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This morning my horoscope told me I may be offered a celebrity apprenticeship. WTF!?! File under So Not Happening Today or Ever. This is exactly why I keep my astrology apps in the "entertainment" folder on my iPhone. Oh ... did I say apps, plural? That's kind of embarrassing.
I'm of two minds when it comes to astrology. On one hand, I think it's awfully silly and meaningless. On the other hand, I find it intriguing and can't resist taking a peek every morning. Why not? It's just a little innocent fun ... or is it? Maybe not. A recent post in the blog io9 makes the case for why believing in astrology isn't as harmless as you think. So we decided to put the question to two different experts. Is there any value to reading your horoscope? And can following astrology actually lead you astray?
Clinical psychologist and author Dr. Ramani Durvasula agrees that belief in astrology can be harmful. "While I wish the stars and the heavens gave some glimpse into our destinies (it would make it easier to plan the weekends and heal broken hearts) -- the bottom line is that it is bunk and can lead people to make some dangerous attributions and bad decisions," she told The Stir. She gave four reasons why blindly following your horoscope can actually be detrimental.
1. It makes you passive. Dr. Durvasula puts it this way: "Astrology allows someone to outsource responsibility." It can lead you to wait for things to happen rather than take action. And it can prevent you from making the changes your life really needs to improve.
2. It can lead to disappointment. Some horoscopes promise everything from Prince Charming to sudden windfalls of money. And good things do happen to people randomly. But in general, you cannot rely on the promises of your horoscope. They are empty.
3. Astrology is especially harmful for people with mental health issues and illness. A lot of us can read our daily horoscope with a healthy dose of skepticism and just laugh. However, Dr. Durvasula warns, "for people who ... perhaps have psychiatric histories that render them more vulnerable or suggestible, astrological forecasts can undercut a sense of efficacy, reality, perspective, and can even set (them) back when so called 'forecasts' do not meet reality."
4. People spend money and time on astrology that's better spent on mental health care. Why? Because we tend to like the message better. "Psychics and astrologers can offer hope and promises in a hackneyed way that those of us involved in the science and practice of mental health cannot ethically do." Ouch! Well when you put it that way ...
But hold on there -- astrology isn't just those daily horoscopes you read online. It's actually a much larger tradition. In fact, many of its practitioners would agree with Dr. Durvasula about the harmfulness of following daily horoscope predictions. They say articles like the one in i09 are too narrow and distort the practice of astrology. Marriage and family therapist Dr. Glenn Perry insists that when done responsibly, astrology actually has enormous value in the therapeutic process. Here are four reasons why astrology can actually be good for you.
1. It's a tool, not a map. Dr. Perry agrees that reading your daily horoscope is useless at best. He compares it to using Einstein's theory of relativity and turning it into a recipe for baking cookies -- it's way too simplistic. Instead, astrology is a way to help you "realize your potential, heal wounds, and resolve problems and conflicts."
2. You can benefit from working with a qualified professional. To Dr. Perry, this means finding someone with training in both counseling skills and in astrology. There are organizations that grant training certificates, like the International Society for Astrological Research. This isn't a guarantee, but looking at an astrologer's qualifications can help you find better astrological counseling.
More from The Stir: 12 Pieces of Jewelry for Every Sign of the Zodiac (PHOTOS)
3. Done right, astrology does ask people to take responsibility for their lives. The focus should be on long-term goals, like helping you grow and mature and realize your best self. It helps you accept the "inherent uncertainty of the future" rather than promising certain outcomes.
4. It offers incredible insights into your personality. Dr. Perry says he's never seen anything like astrology for giving you an accurate way of understanding who you are in a given moment in time.
What do you think -- is astrology harmful hogwash, or do you think it can actually help people in a positive way?
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