Is Astrology Just Another Form of Prejudice?

I have seen this question many times. Usually the people asking it are either beginning to try to get a handle on astrology, or else they are seeking to dismiss and debunk it. But it is a good question. Sometimes when I stop by popular astrology message boards on the web, I see things like “How do you ask out a Cancerian female?” or “Why are all Pisces such weak people?” or “Why are Leos so sexy?” or “All Scorpios are #%@&?!!#” Usually I just roll my eyes and scroll to the next question.

But, the question remains to be answered. Is astrology just another form of prejudice?

No.
(Did you think I was going to answer any other way?)

To start with, people are much more than just their sun signs. In every personalized natal chart, there is, in addition, at least the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the Rising Sign. Some astrologers include a few asteroids, too. And each of those planets is in its own sign. No one is “all” one sign. We are a blend.

But the goal with astrology is to understand someone, not to pass judgment on them. As a matter of fact, once I became a professional astrologer I dropped a lot of my judgmental attitudes. I began to respect that people are different, are supposed to be different and are all walking different paths. I couldn’t expect a Gemini with a Cancer Moon and Virgo Rising to act like a Libra with a Capricorn Moon and Aries Rising.

And studying astrology made me more interested in other people. Thinking of people as a blend of all these traits helped me understand how multi-faceted we all are. And I began to think, “What were they going through?” “How are they coping with it?” And there is free will involved, too. So then I wonder, “Will they take the high road, or the low road, in that situation?” I know how I would handle any given situation, but I learn so much when I see how someone else tackles it.

And anyway, we categorize things. It’s something humans naturally do. We notice if people are male or female. We notice their weight, height, skin color and age. After awhile, we note if they are chatty or withdrawn, wealthy or poor, upbeat or downbeat. We assess their clothes, car, and living conditions. That is not judgment. That is information gathering.

Now, if noticing someone’s sex or weight or age or skin color automatically creates an attitude in the observer, this is where the prejudice begins. Not in the basic information, but in the attitude about that information.

I think the more information someone has about any person or situation, the less excuses that person has to be prejudiced, because that person can see the big picture and understand why things are the way they are.

There is a big difference between information and attitude.

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