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Do you believe in astrology? I honestly don’t, but I know a lot of people do. Why though? When you think about it, it is not realistic. If a person can really foretell our future, he or she would be famous by now. In most cases, our so-called “predicted” future has no association with our life, but we still tend to believe in it. The “psychics” usually give us vague information about the time when our predicted incidents will take place, for instance, becoming successful, winning a lottery, or finding a hundred dollar bill on the ground. They claim that the specific information is sacred and if it is told, it will not come true. A lot of people claim to have special magical powers which can accurately predict our personality, love life, friendships, strengths, weaknesses, health, lifespan, and compatibility with others. But to me, they are trying to rip us off. Sometimes, their “philosophies” are even published in books, magazines, and newspapers! Even though many of us know that astrology is not always true, then why do we still read about it? Like me, I don’t really believe in it, but I read it just for curiosity’s sake. Would our life still be adventurous, unpredictable, and exhilarating if we knew everything about our future? When we don’t know what is going to happen next, the event is more meaningful to us. It gives us uncertainties and surprises about how things will end up being, joyful or sorrowful. For example, if I know whom I am going to marry but don’t know his name or where to find him, then I will waste all my time trying to find my “prince charming” meanwhile ignoring all the guys who are close to me. If we know when we will die and of what cause, then we will try to prevent ourselves from dying by finding the cure beforehand. Imagine if that happens, the world will be filled up with zillions of people. Life should be full of surprises, and they happen because they are what keep us alive. If our life is just plain, dull, boring and monotonous, then what is the point of living? Is astrology believable? The answer to that question is subjective because each of us has different religious and cultural backgrounds and a different level of acceptance for superstition. Today, I have skimmed through an 817-page horoscope book called “The Secret Languages Of Birthdays” by Gary Goldschneiderand and Joost Elffers. This book claims to provide personology profiles for each day of the year. Furthermore, in the front cover of this book, it says that the authors can “describe in detail the characteristics and quirks of personality associated with being born on a particular day of the year”. It also says that the day we are born affects our personality and possibly has a huge impact on determining how our life will be led. Does the book mean that who we are is determined by when we are born? A lot of people are born on the same day as many others, does it mean that people who are born on the same day have identical fortunes, lives, personalities, and futures? I strongly disagree with that because I believe that everyone in this world has his or her own unique personality, life, and belief. People who have the same birthdays are not identical, but may share a few common interests. Then does this book apply to everyone? Although this book can bring us to a better understanding about ourselves and others, it is still a superstition that is based on plain imaginations, and maybe some theories. While I was reading this book, I took some notes on the greatest strengths and weaknesses of my birthday and I don’t absolutely agree with the authors. It lists my strengths as visionary, expressive, and artistic, and my weaknesses as misunderstood, extremist, and off-base. I can easily say that I am expressive and visionary to a certain extent, but I can’t say that I am artistic compared to some of my friends. I consider myself as more musical than artistic because I am truly not an inventive type of person and that is why I know for sure that I cannot be an inventor in the future. In addition, I am a hundred percent sure that I’m not a rebellious or a radical person as the book says that one of my weaknesses is being extremist. Sometimes I do misunderstand people but only when I am not sure of the situation, and I am always reasonable. However, there is one thing which I hold no argument against with this book. It says that another nickname for me is “the lover” because people who are born on the 6th day of the month “are magnetic in attracting love and admiration, and that we inevitably work with others in a social context”. Moreover, it says, “love is often the dominant theme in [my] life”. I am not talking about just having a crush on someone, but I often value love in family, friends, and relatives more in life because loving someone and being loved are very essential and have great importance, value, and joy. Sometimes, I think that if I had a choice, I would rather be dead than losing a beloved one.
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