Horoscope – how does it work?

Horoscopes are astrological predictions made based on a person's date, time, or location of birth. Many people believe that horoscopes can provide insight into their future and personality. However, there is considerable debate among scientists about whether horoscopes are reliable and whether their predictions can actually come true. On this page, you will find an overview of horoscopes, the arguments for and against their use, and the most common alternatives.

Zodiac signs and types of horoscopes

Here is a description of the 12 constellations:

1. Aries (March 21 - April 19) - confident, adventurous, and impulsive
2. Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - persistent, practical and pleasure-loving
3. Gemini (May 21 - June 20) - curious, sociable, and versatile
4. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) - sensitive, caring, and family-oriented
5. Leo (July 23 - August 22) - proud, bold, and with natural authority
6. Virgo (August 23 - September 22) - precise, practical and critical
7. Libra (September 23 - October 22) - Cooperative, social, and a seeker of justice
8. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) - passionate, deep and intense
9. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) - open-minded, enthusiastic and adventurous
10. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) - persistent, responsible and ambitious
11. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) - independent, original and humanitarian
12. Pisces (February 19 - March 20) - empathetic, creative, and intuitive

There are different types of horoscopes. They can be based on the time period in which a person is born. In addition, there are also horoscopes specific to different cultures and traditions. Horoscopes can be focused on one area of life, such as a relationship horoscope, a love horoscope, or a sex horoscope.

• Daily Horoscope: A daily astrological forecast that provides a brief overview of the day's energy and may include recommendations for today.
• Weekly horoscope: An astrological forecast that describes the overall energy of the week and may include suggestions on how to act that week.
• Annual horoscope: an astrological prediction that describes the overall energy of the entire year and provides an overview of the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise this year.
• Chinese horoscope: A major traditional Chinese astrological prediction that assigns each year to an animal and can provide insight into a person's personality traits and future predictions based on the year of their birth. For example, 2022 is the year of the Tiger, and 2023 is the year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese horoscope.
• Native American horoscope: A Native American astrological system that determines a person's zodiac sign based on their date of birth and can provide insight into their personality traits and future predictions based on their zodiac sign.
• Tarot horoscope: fortune telling using tarot cards.

Pros and cons of the horoscope

Horoscopes have been a part of people's lives for centuries, and many people follow and believe in their predictions. Believing in horoscopes has both positive and negative effects. Here are some of them:

Horoscope pros

• Relaxing effect. Reading a horoscope can be relaxing and calming, especially when a person feels the future is uncertain. It can help reduce anxiety and stress and bring a sense of peace.
• Personalized instructions. Horoscope predictions are individually tailored based on a person's date, time, and location of birth. Thus, it can provide a person with personalized guidance that they can use in their life.
• An opportunity for self-reflection. Reading a horoscope can make a person more analytical about their life and behavior, and it can help them better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
• Creating social unity. Belief in horoscopes can create a sense of social unity as people share their experiences and discuss their predictions.
• A stronger sense of control over your life. Some people believe that horoscopes increase the feeling that they have control over their future and that they have more options to direct their lives.

Cons of the horoscope

• • There is no scientific evidence. Horoscopes have no scientific basis, so their reliability is often questionable.
  • Generalizations and generalization. Horoscopes use generalizations and generalizations, which is why it can be difficult to determine exactly how these predictions might affect a particular person's life. Perhaps the most negative consequence of believing in horoscopes can be when a person loses faith that their life is not predetermined by the horoscope and that they themselves can influence the events in their life.
  • Creating a sense of self-importance. Reading a horoscope can make people feel self-important and raise their expectations too high, which can lead to disappointment and stress. 
  • Creating a negative feeling. When horoscopes predict negative events, it can cause people to feel uncomfortable and anxious.
  • Constant dependence on predictions. Horoscope believers can start to constantly base their lives on them and thereby harm themselves. Despite the fact that they were invented by someone else. Some people trust horoscopes so much that they can make important choices in life based on them: decide on the suitability of people when choosing friends or spouses, make career choices or other important decisions. As a result, good opportunities in life may be missed and this can contribute to the formation of prejudices when meeting people. For example, in many communities in India, a spouse is chosen with a suitable zodiac sign.. 

The scientific basis of the horoscope

Horoscopes are not based on scientific evidence. Although astrology has been around for thousands of years, there are many doubts among scientists about its reliability. Studies have shown that horoscopes are a figment of human imagination and their predictions are often wrong. Reading horoscopes and discussing them is often considered an entertainment activity.

Belief in horoscopes can affect people's self-perception and weaken their ability to objectively analyze themselves. The Barnum effect describes the situation, where a person attributes to themselves the characteristics and events described by fortune tellers or astrologers. Studies have been conducted that have found that horoscopes are not reliable or that believing in horoscopes can have a negative impact on a person's life. 

