In this day and age, astrology is becoming more and more popular within our society. Especially our youth. According to a study conducted by cxomedia.org, forty three percent of eighteen to thirty-four year olds deeply believe in astrology and tarot card readings. About one in three people believe in astrology, but why is astrology so popular? Astrology is associated with the constellations in the sky. It is about where those constellations form and the mythological understanding of how they came to be. There are twelve main constellations astrology is based on. They are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Saggitarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Sound familiar? They’re the Zodiac Signs! They each have their own stories and are said to reflect a person’s personality traits. But most interestingly, they are even said to tell people’s futures.

  Astrology isn’t necessarily always factually oriented. At least the astrology Generation Z can so easily access. It can also often be misrepresented, and even confused with astronomy. Astronomy regards the happenings in the stars and in space in general. Astrology is based on the happenings in the stars, but gives importance to future events for people rather than just the ongoing events on what lies in the unknown. It’s important to not see everything you see online, and sometimes readings from different astrologers can be completely different from an expert’s reading on a person. Also it’s important to note that humans themselves are very diverse, meaning that one personality and one person’s future won’t be the exact same as somebody else’s future or persona. 

  But that doesn’t mean people can learn about astrology and where it comes from. Astrology comes from ancient Mesopotamia, which at the time was a rapidly developing and organized society. However the twelve zodiac signs and the stories behind them, and the key major details originated from Ancient Greece. From Ancient Greece, astrology developed into their own forms in India and the Islamic empire at the time. Western astrology is the type of astrology talked about so continuously today. 

  But what is astrology based on? Astrology is based on the exact time of the place the stars/constellations were at when you were born. There are different placements for different categories of your life. Zodiac signs are also commonly referred to as the sun signs. They are based on the day you were born on. They represent one’s desires or motivations. However there are also moon signs and rising signs, also known as ascendant signs, which are all a part of the big three. One’s moon sign is about somebody’s inner world/emotions. A person’s rising sign refers to the way somebody acts in the real world and how they present themselves. But it doesn’t stop there. There are also many houses that categorize your zodiac sign as well, but they aren’t always considered to be as important. You can calculate astrological matters by examining your birth chart. An astrologer can help you, and there are tons of videos online regarding this matter. 

  So for sure, zodiac signs are fun to research and learn about. However they shouldn’t be taken too seriously to the extent that they instruct you to do whatever they tell you to do. Also, there are various types of astrology like Western Astrology, and different astrologers have different opinions and views on astrology. But it’s important to always take the information about astrology with a grain of salt, also with the topic of astrology itself. It isn’t necessarily factual, but it gives a person no reason to invalidate another person’s opinions on the subject. So keep exploring and learning about what the internet has to offer, but don’t necessarily take everything you hear in the vast void of the internet to heart.

Works Cited

“Development of astrology from ancient to modern times.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/summary/astrology. Accessed 27 April 2023.

“How Astrology Plays a Big Role in Gen Z’s Way of Thinking.” CXO Media, 19 January 2022, https://www.cxomedia.id/art-and-culture/20220118161433-24-173283/how-astrology-plays-a-big-role-in-gen-zs-way-of-thinking. Accessed 27 April 2023.

Stardust, Lisa. “Sun, Moon and Rising Sign Meaning: What to Know About Astrological Big Three.” TODAY, 6 May 2022, https://www.today.com/life/astrology/sun-moon-rising-meaning-rcna23286. Accessed 27 April 2023.