It was a summer day when sophomore Mollie Smurthwaite stumbled upon a youtuber, Kendall Rae, who was talking about astrology and her personal zodiac signs. Already interested in astrology and human relations, Smurthwaite thought that this was an interesting way of figuring out her relationship with others. One’s zodiac sign depends on the day, location and time they were born, following the planets as they circle around the sun.
“You aren’t just encompassed by one sign; you are encompassed by many,” Smurthwaite said. “It can help you understand your relationships with other people and friendships and how you deal with yourself.”
Smurthwaite doesn’t change her lifestyle to adjust to the requirements surrounding her zodiac sign of Leo. However, she does admit to the fact that she can see parallel aspects between her life and the traits Leo’s carry.
“I am very impulsive,” Smurthwaite said. “[I’ll do something and think] ‘Crap, that’s such a Leo thing to do’ or … ‘Oh I just had an inner thought and that’s very Gemini of me.’”
When it comes her friends and family, Smurthwaite is quick to figure out which signs people around her are. She believes that being aware of one’s traits helps her understand potentially how the person will think or react. At home, she frequently discusses her findings with her parents. When talking about people, they connect them to their respective zodiac signs, making their conversations much more interesting.
“Once you start talking about it, people start to get interested like ‘Oh what does this mean about me,’” Smurthwaite said. “Astrology can be very selfish [sometimes] because [it’s all about me].”
Smurthwaite is more fascinated by the ancient study of astrology, of how the ancient art is able to combine the stars and personalities together. She believes that the predictions and traits that follow the zodiac signs are purposely vague making it open for interpretations.
“You have to take it with a grain of salt because not everyone can be every single trait of their zodiac sign,” Smurthwaite said.
