I see a meme about zodiac signs at least once a day. At first they just seemed like jokes about relatability, but as they have become increasingly common on social media, I have seen the content go from obnoxious to malicious. People use their star signs to justify treating each other poorly and then celebrate it on social media.
Many people place a lot of value on their astrological sign. For those unfamiliar, someone’s astrological sign represents the alignment of the moon and stars in the season when they were born. I am a Virgo because I was born between Aug. 23 and Sept. 22, which according to my horoscope, means I am loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking and practical. It also means my weaknesses are shyness, worry and an all work and no play attitude. It is important to remember that these traits are entirely up to interpretation.
It is the interpretation of these traits that leads people to make quick judgements or behave erratically. The problem is in the memes that normalize erratic behavior by claiming it has to do with a certain star sign.
There are plenty of memes that cast one entire astrological sign in a bad light. Most of them have something to do with interpersonal relationships and using a star sign as an excuse for being hostile or inconsiderate. I imagine there has been more than one relationship ruined by people’s interpretation of star signs.
The idea that the way I feel is the result of the stars and not my own poor decisions is very appealing to me. When I don’t feel like doing my homework I can just think about how my horoscope says today is supposed to be relaxing. Even though it is appealing, I understand that it is also unhealthy. It is easy to not feel responsible for your actions when you believe the stars are in control.
The issue arises when people allow their horoscope to impact their behavior in a negative way. For instance, a Virgo horoscope for Feb. 20 reads, “Your home could be a gloomy place today…The only thing you can do under the circumstances is make sure everyone keeps busy until the absent one returns.” If someone were to believe this horoscope, it is understandable that it would negatively affect their behavior.
In contrast to people treating each other poorly because of their star sign, it is also possible to treat yourself poorly. Like in the horoscope mentioned above, sometimes star signs tell individuals they are going to have a bad day, or that someone is going to hurt them.
There are many social divisions in our society as is and zodiac signs are just another pointless way for people to judge each other and hurt themselves.