Signing up to find love
By La Toya Hankins, The Charlotte Post"What's your sign?" is no longer an outdated phrase straight out of
the 1970s. Astrology has taken off in interest as more and more African Americans are turning to the stars to plan whom they choose to date and associate with.
"Astrology has always been around, it has just gotten more mainstream recently. I think people are realizing that the planets do have an influence in how we act," said Samoya Peterkin-El, an Aquarius
and amateur astrologer and numerologist in Charlotte. "It's really fun to meet someone and ask their birthday to find out if you are compatible. It doesn't
hurt anyone and it just seems that it's not taboo anymore to ask someone what's their sign." Astrology is the study of the planets, including the moon and the sun, to determine how and what
effects the changing positions of the planets have on human behavior. Thelma Balfour, a Tennessee-based author, has written two books on blacks and astrology. In her
book, "Black Love Signs," Balfour breaks down the 12 astrological signs of the zodiac into four basic categories:
- Earth signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are described as down to earth, practical, and cautious
- Fire signs Leo, Sagittarius and Aries are unpredictable, feisty, aggressive, impulsive and hard to control
- Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces reassuring, emotional, intuitive, soothing and non-threatening
- Air signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius independent,aloof, analytical, intriguing and very hard to keep up with.
According to Balfour, some signs get along well together while others should keep distance from those that are incompatible.
- Aries get along with Sagittarius, Leo, Gemini and Aquarius
- Taurus get along with Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer and Pisces
- Gemini get along with Leo, Aries, Aquarius and Libra
- Cancer get along with Pisces, Scorpio, Virgo and Taurus
Opposite signs are Aries to Libra, Taurus to Scorpio, Gemini to Sagittarius, Cancer to Capricorn, Leo to Aquarius and Virgo to Pisces
"I think astrology helps you get to know more about a person that you are dealing with. I tend to attract a lot of Leo men since opposite signs really plays a part in male and female relationships,"
Peterkin-El said. "But I don't automatically push someone away because of their sign. It's just a little something extra to know about the person."
Robin Redfern, a Scorpio, doesn't put much stock in astrology. She has been with her life partner, another Scorpio, for more than five years and according to the stars they weren't supposed to make it.
"To me astrology is what you read into it because it offers an optimistic and futuristic outlook," she said. "I notice a lot of my friends are getting into it because people need something to help them
guide themselves sometimes. But for me when it comes to using astrology to match up with someone, it's the person, not the sign, that counts."
Deborah Wilson, another Scorpio, has a similar view. While she says it does explain a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to someone's personality, it ultimately comes down to personality.
"Astrology does make a nice conversation topic but I don't take it to heart," she said. "Sometimes it does help explain certain ways a person may act but you shouldn't let it stand in the
way of getting to know a person."
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