More than just what your star sign says about you, astrology can help you chart your path, and focus in on not only who you are, but what you can become.
Often disregarded and thrown into the category of pseudoscience, astrology’s true importance can be found in its ability to give people a place among the cosmos and is an important tool for self-reflection.
Astrology’s history follows the history of civilization itself, originating in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC as a practice intrinsically tied to astronomy. Charting the cosmos was an important activity in many cultures, with many people using celestial movements as day to day guides and looked to astrology to advise them on many aspects of life.
The practice also acted as a precursor to scientific methods, with astrologers among the first to collect and make predictions based on data.
A vital part of history, the study of space originates from people’s desires to better read the stars for astrological purposes.
These days, astrology’s non-scientific nature means this practice has fallen out of favour for many. However, a lack of science doesn’t mean astrology doesn’t have power. It can be used as a support system in navigating, existential anxiety helping people understand the turmoil, both big and small, happening in their lives.
Spirituality more broadly has been shown to improve mental health, increase well-being, and help cope with stress. These practices and searches for external meaning don’t need to be scientifically proven to give people comfort and assurance.
There’s more to astrology than your horoscope sign. Its studying cycles and observing patterns, both which can be used as tools to enhance your personal awareness, and in turn, your understanding of yourself.
Practicing divination or astrology can be seen as acts of self-reflection, offering moments of inward thinking and pause, which can offer personal growth, improved emotional intelligence, and better alignment with values and goals.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the vastness of space. Existential anxiety surrounding existence itself is real, and mindfulness techniques and grounding yourself in meaning can be a helpful aid.
There are many tough choices and uncertainties we all face each day. Turning to the cosmos for guidance , even if what the stars tell you can’t be backed up by science. If you think of astrology as a more meditative process and less as a prophetic one that will tell you your future, there can be a real benefit in looking to the stars. Not just for meaning, but to help us forge our own paths.
I’ve found comfort in believing that there’s a bigger plan out there for me, and that each misstep or misfortune I experience is for a larger, cosmic, reason. If the universe has me in mind, it’s easier to move past negative thoughts and direct my energy towards myself and the good that’s yet to come.
Shae is a third-year English literature and Art History student and one of The Journal’s Copy
Tags
astrology, personal discovery, reflection
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Adele Mercier
OMG. Such superstitious drivel (ungrammatically written to boot) from the editors of a university journal. For shame!
Sorry honey. No, the universe does not “have you in mind”… If it makes you feel good to think so, that’s your business, but for heaven’s sake, don’t out yourself and sully your Alma Mater in so doing. Looking to the stars for meaning is precisely what Mesopotamian humans who did not understand thunder did five thousand years ago. Easier and just as accurate to seek meaning in the entrails of chickens.
If you’re looking for meaning in your life, do something useful. Start with “Man’s Search for Meaning” by psychiatrist holocaust survivor Viktor Frankel.