So, I just had another debate with my favorite astrology dissenter, Mr. Christian-raised Sagittarius Moon.  How do you all deal?  What are the typical arguments you are faced with when you draw a conclusion based on astrology, or do you keep it all to yourself?

pretty much all to myself. mostly because the argument gets boring pretty quick...what are you going to do next, argue with me that I'm not allowed to be inspired by the mountains because the ocean is better? to me it is symbolic. 

plus i have Sagittarius ASC so i have to be careful not to preach...

and i was raised by hard core christians and my belief system, which feeds and sustains me, my soul, my well-being is not up for debate.

jessica my hat goes off to you. hurray for libra!

/the end. 

I usually just laugh and say something like yeah who knows why it works. Usually these people are scientific men. If they keep probing and are looking for reasons why to believe then I just mutter something offhand under my breath real quick about moon, high tides, low tides, and human bodies having anywhere from 55% to 78% water, you know? You just slide in a very specific NUMBER and they clinch on to that respectable, rational scientific data and usually they'll start admiring you instantly like you are some kind of authority.

Honestly, it drives me up a wall. I would never put down something they believe in or that is meaningful to them-- the way folks feel so free to do about astrology. I also won't debate people. I have Mercury Mars but it's in Cancer/the 11th house.

I have not figured this one out-- if around nay-sayers or the obnosxious, I just stay away from the subject- makes life easier.

I think your question was about what to say. I don't even debate it! I avoid :)

Although I can quite easily share a few things with them about their own chart and personality (if it's a friend) - that may inspire a moment of non-obnoxiousness...

Re: "hurray for libra"

Someday I'll understand libra. I am such a cranky grouchy Cancer (sweetly though of course ;)

What does it feel like to be Libra. Uh-oh- another thread?
My Venus square Saturn just don't get it..

If someone told me I was not credible, I would tell them that it was because I was incredible. 

Personally, I don't get into these debates. I just go straight to "agree to disagree" because it just bores the living shit out of me.

In other words, I go vapor on the subject and then carry on living as always.

Jessica, I love to be cryptic and say things like "well, if you actually researched it as much as I have, then you might have a change of heart". This leaves those non-believers in some sort of tongue tied knot where they can't say a thing, because they really have no idea. 

But then again, I do keep this astrology thing to myself most of the time. 

Fortunately, I enjoy a good debate. The only thing I don't like about having a debate is that uneasy feeling I get afterwards sometimes when it feels like we might have had a fight and were just polite about it.

I ought to tell him that knowing something about his chart and mine is the only thing that allows me to tolerate the conversation.

"What does it feel like to be Libra" - moonpluto, I think inadvertently everything I've written in this thread *is* about that. :)   Also, for some reason I hesitate telling him stuff about him from his chart, even though it's so right on.  He's a Cancer with Scorpio rising and he hates to be exposed.

"it was because I was incredible" -- ha ha, that's a good answer!

thanks kashmiri.  He was raised by hard-core Christians too.  Except for some reason, that makes faith incompatible with astrology for him, or astrology has to *be* a faith.  Sounds like it isn't that way for you.  Would love to hear what you think about that.

He knows I'm a smart person with a ton of credibility - why doesn't he have an open mind about it just because *I* think it's valuable?  And I can't decide if he was really putting it down (re-reading the chat, I don't see that) or just wanting my detailed explanation to see if I could produce.

It's interesting that most of you keep it to yourselves.  I can't decide if I'm okay with that for myself.  It's practical, but I don't like it in theory.

I don't consider myself as educated about astrology as I should be (or want to be), which is a huge reason I keep it to myself.

I know it works for me, and I'm comfortable with that. I see it playing in other people's lives, but I just don't feel experienced enough to explain it...perhaps later in my life this will change. I hope it does, because I agree with you, I don't like keeping it to myself either. :)

I love this "I ought to tell him that knowing something about his chart and mine is the only thing that allows me to tolerate the conversation". hehe.

I don't get into it with them at all. There's no point in arguing with nonbelievers and it's not worth my time, nor do I enjoy fighting.

I don't argue the point. Sometimes I mention one thing or another, or share something from one of Elsa's astro-forecasts with folks. But if somebody doesn't believe, how does that impact me? Y'kno? I don't want them to dictate my beliefs (and at one time in my life, I would have looked as somebody spouting astrology at me like they had a third head or something).

Of course, the funny thing is, it wears off after a while. Everybody in my immediate family, whether they would cop to being interested or believing or not, listens like Hell when I talk astrology (or any of the other "arts"). They say whatever about it in general, but I noticed they listen, and closely! That counts more to me than professed interest. And I laugh when I notice it.

I grew up in an environment where my primary job in life was supposed to be convincing other people to follow my religion. Um, I rejected that. Astrology and metaphysical stuff is my religion now. I still reject the concept of trying to win folks over, though. I preach it sometimes - astrology, or low carb, or whatever it is that I believe in strongly as helpful. But if someone doesn't want to listen, they'll tune me out. I figure whatever message I have will reach the right people, and if not, then it's not their message. I guess I've gotten to where I totally trust this process now and don't feel the need to try and push it along.

For a long time, astrology was all I could talk about. I mean, I found the language of astrology so rich and saw everything thru its lens. When I saw that many, many were not only not receptive to the wonders, and some downright hostile, I did decide to keep it to myself-- depends on who I'm with. I know it's right, I know it works, and I know it's part of something larger. It's not a god, I don't pray to it (that's what some folks I know are thinking, that I worship the sun, etc)...

cancer sun/scorp rising is your friend and hates to be exposed. I don't have scorp rising but I too hate to be exposed. Feels horrible!!!!