This is a particularly interesting topic to me considering my history with astrology, and subsequent leaving of it behind. In a lot of ways, I am not entirely sure what to make of it, but it's something I'd like to eventually figure out. Though at the moment it is not high on my priority list.
I was raised around astrology. My mother (being very New Age) got into it when I was just a toddler, and actually had
my natal chart done when I was just 8 years old. She explained it to me, and I was instantly interested. I was very interested in space as a child, so combined with the mystique of it all it pulled me right in. It wasn't until I was around 14 or so that I began to look into it on my own accord. Not entirely seriously at first but I still found it interesting. Being the nosy person that I am, I started collecting natal charts of my friends and eventually emmassed quite the library of it. When I was around 18 is when I started to look into it more seriously. Always having an interest, and finding the abstract symbolism of it so detailed and labeled it fit my thinking style, that I wanted to really understand it. I found great use of it for a long time, and in some ways obsessed over it.
I know astrology like the back of my hand, and I know it at a very very deep level. Having so much experience with it and exposure I picked it up well. For years I would interpret friends natal charts and solar returns just for fun. Part of me was also trying to convince/justify it to myself and others. It felt like it worked. I mean, my natal chart fits me like a freaking glove. So much so that when I looked into the details (and truly understood it) a few years ago I found it to be mildly alarming. To this day the accuracy of it beats all personality tests I have ever taking for the all encomposing nature of it.
Then something happened. A little over a year ago I began the process of becoming atheist. With it, all of my spiritual beliefs began to evaporate. Yet, I still held onto astrology. While the idea and principal of what governs it; that planets, planetoids, asteroids, etc. position in the sky relative to the earth somehow dictates and tells what our personality and life circumstances will be is complete hogwash in every way. I even felt that long long before I became atheist. That said... I could not deny that it worked. Or, at least seemed to. I considered if this was nothing more than a gigantic example of the forer effect. One that's so nuanced that it's near impossible to notice. In reality, I just didn't want to let astrology go. I felt this kinship with the symbolism. For years (and honestly I still do) I had wanted to get a tattoo of the symbol for pluto on my left sholder because of what it means to me. What I ended up doing, was ordering an astrological report.
It was 50$ after a discount, so rather expensive. Nevertheless, what it was was important; it's computer generated. An 18 page report too. I wanted to see the accuracy of it under this much detail. It eliminated the human element (and source of error that's near impossible to see through) that comes from someone interpreting and listening to feedback. I ordered it and it was emailed to me seconds later. I was astounded. For what it was; nothing more than a computer generated report based off my natal chart, was shockingly accurate. FAR more than one would expect based off satistics. It was not 100% accurate, but the bulk of it was very on point, and some of it was absolutely dead on, to the point where my jaw dropped. There's no way this is the forer effect at work. It's too nuanced. I told my mother about this, and convientely, she got one for herself to, and she sent me a copy. That is her. It fit her just as well as mine fit me. Two for two. Despite the small sample size, it sort of justified astrology for me. I would have loved to get these reports for several dozen people and see what I could gather from it all, but alas that's a lot of money.
Yet, I still let it go. With my new found prospective on atheism (I'm a scientist working on a PhD, this was inevitable), it just didn't seem right to hold onto. The basis of what astrology is, has no ground to stand on. It seems to work very well for me. However, studies find there to be little to no corralation (even though the studies are quite crude from what I have seen and miss the point of it all), and it just doesn't stand to scientific inquiry. It's subjected to the same rigors of logic that religion is, and does not get a special pass. Further, I had to ask myself an important question; is it worth believing in? After a lot of reflection, I came to the conclusion: no.
For all of the wonder and splendor that astrology gave me. For how justifying it felt. It gave me very little (if any) benefit beyond that. The biggest thing it gave me was a nifty label I could wear (cause I love labels a lot). Outside of that, it caused me stress. "Oh shit mercury in retrograde is coming up... oh shit jupiter is about to cross my yod...". I worried about all kinds of things that I had no control over. The amount of anxiety it managed to produce was rather high in hindsight. Further, in some cases it gave me the
illusion of control over things I have
no control over, which I see as borderline dangerous. Ultimately, its utility as something of help was found to be rather low, and if anything making things worse. So, despite the fact that there does indeed seem to be something to this. There really does. It's something best left alone for me. I don't gain anything from it that's truly beneficial to me that would offset the negatives. I have serious doubts science will ever be able to back up or support this, and until that day comes I will leave it be. It's nice to come back to for sentimental purposes (such as now), and I still enjoy talking about my natal chart to those who are interested since it defines me so well, but that's it.
So ultimately, there seems to be something to astrology. It can't be explained, but I can not deny I have had a number of things in my life show that it holds weight in some areas. However, it can't be proven in science, and the basis of it is hogwash. As a scientist, I can't in good conscious put stock into it, other than a curious novelty (much like I view MBTI). It also ultimately brought me more stress than anything. So, I have left it behind, and only come back to it now and again for a few brief moments of fun.