horoscopes?

[clefairy]

do you believe in horoscopes? have you dated anyone that you're supposed to be compatible/incompatible with according to horoscopes?

 

[Orlandude]

No and yes. IMO, horoscopes are simply generalizations. Granted there are a few characteristics that you can say someone of a certain sun sign may have, but many others do not so it can't apply to everyone. I simply don't believe that the position of the stars has any influence whatsoever on what kind of day I am going to have or who I am or who I should meet or date. According to the horoscopes and sun signs, I was totally incompatible with my partner of 7 years. Go figure. Nothing was further from the truth. People can believe anything they want. I think it's all baloney. If you look hard enough into anything like that, you can make yourself believe it is true. That is the essence of horoscopes. You HAVE to believe. If you don't, they are meaningless. Many people are simply curious and read them and 5 minutes later forget everything they read. Horoscopes are entertainment. Nothing more. I would not allow my life to revolve around what they say. It's the same with palm reading, tarot cards and all the rest of that "stuff".

 

[kallipolis]

do you believe in horoscopes? have you dated anyone that you're supposed to be compatible/incompatible with according to horoscopes?

As a working research scientist, I am compelled to say, NO.

BUT

Many years ago a close friend, David invited me to dine, at his home and meet a specially invited guest, whose forte was reading horoscopes.

David had already been deeply impressed by the accuracy of his guest's readings. Knowing my background and my matter of fact character, I was to be the detective who would uncover the fraudster's modus operandi.

I was flabbergasted by the accuracy of my reading. I kept my mouth shut. There was no way anyone (apart from myself) at the dinner table could have known the facts that this gifted person produced on my life.

I can't explain it. Horoscopes do not interest me. But horoscope readings, and Tarot card readings have helped me appreciate, that human reasoning cannot always discern the mysteries of life.

 

[FirmaFan]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlMiKrwCRQ0[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtIyx687ytk[/ame]

 

[BG43214]

It somewhat angers me a little when people knock astrology, who have NEVER studied it.....I've been using it for years......I went to a professional astrologer many years ago, fully believing in it, and having done my own chart beforehand..

....I lied to her about a few things, and she immediately told me that either 1) I had the wrong birthtime, or 2) that I was testing her....I even lied to her about what I was going to school for, and she told me right away that that would not be a good field for me at all!!! well, I couldnt help but smile and told her it was a test, but that I was not a skeptic, just checking, so to speak!!! the predictions she gave me were totally accurate....so that merely reinforced my belief in this subject!!!

No, it's not perfect and not right all the time, but funny, when they get it wrong, everyone hears about it; when they get a predicition, etc., correct, no one acknowledges it!!!

I feel that every newborn baby should have their horoscope done, so that new parents would have a 'road map' so to speak, of their new baby's total personalilty; the good points, along with the bad points.

..Also, all those 'wonder what my major should be in college' high school students could very well benefit from vocational guidance with astrology.........but no, no one 'believes' any of it.......and yet it could help untold millions of people!!!
You don't live your life by it, but it sure is a wonderful guide!!!

 

[SuperPsyze]

My grandfather does horoscopes (which clashes with my super-catholic grandmother). They're not simple at all.

He works with the traditional Chinese/Vietnamese zodiac. It's not quite as simple as the 12 animal deals you see at restaurants. His horoscopes go in pretty deep, taking in the month (both solar and lunar calendar), day, hour, and minute you were born. There's a reason why these things are divisible by 12.

He made one for my sister and me back when we were kids. He did it for all his grandchildren, actually. They're really eerie to read after all this time. It's strange how specific his details were (including a death of one of my cousins to cancer).

If you want a horoscope, I think you need to have it done right. You need to have it done by someone who truly believes in the system, and not just out there to make a quick buck. You should get the good news with the bad news. The stuff in the paper are generalized, and usually have no meaning whatsoever.

I don't know if I really believe in horoscopes, but I don't think I can really denounce it, either. To me, it seems to be a game of statistics that have been played over thousands of years.

 

[FirmaFan]

It somewhat angers me a little when people knock astrology, who have NEVER studied it.....I've been using it for years......I went to a professional astrologer many years ago, fully believing in it, and having done my own chart beforehand..

....I lied to her about a few things, and she immediately told me that either 1) I had the wrong birthtime, or 2) that I was testing her....I even lied to her about what I was going to school for, and she told me right away that that would not be a good field for me at all!!! well, I couldn't help but smile and told her it was a test, but that I was not a skeptic, just checking, so to speak!!! the predictions she gave me were totally accurate....so that merely reinforced my belief in this subject!!!

This is what is called anecdotal evidence. A subjective personal experience used as evidence for a particular claim, in this case, the validity of astrology. Unfortunately, this no more validates the claims of astrology than does the ramblings of a UFO witness validates the claim of extraterrestrial life. You would require more evidence than that to prove the existence of extraterrestrials, so do not be surprised when your astrology professor story is scrutinized.

No, it's not perfect and not right all the time, but funny, when they get it wrong, everyone hears about it; when they get a prediction, etc., correct, no one acknowledges it!!!

How is this different from a person just randomly guessing, or pulling slips of paper with different astrological predictions out of a hat? Sometimes they are going to be right, and sometimes they are not. Attribute it to whatever you want to, that doesn't mean what you attributed it to is actually the cause. I'm going to make a guess....you are 35 years old...the pattern of the fur on my cat told me so. I could be completely right about your age, or horribly wrong. If I were to do the same for every JUB member, I would inevitably get some people's ages right. This in no way means that I can deduce the age of internet users by the patterns of fur on an animal. Why then can you claim that when a prediction is rendered true, and can be explained by shear chance, it is attributed to astrological study? That was the whole point of Dawkins's little experiment in the video I posted.

