The Adam Grant(s) on Astrology
I usually don’t do this. I almost never dedicate my weekly #WomenAreHealing newsletters to explaining sensationist bits written by various gurus who think that a random, “in the back of the classroom” survey grants them the lucidity and context to tackle a subject that is completely foreign to their knowledge, understanding and most of all, area of activity. But then again, we all have the freedom to…speak, write, attack, dismantle.
This past week though, a substack newsletter edition of Granted by Adam Grant, the renowned expert in organisational culture and psychology, published author and TED podcaster, drew my attention. As an expert communicator working also with astrology and numerology while counselling people, I see often these types of articles on how astrology is BS, on how it is not backed up by science, and that people who use it (astrologers and their clients) are fools, and so on. But this time, this piece that should really have been a Linkedin post and nothing else (it is extremely poorly documented) made me think more of the implications of astrology in this new world we want to create.
First of all, Adam Grant is one of the people I have been following for the past 10 years on matters of organisational psychology. I considered him smart and bold, always eager to say the things that many of us, ex or current corporate people do not have the freedom to say in the public arena (social media). His essays and posts were to the point. “Were” being the correct tense in my case.
His recent piece on astrology seems so far off his usual smart way of approaching things and opinions. In his article, he tackles the idea that people are obsessed and addicted to this pseudo-science we call astrology, as this field is currently becoming a huge business in USA and all around the world. To back him up, he quotes an MIT study on +173.000 Chinese people, an analysis of how Sun Signs/Archetypes as depicted in astrology books really have nothing to do with the actual world and how subjects involved in the study behave. Quoting Adam Grant: “They correlated their zodiac signs with their scores on the Big Five personality traits. And they found zero correspondence.” He then goes on analysing how Libras are not actually that peace-loving, it’s more on the Scorpios’ table and a lot of additional information that really lost me along the way. He then jumps to associate people who believe in astrology with the ones who don’t believe in the Holocaust. A bit too much, right Mr. Grant?!
Quoting Adam Grant: “It’s time to kick your astrology habit. You’re hurting yourself by forming impressions of people based on irrelevant information. And you’re hurting others by holding prejudice against them for something that has nothing to do with who they are. You wouldn’t judge people by their fingerprint type or their blood type, and you shouldn’t judge them by their zodiac sign either.” This paragraph is really the one I found extremely dangerous coming from a psychologist with a +300.000 people audience. It has some truth to it, I know people that got astrology wrong and put stamps on people based on what they heard from a tabloid media about signs. But this is just because, those people are just like Mr. Grant here: forming opinions and sharing them without really knowing what they are talking about. And this, in my opinion is the real dangerous behaviour that can lead to fear or hate based trends.
To think that all people who believe or use astrology judge others through this filter is a dangerous claim to make when you have a +300.000 audience. To state that people who use astrology don’t believe in Holocaust is extremely off the wagon. To believe that an MIT study on Sun Signs in a society that practices a different type of astrology (like the Chinese one) is the Holy Grail is again extreme.
Do we need these types of (mansplaining) opinions on astrology? YES WE DO! We need to do a more thorough presentation and communication of what astrology in the modern age is and how it is not for everyone or everything. Access to mathematical (yes, astrology is mathematics, Mr. Grant) and intuitive (yes, astrology is a divinely guided vocation) knowledge varies for people according to their level of consciousness. Just as healing can come from traditional medicine or complementary therapies. People approach healing with prescription drugs and people approaching it with yoga, pranayama, acupuncture, reiki, etc.
Should I explain to Adam Grant that the survey he is quoting has nothing to do with astrology and our work? (astrology does not equal Sun Signs). NO, those who need astrological information and support (and there are many) will access it without these sensationist maneuvres of a person I really don’t recognise anymore.
Should we address articles like these, written in a superficial manner, aimed to destroy and not explain, to attack and not start a conversation? YES! Adam, if you want to explain astrology, do it right. Learn, study, talk with renowned people in the industry, gather the correct info, then address the subject like an expert. You are a professional, right? You know what this means, right? Did you hear about Carl Jung and his relation to astrology? No? Well, Google him :).
Do I think this piece attacks astrology on an agenda that aims to destroy tools of self-awareness and self-empowerment in a world based on corruption, fake politics, control, aggression and war leading to million deaths? YES! It’s just disappointing that a guy I used to go to for clarity and no BS agenda can now become part of systems we need to change.
Astrology is a complicated system of knowledge that really keeps us all in the community constantly learning, interacting, healing and most of all, counselling people to find their own road to easing their pains.
I know a lot of doctors and therapists have embraced astrology as a complementary tool to their practice. Do they all reject Holocaust and judge people from a superficial standpoint? Are they all fools? I don’t think so!
The astrology I know and practice eases pain in the people that get to know me and brings hope, but also offers them contexts of achievement and healing.
Do I think that astrology can replace therapy or common sense? Of course not, but why are we creating this world of competition instead of a world of collaboration.
Voices with a large audience like Adam Grant mean something because they reach many. Many of those people are already using astrology as a tool for bettering their reality and understanding of the other. With large communities comes a power these Adam Grants should be able to rise to the occasion. Grant’s piece did nothing of the sorts. He just ridiculed something he doesn’t understand (and never put the effort to understand) and he mocked the people from his community as well, doing the same thing (associate people’s endeavours with malignant behaviours). Ironic, isn’t it?!
You are welcome for a free counselling session on your astrology, Adam! I can show you what is this system of knowledge you seem to actually want to interact with.
ps: yes, I am a Capricorn! Maybe you wrote this piece just for me, thank you a lot!
I want to thank one of my dearest astro-teachers Rachel Lang (and fellow Venus in Scorpio) for having a special podcast episode on this topic. Otherwise, I would have missed the newsletter, because yes, we are busy counselling people through these times of deep and rapid changes.
If you want to work with me or just discover more of what I do, send me a kind note: hello@roxanamarin.life.About me: Creativity & Communication Awarded Expert with 19 yrs practice ☀️ Healing modalities Guide, Practitioner & Promoter 🌼 Founder and Life Optimising Strategist @womenarehealing 🌞 Astrologer ☀️ Artist & Arts connoisseur