The word "horoscope" means "studying the hour" and it actually refers to a map o f our solar system, with

the background of the skies, for a particular day-month -year, hour-minute, and longitude-latitude on Earth. This should be the first tip-off that the "horoscopes" in the newspaper have ver y little to do with astrologer, beyond using the names of the signs of the zodia c, and the dates that Sun sits in those signs. Astrologically-speaking, these li ttle blurbs in the newspaper are garbage ... but some people are very insecure a nd frightened of life and need whatever reassurance they can get. Are they bad s tuff? Only in that they don't encourage a person to find their own courage or co nnect with their own gut-feelings. I'm professionally certified by the American Federation of Astrologers, and have consulted with astrological clients for 40 years ... but I wouldn't touch newsp aper "horoscopes" with a 10-foot pole.