Life’s answers do not lie within the stars

A few weeks ago I woke up and knew something didn't feel right. No, I wasn't sick. I hadn't grown overnight, and my neck wasn't sore from sleeping on it the wrong way. The impulsive leader within my Aries self had transformed into a pushover Pisces. My identity had been changed forever.

A shift in the Earth's axis caused a change in the orientation of the sun and the constellations. A new sign, Ophiuchus, has now been added to the zodiac — a horror for all avid horoscope readers.

I wasn't the only one upset by this life-changing event. My Facebook newsfeed was flooded with equally upset followers of the zodiac. What will happen to those people who had their sign tattooed on their bodies? They will forever suffer from identity crisis.

The once hardworking Capricorns are turning into freethinking Sagittarius wanderers. The sheltered Cancers in the world are becoming the Gemini life of the party. And those poor Ophiuchus', they have no knowledge of who or what they are, no pre-conceived notions of the path their life is to follow. This new sign has emerged in the stars and those late-fall birthdays are left searching for some type of celestial guidance.

Everyone calm down though — there is a loophole. Yes, the Earth has rotated and the stars might not be lining up as they once did, but the zodiac change only applies to those born after 2009. I know you were nervous. I know when you looked in the mirror, you no longer recognized yourself. I know I didn't.

However, this change in the zodiac is not a new thing. The Earth's alignment with the constellations is constantly in motion, and has been for 3,000 years — since the zodiac was invented. All the signs are constantly changing.

A person born in August is a Leo because the sun has rotated and is "in" the constellation Leo at the time. With the addition of Ophiuchus, there are 13 zodiac signs, but in reality, the sun easily could have entered numerous other constellations at some point, making the zodiac completely irrelevant.  

So why did the entire Facebook community panic?

We are a culture obsessed with horoscopes, tarot cards and fortune tellers. We believe there is a supernatural being that can predict our lives. The funniest thing about horoscopes, though, is each sign has so many good and bad qualities there is something in each with which almost anyone can identify. I am a leader like an Aries, stubborn like a Taurus and enjoy companionship like a Libra.

Astrology is rooted in belief and maybe a bit of fear, but not science. You never hear of someone headed to astrology class to learn why Virgos are so darn narrow-minded. That's because it is all made up. There is no correlation between the constellations and whether you have a good day. The position of the Earth on the day you were born and where exactly the sun was will not limit your potential.

A star is a beautiful thing. Who doesn't enjoy lying on their backs on a clear evening and hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star, and maybe even make a wish? No, the star doesn't have any wishgranting capabilities, but it's fun to pretend. Therein lies the difference between us harmless stargazers and the zodiac-obsessed people of the world. We don't let the stars guide our lives, we just enjoy letting them grace our presence sometimes.   

Molly Skyles is a junior communication major from St. Louis, Mo.