Astrological Horoscope (Underappreciated Genre Heuristic #2)

Identify and Describe Patterns in the Genre’s Features

1. What content is typically included or excluded? How is the content treated? What sorts of examples are used? What counts as evidence (personal testimony, facts, etc.)?

• The content that’s typically included are traits/ characteristics and daily horoscopes. Excluded content excludes the difference between sun sign, moon signs, or the signs ruling planets for a period of time.

 

2. What rhetorical appeals are used? What appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos appear?

• The rhetorical appeals that are generally being used within this genre are logos which appeals to logic and reasoning this is due to the factual lining of the stars, sun and moon. Pathos which appeals to feelings/ emotions this is due to viewers having an emotional connection to their sign due to familiar characteristics and the most important day of your life, your birthday!

 

3. How are texts in the genres structured? What are their parts, and how are they organized?

• This genre is structured and divided into twelve signs for the twelve months out the year. It is then organized as in which month/ days represent which sign and what traits they uphold.

 

4. In what format are texts of this genre presented? What layout or appearance is common? How long/big is a typical text in this genre?

• The common format for this genre is usually set by the zodiac’s signs. Generally, viewers choose their sign then it leads to positive and negative characteristics and full paragraph explanations on love, life, and full horoscopes.

 

5. What types of “sentences” do texts in the genre typically use? How long are they? Are they simple or complex, passive or active? Are the sentences varied? Do they share a certain style?

• The types of sentences that are usually depicted in this genre includes personal but board descriptions for these signs all around the world. They’re generally less than

a paragraph and not complex but mostly passive due to the variety of people viewing the content. These pages have various styles and techniques.

 

6. What diction is most common? What types of words (or symbols, images, etc.) are most frequent? Is a type of jargon used? Is slang used? How would you describe a typical writer’s tone?

• The most common type of vocabulary used throughout astrology sites are descriptive words and definitions, different symbols/ images mainly associate with the different signs. There are no common slangs used throughout this genre. I would describe the author’s tone kind of like a teacher, teaching new things and optimistic in their words.

 

 

 

Analyze What These Patterns Reveal About the Situation and Scene

1. What do these patterns reveal about the genre, its situation, and the people who use it?

• These patterns reveal that the astrological horoscopes genre is generally repetitive and follow the same style and formats of other astrological sites. People who use these sites for horoscopes are usually letting these brief and broad statements rule their daily lives.

 

• What do participants have to know or believe to understand or appreciate the genre?
• Participants must know their birth date; the audience also believes in the whole wonder of the alinement in the stars which leads to the findings and powerful characteristics of these signs which can tell a lot about a person and their life.

 

• Who is invited into the genre, and who is excluded??
• Everyone is invited into this genre, no one can be excluded because without a birthdate, they wouldn’t be here.

 

• What roles for writers and readers does it encourage or discourage?
• I believe that the roles encouraged by the writer is to teach and share their knowledge while the role of the readers are to understand and find themselves. I don’t think any roles are discouraged.

 

2. What can you learn about the actions being performed through the genre by observing its language patterns?

• I believe that I can learn more about myself due to my sign, the language pattern can teach me a few things that I didn’t know since the tone is descriptive and optimistic.

 

• How is the subject of the genre treated? What content is considered most important? What content (topics or details) is ignored?
• To me, this subject is controversial, many people admire this genre, but many don’t believe in them. I believe that the traits and characteristics are the most favored in the genre. The daily horoscope is usually what strays’ people away.

 

• What values, beliefs, goals, and assumptions are revealed through the genre’s patterns?
• The values and beliefs that are revealed through this genre are usually the based upon the stars and belief that these characteristics and traits all tie in together along with your sign
• What actions does the genre enable? What actions does the genre constrain??
• This genre enables the action of people allowing themselves to pursue what they want because they now have knowledge of a certain idealistic view. Daily horoscopes constrain people’s ability to be themselves because they focus so much on what’s being said.