I’ve always viewed horoscopes as a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to pass time — never as a way to realistically live my life. I used to read my horoscope every day when I was younger, but I stopped paying attention to it as I got older. I thought it might be fun to start reading them again, so I decided to spend a week living by my horoscope. I was looking to see how accurate my horoscope would be, and how applicable it was to my everyday life. I kept a daily dairy about the specifics of the horoscope, comparing it to what actually happened during my day. I started by doing a little research on my sign.
I was born on July 26, so my star sign is Leo. According to astronomers, a typical Leo is a boisterous, confident, outgoing person who is a natural born leader. Already there were problems with me being able to relate to my horoscope. I would describe myself as a shy introvert who occasionally takes charge, but only if I have to (like in a much-dreaded group project situation). However, there are some traits of Leo I can relate to. According to that website I linked earlier, I get upset if I’m not treated like a queen, which is a sentiment I can agree with. Regardless, I was anxious to see how accurate my horoscopes would be.
Sunday
On Sunday, my horoscope said that I would conquer any hurdles that I had been facing. One thing that I immediately noticed is that horoscopes are very vague; they can mean anything. Sundays are usually the days when I get my homework done or any other tasks that need to get done, so the horoscope applied in that sense. The horoscopes I read during the week also suggested that I wear certain colors to ensure good luck. It suggested that I wear red on Sunday – but I don’t really own anything red, so I assumed the worst. However, my day carried on like normal.
Monday
As for Monday, my horoscope said I would be wanting to hang out with friends, which was true. I had caught up with my old roommates a couple days earlier, but being busy with school can really put a damper on your social life. My horoscope also said that I needed to refrain from spending money for a while, especially since I had recently splurged on some things. While there’s no way the authors of the horoscope could have known about my personal spending habits, I had spent some money on a new coat and a pair of boots. They were right about the spending, but that’s also true for almost every week of the year (I love to shop, what can I say?). The horoscope said that I should wear yellow today, but alas, I do not own anything yellow. My luck was going to be bad this week, apparently. Most of my clothes are black.
Tuesday
For Tuesday, my horoscope said that I would be sorting out some personal issues. I had an appointment with my academic advisor on Tuesday, so that much was true. I also think that every day involves sorting out personal issues of some sort, but I’ll give credit where credit is due. My horoscope suggested that I wear purple today. I’m pretty sure I wore something black, grey, or white today. Oh well.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, I was actually able to wear the color my horoscope suggested – navy. It’s a neutral color, so it wasn’t hard to pick out what to wear. My horoscope also told me that I shouldn’t slack today, and I should really try to get some work done. I, like many college students, tend to procrastinate. I was glad my horoscope whipped me into shape – I did have a lot of work to get done.
Thursday
My horoscope said that I should be focusing on my personal relationships on Thursday, as well as focus on time management. Since I’ve been commuting to campus this semester for the first time, time management has been essential. Ironically, because I’ve been having to manage my time, I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with friends and family. My horoscope seemed to be conflicting on Thursday. It told me to wear yellow again, so I was once more at an impasse.
Friday
For Friday, my horoscope told me to not sweat the small stuff. That was probably the most obscure horoscope of all, and it could’ve meant anything. It’s good advice nonetheless, especially if you’re a college student. When you’ve got three papers to write and a test to study for, everything else can be put on the back burner. My horoscope told me to wear orange today, which was NOT happening.
Saturday
On Saturday, my horoscope told me to focus on work and to look at the big picture. Since I’m getting closer to graduation, I’ve been focusing on “the big picture” of where my career is going to go after I graduate. It’s still a rather general piece of advice, but I’ll taka it. My horoscope told me to wear white today, which I was able to do since it’s again a neutral color (even if it is after Labor Day).
Sunday
My last horoscope said to focus on things close to home, such as organizing my personal space and amending my daily schedule. It's certainly good advice. Coming full circle, my horoscope told me to wear dark red, but my closet still has mostly black clothes in it, so things are still the same in that regard.
Conclusion
Reading and (trying) to follow my horoscope for a week was a positive experience. It added a little more structure to my day and schedule that I certainly needed. As I suspected, the horoscopes are very vague, and can apply to almost any situation, so you can take their accuracy with a grain of salt. I can’t say I’ll be checking my horoscope every day, but it was nice to have encouraging advice to keep in the back of my mind regardless.