Intro

I'm sure you're all aware of the 12 zodiac signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces with their elemental counterpart fire, earth, water and air that are said to have distinct qualities and characteristics. That said, do our alleged set-in-stone signs matter in our lives?

As the stars align and the planets orbit far, far away in the galaxy, surely you wouldn’t think it has any impact on humans on Earth? Surprisingly, people all over the world presume that signs based on your designated birth date can factor into your beliefs, personality, and way of living. A few individuals are immersed in astrological studies. Others couldn’t care less. Let's contrive the constellation of our minds and delve into astrology's perception, deception, and the inquiry of it all.

Accurate or Inadequate?

True or false: Zodiac signs are accurate. Not sure? Well, neither is the rest of the world. Experts tend to see astrology as a poor source of information, but most choose to believe it anyway.

Over half of the population in America views astrology as “not at all scientific” according to data gathered by the General Social Survey (GSS) from 2012.

Despite that, countless people since then have sought interest in astrology and horoscopes with its popularity increasing tremendously around 2016-2017. Now, about 70 million Americans read their horoscopes daily.

Fast forward a couple of years to 2023, younger generations (millennials and Gen Z) seem to relate to astrology and are “more curious about themselves and their lives”, Philadelphia astrologer Tracey L. Rogers comments from her experience.
 

Blindsight Thinking

Regardless of the amount of science and logic that meets the eye, there is still an immense part of the population that believes in astrology. A good deal of factors come into play as to why the belief in astrology remains prominent.

Dr. Christopher S. Baird, a physics professor at West Texas A&M University shares a fascinating study exploring the specific significance astrology has on minds due to a concept called the placebo effect.

“Horoscopes make people feel better because of a psychological effect known as the placebo effect. The placebo effect is when belief in a useless method makes a person feel better. It is the belief itself, and not the method, that causes the improvement,” Dr. Baird said.

Deciding to trust what words of wisdom horoscopes tell you begins to formulate a rendering of reassurance in your head.
 

Optimistic Insight

Believing in zodiac signs can likewise boost your confidence. Plus, one may gain a deeper understanding of their identity.

Jennifer Freed, PhD, a renowned psychological astrologer sees zodiac signs as a tool or an enhancement of one's lifestyle. She makes the analogy that the belief of astrology is like “having a fabulous rail down an exquisite staircase. You want to walk down the staircase and take every step mindfully, if you have something solid to hold on to while you take your own steps, this is an excellent journey.”

I am a Virgo. Virgos are commonly known for their intelligent, hardworking, and modest personalities so naturally, I'm inclined to believe said notions to boost my overall confidence. I actually do think that the corresponding traits for my sign do depict me well but that might not be the case for others.
 Looking occasionally at personality quizzes and fun facts about signs is a pastime one like me can easily get sucked into, especially when your sign is deemed rather uplifting qualities.
 
Media Over Matter

“What is your zodiac sign?” You might have been asked this question once or twice out of curiosity but does the sign you are truly mean anything? Libra? Gemini? Taurus? Does any of that contribute to your true character?

The internet has brought an unexpected result to horoscopes. Perusing the media, "Most to Least Attractive Zodiac Signs”, “Zodiac Signs likely to be rich in 2024”, and “Top 5 Smartest Zodiac Signs” were just some of plenty headlines of articles that caught my eye. These titles are overly vague and farfetched to say the least. Mainly because humans with matching zodiac signs certainly aren't carbon copies of one another and shouldn’t be labeled under what the rest of the world supposes is set in stone for them.

There is also this weird notion of which zodiac signs are compatible with one another and the traits that go along with them. Scorpios receive a lofty load of heat in the press amidst social media. For some reason, Scorpios are universally hated by everyone. This water sign alongside Cancer and Pisces is known for having a loyal yet stubborn and intense personality. An astrology fan from Mashable (a news website, digital media platform, and entertainment company) tells an anecdote about their love life when it comes to Scorpios.

"I was legitimately really suspicious of Scorpios for a really long time after my first big heartbreak in college. I believed so much in the dark-sided, secretive, deceitful energy of Scorpios that I actively avoided dating them."

You wouldn’t have suspected the grand effect astrology has on your mindset, love-life, and biased thinking.
 
Outro

After reviewing several components of this astrological investigation from its theories to its value, I guess what's left to do is answer the question.

Do zodiac signs matter? I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Astrology is such a compelling concept on its own. It's quite astounding and bewitching to embrace faith from celestial bodies. Like religion, we shouldn’t judge people for what they believe in but instead become receptive to one’s opinions and differences like the stars in the sky.