long stories short.

I don’t understand why people love them so much.

That and dimples. I hate those too. 

in anthropology we were discussing psuedo-science and whether or not it can be proven using the scientific method. I decided to write about astrology. This is what I wrote:

“As several of you have said already, the debate on Astrology has been quite a hot topic over these past few months.

One scientist claimed that there is an apparent tilt in the Earth’s axis, causing a shift in the sky. Because of this shift, it appears as though the sun no longer passes through the same zodiac constellations as it did several years ago, when Astrology was founded. How the “news” of this phenomena spread, i’m not entirely sure… but it’s become a viral internet subject. 

What several people fail to stop and think about, is that the sky/universe is defined by points of reference. Because it is not a flat ground, like landmasses on earth, it is almost impossible to map. Just because the earth’s axis has tilted, does not mean that anything with astrology has changed. Everything is where is has been for several years, it just appears to be different. A similar situation may be for example, if you are riding in a car. If you’re looking out the window and see a tree, at first it might seem far away, but as you approach it, it becomes closer and closer, and eventually it’s behind you. Such is that with the earth’s rotation around the sun; the earth is always moving, but the ecliptic (astrological belt where the zodiac constellations are positioned) stays in the same place.  Say you’re in still in that car, and you are driving down a slight hill. Now the tree looks like it’s higher above you due to the perspective that it’s at. This is the same with the shift in the earth’s axis and the perspective we have on the ecliptic. 

SUN SIGNS— which are what you are referring to when you say “I’m a Capricorn” or “I’m an Aries”, are determined based on the position of the SUN in relation to the ecliptic, not the earth—-which is where several misconceptions arise. The sun does not move against the ecliptic like maybe the earth does. The sun moves around the milky way, which is something entirely different. 

Additionally, several people do not realize that astrology is based on a lot more than just sun signs. Each person, under the doctrines of astrology, has around 12 different signs—-one for every planet, the sun, moon and even a few asteroids. This is what makes up a complete personality profile, and the fact that people do not know this is a reason why several people disregard astrology. They think, “Well i’m a Leo, but the traits of a Leo don’t sound like me… this can’t be true.” This person obviously does not know anything about the other contributing factors in his astrological chart.

Astrology can be tested using the scientific method, and is in fact, something I am testing on my own right now. By doing background research on each of the traits of the signs, and understanding how they relate to the planets and each other, you can make comparisons and test the doctrine. Start by asking yourself a question about a pseudo-fact and its relation to someone’s personality. For example,  ”I know Capricorns are said to be hardworking and goal oriented. My friend is a Capricorn, does she act this way?” If she doesn’t, you can say that in this particular case our hypothesis was disproven, so you test it in another way: “Maybe my friend doesn’t act like a Capricorn because she has a rising sign that influences her personality in another way.” So you find out her other signs and test it that way, etc, until you have a full understanding.”

Another thing I would like to address, outside of what I wrote for my anthropology class, is this:

I am fully aware that the stars do not dictate my life, and do not determine who I get along with, they do not determine how successful I am going to be, they do not DETERMINE anything. Astrology is simply a tool for understanding personalities. It is up to YOU whether or not you can be mature enough to get along with other people, regardless of their personality traits, it is up to YOU if you are going to work hard enough to become successful. Use the doctrines of astrology to better understand yourself, and others, if it is something you cannot do on your own. Test it out, no one says whether Astrology is “real” or “fake”— Astrology is NOT a set of beliefs OR a religion. It is simply a psychology, and the human psyche is something far from anything that anyone will fully understand. 

I have created a shape which solidifies my design but causes the appearance similar to an outline.

I can hear my professor now, “NO outlines, don’t outline! What are you doing!?”

Do I listen to my professor or follow the instincts I have as an artist? I feel as though my design is balanced and unified in terms of color and shape, the values are evenly distributed throughout the piece, and most importantly: I am pleased with its appearance. 

I guess the thing to remember about art is that in the end, YOU are the decision-maker, and while grades may be temporary, a piece of art lasts forever.

The end.