> I would also disagree with what some people have said about how horoscopes represent a potentially evil aspect of the occult. I am quite prepared to believe that there may be some things in the world which are evil aspects of the occult, but some bored subeditor sitting in a newspaper office making up three-sentence blobs of random advice doesn't seem to have much occult about it. To me, astrology is simply beneath consideration in terms of mysticism, whether good or bad.

Adding to the above (after rereading uselessness's post) -- I do not believe the "genuine astrologer" is dabbling in black magic any more than the bored subeditor is. The genuine astrologer, if you take this to mean somebody who genuinely believes in astrology and painstakingly draws up charts and predictions based on its principles, is simply self-deluded. Because the principles of astrology are so fundamentally flawed, there can be no magic taking place, even if the practitioner believes there is.

I am open-minded about whether magic/the occult exist, but I firmly believe that if they do, they MUST at least be consistent to their own stated laws. Astrology does not. Basically, I believe that whether or not black magic exists, astrology has no more to do with it than retiling your roof does.

I do agree with what you say about the effects of addiction to astrology. However, this is not an effect of black magic, but of loss of responsibility and control over one's own life, as with any addiction.