I have been afraid to publish this article, because I share an unpopular point of view that won’t win me many friends.

But recently elephant journal promoted yet another highly popular set of weekly horoscopes, and I just couldn’t stay silent anymore.

So here goes…

When I tell people I’m a Vedic Astrologer, they either can’t wait to learn more, or they look at me blankly, trying to conceal the fact that they don’t think very highly of Astrology.

I used to feel the same way.

Before I had my first reading, I only knew about Astrology through daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes that I’d read in magazines or on websites. They never resonated with me and usually my eyes would glaze over by the first overly generalized statement.

(For a wonderfully hilarious exception to this rule, check out the world’s best horoscopes on The Onion.)

Some people find that horoscopes really apply to them. To these people, I recommend reading a book about cold reading to understand how that’s possible.

Through the world of published horoscopes, Astrology has become an amusing parlor trick, often banished by discerning readers to the same category as a Magic 8-Ball or a carnival fortune teller.

I wish I was only talking about cheap astrology found in tabloids or spammy websites, but I’m not.

Even reputable astrologers who publish general horoscopes are misleading you, and are giving astrology, an otherwise priceless, ancient science of divination, a bad name in the process.

Why would an astrologer lead you astray?

Well, people love horoscopes. They love to peer into the crystal ball for free and receive guidance. Publishing free horoscopes, which many people are looking for, is a great way to gain notoriety and to become a sought after professional astrologer, which far fewer people are looking for.

Some astrologers who write horoscopes may be aware that they are writing fiction, and many simply haven’t been properly educated. It’s not an easy thing. Astrology is a complex system, and learning it requires countless hours of diligent study and practice, as well as a very good teacher who once did the same thing.

When done properly, Astrology can be an instant doorway to a life of clarity, peace, and self understanding. It can show you everything from your life purpose, to your wedding date, to your ideal spiritual path.

What is needed is your exact birth time in order for an astrologer to make meaningful predictions. Accurate astrological predictions require your rising sign, as well as the location of all the other planets at the time of your birth.

The writers of general horoscopes not only don’t know your birth time, but they don’t take into account your birth year, or even the day. They lump together everyone who was born in the same month of any given year, and then make wild generalizations based on what’s happening in the sky.

The only thing people born in the same month definitely have in common is the sign where the sun is located. The sun’s location at birth has some importance to your life, but nothing predictive in nature can be determined without knowing where the other planets are, as well as many other key pieces of information.

Someone may as well publish horoscopes for “New Yorkers living in California” or “Actors with Brown hair.”

Some Astrologers do publish horoscopes based on your rising sign. This is at least a step in the right direction, but they still have no idea where the other planets were when you were born. They also base their predictions solely on where the planets are in the sky currently. It’s almost worse, as it gives more convincing information that is completely inaccurate.

I often compare the dumbing-down of astrology in pop culture to the movie, Idiocracy, where the population becomes progressively less educated and winds up thinking that plants prefer to drink Gatorade and that the most entertaining, muscular man should be President.

Astrology has brilliant roots, but not everyone tends to them with equal reverence.

The reality is that if you have important questions about your future, you can get them answered through Astrology.

Really.

Just find your exact birth time and a well-educated astrologer to read your chart. A good one will spend an hour or two examining your chart before meeting with you to shed light on your biggest life questions in hopes of illuminating your path.

The results could be tremendous, if you’re willing to give Astrology another chance.