I've seen people marry and divorce spouses based on astrology, move to another part of the world, give up careers, education, family and home. I've seen an entire church based on astrology that separated children from parents, elderly from their retirement funds, caused mass hysteria (the planets portending the end of the world), and years of mental distress that took a long time for people to recover from, having to leave behind what the astrologer told them they were and learning instead how unique and complex and undefined by charts they really were. Belief is very powerful

Yes it is, And so are bias, preconceptions, prejudice, propoganda, fear and ignorance.

I've been studying astrology off and on for about 25 years now - mostly on my own, once in a local class. I have never yet seen a single soul harmed by studying or using astrology. I have, however, known many people who've gained much -- becoming happier, healthier, more self-aware, self-determined and productive people through the insights astrology offers.

I've never heard of a church based on astrology, or even known a single person who treated astrology as 'religion'. In short, I've never known any person or group of people who acted as stupidly or ridicuously as you describe.

Where do you live, pray tell?   In the bad ole American Bible Belt?

If you are really telling the truth here, Alice, and not just spewing out more vicious bs (read propoganda) in an attempt to scare readers away from this subject, you have my compassion. I'm grateful I live nowhere near you, or all these pathetically deluded lamebrains who've (supposedly) ruined their lives with the evils (LOL!!) of astrology.