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like to live their life in a risky way; and they dislike living it safely. They depend on being optimistic and feeling lucky and they tend not to worry about things easily. (9)
Virgo, the Virgin (August 23 – September 22):
They tend to be shy, behave appropriately, sensitive and modest. It is said that is the reason of being symbolized by the Virgin. They are very organized and like to put everything in order. They tend to be the most helpful friend giving an excellent advice and being always there in rough times. They are very smart and hardworking. Being responsible is one of their main characteristics; they can always be depended on. They keep giving as much as they can, but as long as nothing embarrasses them or can be a reason of making them feel shy. They care so much about their feelings and tend to do anything in order not to get hurt. They can be the most overcritical, harsh and rudest ever if they felt that something will hurt them or make them feel shy. (10)
Libra, the Balance (September 23 – October 23):
Librans are in a continuous search for balance in their selves and in their life. They are very fair and love justice. That is why their astrological sign is represented by the Scales of balance. They are naturally kind and very gentle. They are very sensitive, love beauty and tend to have a good taste in everything in life. Librans are very diplomatic and idealistic. They are very sociable too and like to do their best to cooperate and compromise with everyone. (11)
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Scorpio, the Scorpion (October 24 – November 21):
Scorpio is ruled by the planets Pluto and mars and the elements of water. Those born under the sign of Scorpio are born researchers explores and investigators. They're not always what they seem there's a lot more to the Scorpio than you might expect at first glance. Scorpio is often an enigma to their friends, co-workers and spouse
Likes: truth-hidden cause, being involved, being passionately loved, and work that is meaningful and being persuasive. Dislikes: being given only surface data taken adventure of demeaning jobs shallow relationships flattery and flattering dishonesty. Positive; determined, forceful emotional, intuitive powerful, passionate exciting and magnetic. Negative: jealous and resentful compulsive and obsessive secretive and obstinate. (12)
Sagittarius, the Archer (November 22 – December 21):
Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac and is represented by the centaur archer, half man half horse. The archer is aiming his arrows to the sky and you aim high with all your goals, however small .their sign's elements is fire .Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter.
Likes: Travelling, Getting to the heart of the matter, Freedom, Laws and meanings, the general 'feel' of things
Dislike:-Jealousy, Gemini people, Being ignored, off the wall theories, Being tied down domestically, Being constrained, Cooling your heels and Bothered with details
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Word used to describe Sagittarius: Idealistic,optimistic,casual,friendly,gregarious,enthusiastic-philosophical,farseeing-honest,outspoken,restless and freedom and loving. Their negative aspects:
They can be rebellious, hasty, hypocritical, too outspoken, lustful, and intolerant, they can lack concentration. (13)
All of these characteristics are predicted by astrologers, being right or wrong is something depends on each one's opinion and point of view. But astrology and horoscopes have been known as a pseudoscience, scientists do not believe in it as it all depends on the predictions and expectations of some astrologers who do not have a scientific explanation for what they are predicting or expecting. Many people of those who do not believe in horoscopes and astrology tried to make surveys and experiments to test and measure the accuracy of horoscopes and how accurate horoscopes can be. From these people, there has been found that 'a group of students at Desoto High School (Texas) with the help of their science teacher made an experiment to test how accurate horoscopes are.
The students observed carefully the newspaper horoscopes daily for a couple of weeks to see if the predictions matched what they really had in those couple of weeks or not. They kept examining the newspaper horoscopes daily and when a prediction seemed to be matching to what happened that day, they considered it a hit, but if it did not match with what happened, they considered it a miss. Then, after two weeks of examinations and observations the results acquired that there were only 21 hits from 246 tries, which means 1 hit for every 12 tries.' (McPhee, 1999: 12) The students' results matched many other experiments done by other people about the horoscopes accuracy, which was confirming
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that horoscopes are not accurate and are only made for fun and can not be taken seriously and must be taken as a pseudoscience.
