This week's 2-on-1 topic for discussion is Horoscopes. Merriam Webster
defines horoscope as diagram of the relative positions of planets and signs
of the zodiac at a specific time (as at one's birth) for use by astrologers in
inferring individual character and personality traits and in foretelling events of a
person's life. An astrological forecast.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS. That seems to be
the goal of Astrology. Dazzle them with fancy charts and complicated graphs.
Throw in lots of star charts but do not remind anyone those images are thousands
of years old - do the math. We know the speed of light so if you know how far
away the stars are you do not need to be Sheldon Cooper to calculate how long
that light takes to reach us.
defines horoscope as diagram of the relative positions of planets and signs
of the zodiac at a specific time (as at one's birth) for use by astrologers in
inferring individual character and personality traits and in foretelling events of a
person's life. An astrological forecast.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS. That seems to be
the goal of Astrology. Dazzle them with fancy charts and complicated graphs.
Throw in lots of star charts but do not remind anyone those images are thousands
of years old - do the math. We know the speed of light so if you know how far
away the stars are you do not need to be Sheldon Cooper to calculate how long
that light takes to reach us.
Here, for example, is one of my Horoscopes for today, 10/18/18: Recent gains are a
credit to your efforts, but thank everyone involved. Note - I said one of my
Horoscopes. There are as many floating around as there are newspapers.
I suppose I could check out several and cherry pick the best.
OK - so I am not a believer. Many people are. My grandmother took Astrology quite
seriously - she made magnificent charts for people. She had a large following and
they were all quite happy with the entire process so it all seems fairly benign to me.
No harm, no foul as it were. Reading a Horoscope is the intellectual equivalent of
reading a fortune cookie after Chinese food. The degree of accuracy is similar too.
Be sure ti check Ramanas Musings for his take on Horoscopes.
Be sure ti check Ramanas Musings for his take on Horoscopes.
Obviously those daily horrors are just a joke - they play on human's need for reassurance. I can't believe anyone takes them seriously.
ReplyDeleteAn actual chart I wouldn't dismiss lightly. I had mine done many years ago (by a Swiss company no less, the Swiss known for their cleanliness, clocks and punctuality) - please see my comment over at Ramana's. And not just mine but those of others I know well. It makes you scratch your head a little - in wonderment. A chart is not so much about the future as your life's "scope". Scope, Shackman. Potential.
One proviso: To be really "accurate" as to the alignment of your stars at birth you need not only the place of birth but the exact time. That may have made your grandmother's chart drawings a little less "scientific" since in the olden days people were quite slapdash about recording the exact time of birth ("after the last cow, Betsy, had come in").
Anyway, I can see - by your wordiness - how interested you are in this subject. But at least you partook. FOS (father-of-son) was totally irrational when it came to astrology. For some reason it made him see ... red(?). On one memorable occasion, we were hosting a dinner, his sister (who is into all things metaphysical) came up with the subject. He slammed his napkin (white linen/starched) down, got up and left the table. I sent the Angel who was about eight or so at the time to coax his father back. Well, and I hope you'll get the joke, his chart did point to a somewhat temperamental and all sorts ... never mind. From then on no one ever mentioned astrology in his earshot again. As controlling others go nice one, don't you think? Still, it's one of those occasions that make a good anecdote in the future.
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My grandmother actually kept track of the time and made my chart - wish I knew where it was today. I just take the stuff with a grain of salt. Like I said, accuracy on a par with a fortune cookie.
DeleteI think horoscopes are total nonsense, and it's extraordinary how many people believe in them. Once upon a time when I worked on a local newspaper, I discovered there was a woman on the staff whose job was to write the horoscopes. She knew nothing whatever about astrology, she just made it all up.
ReplyDeleteNo surprise there Nick
DeleteI read somewhere once that the three wise men who visited the birth of Jesus were actually astrologers of the time.
ReplyDeletehow would someone know that? probably an astrologer was writing it.
the last line Shack... in your comment at Rummy's caught me off guard. laughed right out loud. the neighbors in the complex must think I live a fascinating life. or maybe just a maniac lives near them. you never know. nothing a trifle couldn't handle.
Tammy that has been my tag line for years - just filed it away for a bit. Happy to hear it made you laugh out loud - we all need that on occasion
DeleteOne more reason why the two of us hit it off so well.
ReplyDeleteThe occasions I've read my horoscope have been entertaining at best -- kinda like I imagine going to a fortune teller or these psychic reader phone calls to learn about our future, though I've never consulted either of the latter two.
ReplyDelete