horoscopes

I had two encounters with horoscopes yesterday. First a friend and I tried to guess our colleagues' star signs during our coffee break, then I discussed astrology in general with another friend on the phone.

Not that I believe in horoscopes, really. I find them really funny and enjoy reading them, but I don't think they are to believed. Besides - I have more or less two star signs. To quote from Joni Mitchell's Little Green: "Born with the moon in cancer..." - but I was a bit late, so I'm not only one of the earliest Cancerians possible, but should have really been Gemini. And I do notice that, while some things about me are "typically Cancerian", I'm often also "quite Gemini". Which brings me to the point:
I do not believe in Astrology and the like, but I can imagine that people's, well, character is a too strong word, anyway, are influenced a bit by the time of year they were born in. Not entirely, of course, other factors shaping us are much stronger and more important. But - admit it - most of us have noticed things about ourselves or the people around us that fit with horoscope lore. (Actually I swear that one person in my office is a Scorpio - without knowing the birthday. It has to be Scorpio, I simply know it.)
On the other hand, Bubblefrog and my mother are quite different personalities - with their birthdays only 5 days apart. It works sometimes and only partially - because there are some similarities between them - I like them both quite a bit.

However, here's my theory: It's down to the diet of our mothers during pregnancy.
I think it makes sense to assume that your diet usually varies between the seasons. My ice cream consumption sinks in winter, more fruit and less fat in summer. A higher vitamin intake in summer. Traditionally, nuts are something I remember as quite Christmas-ish, while I associate fish with summer and autumn (well, my father used to fish quite a lot).

So: During the pregnancy "every week counts", meaning that decisive development are confined to particular, often quite short time periods (remember Biology? "Xy. week: the fingernails develop"). And to soome extent food influences the development of the child. Thus it seems reasonable that, depending on your birth date, you will exhibit certain specific characteristics. Periods of 4 weeks to distiguish groups of people are adequate and - fit nicely with the moon cycle. Months are probably equally appropriate. Anything will do.