Hello, everybody. My name is Isabella Botero and I’m truly grateful for having the opportunity of giving my opinion on the topic The Human Psyche Through the Eyes of Astrology: does astrology have any influence on people’s fortune and personality?, which is in the category JAMES WEBB.
Going to the point, let me ask you a question: Have you ever entered Instagram and seen a post saying something like ''Virgo and its characteristics'' or something like ''Pisces in September''? Because I have seen it, and many times. There are several pages on the internet that are dedicated to that: showing how lucky the signs will be in the week, month, year,... even in love or at work. It is a very visited type of content, to tell you the truth; however, it does not mean that this information is true.
I can tell you that I am a sensitive, affectionate, temperamental and thoughtful person, that you might think of the Cancer sign. Or I can tell you that I am cold, analytical, ambitious, and hard-working and you might believe in Capricorn. But what if now I told you that all this is part of something that has been implanted in us over time? What if I told you that you may have subconsciously changed your personality due to the characteristics that you are supposed to have because of your zodiac sign? Would you yet believe in the zodiac after that? Let me tell you that studies have been carried out and they have shown that astrology can cause a great impact in a person’s self-concept, thus modifying certain ideologies and ways of acting according to their zodiac sign.
Alright, now let me talk to you about why people would see this type of content if it could be fraudulent…
Search for comfort in astrology : Studies show that increased interest in astrology over time generally coincides with difficult life periods. As an example of this we have the pandemic: as we know this was a hard time in the lives of all of us, daily we were notified of how many deaths there were, the restrictions we would have, and an etcetera of stressful information. For this reason, people looked for media that would explain the situation they were experiencing and how they should deal with it, to which they also found sources whose comments gave their reader peace and hope: THE HOROSCOPES. It was reassuring to read those messages, since compared to the events reported scientifically, these were comforting.
It gives us a certain confidence due to the sense of control that it conveys.
The fact that the information is based on the date of birth: This gives astrology more credibility, as the data is individual.
And as a fourth piece of information, somewhat related to the third, we have the fact that in horoscopes they give us information about our signs and their characteristics, and yet, the truth is that that information is abstract enough to distort it and get out of it a message applied to our own realities. So the fact that we adapt them to the events in our lives makes it look more credible and trusty.
Well, as we all know in the world there will always be stereotypes for everything; society will always expect something from you and even if you meet their requirements, they will never be satisfied. Then, let me tell you that horoscopes are not exclusive of this. There, you will find characteristics that will speak well or badly about a sign, and depending on whether you meet or not those expectations, they tell you ''Oh, typical of .....'' or ''Hey, but that's not very..... .from you''. Next, I will tell you the main stereotypes of each sign:
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Stereotype: Impatient, impulsive and independent.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Stereotype: Patient, stubborn and strong-willed.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
Stereotype: Dynamic, two-faced and mischievous.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Stereotype: Sensitive, moody and caring.
Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Stereotype: Proud, egocentric and creative.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
Stereotype: Perfectionist, clever and reserved.
Libra (September 23 - October 22)
Stereotype: Indecisive, diplomatic and peaceful.
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
Stereotype: Powerful, wise and analytical.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
Stereotype: Open-minded, adventurer and sociable.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
Stereotype: Ambitious, cold and hard-working.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
Stereotype: Energetic, innovative and hyper-rational.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
Stereotype: Free, creative and kind.
To sum up, I would like to add that believing or not believing in astrology, both thoughts are valid. There is no need to criticize anyone for what they like and their beliefs, we are all different and free to do what we like, as long as others are not negatively affected by our actions. However, something that seems very important to say is that we must take into account that everything in excess is bad. Yes, you can get good content from horoscopes, such as memes and even interesting topics of conversation, but you have to keep in mind that taking it to the extreme, becoming obsessed with it, could be too problematic because you can't be just determined by a horoscope, but by your goals, personality traits, and other relevant factors dealing with who you are.
Thanks for your attention.
