you -- yes, you -- do believe in astrology. if you already believe in astrology and are proud of it, then more power to you. if you don't, then my goal with this post is to convince you that you, in fact, do.
here is my claim:
celebrating birthdays and holidays is believing in astrology
in the most basic sense, astrology is the practice of attaching meaning to celestial objects, patterns, and events. arguably the most popular form of this is the horoscopic astrology. i am positive you have at least heard of the zodiac signs. also very likely that you already know your own zodiac sign. that's how wide spread the idea is.
now, having a zodiac sign in itself, i think, is not astrology. it is only stating which constellation aligns with the sun's orbit on the day you were born. much of it is arbitrary, but it's more of a factual statement or observation than anything. the astrology part comes when a meaning is associated with this fact, such as letting it determine your personality type, predicting future events, forming your identity around it, and so on.
there are many other "genres" of astrology, too. some dealing with other constellations, or the moon, or jupiter, or saturn. some borderline religion. some even don't have to be celestial-related, like "lucky items". most people i've met claim not to believe in it as it is generally deemed unscientific, which i agree. though, i've started to question that lately.
a year is simply a full revolution of earth around the sun. much like having a zodiac sign, there isn't astrological about this, and that it is simply a fact. the astrology part comes when a meaning or importance is attached to it. and the only point of celebrating birthdays and (most) holidays is because a year has passed since their last occurrence. this, to me, very well falls under the revolution around the sun, a celestial object, being thought to mean more than it actually does. the very definition of astrology.
as someone who completely doesn't observe or celebrate birthdays and holidays, i find it extremely difficult to find someone else who doesn't. almost everyone i know has something to celebrate every year for the sole reason that it has been a year. most of the same people who say they don't believe in astrology, too.
my claim ends there, though. i'm not saying anything negative about believing in astrology, or in anything else in general. nor do i look down on it in principle. i do think it is important for people to have something to hold onto, real or fictional, with or without reason. after all, while i don't share the sentiment, i do enjoy the perks of having everyone else believe in them. i get holidays off work. i get free or discounted things on my birthday. i have an excuse to catch up with friends. and much more.
happy thanksgiving, everyone!
