Addressing Astrology Skepticism: Honest Answers to Common Questions
I understand why people are skeptical of astrology. For much of my life, I saw it as light entertainment—interesting but not credible. That changed in my mid-thirties, when I began studying it more deeply and saw both the complexity of the system and the depth of insight it can offer. Over time, I came to believe in the genuine viability of astrology—not just as a framework for categorizing personalities, but as a tool for reflection and acceptance of one’s self and life.
If you have questions about the validity of astrology, this blog post is for you. Though, please know I am not aiming to convert you. I simply seek to explain what and why I have come to believe what I do, and how I personally respond to the most common skeptical questions. Enjoy.
Q: How do the planets actually control me?
A: Astrology actually doesn’t assert that planets control you. Instead, it observes that certain events, behaviors, and traits correlate with specific planetary and celestial placements. Astrology is more like a mirror or a clock—it’s a mirror for earthly events (à la Hermes Trismegistus’ ‘as above, so below’) and marks time, but it’s not the causal mechanism.
Astrology is a system of pattern recognition. For example, astrologer Chris Brennan noted in The Astrology Podcast episode “Eclipses That Aligned With Pivotal Moments in History, Part 2” that people born near eclipses often experience major life events during future eclipses—a pattern he observed repeatedly in analyzing charts of prominent figures.
Western astrology has been practiced since the 1st century BCE—that’s thousands of years of documenting and refining these kinds of correlations.
All that said, I personally leave room for causation to be proven one day. After all, we already know the sun and moon directly impact life on Earth.
Q: I’m a Leo. I’m pretty different from the other Leos I know. Doesn’t that disprove astrology?
A: This is a common misconception that stems from oversimplifying astrology. A birth chart includes over 10,000 data points—your Sun sign is just one of them. Here are just a few reasons you might feel different from other people with the same Sun sign:
Your Sun is likely in a different astrological house. There’s only a 1 in 12 chance (≈8.33%) that two people with the same Sun sign also have their Sun in the same house (assuming evenly distributed birth times). Houses represent areas of life—so a Taurus Sun in the 7th house expresses Taurus energy in relationships, while a Taurus Sun in the 10th house expresses it in career and public life. If in the 12th house, the Taurus energy is “hidden.” Unless you know someone quite well, you might not be able to see how their Taurus sun manifests in their life.
Your Sun’s ruler is probably in a different sign, which influences how your Sun shows up. For example, a Virgo Sun is ruled by Mercury. If Mercury is in Libra, your Sun may take on traits like charm and agreeableness. If Mercury is in Leo, your Sun may express more confidence and assertiveness.
Your Sun might be in aspect to other planets, which can dramatically alter its expression. A Sun conjunct (directly next to) Mars takes on martial qualities like drive, impatience, or competitiveness. A Sun conjunct Jupiter tends to show up as more enthusiastic, generous, or optimistic.
If you were born before sunrise or after sunset, you have a night chart—and you may identify more strongly with your Moon sign than your Sun.
As I said, these are just a few reasons why people with the same Sun sign can feel very different from one another. That said, there are absolutely common threads between those who share a Sun sign, if you know what to look for.
Pro tip: If you want a short-cut snapshot of someone, look instead to the Ascendant (rising sign) and its ruler. The rising sign sets the framework for the whole chart—it determines which signs fall into which houses. Libra Risings, for example, will have more in common with other Libra Risings than Libra Suns will have with each other. It’s still limited, but much more telling than the Sun sign alone.
Q: Has astrology been scientifically proven? If not, why do you believe in it?
A: Technically, no. There have been some scientific studies conducted by a French statistician named Michel Gauquelin. He attempted to find statistically significant correlations between the professions of prominent individuals and specific chart placements. While he initially found a notable pattern—particularly a well-placed Mars in the charts of high-profile athletes—his results have not been successfully replicated by peers. (You can learn more about these studies in Episode 173 of The Astrology Podcast.)
Personally, I don’t need something to be scientifically proven to find value in it—I trust anecdotal evidence and, most of all, my own lived experience. If I hadn’t seen astrology repeatedly work, I wouldn’t have practiced it. As someone with strong Virgo placements, I appreciate systems that appeal to my logic. That said, I wouldn’t recommend astrology to someone who only accepts belief systems grounded in empirical science. And that’s okay. I’m not motivated to convince anyone who isn’t already curious. In return, I simply appreciate when others respect my intelligence and beliefs.
