Divination isn’t scientific, but can it ever be therapeutic?
All In The Mind
ABC listen
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 26 July 2025
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Love it or hate it, there are reasons you might read your star sign and relate to what it says about you as a person.
We all fall into cognitive traps — but if we’re aware of them, is it such a bad thing to indulge in your daily horoscope, or a tarot card reading?
Today, we delve into the occult, to understand why some people seek messages from the universe, and if it can play a role in therapeutic care.
If you want to hear more about otherworldly beliefs, check out our episode Spooky science: What's behind a paranormal experience?
And Soul Search also has an episode called Astrology and tarot — telling the future, or connecting with the present?
Guests:
Professor Susan Krauss WhitbourneProfessor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ryan FindlayPsychotherapist and tarot reader
Credits:
- Presenter: Sana Qadar
- Reporter/producer: Shelby Traynor
- Senior producer: James Bullen
- Producer: Rose Kerr
- Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite
Extra information:
When It Comes to Personality Tests, a Dose of Skepticism Is a Good Thing
Why You Might Not Want to Trust a Personality Test – Psychology Today
Even the stars think that I am superior: Personality, intelligence and belief in astrology
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | ABC Listen, podcasts, radio, news, music and more. |
| 0:07.6 | Hey there, Mark Fennell here, and I have a brand new podcast. |
| 0:12.2 | No one saw it coming. |
| 0:14.3 | Each week we hunt for seemingly insignificant moments that changed the course of history, |
| 0:18.8 | and LaMcdalia,ia were found some wild ones. |
| 0:21.3 | Like the murder that caused Absinth to be banned pretty much everywhere for around a century, |
| 0:26.2 | and the wrong turn that started a world war. |
| 0:30.0 | It's the podcast that will completely change the way you look at history. |
| 0:34.0 | No one saw it coming. |
| 0:35.3 | Find it now on the ABC Listen app. |
| 0:37.9 | Whenever I read a description of my star sign, which let me preface this by saying is not often, |
| 0:44.3 | I do think that kind of fits. I don't really believe in astrology and horoscopes. Actually, |
| 0:49.5 | I don't believe them at all. But I am totally a Sagittarius. According to astrologers, if you're Sagittarius, |
| 0:57.4 | you like new experiences and travel, you're curious and a storyteller, hello, you can also be |
| 1:04.2 | blunt. I've lived in Washington, D.C., Beijing, London, Qatar, New Delhi, and now Sydney. I tell stories for a living, and as my husband can attest, I can be blunt. |
| 1:15.7 | It all feels like too much of a coincidence not to be true. |
| 1:19.3 | But the idea that celestial objects and events can determine your personality |
| 1:23.5 | or how your life is going to go, it's not exactly backed up by science. |
| 1:28.3 | The position of the planets has a lot to do with your inner dynamics. |
| 1:33.3 | And so sure, but you know, some people really take it seriously. |
| 1:39.3 | Why do we take it seriously? And is it harmful to do so? |
| 1:43.3 | Or can seeking guidance from the universe ever be therapeutic? |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 6 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from ABC listen, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of ABC listen and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.