Horoscopes are a source of comfort for a lot of people. They may use it as an excuse for their behaviour, as some kind of strange star-led justification, or as the solitary key to unlocking their love life. However, how much fact is actually in our horoscopes and star charts?
Firstly, this isn’t some sort of new wave discovery. Horoscopes and birth charts have been used in various cultures endlessly as a source to guide lives, and to identify areas of weakness and strength. The stars have been used to plan marriages, find soul mates, or even work out where in the world aligns best with your energy. Finding comfort in concepts that seem far greater than ourselves, whether it be divine or simple fate, is incredibly common. I strongly believe that for a large amount of Gen Z, horoscopes have come to be this comfort. Illusion and mystification is a difficult thing to comprehend when the world seems to be turning upside down everyday, with the news constantly highlighting disasters. Frankly, I see no harm in looking to the stars for a bit of comfort, but as with anything, take it with a grain of salt.
My own star chart is flooded with Capricorn, and sure, I may be a bit of a workaholic, but I’d like to think that’s based on my own merits and work ethic. That being said, I find a lot of comfort in looking at my Co-star notification each day to legitimise my frustrations or struggles. There’s plenty of other Capricorns who don’t feel this same unity with their star sign; they think it’s a load of rubbish, something that shouldn’t be paid any real thought. Of course, this is met with a “oh, that’s exactly what a Capricorn would say”.
Today I’ve been told I can take breaks from reality without betraying it. Whatever this means. I’ll use it as an excuse to read for the sake of reading instead of working through my never-ending coursework, maybe I’ll watch a movie and escape from my stress. This being said, this isn’t the way I’ll define my every move and every day and every second. It’s simply a way of helping me clear my head when I’m overwhelmed. A little bit of guidance. While horoscopes might not be a magical solution for all of your own personal issues, they are an excellent tool of self reflection. I know I have a tendency to overwork myself to burn out, and my star chart confirms this, while offering me areas to look into to help with this problem. We’re developing a deeper understanding of mindfulness, and for myself, like many others, this is another tool with which to work on my self reflection.
Whether you know your birth chart back to front, or you can’t say what your star sign is, there’s nothing wrong with looking for a little guidance when you’re lost or run-down. Just don’t go putting your entire faith and belief in it without a little careful consideration and further reading. Take what you need, leave the rest behind. At the end of the day, you are an individual. Regardless of whether you believe horoscopes to be fact or fiction, consider the possibility that it might just be okay for one line to resonate with you. Even if that one line is something as simple as “take a break, breathe.”