Q: If astrology is legitimate, how could two astrologers interpret the same chart or astrological placement differently?
A: You would likely never receive the exact same interpretation from two different astrologers. The astrological world is broad and encompasses a wide range of traditions, techniques, and approaches. Someone practicing ancient or Hellenistic astrology will view a chart through a different lens than someone trained in Modern astrology—let alone the differences between Western and Vedic systems.
I believe there are as many types of astrology as there are practitioners. Because astrology is a practice of pattern recognition, we come to understand placements through repeated observation, personal perspective, and the interpretive frameworks passed down by those who came before us. In other words, we each develop a unique internal library that we refine over time through study and experience.
For me, astrology is also an intuitive practice. At a certain point in preparing for a reading, a client’s chart starts “talking” to me—certain themes or placements rise into my awareness, helping to identify repeating patterns and shape my interpretations. I don’t know how universal that experience is, but I do think it helps explain why astrology can feel so unique from one practitioner to another.
When choosing an astrologer, it’s worth learning about their approach—and choosing someone whose process and perspective resonate with you.
Q: Astrology is so vague. Can’t anything you say be applied to anyone?
A: Astrology is archetypally predictive. That means we interpret placements as thematic archetypes or caricatures, which—yes—are broad. For example, Mars is the “planet of war” and corresponds to themes like masculinity, competition, severing or separation, anger, and aggression. These themes can show up in many different ways: violence, abuse, competitive athletics, male figures, or yes—literally—war. The archetype is consistent; the manifestation is variable. Everyone has Mars in their chart, but once we incorporate its sign and house placement, its aspects to other planets, and its essential dignity, we begin to see how Mars expresses differently for each individual.
We also see the false consensus effect at play here, where someone assumes their life experiences are common, when they may be quite unique. Not everyone experienced violence in childhood, had a father who showed up as the more nurturing parent, or built a career working with close friends—all things I’ve accurately identified in readings.
When preparing a report for a client, I start with the broad explanation of the archetypal energies at play, and then predict how they might have manifested. From there, we explore the client’s actual lived experience in relation to those energies.
Honestly, if I had one criticism of astrology, this would be it. We often see what we want to see. Our human perception is fundamentally shaped by personal bias—it can be no other way—so it’s hard to know whether astrology is truly predictive, or if we’re simply motivated to believe in it. I also think belief itself can strengthen perception (according to the law of attraction); said another way, the universe proves back to us what we already expect to be true. In that sense, believers in astrology are more likely to perceive accuracy and value in it.
That said, I welcome open-minded skeptics and non-believers into my practice. You don’t have to “believe in astrology” to find insight or meaning in a reading.
Q: How can astrology account for free will?
A: Different astrologers hold different views on this. Some believe there are fated life milestones, but our day-to-day choices fall within the realm of free will. Others believe we have no free will at all—that everything is written. Still others view the natal chart as a starting point, with our “job” being to exert free will to transcend or work with its limitations.
What do I believe? Because of your free will—or lack thereof—I don’t believe it matters what I say here.
Q: Isn’t astrology just a crutch for people who want meaning in randomness?
A: Maybe. But honestly—who cares?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with finding meaning in randomness. Astrology doesn’t have a monopoly on meaning-making—we see the same thing in the way people interpret art, read scripture, or analyze market trends. We all use the tools available to us to create a sense of predictability and control in our lives—even if that tool is disbelief.
And sure, astrology can be used irresponsibly. So can therapy. So can alcohol. It’s up to each of us to determine where our personal limits lie and when something has stopped serving our best interest.
And if you’re not sure? Come see me, and we’ll look at your chart together. ;)
I hope this post has offered a helpful peek behind the curtain of my thoughts and feelings. As I’ve said, there’s no attempt here to convert anyone into a believer or practitioner—only to explain how I’ve come to find real validity in a system that might seem implausible at first glance. If there are any additional questions you have, please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will do my best to address them.
TL;DR (AI-generated summary):
This article addresses common skeptical questions about astrology, including its scientific validity, relationship to free will, interpretation differences, and perceived vagueness. It presents astrology as a symbolic system based on pattern recognition rather than causal mechanisms, and outlines how astrological meaning is derived through chart placements, aspects, and timing techniques. The content is intended for readers seeking explanations of astrology’s foundational logic and common critiques.