Horoscopes Versus Psychics

The other day, I ran into an interesting link in an e-mail. I get a bunch of jokes sent to me each day, and every now and then, it has links to other things. This day, it had a link to a FREE HOROSCOPE. Well, I always like to compare horoscopes to see if they say the same thing. So far, my very first free personal horoscope has not come true. I'm supposed to be famous ... haha ... yeah! I don't even want to be famous. It's fun to compare two horoscopes from the same day from different astrologers. Often they say the complete opposite of each other. Not a very accurate "science". (Using the term science very loosely). Well, I decided to send off for this horoscope just to see how contradictory it was to others I've had done. Only, the thing I received back WASN'T a Horoscope. It was a psychic report from a supposed psychic. So much for a horoscope. This psychic claimed if I sent her US$100 she would help me to become rich, and also meet my soul mate and make me happy for the rest of my life. I found this extremely funny. I am pretty sure I don't have US$100 to spend at present. Surely any psychic good enough would have known this. The amazing thing was, it claimed I was going to receive an unexpectedly large sum of cash ... TODAY! Only, I am sitting here, and there is no unexpectedly large sum of cash. Of course, with the psychic being in the US, maybe she meant it to be tomorrow (she just named the date as February the 18th. Two other days it mentions are the 24th of Feb, and 28th of Feb for large sums of money. On the 22nd I am supposed to get good news. Okay, let's wait and see). I will take MacBeth's original stand (when he met the three witches), if I were to be crowned King, (or in this case receive large sums of money), then I won't have to lift a finger, it will happen. (I have no Lady MacBeth to push me into doing anything rash, so I should be quite safe). So, I am not sending US$100 to the psychic, and I await my money. Of course, I doubt it will eventuate. If it is true (like she says), then even my disbelief will not stop it from coming to me, because she has forseen it. Psychics like to use disbelief as a cop out. You didn't beleive, therefore your negative vibes changed what was going to happen. It's completely the opposite of the horoscope. In horoscopes, everything is written in the stars. Astrology relies on pre-determinism, much like Calvinists or Muslims in their beliefs. (It is written, therefore it can't be changed!) [Doesn't mean Muslims or Calvinists beleive in horoscopes though]. Psychics use the opposite. They can fore see things, but the future can be changed and avoided if we are warned in time. Thus precognition is being used to change the future. Very unpre-deterministic. Of course, it is so easy to find people who claim to be both, or who believe in both. I wouldn't mind knowing what they believed in more. Give them a horoscope and a psychic reading which agrees, and see whether they take it as a warning, or take it as predetermined. As a warning they'll try to avoid it, as predetermined they'd just accept they cannot avoid it. I'll leave the debate as to whether "Predeterminism" and "Precognition used to avoid calamities" are contradictory, to you. You can argue amongst yourself, or just not bother because you already knew you're side of the arguement would win ... um, yeah! Now, getting back to the 'horoscope' / 'psychic' reading. I was a bit disapointed, as I really wanted a horoscope for a good laugh, not a psychic reading. The psychic reading we can have a small laugh at when it proves to be inaccurate. Still, it wasn't what I ordered nor what it said I was getting. Did this psychic know this? Surely it is a law suit waiting to happen. Why didn't her psychic powers show her this? How many disappointed punters are out there still waiting for their horoscope readings. [How many who base their entire life on the thing? Poor punters!] Well, as a non-believer in horoscopes, I guess I won't be too disapointed when it doesn't come true. I usually only read them for two reasons. One, the laugh factor. Second of all, I like the way they wrap common sense up in a way which makes it seem like a prediction. I once met a girl who was supposedly psychic, (and believed in horoscopes). She told me my star sign was Scorpio ... ha ha! Wrong! She went through ten more of the star signs and still got it wrong (yes, for a total of eleven guesses, she didn't get one right). Final guess ... surely she had it this time! Nope! Her twelth guess was ... Scorpio! Argh! hee hee. She gave up and I told her my star sign. She then insisted that she knew that all along! Um .. yeah, it was so obvious!