ABSTRACT
Did you read your horoscope in the paper this morning? Recent surveys have revealed that 20 per cent of British people (Theos, 2009) and 29 per cent of Americans (Harris, 2013) believe that astrology is true, and that the stars can tell us something useful about people. But many more read their stars in the newspaper, and about 70 per cent of a UK sample reported that they read their horoscope regularly (Blackmore & Seebold, 2000). In many other countries the acceptance of astrology is far more prevalent. For example, in India belief in astrology is almost universal (Narlikar, 2013), and more than 60 per cent of the population consult astrologers, whilst many Indian employers make use of astrologers to help them in making business decisions or the selection of staff. Many of those who believe in astrology are likely to make real decisions about their lives on the basis of astrological advice, such as whether to get married or when to make a journey. So for many people astrology is a serious matter, which has a very real impact on their lives and on the decisions they make. Even if you are not one of those people, you could still find your life being affected by it, since other people may make decisions about you on the basis of your birth date.
