When the Duchess of Sussex shared a viral astrology meme about turbulent seasons coming to an end, it struck a chord with many, but raised deeper questions too. Sophie Sanders reflects on why, in life’s hardest seasons, the pull of horoscopes can feel strong, yet ultimately falls short of the lasting hope found in God.
Recently, the Duchess of Sussex reshared a playful meme from the account @astrologyisforeveryone in which two men cut some snazzy shapes under the caption ‘Taurus, Leo, Scorpio & Aquarius ending the seven harvest years of their lives on April 25’. In case you missed the (cosmic) news, and to translate for any astrology notices, she said: ’Uranus has left Taurus and that means the long cycle of turbulence endured by my good self, Meghan, and the rest of the pride of Leos over the past seven years has finally come to an end. Phew, it seems I can breathe a monumental sigh of relief.’
Whilst I can’t claim to be the ‘most trolled person in the world’ or do I have any desire to throw a pity party, I must say it’s been a pretty tough season of life – a cardiac arrest, chronic health diagnoses galore, and a redundancy have just been the tip of the iceberg. I must admit, therefore, it’s pretty tempting to join the hordes of horoscope devotees and believe that my fate is, quite literally, written in the stars.
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If I’m honest, it would be far easier to find hope in horoscopes and anticipation of better days in astrology.
If I’m honest, it would be far easier to find hope in horoscopes and anticipation of better days in astrology. After all, based on planetary movements and the help of magazine columns to decode them, I could get daily downloads on my current fortunes. The thrill of reading personal, affirming, and predictive content about my life would provide welcome dopamine hits. But deep down, I know that’s not how the universe works – or, rather, how the Creator of the universe works. As Dan Allender put it, ‘God is not bound by time, nor is our story. We want resolution. But God unfolds the plot in his own time’. And sometimes that means my limited human mind feels frustrated about the pace of resolution in my life.
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When delving into Meghan’s memes, though, there was something that seemed familiar. It wasn’t long before I realised it was filled with echoes of biblical narrative. Thousands of years ago, God spoke to Pharaoh in a dream about seven years of plenty that would be followed by seven years of famine – the inverse of the trending celestial reading, but nevertheless rooted in the upheaval of changing fortunes which are beyond human control.
As Genesis 41:32 makes clear, this meant the outcome was certain because God speaks truth and fulfils his promises.
On closer reading, there is a crucial difference between these two “seven-year” narratives. Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis was not vague or open to interpretation, it was clearly from God, confirmed through repetition, beyond the understanding of his wise men, and accurately explained by Joseph, who foretold exactly what would happen. As Genesis 41:32 makes clear, this meant the outcome was certain because God speaks truth and fulfils his promises.
Horoscopes, by contrast, rely on what psychologists call the Barnum effect, broad, reassuring statements that feel personal but could apply to almost anyone. Rather than offering specific, trustworthy insight, they cast a wide net, much like predictions about a difficult “seven-year season” affecting millions of people who share the same star sign.
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Put simply, the prophetic words of God spoken over our lives, primarily revealed through Scripture, are fundamentally different from horoscopes. God is sovereign in every season, whether of abundance or lack, and in His providence He is always at work to accomplish His good purposes.
That is why I choose to place my hope in the One who holds all things together, the One whose hands flung the stars into space, and whose hands were also pierced on the cross. In both sorrow and joy, I trust the promise that one day every tear will be wiped away and I will be with my Creator forever (Revelation 21:4). He is the Creator of the stars, the constellations and their movements, and only then will I truly rest in perfect peace, as I meet Him face to face.
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