The other day, I witnessed something that was both funny and sad all at the same time.
Last week, some unknown “experts” made the worldwide announcement that the decision had been made to alter astrology. These “experts” wanted to add a 13th zodiac sign to the astrological wheel, thereby shifting all of us into some sign other than the one we’ve come to know, love and identify with.
Well, what did they go and do that for? From Facebook to Twitter, from the subway platform to the water cooler, all hell broke loose. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read postings on Facebook from seemingly intelligent and logical ADULTS, who were literally freaking out that they may now no longer be a Leo or a Scorpio. Oh, say it ain’t so!
These ADULTS were pissed, as if someone had yanked out their very soul. So they took to social networking with statements such as: “I’ve always been a strong and proud fire sign Leo. So I’m not about to become a Cancer now.” Really folks?? Seriously???
I’ve always thought of the zodiac as something fun that was not necessarily meant to be taken literally and seriously. Yet, I’ve never understood how someone who is supposedly a Capricorn, for example, could read 4 lines of horoscope in the local newspaper and actually believe those made up words applied to every single Capricorn in the world! Male, female, young, old, black, white, Christian, Muslim, gay, straight, etc. be damned. Yes, those traits are all extremely different. But once they fall under the safe umbrella of the zodiac, those traits no longer matter. If you’re a Capricorn, then that horoscope applies to EVERY other Capricorn, regardless of their differences. Now that’s funny!
OK, I get it. People buy into the concept of astrology because it makes them feel good about themselves. And the fact that it’s mystical and has something to do with the stars and planets and what have you, somehow validates its legitimacy. For example, if the traits of a zodiac sign say you’re smart and strong willed, and you really want to identify with those traits, you’re going to believe whatever the zodiac tells you. Except, what’s sad is how many people actually believe they are who they are just because of some zodiac sign. And what’s even sadder is how many people believe in it 100% yet have never taken 5 minutes to research or study exactly what it is they’re blindly putting so much faith in.
Our personalities are made up of very complex dynamics, such as where we grew up, how our parents raised us, our generation/age, our ethnic and cultural and religious backgrounds, etc. So it’s just not possible to simplify all that into one neat little box, call it “Virgo” then seriously expect it to magically apply to every other Virgo in the world.
If you truly are a smart and strong willed person, there are dozens of reasons why that could be part of your personality. It doesn’t HAVE to be because of a zodiac sign. And if you truly are smart and strong willed today, that won’t suddenly change tomorrow simply because some “expert” decided you now fall into some other astrological group.
So, it’s funny to me when I see so many otherwise logical, intelligent and educated ADULTS go bonkers now because some mystical “expert” told them they can no longer be the zodiac sign they always thought they were. It’s even funnier when these same people think all their traits and attributes they have confidently held for years, will now somehow disappear just by an invented shift in the zodiac wheel. And the funniest part of all is the double-standard many of these same people have recently displayed, in wanting their cake and eating it too. You see, they believe in the zodiac when it feels good and benefits them. But when the zodiac wizards tell them there’s been a shift and they must now move to a totally different sign, they don’t want to believe it. It no longer feels good or benefits them, so they dismiss it by saying “I’ve always been a strong and proud fire sign Leo. So I’m not about to become a Cancer now.” Really folks?? Seriously???
But you can’t have it both ways. Either you believe in it and shift along as you’re told. Or you recognize that the zodiac is just a carnival game or like Greek mythology or like Santa Claus — it was only intended for fun.
I gotta agree with you Dj because people do take the whole zodiac thing to far. When I see people reading the newspaper generic horoscope really believing its accurate is disturbing. A lot of my coworkers have been talking about it at work all last week how they refuse to become a new zodiac sign, and how they will always be a scorpio no matter what and all that. Like you said they can't have it both ways. Either believe in it and roll with that, or be smart enough to see our personality isn't controled by astrology.