Is that incredible or what? I still feel shaky about the whole thing, and I’m not prone to the shakes.
The weird thing is, I don’t think I would have bothered tracking her down if I hadn’t read my horoscope that morning. I mean, what are the chances?? So the question is … do horoscopes appear to come true because we read and act on them? Do we subconsciously look for incidents that would fit the prediction? Or do they come true because the astrologer knew they would? It’s the old what-comes-first question, the chicken or the egg?
Cosmic, I have a confession to make. I offered to be one of your guinea pigs just for laughs, but now I’m spooked. In some ways I want to go back to being an innocent non-horoscope-reader so that I can safely continue believing that I’m the only one in control of me. But I doubt that I can do that now.
I’m actually afraid of what I might read tomorrow. What if the astrologer tells me something really bad is going to happen? I’ll be a nervous wreck all day!
blondie
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From: cosmicgirl
To: blondeshavemorefun
Subject: Re: data collection
OMIGOD! You’re so right. That is bizarre. Do you mind if I share your story with the astrologer? I’ve been emailing her and telling her about my project. I’ll ask her your chicken-and-egg question, and if she ever gets around to answering my mail, maybe she’ll give you a reply.
I still can’t get over what happened to you. You saved a girl’s life. How does that feel? What if you hadn’t read that horoscope and hadn’t made those calls and then found out she’d died! I can’t even think about that. But on any other day that is what may have happened. Is it just a coincidence that you read the horoscope on the very day you needed to?
I admit, I do tend to take horoscopes seriously, especially when I like what I read. If I don’t like it, or it doesn’t seem to fit my life, I try to forget it right away. LOL. But blondie, the data that I’ve collected so far in this project blows me away. It seems that each of you has read something in one of your horoscopes that is totally about your life or is something that points to what is about to happen to you. Even though I’m a believer, I would never have thought I’d get the kind of results I’m getting, and so quickly. I agree, it’s actually a little scary. Right now I’m also afraid of what may happen if I don’t like what I read. I don’t know if I’ll be able to just forget about it — like before—since I heard what happened to you. It’s hard to explain, but positive messages are extra important to me at the moment.
Keep on collecting data. This is turning out to be an amazing project.
Kaleigh
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Re: data collection
Cosmicgirl, your questions have really got me thinking. If I hadn’t read the daily horoscope, I wouldn’t have “known” that I might be the “hero” that was supposed to save the day, right? Like I said, I thought it was the message in the horoscope that gave me the push to do something, but now I’m wondering … maybe I would have done something anyway. Maybe my conscience would have kicked in. That way the horoscope would still be accurate. I just would never have known that it predicted what I later did. Does that make sense? (It’s still the chicken-and-the-egg puzzle.) And if that’s the case, what’s the point in reading those columns? We’re going to do what we’re going to do anyway. And I don’t believe that all Leos everywhere were heroes yesterday. Why me? Because I read the prediction? I guess we’ll never know, but I suspect I’ll take horoscopes a little more seriously from now on, whether I want to or not.
Go ahead and ask the astrologer the chicken & egg question and tell me if she replies.
blondie
P.S. If she had died, I’d probably never know. I would have just wondered about why she was never in the Jedi chatroom anymore. And I may have saved her life, but she’s bound to do it again if she doesn’t get the help she needs, and there’s not much I can do about that.
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: B.A. Stargazer
Subject: The chicken or the egg?
Attachment: Re: data collection
Dear B.A. Stargazer,
Me again! (I’m the girl doing a science report on astrology, just in case you’ve forgotten!) I have attached a letter I received from one of my Leo guinea pigs. I’m sending his letter to you because I thought you might like to know how you helped save a girl’s life! Do you realize as you write your columns the impact they can have on a person’s life? I hope you are proud of yourself!!
The other reason I am attaching his letter is because he asks an interesting question about whether horoscopes come true for a person because they’ve read them or because they would anyway. Maybe you could even answer his question in one of your upcoming columns.
There’s something else I’ve been wanting to ask you. It’s kind of silly, but I’m wondering if there’s any way a person can reverse their horoscope if they want to. What I mean is, if my horoscope said something bad was going to happen, could I change that? Could I keep the bad thing from happening?
Anyway, congratulations for helping save the life of that girl!
