Do people read horoscopes to find meaning within their lives?

    Within the article ‘New Ways of Believing or Belonging: Is Religion Giving Way to Spirituality’, Tony Glendinning and Steve Bruce conducted a study in which they explored the relationship between alternative spirituality and institutional religion in Britain.

    
    For part of their research they asked participants whether they consulted horoscopes, and if so how often; they also asked whether they had tried fortune telling, tarot or astrology; and complementary or alternative medicine, herbal remedies, homeopathy or aromatherapy and practices such as yoga or meditation. Participants were then asked whether they found these things very important, quite important, not very important, or not at all important. 

   
    They found that 64% of participants had consulted horoscopes in newspapers or magazines and 5% of these had found horoscopes in the media very important in their lives. In addition, 30% said they had tried fortune telling, tarot or astrology and 6% per cent of these had found them very important. Also, 44% said they had taken part in alternative/complementary medicine, herbal remedies, homeopathy, aromatherapy and 20% found them important.

    The findings demonstrate that a large number of participants read horoscopes and have tried other ways of predicting the future such as astrology or tarot reading. Even though only a small amount of these participants found them very important within their lives, the findings do demonstrate that not everyone reads horoscopes purely for entertainment. The findings also found that women were more likely to read horoscopes than men and that younger and less educated women are more likely to find horoscopes, astrology, fortune-telling and tarot more important in their lives, than better educated women who are more likely to take part in holistic practices.

    I am unsure why more educated women take part in holistic practices compared to less educated women. Maybe better educated women have more of an opportunity to take part and learn more about holistic practices such as yoga or aromatherapy? However, I suggest that young women may be more interested in horoscopes compared to older women because young women are more uncertain about different areas of their lives, which many older women have already gone through. 

    I agree with Glendinning and Bruce that the findings also reinforce the difference between alternative practices such as yoga, meditation and aromatherapy compared to horoscopes. It is clear that alternative practices are concerned with personal well-being, healing and working on ‘improving’ the self; whereas horoscopes and astrology are more about divination and the desire to know about and reveal the future. Consequently, ways of predicting the future allow people to find meaning within their lives because it gives them the opportunity to understand more about their future, unlike alternative practices such as yoga or meditation. However, I also agree with Gilbert that some horoscopes also offer advice on how we can become happier or how our life can be improved. As Gilbert says: ‘The horoscope interpreted by a skilled astrologer not only provides a synthetic picture of the person’s hereditary inclinations, but points to latent potentials, and suggests directions of needed growth. It gives a symbolic map of the process of self-realisation.’ However, if people read horoscopes to find meaning within their lives what are they lacking? Also, what does this say about their views regarding the future?

Do people really take horoscopes seriously?

   I decided to search for horoscope predictions on YouTube the other day to explore how popular horoscopes were online. I came across hundreds of videos by the UK astrologer Diana Garland whose videos have been viewed by 1,175,783 people in total. My 2011 horoscope prediction alone had 10,620 views and her 2012 predictions have already been viewed by thousands of people. 

    Although many people watch horoscope videos purely for entertainment, as I began to watch more of them I realised that a large number of people take them seriously. By looking at some of the comments on certain videos it is clear that online horoscopes have become a way of life for many people. On the Taurus 2011 horoscope for example, the following comments demonstrate how serious some people take their horoscope predictions:

‘Dear Diana, I can’t thank you enough, I had kind of shaky feeling all over my body when I listened your Taurus horoscope 2011. Maybe because at least 90% what you said I could apply to my next year plans. I feel reenergised and wish you all the best.’

‘Diana, as usual you are spot on. I have heard the same reading from others. I have much to look forward to spiritually and physically, and yes, I have begun a learning curve that I expect to be very rewarding.’

    It is clear from the video comments above that horoscope predictions can make people feel more positive about their future, particularly those people who are going through a difficult time. Horoscopes may encourage people to feel more positive and optimistic about the future and what’s wrong with that?