One of the most important scientific proofs that the horoscopes are a pseudoscience is the Sun position. As it is mentioned before, 'astrologers divided the zodiac into 12 astrological signs; each sign represents a space in the zodiac controlled by one of the 12 constellations. As said by astrologers, the Sun is present in each of these astrological signs for 30 days. For example, by checking the horoscopes found in newspaper or magazines, it was found that a person born in 10th of November is considered to be a Scorpio, while looking at the night sky in the 10th of November, it was found that the Sun was not in the Scorpio constellation but it was in the Libra constellation. No one knows what characteristics should be expected for that person, the Scorpio's characteristics or the Libra's characteristics. Actually, it has been found that all the astrological signs have the same problem which is every constellation have a part or fills the space in the zodiac which is allocated to the previous constellation. It haven't been like this all the time, as 2,200 years ago when the birth dates matching each Sun sign were decided, the signs were matching the constellations and it was right. But from that time nothing was changed even after they knew that the constellations have moved and changed with about 25 degrees.' (Bakich 2004: 50-56)
'The actual reason behind that change is Precession. Precession is a strange Earth movement occurs as a reason of gravitational changes from the Sun and Moon and as a result the Earth's axis shakes and vibrates. Earth finishes one precessional rotation or one complete vibration every 26,000 years. Since ever, Precession has changed and moved all
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the astrological signs about one constellation to the west. In a matter of fact, the precessional movement will continue, and the miscalculation will increase every year until 24,000 years from now when the signs will match and fit their constellations again.
Astrologers did not worry or felt any difference when they knew about precession; actually they do not see it as a problem. From their point of view, they said that the signs are the important thing not the constellations. But, if the constellations are not that important then how astrologers will get their predictions, how could they get the expectations of the sign Cancer without the constellation of Cancer the crab.' (Bakich 2004: 50-56)
Last but not least, 'even if it is taken from the astrologers point of view that by dividing the circle of the zodiac which is 360 degrees on the 12 signs, each sign would be 30 degrees. They determined between 29 to 32 days as the time in which the Sun spends in each sign. This is a huge difference from what is actually seen in the sky. The appearing track of the sun in each constellation can not be 30 degrees. The time, which is taken by the Sun in each constellation, is between 7 days for Scorpio to 45 days to Virgo. By comparing the horoscopes' birth dates table and each constellation table as it appear in the sky, it will be found that the probabilities are more than 7 to 1 in addition to the person's birthday, the Sun was not in the constellation he thought he was in. The reason of all of that is that every year, from 1st of December to the 17th of December, the Sun is in the presence of the stars of the constellation Ophiuchus. It is located between Scorpio and Sagittarius. Although the Sun spends 17 days each year in Ophiuchus in comparison to 7 days in Scorpio, the astrologers just ignore that matter of fact and ignore the possibility of the effect Ophiuchus may have on our lives.' (Bakich 2004: 50-56) (14)
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Thousands of years ago, many people thought that the earth is like a ball with stars sitting on it and anything fall from them have been done by God to punish the evil souls. Astrologers still make their work according to these basics, but science proof that the stars we see from the earth in the sky is not as the astrologers think. It is far from us by thousands lighting years and it may change, that is why these basics they work on is completely wrong. When the astrologers wanted to gain the respect of the scientists and to make difference between them and the old astrologers like (Batlaymos and Cebler); they said that there is a magnetic field between the stars and the plants, and that there is life on earth and called this the new astrology. They fail to make this difference because science proved that astrology is a science of the soul and the soul cannot be affected by the physical work or energy so it is a wrong science. (15)
If the stars not in fact the flag, then is blessing possible to categorize on that she forms of flags formed from false. unbeliever easily increases and agreement will thereon the classification, and hit only about road the studious stars in light some essential characteristics for the flag be possible to decides if was the arbitrator raved have fun what justifies her. Firstly, called us looking into eight the essential characteristics that the theories are distinguished scientism and which be poor in most of her or all her in flags false:
• Uniform his (interior and external)
• Parsimonious (shielding of the proposed in entities or interpretations)
• Blessing useful (and describes and the phenomena explain and to get lucky)
• The test met for experimental falsifiable
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• Leaning to dominated him, and the frequent attempts
• Dynamic his the correction met for (just as entering of changes on the new statements is complete the discoverer)
• The graduations (to all previous theories realize and increases)
• Timed (acknowledges that he already blessing is not correct instead of confirmation and the certitude)
From the stars and leaning to proofs
In domain of the flag and the realization enables from it, the offered requests from where the principle and after that, when the matter hangs the attempts, in reality of the matter. In flags false, your weakness is allegations not normal who lack of enough does not believe for proofs the introduction. Important matter for clear reasons raved -- If was theoretical proofs do not lean to followed the realization be possible from her experimental, and not there any road the allegation that any tie with the reality have fun.
