We all know that there is no scientific evidence for astrological personalities, but anecdotally, it almost always seems to fit. So how do the stars actually predict our personalities so accurately?
Well, apparently your personality has a lot more to do with your birth month than your star sign, and there is actually scientific evidence supporting this theory.
Since zodiac signs tend to cover two separate months, it can potentially explain any of the inconsistencies you find in your usual horoscopes.
According to scientists, the month that you were born in determines a lot about your personality and it's really interesting why.
It's actually because of the nutrition you receive before you are born and in the first few months of your life. These nutrients affect how your personality develops later in life.
A baby's development in the womb can be affected by the maternal diet quite heavily. We all know how important vitamins and proteins are for bone and muscle development, but researchers have found that there is a correlation between the seasonal deficiencies and personalities, meaning that when you're born does impact how you act.
Now, obviously these studies have been relatively small so far, so as more research is done they may discover some variance. It also depends on where in the world you are born as the climate is different, meaning that the deficiencies will be different.
But for now, several different researchers have found that there are certain personality traits and even mental health risks associated with certain birth months.
Being born in the winter means colder temperatures, cold and flu season, and of course, way less sunlight.
While this sounds bad, there are actually some advantages. While winter babies may be prone to depressive moods linked to the weather, they do tend to have relatively even tempers compared to people born in other seasons. So while they might become depressed at some point in their life, they don't tend to show a lot of rage.
They do, however, tend to have lower "agreeableness" ratings, which is a psychological term related to the "Big 5" personality test. Agreeableness refers to a persons innate ability to trust, cooperate, feel sympathy, and show morality. Therefore, those born in winter may be a little bit less trusting and little bit more independent.
As you make your way through the year to spring, you start to see some changes, which are thought to be due to nutrients taken in during pregnancy.
Those born between February through April have actually shown a tendency to engage in novelty-seeking behavior. While February technically counts as being one of the winter months, it seems as though there is a bit of a transition time when it comes to the desire for adrenaline.
Babies born in the spring tend to become less aggressive as they get older, significantly less than any of the other seasons.
When it comes to the summer birthdays, researchers found that women were more likely to be impulsive and excitable, with a tendency towards disorderliness.
And while the summer months mean that there is plenty of vitamin D, leading to less Seasonal Affective Disorder, those born in June, July, or August do tend to get a little bit moody.
Even though their moods flip quickly, scientists pointed out that bipolar diagnoses are actually lowest in babies born in August.
When we come to fall, babies are born at a time when there is a good balance of nutrients from food and the sun, and also it's before everyone starts catching colds. But while they are often very healthy, they do tend to develop a temper.
In contrast to those born in winter, they are much less likely to develop depression. So while they are often irritable, their mental health is otherwise fairly balanced.
Obviously, scientists do explain that nothing is set in stone and a person's personality is incredibly complex, but it's interesting to see these little connections that link us to others born in the same season.
Source - US National Library of Medicine / Science Daily / The Atlantic / Psychology Today / Time / Brightside
