Astronomy is science; astrology is superstition, mythology, and pseudoscience. Depending on how surveys ask the question, anywhere from 22 percent to 73 percent of people believe astrology is valid. Horoscopes still appear regularly in newspapers. Over 95 percent of adults know their zodiac sign. It never occurs to some people to question whether horoscopes are valid, and if they do think to ask the question, they rarely follow up with the critical thinking skills to find the answer.
People are misled into thinking their horoscope is accurate for them. They remember the hits and forget the misses, they like to read things that make them feel good about themselves, they are looking for something to help them make decisions, and they react to a self-fulfilling prophecy by changing their behaviour so that the prediction comes true.
Is there any harm in believing in astrology or is it just a bit of fun? It can be harmful. It can waste money and can lead to poor decisions and illogical thinking. Follow your own horoscopes and tally how many predictions came true versus those that didn’t (“You’re prone to accidents today.” “You’ll get a big surprise.”). Show a single horoscope to a lot of people and tally how many agree that it describes them well. If astrology is valid, only one in 12 should agree, but horoscopes are so vague that most people can see themselves in them.