Astrology

[Salty]

Speaking of absurd omens and whatsits, sigmatic, I've taken to your random horoscope thingy that you do. It's so much fun and typically makes more sense than the one's in the paper. MY sense.

[Jasper]

Awesome.  Everyone should get personalized "horoscopes" from people who enjoy tormenting them.

[Epimetheus]

your random horoscope thingy that you do

[Jasper]

your random horoscope thingy that you do

Text horoscopes to people you know, unsolicited. 

[Salty]

YOUR DAILY HOROSCOPE: God damned giraffes are going to FUCK you UP. A Scorpio will bask your delicious tears.

Texted or otherwise sent to the unsuspecting.

[Jasper]

WAAAHAHAHA YESSS 



Perfect.

[Rumckle]

As sad as it makes me to debunk the debunking, it's all bullshit and astrology is the same as it ever was.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/no-your-zodiac-sign-hasnt-changed/
http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/ophiuchus-the-13th-zodiac-sign

If it's seasons based, then why do some zodiac columns say shit like "Jupiter's alignment means your investments will pay off" and shit like that, if they're going to be wrong at least be consistent about it. It's like the think their readers are idiots or something.


Also, this site is mildly amusing:
http://bitterhoroscopes.com/

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

As sad as it makes me to debunk the debunking, it's all bullshit and astrology is the same as it ever was.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/no-your-zodiac-sign-hasnt-changed/
http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/ophiuchus-the-13th-zodiac-sign

If it's seasons based, then why do some zodiac columns say shit like "Jupiter's alignment means your investments will pay off" and shit like that, if they're going to be wrong at least be consistent about it. It's like the think their readers are idiots or something.


Also, this site is mildly amusing:
http://bitterhoroscopes.com/

No, no, no. Read and understand the articles rather than say things that make you sound stupid. Astrology's just as bunk as it ever was, AND no, the tropical zodiac used in the West hasn't changed at all.

[Rumckle]

No, no, no. Read and understand the articles rather than say things that make you sound stupid. Astrology's just as bunk as it ever was, AND no, the tropical zodiac used in the West hasn't changed at all.

I didn't say that astrology isn't bunk. And I didn't say that it has changed.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

No, no, no. Read and understand the articles rather than say things that make you sound stupid. Astrology's just as bunk as it ever was, AND no, the tropical zodiac used in the West hasn't changed at all.

I didn't say that astrology isn't bunk. And I didn't say that it has changed.

No, but you said that they "should at least be consistent about it", but if you read the articles I linked to, they have been. At least Western astrologers. Even the astronomer who is being cited as claiming astrological signs have shifted didn't really claim that for tropical astrology, which is the system most familiar to Westerners.

In my opinion it's as important to not use bogus debunking as it is to reject bullshit in the first place, because bogus debunking leaves you susceptible to debunking.

[Rumckle]

No, but you said that they "should at least be consistent about it", but if you read the articles I linked to, they have been. At least Western astrologers.

I didn't mean that in the sense that they have changed their position over time. However, from the first article:

"Astrology is geocentric. It relates life on Earth to the Earth's environment, and seasons are the most dramatic effect, which is why we use the tropical zodiac," he said.

I find it inconsistent that they say it is geocentric, then refer to Mercury and Jupiter etc, in their readings (or some of them do at least).

[Phox]

No, but you said that they "should at least be consistent about it", but if you read the articles I linked to, they have been. At least Western astrologers.

I didn't mean that in the sense that they have changed their position over time. However, from the first article:

"Astrology is geocentric. It relates life on Earth to the Earth's environment, and seasons are the most dramatic effect, which is why we use the tropical zodiac," he said.

I find it inconsistent that they say it is geocentric, then refer to Mercury and Jupiter etc, in their readings (or some of them do at least).

So... you tracking the movement of astrological bodies and relating them to events on Earth is somehow inconsistent with this statement?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

No, but you said that they "should at least be consistent about it", but if you read the articles I linked to, they have been. At least Western astrologers.

I didn't mean that in the sense that they have changed their position over time. However, from the first article:

"Astrology is geocentric. It relates life on Earth to the Earth's environment, and seasons are the most dramatic effect, which is why we use the tropical zodiac," he said.

I find it inconsistent that they say it is geocentric, then refer to Mercury and Jupiter etc, in their readings (or some of them do at least).

I am confused by your statement, what are you finding inconsistent?

[Suu]

I've gotten 10 emails in a day by people freaking out over this from the newspaper. Seriously.

I guess people take these things more seriously than I thought. It's kind of scary, because a few people sounded genuinely upset to the verge of "If I'm in this 13th sign now for real I will kill myself" scary.

I did my best to explain to them that Western astrologers follow the tropical zodiac and we won't be following the new cycle, and now I hope for the best. (I didn't want to crush souls).

[Rumckle]

I am confused by your statement, what are you finding inconsistent?

I guess part of me thinks that if it is geocentric, why have any relation to the stars/planets at all?

Also, I can see how you could argue (without looking at statistics/data) that the time of year you were born could impact on your life in some way (ie maybe kids born in winter are more likely to die of pneumonia) and extrapolate from there, but I cannot see how the position of Jupiter could affect you  at all when you are born (at least no more than anyone else in the world). But inconsistencies when apply an entire different belief set (ie mine) to someone else's (ie astrologers) are going to occur I guess.

Regardless it was just an off-hand remark and I may have been wrong.