At some point in their lives, most people have opened a magazine or a website and looked at their horoscope. They look at the predictions that are made based on their zodiac sign- the predictions being daily, weekly, or even monthly. But have you ever stopped to wonder how these predictions are made? How do they know that you’ll find your true love this month, or that job opportunities will open up for you this week? I asked the writers of AstrologyZone.com and gained insight on how horoscopes are written.

Courtney O’Reilly, executive assistant for the website, says that “when an astrologer [writes] horoscopes, they are looking at a map of the sky that sets each sign on Earth’s horizon line, to give that sign insight into the current movements from their perspective”. The astrologers map and study not only the stars, but their movements across the sky and horizon, focusing on the zodiac constellations and how they’re changing. Specifically, it all comes down to the “study of planetary movements and possibility. Modern western astrologers use the 12 constellations, or zodiac that the ancients deemed most impactful”.

 Horoscope prediction dates back thousands of years, but has improved over the years thanks to modern mapping technology. Horoscopes have become very popular with magazines, newspapers and websites alike in recent years. So now that you know how these predictions are made, next time you look up at the stars, try to find your constellation and teach yourself how to read your future!