Having studied astrology on and off since ca 1987, in my spare time, I can safely say that it is my longest running hobby. (And something I know at least as much about as my actual studies; Computer Science..) My speciality is the birth chart, focusing as much on the challenges as the potentials of a person (sometimes more, if they seem too complacent.. and I know that most sensible people like to work with something, rather than sit down and assume everything is ok with their personality). I have a certain grasp of the ideas within the predictive branch of astrology, but in my experience it works out so seldom, that it can be put down to coincidence. So I'm not much of a fanatic - I don't claim it to be a science.

So what do I claim it to be?

A tool, a model, a language and an artform.
The best comparison I can come up with is that of an economic model. It can be more or less accurate, depending on how many factors are considered. The fewer factors (a simple supply/demand curve or the sunsign) the more general and less accurate for a specific case. There are different systems (economic theories abound, as do astrological house systems - and do you want the chart done for your conception or your birth.. etc, etc.). The frameworks can be different (Political situation vs. environment encourages only some traits in a chart, but supresses others).
And everything is open to interpretation... ;)

Obvious question, then; How come it's studied, when everything is so vague?

Because, given a specific model, given the frameworks, given as many factors as are feasible (normally time, date and place of first breath), and given an experienced astrologer, you will get useful results. It does work. Just ask all those who study economics.. ;)

Next question; Why does it work?

And here, you will get my very personal view of reincarnation and astrology:
It tells you your personality, because you, before you were born, decided that that was an appropriate time to be born, given a certain personality. You chose to be born such that the incarnated you could read the stars at the time of your birth and get meaningful information out of it. The factors of your birth is a message to you, from you, and astrology is the decryption code.

I have no idea who invented astrology, if it was within or without incarnation, but that is just another version of 'which came first, the hen or the egg'. That is up to the reader to speculate on, if you decide that my idea is worth thinking more about.

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