I Read My Horoscope Everyday For Years: Here's Why I Stopped

This blog will likely ruffle a couple of feathers, but this is something I have to discuss. Lately there has been an influx of people subscribing to their horoscopes and inquiring about mine. On some occasions I reply to avoid any potential conflict, however I have decided to be bold moving forward. Disclaimer, this article is for those who truly want a strong relationship with Christ. This is not an invitation for a debate or lengthy dialogue. For those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Even if you do not agree, it is my hope that you pray about it and let God lead you. My first encounters with astrology started in high-school. I was subscribed to Cosmo girl magazine and would spend hours in the bathroom reading my horoscopes. I wholeheartedly believed that I was the epitome of my "water sign" and would research the characteristics almost daily. Equally as intriguing to me were the signs of my friends and family to see our "compatibility". I was so engulfed in astrology that I even considered getting a full birth chart reading but never went through with it (Praise God). I was completely sold that astrology was 100% accurate however something did not feel "right". Here are some of the reasons why I no longer subscribe to horoscopes.

The Bible says not to.

Early in my faith, when I finally began reading the bible I was surprised to see that astrology was a forbidden practice (Deuteronomy 18: 9-4). In the old testament, God made a stark differentiation between what was permissible and forbidden for His people. In the bible, astrology is regarded as a form of divination which is the act of foretelling the future by supernatural means. Divination was common amongst the pagan nations and many of it's practitioners were appointed as "wise men" to kings. An example can be found in the book of Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar consulted with astrologers to interpret a dream he had (Daniel 2:2). When the astrologers were unable to provide an interpretation, the King decreed that all wise men be killed. Word of the King's decree came to Daniel and he cried out to God, who in turn gave him the interpretation (Daniel 2: 17 -19). The bible goes on to say that only God can reveal mysteries to mankind (Daniel 2: 27 -28). As children of God we do not have to make guesses or take chances based on the sun, moon, stars, or planets. We can boldly ask God anything and in time, He will reveal what we need to know. I realized that I was using astrology because I was too impatient to wait on God. I wanted to know what would happen in my future without consulting the author and finisher of my faith. Quite frankly I was lazy and impatient. I did not want to fast nor pray and I surely did not want to wait on God's reply if I did. That is a recipe for disaster 100% of the time.

Astrology is subjective and limiting.

When you consider the characteristics of each astrological sign, it is hard not to agree that they are basic human attributes. To give an example, the core characteristics of my associated sign are: loyal, protective, intuitive, caring, overly sensitive, moody, and vindictive. If you could guess that sign, then congratulations, you read too much astrology (lol). Jokes aside, all of those characteristics can be exemplified by anyone at any given time. Now I can hear someone screaming, "but individuals of that particular astrological sign exemplify those characteristics MORE than the average person!" To that notion I humbly disagree. In my short 27 years of living I have observed two things when it comes to astrological signs; people tend to either guess or project. There have been times where I would say or do a particular thing and would be assigned an astrological sign (hit or miss) based on that interaction. Other times I would reveal my sign to someone and from that point on any concordant characteristics I exhibited fueled their preconceived notions or biases. Actions that supported what the person already knew about my "sign" were highlighted whereas others were ignored. If I cried often that day, it was because I am a (insert sign). If I laughed louder than usual it was because I am a (insert sign). The point I am making is that once I divulged my astrological sign, everything I did was seen from a particular lens whether positive or negative. I can speak from experience when saying astrology is judgmental and attempts to limit people to a list of characteristics based simply on when they were born. This completely negates a person's upbringing, life experiences, and God's involvement in their life. Also do not under estimate the power of the mind and how our thoughts can influence our actions. The bible says whatever a man thinks, he becomes. If you live and breathe astrology, then you are tapping into the power of your own thoughts. This is dangerous and why the bible tells believers to take every thought captive to bring under the obedience of Christ.

Astrology takes the place of God in your life.

In the height of my obsession with astrology (because reading horoscopes and charts can be addictive) I would read it daily. Anyone that I liked or wanted to become friends with, I would look into their sign. Let that sink in, I would check their astrological sign first before praying or asking God if that person belonged in my life. There was even an instance where I dated a guy that I really did not like for MONTHS simply because our signs were "compatible". Meanwhile he had the personality of a knot-on-a-log but our relationship potential, according to astrology, was "exponential". Inversely there was a guy that I liked who was a complete gentleman, BUT because our signs were not compatible I ultimately sabotaged the relationship. Anything he did that I didn't like was attributed to him being a (insert sign) and further fueled my bias that the relationship was doomed. This deep held belief became a self-fulfilling prophecy and I eventually withdrew emotionally from the relationship leaving the guy confused. Now I am not saying he was the ONE however the mere fact that astrology had such a huge impact on determining the fate of that relationship vs God's will is problematic.

In conclusion, astrology had taken the place of praying and asking God about things concerning my life. I was checking a person's sign more than I was checking their spirit. I became my own god and my power was all of the knowledge I gathered reading charts. I naively believed that I could judge the character of a person based solely on when they were born. This set me up for so many failed relationships and disappointments. In the beginning astrology was fun and "harmless" however overtime I became anxious and even avoided forming relationships with people if our signs did not align. It took the power of God to highlight the error of my thinking and to slowly pull me out of astrology. I began checking my horoscope less and praying more. Overtime my faith in God was restored as He showed me that I can trust Him to send the right people into my life. I no longer needed to check my horoscope to know what was to come because God gave me an expected end. I no longer needed to check compatibility because God sharpened my discernment. I was no longer forcing relationships to work or having anxiety over my future. God gave me peace. Ultimately it is a faith walk that we are living. If this article made you think twice about astrology, then I pray that God does the rest.