Astrology? Nay! – Astronomy? Yay!

If only the stars could actually talk. They would probably tell is that they have no influence on who we are, how we behave or what our future looks like. Astrology is the belief that the positions and movements of celestial objects have an influence on our personality, behaviour and certain events in the future. It is a very earth centered belief, where our lives matter in the grand scheme of the universe. There is a reason why it isn’t an academic science, but classed as a pseudoscience or metaphysical belief: it sees a connection between psychology and the universe’s movements. It is fun to think about but it definitely has no truth value in it.

Astrology – A Belief Not A Science

You might think now that I am bashing astrology. Well, I kind of am. Modern day astrology is all about money, selling hopes of compatibility and understanding of one’s behaviour. Instead of helping people to see how they can change, they give them excuses to behave in certain unhealthy ways. I am a very unspiritualistic person. I don’t believe in anything metaphysical. And while I see the emotional value of beliefs, I don’t see the logical value of it.

Yes, people want to feel better about themselves, and they want to not be responsible for their actions. They want to have the faith that there is something bigger going on that controls everything. It can be a comforting thought, in a life where everything often feels out of our control. So I understand why people believe, even in things like horoscopes, starsigns and charts that predict their future. And I wouldn’t want to take that away from them. Each to their own.

But I don’t believe in astrology. I know my starsign but I have never much read up on it. The few things I know about it (I am a virgo), doesn’t describe me at all. I just don’t see any value in doing so. I believe in accountability, in taking responsibility for your actions, and in picking my partners based on how they treat me, not which day they are born. But if you want to pick your partners based on the position of stars, then that is fine too.

There is a reason why astrology and astronomy split into two different categories, the more enlightened society became. The closer we came to the modern times, the less important metaphysics became in explaining and understanding the world. That is why religion has no bearing in the sciences anymore (we can finally cut open corpses and understand how the body actually works, weeeheee), and that is why astrology and astronomy are not the same thing.

Astronomy Intrigues Me

Instead of wondering about how the stars affect our mind and life, I wonder about how the universe actually works. I want to know how stars are born. How black holes work. If there was a big bang. How vast the universe is and if it is stringy or exists in multitudes. I see earth as an insignificant part of the universe, not the center of it. My life is insignificant, the earth is insignificant and even our sun is. Nothing would change about the universe’s existence if we disappeared. That makes me feel humble. And it pushes me into wanting to understand how it all actually works. Not the whys (metaphysics!), but the how (science!).

And lucky me! I am dating someone with a PHD in theoretical physics and whose research was focused on black holes. If anyone can tell me about the universe, it is him! My knowledge of physics is quite limited. I flunked every physics class in highschool (to be fair, we never talked about the universe but how engines work and how to get electricity out of an apple). It was first when I studied the history of ideas at university, that I learnt more. We talked about the history of science, and well, the natural sciences were a huge part of that. I started to have rudimentary understanding of things but it kind of confused me more than it explained things.

I remember sitting at home after a very confusing lecture, having an anxiety attack. Why? Because apparently the universe is expanding! Into nothingness! I couldn’t grasp the idea of expansion, and nothingness and got really freaked out about that and my insignificance.

I sometimes feel incredibly stupid for not understanding physics and astronomy. But my Master had for a while found a fun way to explain things to me. He would play with me while using my body as examples of things. Like he would slap my belly, watch the waves going through my flesh and talk about lightwaves in black holes (well, there are none, actually). He would slap my boobs and pull my nipples to illustrate the rise of white giants who are close to becoming dead stars. Brighter and brighter they shine until their existence is not one of light anymore. I have learnt more during those play sessions than I have done in the three years of physics class at school.

I am fascinated by how the universe works. I find it entirely flabbergasting that there is such a harmony in existence that something like the earth can even continue to thrive. Those kinds of mysteries intrigue me, not if Dan the accountant is a scorpio with a moon in leo and the stars tell me I am going to make a big decision today. If the stars could talk, I would ask them questions, not try to interpret their silence.