Carl Sagan, which the phrase formed “that the requests exclusions his proofs require of exclusions”. Raved the practical aspect means that if the request was not strange very or other than offence in comparison with what introduces him in the verb about the scientist, and after that many proofs needed to accept of the allegation are blessing likely that accurate formation.
From last aspect, when the request conflicts with very on face of the specification the things which we knows in the verb about the scientist, then that we the plenty needs to very from proofs status the accepting in him. That is because if this request was accurate, then a lot of the last believed which takes her to granted does not be possible that accurate formation. Harm was that believed good in supporting from the attempts and the
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observation, then new and contradictory his the request is characteristic “other than offence” and accepting be necessary his to when proofs to excellence at the time ends current proofs own and wailed against him.
The stars she excellent example his fields be characterized the requests other than offence. If the far things in the space were capable of the impact in his native and life of the human being to degree putative, then the essential principles for the physics and the chemistry and flag live and which for debts in the verb admitted matters in him does not be possible that accurate formation. His matter raved from have been other than antagonized. For that, completely a lot of high nature very and the proof before the requests from the stars are possible that accepted is. Lack presence of identical this proofs, even after the thousand ages from the searching, indicates except that the domain not from the flags yet she is flags false. (16)
* The numbers included between two brackets after each paragraph refer to each one's paragraph and who wrote this paragraph. This means as follows:
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References:
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www.astrology-online.com
astrology.about.com
www.astrologyzone.com
astrology.shine.yahoo.com
www.astrology.com
www.ask.com
www.cafeastrology.com
www.free-astrology-reports.com
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 26, Star Worship
Teen Stuff Magazine (2007, May), 87.
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Why do some people believe in Horoscopes and others do not
Each and every person has his/her personal believes or thoughts that must be appreciable and respectful nowadays in our society, but in fact we don’t have to believe or even consider them right. Some people believe in God, some people believe in science, and others believe in pseudoscience, etc. I’m one of the people who do not believe in pseudoscience and I’ll tell you why people believe in it and why I think it’s wrong. Moreover, I’ll be giving you a history about pseudoscience with some examples about each one of it. (1)*
The term pseudoscience is ideas based on theories set together to form a scientific term when it’s not scientific. Old scientists or astrologists sub-categories this pseudoscience into term as astrology and numerology in order for people to understand and use them for their own believes. (2)
Astrology where is the first study, means the study of stars as general. However, it can be defined as the position of the sun, moon, and planets at the moment someone’s born. Also, astrologists believes that it’s somehow affects our subsequent personality. (3)
On the other hand we have the numerology, which is the study of the occult meaning of numbers and their influence on human life. Also, numerologists believe that it can help them understand events. In details the numerologist is able to describe you by sight unseen, starting by knowing your name and birth date. It’s considered for them as the
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“data base”. Then, number has to be written to the letter in your name. After that, the numerologist establishes your key number by adding all the numbers in your birth date in a multitude of combinations. Finally he/she interprets the meaning of these key numbers which results in a complete description of your personal characteristics. (4)
Furthermore, let’s move from the scientific terminologies and be simpler by telling about the zodiac; the zodiac nowadays is known by all people. Scientifically, it’s a group of “constellation through which the sun, moon, and planets move across the sky”. Astrologers described these constellations and so attached a particular significance to them. Overtime they developed the system of twelve of the zodiac and based on twelve of the constellations they considered to be particularly important. As we all know these zodiacs are signs have names based on the 12 month of the year and they are: Aries and it’s starting from 21st March to 20th April, Taurus: from 21st April to 20th May, Gemini: 21st May to 21st June, Cancer: 22nd June to 22nd July, Leo: 23rd July to 22nd August, Virgo: 23rd August to 22nd September, Libra: 23rd September to 23rd October, Scorpio: 24th October to 21st November, Sagittarius: 22nd November to 20th December, Capricorn: 21st December to 19th January, Aquarius: 20th January to 18th February, and finally Pisces: 19th February to 20th March. These signs are known by the majority and mainly everyone and it is not something wired anymore in our daily life that some believes on them and others may read it just for fun. Some people read it for the sake of luck; others may consider it as a sign. i.e. if someone had a relation with a girl or a guy that belong to the Gemini sign and broke-up in a bad way, and after a couple of month he/she meet another person having the same signs, so they judge him/her based on their old experience that he/she will have a bad relation
