'Astrology' - Coincidence or Hope?
Written by
Victoria Damos
Everyday is a real day, real people we encounter, real coffee we consume, real food, real words and conversations. We are real humans, leading a realistic day; 'Groundhog day' some may say. What we tend to overlook in these busy lives of ours is that perhaps there could be something we are potentially missing here. Something more than just the traffic you're sitting in or the coffee you're drinking. Have we ever thought that maybe there is a reason for certain things happening at a particular time or day? That perhaps some things just aren't a simple coincidence?
There is constant debate surrounding star signs and horoscopes. Speaking with friends of mine like Jacob Joyberry for instance, he is a Journalism major in hopes of achieving a spot on radio and television by fighting like a true Leo! He will immediately shut me down and insist that "I will never ever read my horoscope online, they do not exist!". Hold on Jacob, you just acknowledged that the idea of a horoscope existing because they are easily accessible to read anywhere online!
In most cases, some situations are best off being dealt with here, down on earth with all the necessary pros and cons lists and the countless weighing out of possible outcomes. The universe, so to speak offers another perspective. A perspective that provides people with encouragement via other means in order to push through an ordeal, see things differently in their week or associate with different people day to day. It all begins with a little faith that something else exists out there, something beyond the ground we stand on and the realities of our lives.
Jonathan Cainer, (18/12/1957 - 2/5/2016), was by far one of the most reputable astrologers of all time. He wrote predictions for many newspapers his whole career and published many books including: 'Complete book of the Zodiac' (1999) and 'Jonathan Cainer's guide to the Zodiac' (1997). In these novels he offers insight into the role of the Zodiac, key dates and predictions for all 12 signs and more. After Jonathan's death in 2016, his nephew Oscar Cainer took over his site:
www.cainer.com and began posting the regular forecasts and predictions for all 12 signs.
"They say you should know your limits and work within them, but how can you really know your limits unless you try to expand them?" Jonathan Cainer famously said. We don't see Cainer trying to force anyone to believe in compatibility between a Leo and a Sagittarius, nor do we see in this direct quote influencing anyone to believe in the 12 signs. What we see is another angle that an astrologer wishes us to explore, an angle that urges people to approach life in a different way, beyond their limits. He is trying to push us to expand the way we think and acknowledge that there may be other avenues to find out those answers to those looming questions and that there is a chance for hope and justification in our lives beyond what we know and live currently in our day to day routines.
Horoscopes merely encompass the idea of "above and beyond reality". They may not be accurate, believable or real but they do have a power to make anyone intrigued by what they have to offer. A group of students aged between 18-21 in the UK in a study conducted by
Nicholas Campion a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Wales showed that 70% read their horoscope and a total of 51% valued the advice it gave them regardless of belief.
In our busy, harsh and tiring lives we sometimes find it difficult to take time to reflect and open our minds to something beyond our day to day stresses. Not to say that horoscopes and star signs should be everyone's passion or belief; however, there are many other avenues in which we as humans can take in order to explore more of what life has to offer. Whether it be through music, film or art, horoscopes are significant in offering us a new perspective or adventure into something that could be totally spellbinding.
Written by
Victoria Damos
