Happy (late) New Year and drop that horoscope, it’s time for a change! If you’ve been paying attention to Yahoo! news feeds or other informational sources for that matter, then it’s no surprise that your Zodiac sign may have changed. Now when this little missile hit the media, message boards lit up and people in the United States had a complete idea shift and went crazy. Some folks paid no attention whereas others called in sick to work so they could bang their head against a wall while grunting loudly. I guess it’s hard for me to get on board with the idea of horoscopes but I will admit it’s entertaining.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that we woke up to the year 2011 with a clean slate; a fresh outlook on life and the determination to make the New Year our proverbial female dog. It didn’t take long for those astrologer types to roll out horoscopes and like a bunch of starving beggars waiting outside of a bakery at four in the morning, we westerners gobbled them up. The entire concept of horoscopes and astrology is fascinating. Apparently thousands of years ago, zodiac signs were based on the location of the sun in relation to certain constellations. Because of the moon’s gravitational pull, the earth shifted on its axis which resulted in a one month change in the alignment of stars. This led to the proposition of moving the star signs back a month and introducing a new sign: Ophiuchus. There are so many different types of astrology and by only reading a small amount it all became a very convoluted, mind-numbing adventure. With that being said, I just stuck with the basic idea that there had been a shift in the earth’s axis causing a new zodiac sign to be entered into the horoscope club.
I got a taste of my horoscope a couple of weeks ago when I read that the Leo (born between July 23rd and August 22nd) would have a successful financial year. Hey hey, look at me! Then a few days ago I read another saying that it would be a year of struggle. What? Whoa now, you can’t just take that back. Then I discovered under the “new” horoscope umbrella, I’m a Cancer. So I go from a mane-sporting, zebra-assassinating Lion with a thunderous roar to a beach dwelling crustacean that could unknowingly be a victim of some vacationer’s misstep. What gives moon?! Pulling the earth around on its axis; you should be ashamed. And to top it off, I don’t even know the luck or misfortune the year is going to bring me. On top of that top-off, there’s another kick in the pants on the way. In the personality realm I’m basically going from a CEO of a major corporation to a 7th grade girl.
Well guys, I have no idea what to do now. My entire scope of reality and sense of security has been soaked with rain, trampled on, kicked around by some unruly five year old after being put in his mouth, and thrown into a New York City gutter. I guess the only thing I have left to do after shivering in a corner for three days is express my anger on Facebook, Twitter and to whoever else wants to lend an ear. I hope the over-the-top sarcasm has helped you all see that I’m not serious about my horoscope situation. Although I don’t in any way associate myself or life experiences with some astrological sign, I do see some potential in checking my horoscope every now and then.
Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re extremely negative but they just might serve as an inspiration. For example, if I find myself reading one of my two possible horoscopes and see that it says “It's a great day for planning and brainstorming strategic ideas. Even if you're on your own this time, you will still be able to beat the opposition with your sharp thinking and clever ideas.” I might start thinking of kooky ideas and come up with something great not because my horoscope said it would happen but because I took the initiative to do so. Or if it says something negative such as “March-July will be a financially troubling period for you” I’ll rebut by saying “No it’s not you crazy horoscope, I’m determined to make dat money!” My point is that horoscopes can be looked at in such a way to serve as some sort of motivating factor even if you don’t believe in or follow them to a T.
I think that behind the mystique of horoscopes lies a bunch of self-fulfilling statements. If a person chooses to accept an astrological sign as an indicator of how life will play out then they read horoscopes. In doing so they bring personality traits that are present in all people to the surface of their own in turn making them dominant. Not all of them are bad characteristics and could definitely lead to an abundance of success but it isn’t because some stargazing nerds said so. People make their way in life based on choices and a little, or in some cases, a lot of luck. So whether you read horoscopes with serious intent and the focus of a dog chasing a squirrel or purely for their entertainment value, (enter Tony Robbins statement) there’s always a possibility of absorbing and practicing positive ideas. I hope everyone has a great year because we’re just getting started. Until next time. God Bless.
