What Does Your Horoscope Really Say?

By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Daily Life Producer

CBN.com – Open nearly any newspaper or magazine and it is there – usually in the back pages. For some people it’s the first place they turn. It’s the horoscope. Will today be a good day? Is romance headed my way? Is there a future for myself and that special someone?

What is it that makes us want to know our future? And why would we think the movement of the planets would somehow hold the answers?

And if they do hold the answers, then why do horoscopes for the same day vary in what they say? For example, last summer, just out of curiosity, I checked my horoscope one day on three different Web sites. What I found were three completely different readings. And try as I may I couldn’t make any of them fit with that day’s events.

Horoscope number one sounded somewhat helpful: “A full moon in your fourth house of home and family tomorrow could unearth a secret you've been hiding from your family. If you have done something you don't want anyone to know about, it might be time to 'fess up — before you get caught!” (July 30; YM.com)

I wish someone would tell me where my fourth house is (as well as my second and third), but I do love a full moon, so I guess all is well. And I have been hiding that sweater that I received for Christmas in the hopes that it would be forgotten by the person who gave it to me…maybe that’s what the big secret is.

Horoscope number two seemed more mysterious. “Communicate your feelings to friends today, especially if you're disappointed in the way they're treating you. The void moon gives you a chance to tie up loose ends, either in a social situation like this or with a team you belong to. Saturn allows you to put your thoughts together, but don't be too inhibited to let the truth come out.” (July 30; Seventeen.com)

I have no clue what a void moon is, or why Saturn cares about my jumbled thoughts, but in any case it is true that I am rarely “too inhibited to let the truth come out” which is why I feel the need to point out the ridiculous nature of horoscopes.

Horoscope number three: “You've got enough energy to handle even the toughest challenges today, Scorpio. This isn't a time to just get by or to avoid difficulties. Nope, you don't need to look for trouble, but if there are problems that you want to solve, this is the day to take them on. Or, if you want to raise your public profile, the moment is right for taking some creative risks.” --Jeff Jawer (July 30; cosmogirl.com)

Notice this horoscope lists an author. A little research enlightened me to the fact that Jeff Jawer is well known in the astrological community. He operates an astrology Web site and holds a B.A. in “The History and Science of Astrology” from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is a sought-after lecturer for astrology conferences around the world.

I can only guess that the other horoscopes which did not list an author, were probably written by what astrologers would consider amateurs in their field – most likely college students who supplement their education with freelance writing jobs. Trust me, I've been one of those "will write for food" students.

Whether penned by a “professional” or not, the authorship did not seem to have any effect on the accuracy of the predictions. While Jawer’s nicely crafted pep talk did motivate me to tackle that last-minute packing I had left to do before moving out of my apartment that weekend, I can’t say that any of his advice or predictions came to pass in the days that followed.

Either these three horoscopes were bogus and totally irrelevant to my life, or I am just not looking hard enough to see the similarities.

While astrology is a serious business to some folks, others will tell you it is merely entertainment. Even most magazines and Web sites seem to put little stock in the idea that horoscopes offer reliable information. Most of them post “for entertainment purposes only” near their horoscopes.

If horoscopes are purely for entertainment, what is the big deal? Does it really matter that my friends and I read our horoscopes just for fun?

To God it does matter.

In the Old Testament, as Israel was being led by God to the Promised Land, He warned them not to practice divination as many of the nations around them were doing.

“Divination” is defined as “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary) In today’s culture this includes horoscopes, palm readers, tarot cards, crystal balls, tea leaves, numerology, sorcery, and any other means people use to try to predict the future.

God warns the Israelistes twice in Deuteronomy 18. In verses 10-11 He says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”

In verse 14 He says, “The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.”

It is clear that this was one area in which the Lord wanted His people set apart from the ways of the worldly non-believers around them. The Bible also records the consequences for those who did not listen.

I Chronicles 10:13-14 reports the death of King Saul. “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”

As much as we would sometimes like to know the future, I believe that God in His infinite wisdom often keeps us in the dark with good reason. Many times if we knew what lay around the next bend in life, it would be too much for us to handle. Instead, He provides us with the wisdom and grace we need for today and asks that we trust Him with all of our tomorrows.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged His followers with the message that God would provide for their needs. Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that we are precious to Him. He cares deeply for each of us and He is concerned with even the smallest details of our lives. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34).

If we follow this advice, and that found in 1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” -- we can rest securely in the knowledge that God is in control and working in every situation we face in our lives. The Creator who made us knows us better and loves us more than any astrologer we could find.

As the line from one of my favorite Carman songs says, “If you're born again you don't need to look to the stars for your answers, cause you can look to the very One who made those stars.”

You can find peace with God -- learn how.

Comments? Email me