do any "remedies" to fix any potential problems. So depending on how much your parents believe in this, you can know anywhere from nothing beyond your star sign to excruciating details about your future. Astrologers only talk about your forecasts and stuff like that during one on one consultations based on star signs and not zodiac signs. If you go to the temple to pray, the priest asks for your name and star sign to offer prayers.
In the marriage setting, a basic compatibility between a couple is calculated using the star signs, and further compatibility is determined from your unique horoscope. If there are certain things that are deemed as incompatible, "remedies" are then suggested for rectification. In fact, some people avoid certain signs altogether because they are perceived negatively (For example, a certain star sign is said to create conflicts everywhere it goes) Sad, I know. There is also a gender bias - certain star signs are good if it's a male and not that great if it's in a female. This is my case - my star sign is said to be pretty good one to have, and an attribute as stubbornly ambitious. While people will accept it in a male, they won't accept a potential bride with this sign because it's perceived as not family friendly. Can you sense my side eye? Morning news segments in Tamilnadu, India feature a horoscope segment where they bring in an astrologer to do daily forecasts and monthly and year on the 1sts, but this is based on zodiac signs and not star signs. I think it's a matter of 12 vs 27. Astrologers are also brought in during election times for them to predict which candidate is more likely to win based on their star signs. This often turns into a lively debate and a fight for dominance. So yeah, astrology is pretty embedded in our culture that it's almost a way of life. And I admit, this could be the reason astrology is pretty ingrained in me.
I generally read monthly and yearly horoscopes on the 1sts because I think it's pretty fun to see what to "expect". I like it when horoscopes say things like focus on nourishing meals for this year or exercise more self-care this month. I mean, who doesn't want to hear things like that? I like to read horoscopes again at the end of the month and the year to see if it matches up. It's nice to hear that maybe something I worked hard on this month failed because something was in retrograde. It's nice to know that sometimes even if you give a 120%, some things are not meant to be. I feel like I've had months where I was inexplicably lucky and on a roll where everything I touch turns amazing and some days where money seems to just keep going out of my wallet in ways that seems unlikely to be coincidence. I'm not saying the forecasts describe me to a T. In fact I've had times when the exact opposite happens, like when the forecast says I'll meet a kindred spirit that month, only for a really good friendship to end. That being said, I don't believe in sitting back and doing nothing when the horoscope says things like Jupiter is in action this month and luck is on my side. I don't believe when the horoscope says things like "You will meet a man on a yacht this weekend" or "Stay away from water from January 2nd to January 9th!" I don't believe in letting just the planets work and for me to do nothing. I don't believe in "destined" events when promotions and things like that are guaranteed. I don't believe in specified dates unless it's a retrograde/lunar eclipse/solar eclipse and something is set to trigger off a chain of events.
I'm not going to lie, horoscopes can be pretty shady. You know how I said news segments feature astrologers in India? You can get a completely different forecast just for one zodiac sign across the different channels. I'm a Sagittarius based on the "common" zodiac system and a Leo based on Tamil calculations. Out of sheer curiosity, I have read both signs in both Westernised and Tamil horoscopes. In the Western horoscopes, I can identify with both Sagittarius and Leo traits. Sometimes, the forecasts for both signs look similar or have the same underlying message. While certain signs make me go "Oh my god that's not me at all" Leo still seems pretty fine. In the Tamil horoscopes however, Sagittarius has nothing to do with me. I couldn't find specific characteristics just to cite examples for this article because like I said, we focus more on star signs. It's just glimpses I have caught from television where they said "As a Sagittarius, you are gullible so read carefully before you sign the contract" and the last thing I would use to describe myself is gullible. Forecasts also almost never match - Leo forecast would be saying things like promotions or an opportunity to travel while Sagittarius would be saying things like pregnancy and your child will rebel against you. I'm single! And since humans are involved in this, there are bound to be a phoneys looking to make a quick buck by playing off your body language. But that doesn't mean everyone is a phoney.
I personally believe in astrology, tarot cards, God, ghosts, energies and vibes. I think there are things beyond the human brain's imagination and perception because we have only been here for a span close to the blink of an eye. So, I personally think, to completely dismiss these things as non-scientific or impossible is just a tad ignorant and pompous. There was a time when people used to dismiss the idea that the Earth is round! It's for this reason that I think astrology can be a fun little way to have a peak at what's in store for us. I take it with a pinch of salt. My observation and theory is that horoscopes make you feel good. They are designed to make you feel calm and reassured. Horoscopes to me, fit my brand of optimism. The whole "this negative thing is going to happen, you can fix it by doing this". Horoscopes to me, are like relationships. You just take the 70% of the time it works. Like how you embrace the good moments in a relationship, and you don't nitpick on the bad moments. Horoscopes to me, are so wonderfully weird and unpredictable. Just like life. And that's why I like reading horoscopes.
