i think it depends on how realistic you're being.  i think i've been hoping that the more aspects i understand, the more happy i'll be....  but it really has to do with putting that knowledge into action. which i have not been doing. 

any other comments/ experiences?

little lou, great question! I have seen people do some very nasty stuff with astrology.  ::shivers::

Like any tool, astrology is only as good/effective/decent/etc as the person wielding it. 

Hi littlelou~

Well for me it is like everything else in my life..I am the master of 'it', so it does not master me. This is how I see it:

Astrology like tarot and numerous other tools can be like your first mate to you, as  the Captain, of your vessel(life). Your very best, most trusted assistant. Just be sure to remain at the helm of your ship and not tire of your position. Allowing the "first mate/tool" to take full control is never a good idea. :)

I agree, anything can become a distraction/obsession.  If you wake up one day and simply cannot make a single decision until you have read your horoscope, then it has become a problem.  If you use it to help understand all of everything that is happening, to you and around you, than it is a most useful tool.

It helps me keep aware that "this too shall pass", and also i really love synastry-- which is a plus because i tend to have big sun-moon aspects with close friends and loved ones. And i'm attracted to people in the Aries-Pisces period. More Aries, though.

thanks all :)

jo: i agree.  for me it's not mainly about specifics, but the whole philosophy of it.  everything is cyclical

I often wondered what good astrology was, I knew it was a hobby even when I was little I'd look through astrology books of my mums with curiosity, the interest was there long before I could fully make sense of it.

But ultimately what purpose does it serve? Can such a hobby be lucrative? Are we trying to categorise people based on common planetary signitures? Can it change someones life or just guide them and if it's really a map of personality then aren't we simply revealing what the client (or ourselves) already know to be true?

I suppose astrology is double sided, on one hand you have the person who tells you their sign then you look for confirmation of that sign in their mannerisms and dialogue and on the other hand you keep tabs on what new things their sign 'rules' then hold onto those nuggets to build on your knowledge.

There's a certain pride in knowing you're right in your estimation of a person, everything can fit into astrology. It's a filter through which we observe people and world events. Are you good enough to correctly guess someones sign once you've got well acquainted?

nah i can't guess signs... i've tried but i don't even usually get the right element!!

i used to use astrology as an excuse to give up on people: "bah we'll never see eye-to-eye.." but now i use it to understand where certain parts of their personalities come from, and also understand the great amount of depth in a person in general.

One of the most fascinating things I'm getting out of studying astrology, and especially as Elsa presents it, is a greater acceptance of how complicated everything is, and of how very different/unique everyone is. Also, I used to think that certain charts had unfortunate aspects... but the more charts I see, the more I see how much people do with them, and how differently they deal with similar elements. So, again, more complication and less judgment. This satisfies me, thinking about psychology, free will, and understanding in this way.