Around the fifth or sixth time of not having my foretold surprise business deal become a reality because Saturn was rotating Jupiter, I knew something was up. 

 

Maybe it’s my inner Taurus personality to blame, or that my mood crystals are out of chakras, but a lifetime of getting swindled out of mysterious opportunities leaves me feeling a bit betrayed and skeptical of the concept of horoscopes. 

 

To me, having a conversation about horoscopes is taking me socially hostage.

 

I don’t even know what a Sagittarius is. It could be some of kind of goat for all I know, but apparently we’re supposed to be compatible. Some people may put faith in this kind of match up but I just don’t think the moon’s placement in accordance with the seasons is grounds for a good friendship. I’ve had way more luck making connections based on kindred TV shows than seeking out someone with my corresponding Zodiac sign. 

 

I think the issue with horoscopes is that the description for the different Zodiac signs are so intentionally vague that almost anyone can identify with them. 

 

Do you like being comfortable and having nice things as your horoscope suggests? Sure, everyone does. That doesn’t mean the stars have chosen you. If it has anything to do with your personality, it’s probably because the writers have picked the most inoffensive descriptors imaginable. 

 

It’s not wrong to like horoscopes. It can be nice to think there’s something more meaningful guiding our day-to-day lives. But there’s not just 12 kinds of people in the world. Even if there are, it’s not because the sun was particularly close on certain days. 

 

Nothing against horoscopes —  we just need some space.

 

My name is Shivani, and I’m a horoscope addict and true believer. 

 

You might be laughing at me right now, but that’s okay, I’m fine with it. This summer living in NYC, most of my conversations with friends were about horoscopes when we were talking about strangers or other people we know. 

 

That cute guy who gave me his number at my favorite restaurant? I should text him because he’s an Aries and I’m a Libra – our signs are compatible. That guy on the subway chatting with my friend? They must’ve bonded because they’re both Leos. 

 

I’m not saying I’m someone whose life and actions are guided by what my horoscope tells me to do, but I am saying I believe in it. This is mainly because if you read the descriptions of a Libra, it so accurately outlines my personality in every aspect that it’s as if a therapist has psycho-analyzed me personally.

 

Horoscopes first originated when early humans tried to relate their lives to the stars through astrological charts. The predictive logic behind them comes from the alignment and positioning of the Sun, Moon and planets on the day a person was born. 

 

I’m not saying that reading your horoscope in Cosmopolitan or some random magazine is actually going to come true, I think of it more as accepting the fact that the time of year you were born has something do with some small parts of your personality.

 

At the end of the day, horoscopes are a fun thing to look into and relate to and may also hold some truth. 

 

Don’t go crazy and take every random magazine horoscope to mean something significant word-for-word, but thinking about something bigger than ourselves playing a role in who we are can certainly be reassuring.