I cannot help but roll my eyes and shake my head when a peer associates his or her behavior or social cues with their “sun sign.” For me, horoscopes are just manipulative ways for people to find excuses for their poor attitudes or actions.

While I do admit that reading horoscopes can be interesting, it is nothing but entertainment. The idea that horoscopes can predict your future or describe what all people are like is nothing but silliness. I find it hard to believe that the position of the sun, moon and planets, in correlation with your birthday, can determine the timeline of your day-to-day life.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the ancient Babylonians divided the Zodiac into 12 pieces, each piece representing a constellation that the sun would appear to pass through. Based on this information, NASA concluded that astrology was “something else” and “is not science.” For me, I cannot help but agree.

Actions, mannerisms and social cues are created by the individual, not by their birthday. Every person is responsible for their own actions and should live in the moment, preparing for the future subtly each day, rather than reading information about how their day will go and what moon decided their mood for that week. Furthermore, I find the factor of the author quite concerning. Who writes the infamous horoscopes? How are they created? From research, I found that anybody can write them. With certain aspects of skill and work, they can be pieced together to give someone a breakdown of their day and week; but both are different.

Next time you associate your aggressive behavior or romantic mood with the position of the moon, consider your own individuality in relation to your actions and personality, instead of the day in which you were born.

Read Anna Klauz’s opposing column and view the first half of this graphic on horoscopes here.