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because they couldn’t handle it from the beginning (which was the old relationship). While others may never even look at these signs and don’t believe on it. Others may think that people who believe in signs are mysterious and may think of them sarcastically or in a stupid way. At the end it differs from one another based on religion, culture, and environment and believes. (5)
The western and Vedic zodiac is two signs that have a common origin in the tradition of horoscopic astrology, and so are very similar in meaning while in China on the other hand, the development of the zodiac was different. Although the Chinese too have a system of twelve signs but they name it as animals (but they are not as well known as the original horoscopes that everybody knows, which the one I mentioned above). The Chinese zodiac refers to a pure cylindrical cycle, as there is no equivalent constellation linked to it like the Western or Indian zodiacs. (6)
Apart of the signs, let’s give u a history about the zodiac and how they get to know it, how and why people believe in it? It was known by the Babylonian since 2500 years ago as the sidereal zodiac, and that’s due to the specification in the direct relation to the stars. At ancient time, they used it (the zodiac) for centuries, all the way to India, which was introduced only in the middle of the second century A.D. by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. Around the 2nd millennium BCE, the Babylonians and their system of celestial omens that began to be compiled, they were the origin of much of the astrological doctrine and methods that would later developed in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. (7)
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Moreover, this system of celestial omens later spread either directly or indirectly through the Babylonian and Assyrians to other areas such as India, Middle East, and Greece where it merged with pre-existing indigenous forms of astrology. This Babylonian astrology came to Greece initially as early as the middle of the 4th century BCE, and then around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE after the , this Babylonian astrology was mixed with the Egyptian tradition of decanis astrology to create , quickly spread across the ancient world into Europe, the Middle East and India. (8)
Forward, we have the zodiac integration, which is the most important matter for people who believe in Astrology, signs and all such things. This people focus to know form the astrologists their future and their relationship with the other concentrating on common characteristics they both have and what their relation would be. Also, others may like to know especially girls if she will meet a handsome guy or not, as well as for women they also like to know for example if her husband cheating her or if she will bear a baby, and many other examples. (9)
Although Astronomy means that plants and stars have an effect on earth. Each constellation has a power that differs than the other which affect human. This effect is related to one’s zone since date of birth, and then one has common characteristics with the others and they mildly differ as a result of some environmental or historical circumstances. As well as, some people do not accept what is predicted and interpreted or behaviours. They say this does not suit them. (10)
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Let’s understand and know why people believe in Astrology? No doubt that Astrology has a great influence on human culture. Since it’s based in since and it is kind of inherited from old people. Millions of people listen to Astrology and read their books. They recognize that these zodiacs have an effect on human’s luck and play an important in one’s fate even if it be good or bad although that thousand of people realize that luck in not related to zodiac but they read the zodiac in e-magazines. Also, some people relate their behaviours to what is predicted and written about their zodiacs. They dare to say that it’s their fate to be seen behave like that even if they are not persuaded of what they are doing. On the other hand, some naïve or illiterate people believe in pseudo astrologers who pretend knowing one's future but in vain. (11)
Finally after knowing all zodiacs and people believes and how Astrology may effect some people believes and behaviours as well as all kind in pseudoscience, I would like to give my personal opinion, why I don’t believe in zodiac and all these kind of things. Well to by honest I read zodiac for fun but I don’t believe it and I can’t relate my behaviours in the past, now or in the future to what an astrologist has said even if some events were right. I rely on what science proves what is right or wrong. I also think that one's education, social and economical state, environment and political circumstances has great influence on my behaviours and life in the present and future. (12)
Whether people are being supportive to horoscopes or not, horoscopes will be popular as they have always been because astrology as a science existed long time. But quite rightly,
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what the meaning of horoscope and astrology is, why people believe it and what their opinion is about it, why people go to Astrologers and what the opinion of scientists is. (13)
First the word astrology came from the Greek word "Astrologia", which means the study of the stars. The first people who used this science were the ancient Mesopotamians and that were more than 5000 years ago. (14)
And horoscope as it came in the dictionary literally:
