[a11yguy]

I feel 100% sure that the movement/patterns of the planets, the sun, moon and other celestial objects have a significant effect on who we are and how we feel. BUT, I am also pretty sure that most people claiming to understand what is going on are lying.

"Astrology" is real, "astrologists" are charlatans.

[lostcolony]

"Third variable problem"

That is, the movement of the stars is predictable...as are a number of other things in life. That's not to say the stars are in control. This is classic correlation != causation.

For instance, we know that the amount of natural light a person has has a pronounced effect on how they feel. So it's fair to say that when (insert astrological statement here, somethingorother is ascendant, referencing winter, when there is less daylight), you will be prone to being more depressed.

This, obviously, has an effect, but to just shrug and say "it's the heavens!" is both unscientific, and unhelpful (since you can treat it by getting increased light of a given wavelength. You can't treat "state of the universe")

[a11yguy]

I think your point about 'Third variable problem' is a steelman interpretation of my statements, and a better path to explore.

[scrumper]

I expect a degree of mockery for your comment but it's not as if the diurnal cycle doesn't have a massive effect! The lunar cycle too - and that mechanism isn't understood. Humans do go crazy around the full moon[1].

But, like, Mercury? Have you got any ideas about possible mechanisms?

[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1444800/

[driverdan]

What you feel is irrelevant to how the universe works. Just because you "feel" something doesn't mean it's true. The gravitational effect of remote celestial objects is insignificant on something the scale of a human.

[a11yguy]

Maybe it does make it true, maybe that is why I feel this way.