Astrology Isn’t Helpful
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“You are wearied with your many consultations; let those who study the heavens stand up and save you, those who gaze at the stars, and at each new moon predict what shall befall you. ”
Astrology is a “$12 billion industry and growing,” according to a Vox article entitled “Why are so many people into astrology?” The writer, Alex Abad-Solas, claims, “While ancient astrology focused heavily on prediction, modern astrology serves primarily as a tool for self-understanding.” I’ve been surprised by church members who have dabbled or spent large sums of money on astrology throughout my ministry. For years, I have wondered why astrology has such appeal.
Through listening to others, I believe I’ve found its appeal. Astrology affirms self-centeredness. Solas confirms, “More often than not, what people get from astrology resembles personal reflection more than a kind of cosmic fortune cookie.” Yet, call it “astrology” and people believe their fortune cookie becomes magical wisdom. More than being fooled into parting with your money, time, and faith, astrology reinforces arrogant self-centeredness.
Solas describes, “The gist: All of these things ideally help us tell a bigger story about the person we think we are, the person we were, and the person we aspire to be.” Solas’s definition does not sound disingenuous until you consider the next steps or the lack thereof. Astrology does not take you to a place beyond yourself. It may claim to take you deeper into yourself or provide self-recognition, but it does not lead you to a moral or ethical code beyond the self.
I should not only pick on astrology. Shallow forms of Christianity focusing primarily on the self diminish the human ability to achieve a meaningful life. Faiths that focus mainly on the self become self-absorbed and end up limiting their potential to make a lasting difference. Further, when the self is primary, there is no divine support necessary to transform the world around us. Soon, we are spinning in the circles of our own shallow making. Only when we move beyond the self and focus on others in God’s name are we able to make a meaningful difference in God’s world. Reaching beyond the self is the way to true meaning and wholeness.