"The prediction of a person's future based on the positions of the planets, sun and moon at the time of birth. Or it is referring to a diagram which showing the positions of the planets, sun and moon at a particular time and place". In fact the real meaning of horoscope is not much different than the language meaning, which means a Map of Space-Time {Image of the hour as Greek defined}. In addition to these meanings, there are also many definitions of horoscopes and most of them are similar. This is an example of one of them as 'True Light Educational Ministry' defined:
"The Horoscope is a map of the heavens at the moment of the birth of a person or of any specific time thereafter. By plotting the position of the stars and planets at the exact time of a person's birth, astrologers claim they can predict the future of that person. The main claim is that everything in the heavens is correlated to everything on earth; thus at birth we are stamped with the corresponding pattern in the sky." (15)
Also there is the meaning which came at {Encyclopaedia Britannica}:
"Horoscope in astrology is a chart of the heavens, showing the relative position of the sun, the moon, the planets, and the ascendant and midheaven signs of the zodiac at a specific
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moment in time. A horoscope provides information about the present and predicts events from the future". (16)
Second thing which we should know that there is no one can deny that as there is many people who don't believes in horoscopes, there is also people who believe in it. Some of those who believe in horoscopes just do it for fun and for entertaining themselves. They doing it because they search about anything which can inspire hope in their lives and to have a laugh or learn new things. (17)
There is another kind of people who live their lives by what their daily horoscopes say and they do not rely on information as life's guidance. Those people who understand these bits of wisdom as life's guidance wrong, they are doing that to find any hope in their life. For some of them horoscopes means that something good will happen. (18)
Some of people consider that believing in horoscopes and reading it only for open minded people. And another believe in it because sometime they read in their horoscopes and what they read really happened to them for one time or twice so they believe that anything they read in their horoscope will happen. For this result they buy magazines to check out the "Horoscopes" section and to know that will happen in the future if a little paragraph can tell you how will your day or week! And tell them also how their life will run. (19)
And as stated in 'True Light Educational Ministry':
"In the US there are more than 2000 newspapers which published daily horoscopes. Also there is about 32 million up to one-half of the population who believes in horoscopes". (20)
Beside those people who believe in horoscopes, there are people who go to astrologers to know some information from them, which can guide them to do something, protect them
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from any evil, make them success in their life, predict what will happen in their future and may be to make them understand others or even understand themselves. Also there are some people who believe that astrology is not a scientific subject, because sometimes it is beyond the scope of measurable and the scope of science, but they believe that it is something which related to spirit or religious activity which for sure makes it too hard to test it. (21)
Many scientists tested the fact of horoscopes and after they tested it, they found that it is like away which show something which may happen randomly or may be not happen. But of course this does not stop them to be facts. So if it is being believed in it or not, it can not be said that something is true or false.
Last but not least horoscopes are so popular and it will always be, although sometimes its prediction may not be exactly. (22)
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Entertainment Section
How Mystical Are You ... ?!
Find Out wether you're a magic or reality oriented type ! Are you in for some mystical trials or do you prefer the typical world ? Do you believe in what the magic and your astrological sign tells you ? Let the limits of your mystical and supernatural beliefs be revealed .. !!
- Your friends are excited to talk to a fortune teller. Do you:
- Tell them they're pathetic & ditch them to see a movie.
- Go along, but just to keep company.
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- Race to the fortune teller yelling, " How rich will I be? "
- Your mom says she dreamt of the winning number for the TV competition. Do you:
- Tell her to switch to light healthy dinners instead.
- Force her to write them down then phone the competition's hotline RIGHT AWAY !
- Ask her to sleep & dream again to see if your score is high enough to pass.
- Your teacher surprises your class with a pop quiz. Do you:
- Faint !
- Stare really hard at the nerd's head hoping the mind-reading thing will work.
- Smile as your magic 8 ball reads WITHOUT A DOUBT !
- Your sign says you'll fall in love with your perfect match. Do you:
- Laugh out loud ! It's THE one or nothing for you.
- Walk past the hottest spots in case you might run into your future. Partner,
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- Go & grasp the attention of that one you've been drooling over.
Results .. !!
# Mostly A's : You're not that into the whole supernatural powers trend. Your motto is: " If I can't see it, it's not there ! ". You're more of the realistic type of person but keep on open-minded… you might run into something extraordinary !
# Mostly B's : You enjoy reading your sign & playing with the magic 8 ball. For you, life is too short to be taken seriously; you love having fun & it wouldn't hurt to enjoy a little magic too !!
# Mostly C's : Addiction .. Addiction .. Addiction !! You can't get enough of zodiacs & dream interpretation books. It's great that you have that mystical side, but save some time for the earthly citizens !