Rantin’: Astrology

There are many things in this world I do not comprehend. Some things are beyond my realm of understanding: complex theories about the mathematics of spatial phenomena, endless lines of computer code forming a clean operating system, the massive appeal of Dancing with the Stars. Other things (such as every Algebra teacher I’ve ever had), I just seem to get bored of and tune out, so I miss out large chunks that I don’t exactly rush to fill in.

And then… there are other things.

Astrology is just one of those things I Just Don’t Get. Am I supposed to believe there are different hormones in the air depending on the day of the year, and that they are in significant enough quantities as to affect the development of the fetal brain? That babies born on the cusp of two signs exhibit personality traits from both because there is a curious mixture of the two hormones in the air as one disappates and the other wafts in as the planetary alignment dictates??

I Just Don’t Get It.

Today someone looked at me and said, “You’re a Taurus, right? Because you don’t act like a Taurus.” And I think that broke my brain.

What gets me is, she’s not an unintelligent lady. She seems to be a pretty smart cookie, as do a couple of other people I know who believe in astrology… So why then do they believe in this crap? If I don’t “act like a Taurus”, doesn’t that tell you that there is something wrong with the model? Doesn’t clear evidence to the contrary disprove the theory?

And what really gets me is that people don’t seem to realize that astrological signs, horoscopes, all of that crap, they’re all so vague that practically anyone can relate to them to some degree. If I made up my own sign, like the Tsunami Dolphin, and said, “You are someone who takes a great deal of pride in at least one aspect of your life. When things are going well, your mood greatly reflects it, and people love to be around you!” a lot of people would find themselves nodding their heads along with my words. Who doesn’t have something they take pride in, whether it’s their job or their kids or their collection of antique thimbles autographed by Queen Elizabeth? Most people are happy when things are going well, and everyone likes to think that people love to be around them. If you don’t relate to any one of these things in at least some small way, you’re someone I probably would not want to hang around, Mr. Krabby Patty.

But I digress.

I don’t know. Maybe astrology stems from a fear of the unknown. We’re still trying to unlock the secrets of the human brain, what makes people tick, and the future is most certainly a mystery to us. Ignorance tends to be fertile ground for fear, so perhaps we invent these methods as a way of coping with the darkness. I guess it can be nice to think that the person you are head over heels for is distant because of the pull of the heavens and not because they’re Just Not That Into You. And I guess for some stumbling people, reading their horoscope in the morning can tell them how to approach their day.

Not that I think it’s wise. I’m just sayin’. Sum skurry shit can make us do some rather illogical things.