“Astrology is one of the most ancient sciences, held in high esteem of old, by the wise and the great. Formerly, no prince would make war or peace, nor any general fight in battle, in short, no important affair was undertaken without first consulting an astrologer.” – Benjamin Franklin 

Astrology is often perceived as a cool topic to get to know about your “true self” through your zodiac sign, something that helps you understand characteristics you may or may not have. However, people sometimes claim these traits even if they don’t seem to fit their personality, all in the name of their “sign.” Because of this, astrology is sometimes seen as a cliche that allows people to make excuses for the positive and negative personality traits they contain. 

Astrology is so much more than the day you were born, though. Astrology goes deep into one’s history including what time you were born, calculating your moon, rising, Venus and other planetoid signs. Your birth time also factors into your true astrological self and the aspects of the planets, which, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English, are “angles the planets make to each other in the horoscope, also to the ascendant, mid-heaven, descendant, lower mid-heaven, and other points of astrological interest.” – – What does this mean? Essentially, the angles, are cardinal points of an astrological chart that the planets and other zodiac elements create. 

People have varied degrees of interest and belief in astrology. Some believe it’s cliche and others believe it’s engaging.  One person who feels it is appealing is 16-year-old Regina O’Neill, a sophomore at Paint Branch who says it is “a fun topic to learn about.” 

However, some, like Hawa Keenway, a junior at Glen Burnie High School, don’t trust astrology. Keenway says that “astrology is a load of crap. People just believe in it because it’s comforting.” 

Asked to expand on why people who believe in astrology are given “comfort,” Keenway replies, “Astrology is just one of those topics that gives people reasons for their personality traits and answers their question as to why they are this way or that way, you know?”

So, is Keenway right? Is this true?

Often, on social media, we see comments like “im impatient and impulsive cuz im a Aries” or “im moody and sensitive cuz im a cancer.” 

The fact is, thoughts like these subscribe to the thinking from the YouTube channel, Quatrz, which says,  “People don’t love astrology because it’s scientific, they love it because it’s a powerful social tool.” – The truth is, most of society fails to acknowledge the basics of astrology, let alone the origins of it. 

It is simply not true that because you’re a Gemini, you’re automatically someone who never stops talking and enjoys gossiping about everyone, even your own friends. The reality is that even a Gemini can be shy, quiet, and the most loyal person in the room. Just because you’re a Capricorn, does not necessarily mean that you are this hardworking person who believes work is everything and fears failure. 

This idea is proven by Capricorn Ionne Vainqueur, a PB sophomore, who is laid back and couldn’t care less of anyone’s opinion of her. She explains, “I don’t believe in astrology because my zodiac sign, Capricorn, represents ambition and status, which is totally the opposite of me.”

Sasson, a writer from COSMIC NAVIGATOR, a website for factual information on astrology, writes that astrology is a “system of symbols and metaphors created to help us connect to the universe, just like the words and metaphors found in the various spiritual texts from around the world.” 

Yes, there is no scientific proof that astrology helps and heals, but there is also no scientific proof that it doesn’t! 

Astrology is fun to learn about, but don’t let the day you were born regulate your entire persona, inner or outer. The exact time you were born dictates your inner-self and the characteristics you display outwardly to others, but it does not control everything. If you are interested in looking further into astrology, a good place to start is: https://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php and https://astromatrix.org/. This site offers understandable readings of your birth chart. Remember, astrology is not fake, it’s just been taken over by modern psychology, which attempts to rationalize with most aspects of life, and astrology is not a truly justified ideology.