by
Laura Zakrewski
What if it was possible to accurately
know everything that was in store for the future? That type of knowledge would bring with it an
invincible power. The world has not yet
been able to construct a time machine to provide insight into the future, instead
we have horoscopes, psychic readings and Farmer’s Almanacs to entertain us
until that technology is invented.
Horoscopes
were considered an important science in ancient times and were used as a way to
predict weather patterns, wars and natural disasters. The whole system was
based on the stars in the sky and their alignment with the sun or moon during
the twelve months of the year.
Eventually, the Greeks adopted the trend and philosophers such as
Sophocles and Aristotle began studying astrology.
Today,
horoscopes are still regarded as a topic of interest and many people religiously
keep up with astrology. The signs of the
zodiac are Aries, Sagittarius, Leo, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Libra, Aquarius,
Gemini, Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo.
Your sign is determined by your birthday. For instance, if you were born on May 10th,
then your sign is a Taurus.
Horoscopes are so popular that they are often
featured in magazines and apps for your phone.
In magazines, horoscopes give a brief synopsis of the week ahead and
some lucky numbers. The horoscope could
tell you what to watch out for in the upcoming week. This entertainment section may also include
celebrities who share your sign. As far
as apps go, there are so many free selections that you could make like Love Horoscopes and The Daily Horoscope to make yourself prepared for the next
week. Some people even keep up with
these horoscopes daily and believe in everything they say.
Psychic
readings are another form of fortune telling. These readings are available to anyone
who has the money to pay to see a fortune teller, and it can be a very amusing
experience. In this attempt at seeing
the future, you become more connected to the psychic because you are talking
face to face. Also, in this
circumstance, you are able to ask more personal questions rather than focusing
on the broad nature of a horoscope.
Therefore, whatever destiny that you are told during this reading seems
more realistic than other methods of fortune telling.
It is easy to
see that Americans have recently become more obsessed with psychics and their
abilities simply by looking at what they watch on television. America’s
Psychic Challenge is a reality television show that airs on Lifetime network. In each episode, the contestants must compete
against one another in challenges that only psychics could complete. There are doubters who do not believe in the
show and call it a fake, but it is obvious that it is a form of entertainment
more than anything.
Farmer’s
Almanacs have been in publication in North America since 1818. They are books that can foresee months into
the future. These almanacs are well-known for their long range weather
predictions and yearly advice. With
almost two hundred years using this method of seeing the future, their weather
predictions have an 85 % accuracy rate.
Considering that today’s news stations have a hard time predicting
weather a day in advance, this is a pretty impressive reputation.
No matter which
method you try and tell the future with, it’s clear that it is impossible to
know every detail with absolute certainty.
One day, maybe it will be possible for scientists to create a time
machine or some other form of fortune telling.
Until then, we can use these other ways of seeing the future in order to
satisfy our desire to know what is next.
Work Cited:
"History
of Astrology." American Federation of Astrologers. N.p., n.d. Web.
01 Apr. 2014.
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