And
lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the
moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to
worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all
nations under the whole heaven.
Deuteronomy
4:19
I paid five dollars to have my palm read in 1993 at
the Oregon State Fair. The gypsy-looking woman studied my hand and told me some
distressing news: my lifeline was extremely short – barely visible. I would die
young. My love line was broken: I wouldn’t find love until later in life. So, I
was to die young and find love when I was old. Awesome.
I will admit that for years, I enjoyed reading my
daily horoscope and finding ways that it rang true. I kept a horoscope taped to
my refrigerator from a few years ago that I particularly liked: “Be patient
with the current state of things. You will have more than one career in your lifetime
and several big adventures. Whenever you’re in a lull, as you may be now, rest
up and take full advantage.” I liked it because, like most horoscopes, it was an
encouraging message. But, it didn't apply to every Cancer I knew. It was
entertainment – not prophesy. At least, that's how I used to justify it.
Years later, I had another palm reading by a woman who said she was Catholic. This time, my reading indicated that my
lifeline was long and steady: I would enjoy good health long into old age.
I know that many Christians believe astrology is heresy.
I know other folks who believe in star signs and even use it in place of
traditional religion. For me, it was a fun diversion; interesting to see the
coincidences and nice to read encouraging messages. After researching what God’s
word says on the subject, I no longer consider it harmless entertainment. The
old horoscope clipping came down, and if anyone wants to know my sign, well
that’s irrelevant.
Harmless or risky: what do you think about
astrology, horoscopes, and palm readers?
