January-February Issue IV

10
Features
Over the Moon for Astr
logy?
Students discuss the relevancy of astrology.
By MAKENNA WALKO ‘23
Do you think it’s possible that
the positions of the planets
and stars could influence who
you are and what your future
holds? According to a 2017 Pew Research
study, over 30 percent of Americans do.
The study of astrology first developed
thousands of years ago and has since
gathered a considerable following of fierce
believers who look to the skies for inspiration,
portents, and guidance. According to
The Atlantic, “New Age” astrology seemed
to have peaked in the ’60s and ’70s, but
it has picked up traction once again in the
2020s, fueled by meme and TikTok culture.
To better understand the Baldwin
community’s perspective on this ancient
practice, students were asked to speak
about their sun, moon, and ascendant signs
and their opinions on astrology as a whole.
Violet Paiva ‘23 is a Virgo sun,
Aquarius moon, and Aries rising.
“My sun in Virgo is pretty accurate,
except I really don’t know if I’m intentional
in everything I do,” Paiva said.
To further explain her
moon sign, Paiva referred
to some information
she read
on an
she didn’t know much about it.
“Some of these descriptions [in the astrology
app] are really broad, like you could
say these things about anyone and they’d
be like ‘oh my god, relatable!’” Paiva said.
Interestingly, Paiva attributed
the recent surge in astrology to a
fascination with the supernatural.
“I think people are interested
in witchcraft, but they want
it to be subtle. I think people
like mysticism.”
Betti Pang ‘23,
a Virgo sun, Virgo
moon, and Capricorn
rising,
had a more
extensive
knowledge
idate feelings of sadness. She also thought
that astrology could help people better
explore and define themselves.
“Scientifically,
I don’t think
it’s
really
true, but I
feel like astrology
is more of an
emotional connection.
I think a lot of people struggle
with their identity now.”
Pang highlighted how some
Tik Toks, for example, describe the
critical characteristics of zodiac signs
or tell people how they might feel or behave
in certain situations based on their
zodiac. In this way, astrology can help
people answer the question, “Who am I?”
Aida Haile ‘23, a Virgo sun, Libra
moon, and Sagittarius rising, saw her
signs as partially reflective of her true self.
“I don’t know whether I fit in as a
Virgo. Even though that’s when I was
born, I don’t really align with a lot
of Virgo traits. But the Sagittarius
sign is something I can closely
relate to,” Haile said.
However, she wasn’t
completely sold on astrology.
ZODIAC SIGNs
Aquarius
Jan 20 - Feb 18
Aries
Mar 21 - Apr 19
Gemini
May 21 - Jun 20
Capricorn
Dec 22 - Jan 19
Pisces
Feb 19 - Mar 20
Taurus
Apr 20 - May 20
astrology
app.
“ T h e
moon in Aquarius
was also pretty accurate
until it got to the part where it said
‘you’re often in your own world, but you’re
scared of how you truly feel.’ I usually don’t
feel anything that I don’t outwardly show,
and I’m not really scared of how I truly feel.”
When asked if she believes
in astrology, she explained that
base
about astrology.
“I think my signs are accurate,
but the descriptions are a more exaggerated
version of me,” Pang said.
Pang saw her astrology as a means of
affirmation; for example, being able to attribute
bad days to retrograde can help val-
“I believe not everything
based on our signs
is who we are as a person,
but I’m not going
to lie and say the signs
do not relate to a person
at all because some
of them definitely do.”
In Haile’s opinion,
astrology’s resurgence
could be tied to
its use as a way to bond.
“I believe astrology
is a great way to get to
know other people. It’s a
great conversation starter—
you can just walk up to someone
and ask, ‘What’s your sign?’”
While there may never be a total
consensus on astrology’s validity, it
seems many Baldwin students can identify
with at least some aspect of their zodiacs
and find the concept of astrology
and their signs interesting to explore.
Though astrology doesn’t hold
up to scientific methods, it is still
a fun way to learn more about ourselves
and the people around us.
Leo
Jul 23 - Aug 22
Libra
Sept 23 - Oct 22
Sagittarius
Nov 22 - Dec 21
Cancer
Jun 21 - Jul 22
Virgo
Aug 23 - Sept 22
Scorpio
Oct 23 - Nov 21
Graphics and design by Sophie Cai ‘22