Your Gemini friend,
Kaleigh
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: jselenski
Subject: Hypothesis
Dear Mr. Selenski,
I have begun collecting data from my Leo subjects, and the results so far are stunning! For example, one of my subjects read his daily horoscope and was told he would be a hero and save the day. By that evening he had saved a girl’s life! It was a truly amazing story. That is just one of a few incredible stories I have collected already. As a result, I’ve formed a hypothesis and did not want to wait until my next progress report to turn it in. Hypothesis: The horoscopes written by B.A. Stargazer accurately reflect events in the lives of Leo subjects.
Does that work? I have decided to narrow it down to the horoscopes of one astrologer and in one sun sign in order to eliminate some potentially confusing variables (ie., conflicting forecasts).
Scientifically yours,
Kaleigh Wyse
… and if you’re not a Leo, Aquarius or Scorpio, then you must be a Taurus, who is known for being:
persistent—you push your students to work harder enduring—you put up with a lot of abuse from slacker kids conventional—you like to do things by the book, i.e., the Scientific Method
---------------
From: jselenski
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Re: Hypothesis
Dear Kaleigh,
I sense that you are having more fun with this science project than most of my other students, who have chosen more “conventional” subjects. I’m glad I made the decision to allow you to proceed with this topic.
Your hypothesis is sound. I guess the question would be: Is astrology testable? You will need to prove to me that it is, somehow. And you can consider this your second progress report. I can sense progress is being made.
Something else to ponder while you collect data … There is a phenomenon known as the Forer effect. Psychologist B.R. Forer found that when given a list of very general personality traits (as in astrology), most people agree that these traits apply exclusively to them, and they don’t recognize that these same traits could just as easily apply to almost anyone else.
And another thing: Do you think people seek out the advice of psychics, mediums and astrologers to try to make sense of the thousands of pieces of information we face daily ? Is it the combination of hope and uncertainty that creates the need to do this?
Give these ideas some thought, will you?
Sincerely,
Mr. J. Selenski
(who is learning to be less conventional, thanks to you)
P.S. Guess again.
Feb. 4
Dear Twin,
I think I get A++ for c
larity this week, don’t you? And as for those “challenges and disruptions” that are going to happen in Feb … I guess it’s written in the stars. Can I change that? I don’t know. Ms. Stargazer won’t answer me! But then, challenges and disruptions don’t necessarily have to be bad things, do they? Maybe I just need another shift in the old attitude …
So, Mr. Selenski is suggesting that those of us who read horoscopes do it because we need to make sense of our world. Now I ask you, what’s wrong with that? How does he make sense of it all? How does he explain why BAD things happen to GOOD people? (Like me!) He won’t find the answers by reading science textbooks or conducting experiments! Maybe he looks for answers on Discovery Channel. I happen to prefer horoscopes. We know astrology is not just a passing fad. People have been looking to the Cosmos for answers forever. Mr. Selenski lacks faith. I wonder if I should tell him that.
And about those lists of vague personality traits … well duh! It’s the combination of certain traits that describes people. I fit the description of a Gemini perfectly. I do not fit the description of a Leo. Or a Virgo. I think Mr. S. should look a little more closely into how that experiment was conducted. If those people were given the traits of a sun sign other than their own, I’m sure they wouldn’t have agreed that it described them. If you mix a random bunch of personality traits together, well, maybe they would see themselves in some, or even most of them. But that’s not how it works with astrology. I need to do a better job of educating Mr. S.
I hope next week brings me horoscopes full of messages like “Great things are going to happen to you!” “You are going to meet the man of your dreams!” “This year brings you excellent health!”
That’s not wishing for too much, is it, dear twin?
Til next week.
Still mortal.
Experiment
Forecast For the Week of
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11 by B.A. Stargazer
Gemini (May 22 – June 21)
In the weeks ahead, do not let
fear rule your life. Be an agent of
creativity for yourself and those
around you. Communicate, and
greater understanding will occur.
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: blondeshavemorefun
Subject: Re: data collection
Hi blondie,
I emailed the astrologer with your story and the chicken-and-egg question, but I haven’t heard back. I’ll let you know if I do.
By the way, you said that the girl you saved will probably attempt suicide again if she doesn’t get the help she needs, and that there is nothing you can do about that. But blondie, she wouldn’t even be here to get help if it hadn’t been for you! You can be my hero, my knight in shining armor, any time you like. And I’m picturing you as a guy because I like the idea of being saved by a guy more than by a girl!