For example, there is G. Dean and IW Kelly 2003. published a study, which found that professional astrologers who were asked to match someone's birth chart with their personality information were no more accurate than chance. Similarly, people were no more accurate when asked to choose an astrological interpretation of their actual birth chart from random charts of other people.

In a study conducted by JF Rooj in 1999, which involved 422 people, examined how well 96 traits (8 for each sun sign) believed to be characteristic of zodiac signs applied to them. The results found that participants who were aware of horoscopes and the characteristics characteristic of zodiac signs were more likely to apply the corresponding traits to themselves than those who did not have such knowledge.

In 2016, they investigated M. Clobert, PV Cappellen, M. Bourdon, A. Cohen The influence of horoscopes on human perception, emotions, cognition, and creativity. In three experiments, it was found that people who read a positive horoscope tended to interpret stimuli more positively, performed better in cognitive tasks, and were more creative. Conversely, people who read a negative horoscope perceived stimuli more negatively, had poorer cognitive performance, and were less creative. However, it was also found that the effect of horoscopes on cognitive performance and creativity was stronger among people with low internal control.

So it's important to remember that horoscopes may not be a reliable or effective way to analyze your strengths and predict your future. It's worth being mindful and noticing the impact of reading horoscopes on your daily life, your way of thinking, and your perception of situations and yourself.

The benefit of using a horoscope is the desire to get answers or guidance in one's life. There are much more effective alternatives to support a person and influence future events, such as focusing on personal development and counseling to set and achieve personal or professional goals. For many people, religion is also important.

Horoscope alternatives

There are many alternatives to horoscopes that can help people navigate their unknown future. By focusing on personal development, education, and self-awareness, people can develop the skills and knowledge necessary to cope with life's challenges and uncertainties with confidence and sustainability.

Personal development and self-education

Personal development involves taking proactive steps to improve yourself, developing skills, knowledge, and personal qualities that can lead to personal and professional growth. This may include setting goals, creating action plans, and working towards personal development.

Counseling and coaching

There are many different types of counseling that people can use to get help and guidance in different areas of life. The counselor can use different methodologies in cooperation with the client according to their professional training: for example, interview (conversation), questionnaires, tests, creative exercises/techniques (drawing, metaphor cards, clay work). Depending on the topics of counseling, psychological counseling, career counseling, family counseling, financial counseling, health counseling are distinguished, for example.

Coaching helps people identify their values, goals, and priorities and create a plan to achieve desired outcomes. This may include identifying obstacles, developing strategies to overcome them, and creating accountability for moving toward goals.

Faith or religion

Horoscope is the belief that someone else’s predictions can guide your life. Research has shown that belief itself is a very healthy and evidence-based activity. Belief in a higher power, in particular, can help relieve anxiety, depression, and stress, and religious activities such as prayer and meditation can help focus on positive thoughts and increase self-esteem. Some studies have shown that people with religious beliefs may have lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems, and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Religious associations and communities can provide a strong support system and help people build friendships and feel less lonely. Research has also shown that religion can contribute to the development of positive morals and ethics. Following religious beliefs can help people find greater meaning and purpose in their lives, as well as promote good behavior and fair relationships with others. 

In a study by W. Strawbridge published in 2001 It was found that religion has a positive effect on good health behaviors, social relationships, and mental health. Data analysis showed a positive association between regular church attendance and positive changes, such as quitting smoking, becoming more physically active, getting married, and increasing the number of close relationships. Better mental health was also noted.

Journal of GerontologyA study published in the Journal of the American Psychological Association found that church attendance appears to have positive effects among older adults, improving cognitive performance and reducing the impact of clinically significant depressive symptoms.

Bradshaw, CG Ellisson, KJ Flanelly, KC Galek have discovered in their studythat a secure relationship with God reduces the feeling that the world is a dangerous place. This in turn reduces feelings of anxiety and other symptoms related to danger.

These are just a few studies, as many studies have been conducted on the impact of religion and its positive impact on various areas of life has been proven. There are many different religions in the world, and when finding the right one for you, it is worth paying attention to the compatibility of the principles of a particular religion with your personal values and being aware of the extent of its influence on your life.

Summary

Many people are interested in horoscopes and read what the horoscope promises for today, tomorrow or the coming year. However, more and more people are doubting the reliability of horoscopes and noticing possible negative effects. In the worst case, excessive adherence to horoscopes can lead to unjustified generalizations when analyzing one's own and other people's personalities and predicting future events. The belief that a person controls their own life events can also disappear. 

There are proven alternatives to support the person, such as focusing on self-development and counseling or coaching in various fields. Much research has also been done on the positive impact of religion on various aspects of life, including mental and physical health, social belonging, and behavior.

We all believe in and want a better future for ourselves. When analyzing different options, we need to find the most suitable but evidence-based choice and social network for ourselves. When making a choice, we can take into account other people's experiences, the results of scientific studies, and be open and boldly try different options to find the best basis for our life and decision-making.