Ideas of Order: The Meaning and Appeal of Contemporary Astrological Belief

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dc.contributor.advisorWojcik, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorThornton, Tracy
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-27T18:42:33Z
dc.date.available2016-10-27T18:42:33Z
dc.date.issued2016-10-27
dc.description.abstractAstrology is a belief system that has existed for almost 2,500 years. This enduring form of belief has not been effectively studied by scholars and thus we know little about why beliefs commonly stigmatized as superstitions continue to appeal to people today. My research, based on fieldwork and interviews with astrologers in the Portland, Oregon area, demonstrates that the longevity of this belief system may be attributed to its ability to provide meaning and purpose to people. Throughout history, astrology has been adapted to and has evolved within the cultures in which it exists, and its latest adaptation reveals a close connection to the New Age movement. Astrological worldviews, which assume a correlation between predictable celestial cycles and human activity, are rooted in a premise of fatalism, but this analysis reveals a nuanced view of fate that often is empowering rather than limiting.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/20477
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectAstrologersen_US
dc.subjectAstrologyen_US
dc.subjectFatalismen_US
dc.subjectFolk beliefen_US
dc.subjectNew Age movementen_US
dc.subjectVernacular religionen_US
dc.titleIdeas of Order: The Meaning and Appeal of Contemporary Astrological Belief
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineFolklore Program
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.levelmasters
thesis.degree.nameM.A.

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