‘What kind of female are you?’

 'Are you intimidating?' 'Are you destined to succeed?' These are just some online tests I discovered in Cosmopolitan magazine online. I established in my last post that there are many ‘predict the future’ quizzes and games which are largely aimed at children. However, I also discovered that within popular women’s magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle and OK there are many horoscopes and tests which claim to help women understand their fate and destiny. I have found that these online magazines provide daily horoscopes, celebrity astrology, information on star signs and tests which claim to help women discover their future.

    Due to the number of magazines which provide this information and advice online, it is clear that women are genuinely interested in the topic of fate and destiny – but why is this? I mentioned in my previous post that ‘predict the future’ tests may reassure children that their future goals and ambitions can become a reality. Is this the same for adults?

    Within Cosmopolitan magazine, there are many online tests which aim to help women find out more about themselves and their future. Even though these tests are created to entertain readers, they also provide detailed information and advice from life coaches and career experts. This suggests that the tests are to be taken seriously and their aim is to give women advice in different areas of their lives.

    These tests may influence women’s decisions and inspire them to achieve certain goals. They may give women the confidence to make changes in their lives. Therefore, online tests and horoscopes, may also reassure adults that their long term goals and aspirations can become a reality. Cosmopolitan online also advertises other websites such as Nirvana Light which provides psychic readings that can apparently guide us in all areas of life. This demonstrates how online magazines encourage women to explore these issues on other fate and destiny websites.  

    There are also specific magazines – which are also available online – such Take a Break’s Fate and Fortune and Spirit and Destiny magazine which  focus entirely on the topic of fate and destiny. The internet is an easy and accessible way for women to read their horoscopes and gain specific information about their future from astrologers and experts. Women are clearly interested in astrology, horoscopes and ways of understanding our fate and destiny, but what does this say about religion in Britain today? Do people believe our lives are already planned out? Do people read horoscopes to find meaning within their lives?

Ways of ‘predicting the future’ online

    It’s been a while since my last post. I’d like to say it’s because I’ve spent five months researching online astrology, but that would be a lie. One of the reasons for my blogging absence is because I didn’t know how to begin my next post. Fate and destiny online is a large topic to discuss, so where should I start?

    I read my first post again. I stated that it is questionable whether online horoscopes/ tests/ tarot readings truly predict the future or are created purely for entertainment. Can’t it be both? Surely some online horoscopes/ readings aim to provide information and predictions for people who are seriously interested in astrology and ways of predicting the future; whereas other online tests or readings are created to entertain people? In order to answer this question I realised that I needed to explore exactly what was online. In what ways do horoscopes, or other ways of ‘predicting’ the future, entertain people online?

    Only when I began this research did I realise the number of tests, readings and quizzes online which relate to fate and destiny. After many hours of intensive research I have realised that many of these online tests are intended for and created by children. Even so, some of them – although I’m hesitant to admit this – are quite entertaining. I have discovered that these readings and tests claim to predict the future or reveal aspects of your personality in various unusual ways. 

    The games usually involve choosing a ‘favourite’ number, animal, colour or name, which is supposed to indicate future events or tell you more about your personality. For example, according to one colour game my favourite colour - which is purple in case you were wondering – means that I am very fond of show and luxury and will try my utmost to achieve my ambitions. Other tests claim to predict your future husband/wife, career, whether you’ll have children, whether you’ll be financially secure and what your future holds. Even though I doubt the accuracy of these ‘predict the future’ tests, if they were true predictions, my future will be incredibly interesting. Apparently I will have a career as an actress, I will have eight to twelve children, I will live in Costa Rica and have an adopted son from China named Bi Jia ou.

    The fact that so many of these tests are aimed at children demonstrates that children are interested in the topic of fate and destiny. Children are inquisitive about their future and I imagine that many children believe these tests actually reveal certain aspects of their adult life. They may reassure children that their future goals and ambitions can become a reality.