Why astrology is the reason I don’t feel like a failure 

Any guesses on what is more manageable in life than telling everyone that you're having a hard time mentality? Mercury is in retrograde. No, seriously. With a show of hands, how many of us have used it as an excuse in our lives? As a person who loves astrology with my whole damn heart, I'm the type of person that tries to blame everyone around me BUT myself, when it comes is a slight adjustment in my mood, sleeping habits, dietary concerns, or, well... anything. Yes, it's true: I identify deeply with my very own Cancer rising, Leo sun, and Pisces moon. It's much easier to excuse away the fact that the reason why I cry every time I feel remotely stressed may have to do with the fact I was born on a Wednesday at 2:15 am, and no, I will not be answering any additional questions. Does the thought of stars deciding your fate make sense? No, not entirely. But do I think there is a slight possibility that there could be some higher purpose or meaning with astrology? Hell yeah, I do! With so many things in the universe that DON'T make sense, why does astrology have to be the one thing that can't?

A guideline in the age of uncertainty

Discovering your identity is one of the most taxing processes one can go through in life. It can be super freaking hard figuring out your likes, dislikes, and core values when the world around us is trying (desperately) to influence you in every single way. But, do you know what isn't complicated? Being provided with a vaguely ambiguous set of rules with charts and forecasting the earthly and human events through observing and interpreting the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. And listen, I know what you're probably thinking, "Olivia, this seems like some kind of pseudoscience. How is this supposed to be a good thing?" You know, technically, you're right. Astrology is a pseudoscience due to its lack of progress and refusal to deal with a large body of critical scientific studies. According to Scientific American, astrology is generally defined as the belief that astronomical phenomena, like the stars overhead when you were born or the fact that Mercury is in retrograde, can have the power to influence the daily events in our lives and personality traits. All of this is quite different from the study of astronomy, which is the scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physics of the universe. 

Have you ever faced a dilemma in life - something small - and felt indecisive and needed direction, you know what has helped me? Horoscopes. You bet your bottom dollar that if my horoscope says it's best to stay in tonight with friends, then I'm staying in! You might think I'm crazy by following this logic, but people flip coins when it comes to even more significant decisions, so who really is the crazy one here? 

In all seriousness, I do not turn to my horoscope for all my decision-making needs. I'll be dammed if the stars tell me something I don't want to hear, but it is nice to have something to fall back on. They're also great ways to get out and try things you wouldn't normally expect from yourself. In 2016, one particular horoscope said it was a good day to pick up a musical hobby. That same day, I learned to play the ukulele - with ease, mind you. For years, I had zero interest in playing a tiny instrument. But now, I love that thing! I have no one but to thank for that other than my Cancer rising, Leo sun, and Pisces moon.

According to "stats," Pisces is the sign most likely to be a serial killer. Lol, who knew. I mean, I didn't! I just knew I could be pretty intense sometimes. But a serial killer - damn, that's harsh. You're not alone for those who don't believe in astrology science. In 2012, the General Social Survey found that 34 percent of Americans surveyed consider astrology to be "very" or "sort of scientific" and also reported a decrease—from two-thirds to around one-half—in the fraction of people who consider astrology "not at all scientific." Circle back to the most serial killers turn out to be Pisces comment— what you may see as a creepy coincidence; I see a scientific trend. Stick with me here! All of these individuals were born between Feb 19 - Mar 20; therefore, this pattern was not developed overnight. There must have been someone to actually conduct some sort of experiment to prove these theories. Astrology is founded on an understanding of the stars' positions, which seems like a scientific enough pursuit. I guess what I'm trying to say is the following: I believe astrology to be a well-thought-out set of patterns developed over time, shaping the critical characteristics of each zodiac. ~science~ Oh, and BTW, in case it was not clear enough: not all Pisces people are serial killers. I have a soft spot for them, actually. Water signs are my faves.

Getting to know yourself 

You can actually learn so much about yourself while reading about your signs. Everyone is born with a natural curiosity to learn more about themselves, and astrology gives us different specifics and different offerings that we can explore. Come on: how many of us have gone on Insta, seen a meme of our zodiac sign, and felt significantly called out. Even if these memes are not accurate, there is something about finding them and feeling represented or seen by them. 

We all know that each Zodiac sign has a few key characteristics that they typically tend to portray. If you want to find out what makes you -ahem- you, my suggestion would be to start with your 'big three': your sun, rising, and moon sign. A quick crash course about your Big Three! Your rising sign is how others perceive you, your moon is how you deal with emotion, and your sun is who you are inside. Now that we know that, what exactly does it all mean?

Your big three signs can help you determine critical things about yourself or even discover more things you may have overlooked! Maybe you're an Aries who doesn't understand why you may get so heated in a debate - when if you give your sign a quick look up, you discover Aries are a passionate breed who tend to crave a slight urgency. Or maybe you're a Virgo who can’t seem to explain your need for order when in reality, a Virgo spirals into chaos in an unorganized environment. The way I see it, astrology has an explanation for everything.

If you want to get a bit deeper, text your Mom and ask for what time and day you were worn born, and then head to Google dot com and type in, "What's my birth chart" to fill out all the information (date, time, location) you were born. Before you know it, you'll be provided with a whole chart and reading that indicates your character traits, behavioural tendencies, hidden desires, and the directions your life might take. It may be hard to believe that this document will outline who you are (inside out) but believe me: you'll be pleasantly surprised. These things are meant to make you, you! But they shouldn't rule your life.

It’s your life, live it how you want to live it

Before I come out entirely pro astrology, I want to say a few things! First, your zodiac sign does not exempt you from being a dick. Sounds harsh, I know, but when I said I want to blame myself for being a Leo for bad habits, this does not include bigotry, just not being a morning person. I hope that goes without saying. Second, you do not have to take astrology seriously. If your best friend does and you don't, that's okay! Astrology is supposed to be fun, so let's keep it cute and cheerful. Lastly, believe in what you want to think, but don't ruin someone else's good time. Being respectful is a trait that all signs should inhabit.