We are all made from stardust. Cliché, but technically true. As an astronomy major, I can tell you that we are all in fact made from the same “stuff” as stars because all matter at the most basic level originated from fusion in star cores. The universe began as mostly Hydrogen and Helium and from there fused to higher elements, forming planets and culminating into everything we know today. Knowing our true origin, it’s natural to wonder at least a little bit what kind of influence the stars hold on us now: is it similar to the influence a mother holds on her child? If the stars are our “mother,” what has she passed down to us, and how does this affect us today?
First, let’s talk about what astrology even is. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, astrology is defined as “the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects.” It’s the belief that the positions of the stars and planets have an influence on who we are and how our life is going to go. It began in ancient civilizations, back when nature influenced all our attitudes and beliefs. As many will point out, astrology isn’t exactly backed by any science. However, I’d like to point out that neither is any major religion out there. The many facets of astrology are enough to make you at the very least wonder just how much of it is possible.
Personally, as an agnostic, I find it hard to believe in most things. But as an astronomy major, I must believe that something, some force or energy, must be out there. There are just too many coincidences in this world to not believe in anything at all. Being an astronomy major affects my outlook on these things because I work directly with the stars and the universe as a whole. The universe is so vast, with so many possibilities and us knowing only the tiniest fraction about it; if there were to be some great force or energy, I believe it would be up there.
This, of course, makes astrology the most viable for me to believe in because it directly takes into account what I work with and what I know to be true. I know for sure that we come from elements made in stars, and I know for sure that we find out new things about the universe every day- strange, unbelievable things that challenge everything we knew previously. So it’s understandable to make the jump and say there could be some unknown force or energy in the universe affecting us, and it may or may not have to do with the positions of stars and planets. No one can say what’s feasible and what isn’t when so much about the universe we live in is unknown; and when this much is unknown, anything’s possible.
Is astrology a solid faith to believe in? I would say it isn’t any more or less plausible than any of the other religions out there, and it definitely doesn’t hurt anyone the way some major religions do. As an astronomer in love with the stars, I’d recommend astrology to anyone even as just a fun introspective exercise. That isn’t to say you should let astrology define your life because the stars already have everything predestined, any more than you should let any major religion define your life because whatever god you believe in has everything planned out for you. YOU are in charge of your life and YOU decide what to make of it! But, like religion, if astrology makes you feel just a little bit better about the world, I’m all for it.
Whether your love for the night sky comes from sceince or spirituality, one thing’s for sure: life’s answers truly are in the stars.
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