I feel that every newborn baby should have their horoscope done, so that new parents would have a 'road map' so to speak, of their new baby's total personality; the good points, along with the bad points.

In order to direct influence from one object onto another, some transference of energy must be made (physicists refer to this energy simply as "information"). Example: A compass points north due to the influence of the electrons flowing in the atmosphere based upon the magnetic points of the earth. Can you please, explain to me the mechanism by which the arbitrary alignment of stars and planets coinciding with conception/birth influences a person's personality? I wonder, now that I think about it, since mammals, with few exceptions, all reproduce with homologous biological processes (sperm, egg, implantation, all that stuff), does the astrological calendar apply to them as well, seeing as how their method of reproduction is essentially identical? Can I determine the aggressive nature of a puppy based upon the time of it's birth? Will friendlier cats be produced if certain astrological forecasting were used to plan matings?
The study of genetics and psychology have given far better explanations for individual traits than horoscopes ever have, I guarantee you. In looking through various horoscopes online, I've found something very peculiar: many of the things attributed to astrological signs, things like potential for alcoholism, diabetes, gallstones, depression, metal disorders, are things that even you would be more inclined to describe as "running in the family" rather than "running in the astrological sign".

Also, all those 'wonder what my major should be in college' high school students could very well benefit from vocational guidance with astrology

Right, much better than actually going out and seeing what interests you may have, instead, just have someone tell you what you want to do, based upon arbitrary star positions backed by evidence that comes down to nothing more than "I told you so."

.........but no, no one 'believes' any of it.......and yet it could help untold millions of people!!!

A tangible means of helping people does not require belief. You don't have to believe that vaccines work in order to make them effective. Yet, horoscopes, by your own admission, requires people to "believe" it before it can begin to help them. You describe the nature of horoscopes as a fact, yet at the same time admit to the subjective nature of the practice. You don't get to have it both ways. People are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts.

 

[Nomenclature]

No and yes. IMO, horoscopes are simply generalizations.

If you just read one for your generalized sign, of course. But if you're using your exact birth date and time, then your birth chart and day-to-day horoscopes will be far more accurate and not very generalized at all.


Skilled astrologers can actually find the exact alignment of the entire galaxy in the minute you were born, and how each planet being in certain phases of its cycle specifically affects you.

 

[FirmaFan]

Skilled astrologers can actually find the exact alignment of the entire galaxy in the minute you were born, and how each planet being in certain phases of its cycle specifically affects you.

I ask this question again:

What is the mechanism by which planetary cycles affects an individuals characteristic traits, more so than the influence of a person's genetic makeup? Again, in order for there to be an influence on a person by planetary movement, there must be something that is transferred between the two to communicate that effect. What force do the planets exhibit that influences a biological organisms characteristics? And again, seeing as how all mammals reproduce in near identical biological mechanisms, does the planetary cycles influence them as well, and if not, how is the influence selective for just human beings?

 

[Nomenclature]

I ask this question again:

What is the mechanism by which planetary cycles affects an individuals characteristic traits, more so than the influence of a person's genetic makeup? Again, in order for there to be an influence on a person by planetary movement, there must be something that is transferred between the two to communicate that effect. What force do the planets exhibit that influences a biological organisms characteristics? And again, seeing as how all mammals reproduce in near identical biological mechanisms, does the planetary cycles influence them as well, and if not, how is the influence selective for just human beings?

Physicists theorize that all energy and matter in the universe is connected.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach's_principle


The two most commonly accepted causes of human behavior are our genetics, and the environment around us.

 

[FirmaFan]

Physicists theorize that all energy and matter in the universe is connected.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach's_principle

Mostly talking about gravity, so, okay, then it must also apply to all matter of life, not just human beings.

The two most commonly accepted causes of human behavior are our genetics, and the environment around us.

Actually, it is our genetics which dictate how we respond to the environment around us.

You are making a lot of assumptions about how astrology might work, but have not actually explained how it really works, nor have you provided evidence that it even does work. You may be content in saying "we don't know how it works, just that it does work" but, if that were the case, there would be very easy ways of confirming that it works through simple double blind experiments. I doubt even you believe that astrology would fair well against the scrutiny of scientific investigation, but even if it did come out as confirmed via testing, why would you accept it as true before such objective experimentation has even been conducted?

 

[altlover85]

Firma, that Dawkins experiment was not testing true astrology, but rather astrological junk put out for the masses. As Nom and others have mentioned you need birth time, date, location, and other things in order to draw an accurate chart. I don't understand why people always use the newspaper clippings as the be all and end all for this debate.

I think astrology has value. I wish that more astrologers were willing to do studies that would either prove or disprove astrology in a scientific way. I think BG's test is the best idea so far for doing that.

 

[MisterMajestic]

The Scopes can be fun and Entertaining...I find it interesting that the meanings of the "signs" do mirror ways of the person...In most cases it's 100% accurate...

I wouldnt rely on the compatibility "warning" signs too much...You know there are people that MATCHED up to the scopes that had FAILED relationships...All the same I find it very entertaining...

NumbersLady.com is a site I checked out a few years ago...She does her thing with numbers/scopes and other stuff...I heard her years ago on the international radio show "Coast to Coast"...She's good but she charges a fee for a "numbers" reading...I think $20 bucks or something...

 

[altlover85]

MisterMajestic, I think NumbersLady was on Tyra too.

 

[clicker]

Meh!

Meh? This, coming from a catholic who believes in supernatural inpregnation from a heavenly being to a earthly mother(Mary)?! pot calling the kettle black, perhaps,no??!