Why ‘cheap, quick, and sensational’ astrology does more harm than good

How commonplace such blanket predictions as “Planet X enters zodiac sign Y. You’ll get stinking rich in a month’s time!” are across the social media is a no-brainer. Equally cinch is to answer how unlikely most of them are to come true. It would not be unfair to say that such antics have played a formidable role in eroding the veracity of the incredible shastra of Jyotish in the public eye. But the truth runs deeper!

Every astrologer, particularly those without a pedigree, has had their own unique experiences and motivations which spurred them to study astrology. In many cases, they would have stumbled upon a wise man of yore whose predictions left them startled with their accuracy. For me, though, things were just the opposite. Back in the days of defiant youth, I would post my horoscope often anonymously to astrologers in an attempt to test their expertise and hopefully to get to hear some good things about myself, as many of us do. Beyond a few surface-level predictions which practically meant very little, most others were so stark in being inaccurate that some of them would almost draw me into a transient spell of self-doubt. Most of these predictions, as might be expected, were made spontaneously after sharing forth the requisite personal details. In the years to come, as my philosophical insight deepened, I became increasingly incredulous that a heritage thousands of years old could be all utter hogwash. The problem, somewhere, must have lied in human failings. And indeed, it did.

Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to come across some of the finest in the field. But I’ve also encountered tens of astrologers, from the inglorious ones to the “who’s who” of the field, tripping up in their predictions apparently because something or the other deterred them from undertaking an honest deep-dive into the horoscope – dragging them instead into a mental groove where their focus was transfixed on delivering something credible in the shortest amount of time possible. Perhaps, the “cheap, quick, and sensational” air that surrounds this field might be the culprit.

And astrologers cannot be blamed for this. In a market where most purchasers put little premium on sound life guidance and uncomfortable truths, and are impressed instead with heart-warming phrasing and quick, inexpensive fixes, the picture cannot possibly be any different. Surmount this with a profession like astrology that sees hardly any professional regulation, and you have a sizeable chunk of professionals competing on criteria like ‘speed’ and ‘catchiness’ that increasingly chip away at the legitimacy of this incredible craft. Worse, it feeds a vicious cycle that further undermines customer trust, and corrupts the core purpose of astrology, which is to guide and not so much to predict. A learned astrologer is testament to how each individual horoscope is a volume in itself, besides being unique, requiring time and diligent effort to be deciphered. And even then, given the complexities of the universe we inhabit, only so much can be estimated to any level of accuracy!

All beliefs, including those that are positive, are constraining in nature. They limit us one way or another. It is axiomatic as to what an unhelpful belief engendered by confidently proclaimed yet inaccurate predictions can ramify into. As empowering as astrology can be, it is no different from any other product available in today’s consumerist society. The producers in the market have their own mechanisms of cutting turnaround times and costs in response to demands from purchasers, and this frequently comes at the expense of quality. Let the purchasers provide the right signals.

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