El McCabe
Senior Writer

Whenever I get the monthly edition of Seventeen magazine in my mailbox, I immediately flip to the horoscope section in the back and see what the “stars have in store for me” for the upcoming month. Often times I find these horoscopes to be comical and find some distant connection to the predictions given with the current situation I am in, but I find it hard to believe that these horoscopes are actual predictors of what lies ahead.

For me, astrological signs and horoscopes are fun additions to life that serve an entertaining purpose. No one denies that it is fun to read all about the traits associated with your Zodiac sign and see how compatible you are with other signs. There are a number of people who take the zodiac and corresponding horoscopes far too seriously. These individuals actually make tangible changes in their lives, whether consciously or subconsciously, to follow the advice and warnings their horoscopes bring. Changing your lifestyle due to a paragraph in a magazine written by some random person is exactly the same as buying one hundred lottery tickets because your fortune cookie said, “You are lucky today.” Anyone who went out and spent that much money on lottery tickets would be considered foolish at best, simply because they put so much faith into a pseudo-magical piece of paper.

I acknowledge that it is easier to fall into this trap of believing horoscopes than one would think. Horoscopes are written very generally on purpose so that they can “apply” to the masses of people who believe them. There have been a number of times when I read my horoscope and one sentence resonated with me enough to cause me to ignore the three other sentences that did not apply to me. That small glimmer of connection between your life and the horoscope’s prediction is enough for most people to believe the entire paragraph. Also, horoscopes are almost always positive in nature. For people who are worried about the future and do not have the most positive outlook on life, reading a positive horoscope can help change their attitude towards the future. As ridiculous as that sounds, pessimistic individuals and even optimistic ones take comfort in looking to the stars to map out their potentially bright futures.

Horoscopes are a fun and creative means of adding a little spice to your life and possibly helping people become more optimistic about the future. Placing too much stock in horoscopes can be dangerous and foolish, so they are definitely to be taken with a grain of salt. As long as you do not let the horoscopes define you and your actions, I suggest looking up your horoscope and Zodiac stats just for kicks. If nothing else, it is a great way to procrastinate!