Hope from Horoscopes

    Wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down with the newspaper. This is the average American's morning routine. In that newspaper (hopefully a Sun-Sentinel or TeenLink) there's of course business news, travel, entertainment and…horoscopes?
    As wallets grow thinner and times get tougher, more and more people turn toward horoscopes for hope. They provide insight on finances, family, romance and health. People look toward the future to help with their present.
    The ancient Greeks are credited with horoscopes and astrology. They believed that a person's life was pre-determined and could be predicted by looking at the positions of celestial bodies and constellations at the time of a person's birth. It is necessary to first look at a person's past before predicting their future.
    Horoscopes tend to be bundled with tarot cards, psychic readings, and crystal balls. Astrologists caution that zodiac readings hold more truth than cootie catchers, but that is up to the reader to decide.
    Curious about how accurate these horoscopes were, I did a Google search and clicked on the first link. Instead of reading mine in the morning, however, I read it at night, after my day had ended. I figured it would be best to compare the reading with how my day had actually gone. Surprisingly, it was very accurate. I continued to do this every night for a week, and about half were right.
    While horoscopes might be fun ways to predict your future, it is important to not get too wrapped up in what they say. One night I read that I was supposed to have met a new love interest at a party. Not only am I not in love with anyone at the moment, but I also did not go to a party that day. Needless to say, astrology is not an exact science.
    Whether you read them, believe them or scoff at them horoscopes are popular culture. Newspapers, magazines, websites and Twitter accounts are dedicated to these readings. For some, they are valuable tools. For others, they could not be more useless. Call me crazy, but I think the ancient Greeks might have been on to something.