Kaleigh
---------------
From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Reporting In
Dear Kaleigh,
It just keeps getting better. This week my horoscope said, “You gain energy from participating in outrageous flirtation.” Well, that’s all the encouragement I needed! I’ve been emailing back and forth with Chris and Matt. At first we kept it casual, but when Chris started getting more personal, so did I. Now I’m mostly just writing to him. I bet we email back and forth 10 times a day, swapping stories! What a blast! He told me about the time a skunk almost became a stowaway on their boat (oh my god, can you imagine??), and I told him about the time I slept with my window open and woke up when a squirrel scampered across my face! We chat about what we’d like to do once we no longer have to be victims of our parents’ dreams. Turns out he doesn’t like spending time boating with his any more than I like being imprisoned on this island by mine. We’ve even shared fantasy escape plans. Now we’re making plans to escape together! I know it’ll never happen, but the conspiracy’s so much fun. And once again that astrologer is right — I’m getting heaps of energy from this. Writing to Chris gives me something to get out of bed for each day. Thanks for doing this project, Kaleigh. Reading the horoscopes gives me permission to do things I might not have done otherwise — like flirt outrageously!
Shari
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: starlight
Subject: Re: Reporting In
Hi Shari,
Thanks for the report. I’m glad things are going so well between you and Chris. And don’t thank me. These things were written in the stars, remember?
Keep the reports coming in!
Kaleigh
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: B.A. Stargazer
Subject: Science Report
Dear Ms. Stargazer,
I have to apologize for the silly question that I asked in my last letter, the one about reversing your horoscope. Obviously it would take a giant with a huge lung capacity to suck in enough air to exhale hard enough to blow the cosmos around. LOL. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part.
I’ve been thinking a lot about something I read in the opening blurb of one of your past columns. You said something about how positive attitudes can create more miracles than wonder drugs. That’s nice in theory, but what about a person with a serious illness, like cancer? Do you really think a positive attitude can cure that person? Personally, I put more faith in wonder drugs, but that’s just my opinion.
Your Gemini friend,
Kaleigh Wyse
---------------
From: 2good4u
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Re: data collection
Attachment: horoscope notes, batch #2
Leo — the month ahead: If you don’t like the role you’ve been taking on at work, change it. You don’t need to keep on doing something that didn’t turn out to be what you’d expected.
Well, Kaleigh, after I read this horoscope, I went straight to my director and suggested some changes to the character I’ve been playing, as well as changes to the story that I thought were necessary. You should have seen his eyes after I explained the problem—as I saw it—to him. It was like a light went on. You’re absolutely right! he said. He called everyone together, including the writer, and asked me to explain the changes we had to make. Not one person disagreed with me.
Now I’m thinking … why should I have people (directors, producers) telling me what to do? I should be the director/producer.
Thanks for leading me to this epiphany, Kaleigh.
2good
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: 2good4u
Subject: Re: data collection
But 2good, you’re only a teenager, still in high school! (Well, not actually “in,” but you know what I mean.) Don’t you think you’re a bit too young to be a director or producer?
Kaleigh
---------------
From: 2good4u
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Re: data collection
“As is our confidence, so is our capacity.” (William Hazlitt)
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: 2good4u
Subject: Re: data collection
I guess you’ll be a director/producer after all, because you sure do have an overabundance of confidence! (Wanna share some with me?) Just think, soon I’ll be able to say I know a famous actor/ director/producer! Cool.
Kaleigh
---------------
From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: data collection
Hi cosmicgirl,
Today I read my horoscope at the end of the day. (I’m still thinking about the chicken/egg thing.) It said that Leos would be feeling particularly spiritual today. Interestingly, I spent most of the day chatting in the Jedi room when I wasn’t doing schoolwork. What do you think of that?
blon
die
---------------
From: cosmicgirl
To: blondeshavemorefun
Subject: Re: data collection
Aha! We get closer to solving the chicken/egg mystery! Seems you don’t have to read the horoscope first in order to make something happen!
k.
---------------
From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Reporting In
Hey Kaleigh,
Chris and I have pronounced ourselves “soul-mates.” (We’d like to be a lot more, but you know how it is when one of you lives on an island and the other one lives on a boat traveling IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.) Anyway, does that sound “spiritual” to you? Today’s horoscope said that we’d be feeling spiritual today.
Sun Signs Page 4