Misogyny and Astrology
Women's history month is a month meant to recognize the past achievements and struggles women have undergone. The month is also meant to highlight what change needs to be acted upon regarding women's rights and treatment. During Women's history month, many individuals have paid attention to important issues women have and continue to face. These issues were advocated for all over social media. One of these issues is the extensive ridicule women undergo for seemingly every aspect of their lives. Women are constantly ridiculed for their appearance, much more heavily than men, which the beauty standard can showcase.
Similarly, women are also criticized for their passions and interests to a more significant extent than men. There is criticism if a girl has too feminine hobbies, as these are viewed as unintelligent. For example, suppose a girl is interested in makeup. In that case, this may signify that she is one-dimensional and has vapid qualities, even though women are multi-faceted and can be interested in taking care of their appearance and many other interests. There is even criticism of girls’ interests if these interests are too "masculine,” as then girls are questioned on the validity of these hobbies, such as whether they can skateboard or play video games. It seems as if there isn't any way to win, which is why I believe that there is no point in playing the pointless match.
Amongst the interests that girls face ridicule for, astrology takes a large chunk on the cake. Astrology is an area where there is a higher female population than male population regarding what group gravitates towards it. I've mentioned in previous articles that it is entirely okay not to believe in astrology. It's also valid to criticize it as it is reasonable to criticize and converse about many topics. However, I think the intense ridicule of astrology has roots in evident misogyny.
Firstly, astrology's mockery tends to be because of a simplified version of the practice and belief. There will be viral tweets stating an extremely basic horoscope such as "Today you will breathe" and attach that to what girls believe to be true. I've seen several tweets similar to "Girls believe, "....and then it trails off into a horoscope. This ties into connotations that these "feminine" hobbies are unintelligent.
Astrology is a complex tool with roots from thousands of years ago that corresponds with birth charts and potential occurrences rather than definite projections. It's a tool primarily used for introspection and hope, like many other spiritual beliefs and practices that garner less ridicule. If anything, I believe that it is an excellent sign that many girls are interested in astrology and align this as a positive attribute regarding emotional intelligence. Wanting to understand one’s core and understand others is an empathetic practice that I believe should be valued rather than criticized.
Further adding upon the notion that women and girls are viewed as less intelligent in many circumstances, I have noticed that men will project this unjust notion because they are deemed "logical." This is something that I disagree with heavily, and I am unsure as to why there has been a narrative surrounding emotional women from the time I was a child. In many cases, men are much less logical than women, which can be seen through historical events. The emotions that follow a bruised ego, such as anger, are common in men and have led to violence. In many cases, this push towards only enjoying "logical" things and pushing away any spiritual or intuitive practice leads to negative behavioral patterns. I believe that the practice of astrology should be encouraged upon men as a potential interest because of the value it could bring upon understanding oneself and one's emotions. Any work towards understanding why we feel and desire what we do is work towards a better state of being, which is a logical benefit.
No one has to believe in astrology, but I think having a conversation about why there is such a harsh reaction towards astrology leads to a grander reflection. A reflection on how misogyny can affect many aspects of life emphasizes how much work needs to be done.