An astrologer has broken her silence after the outrage that arose when her horoscopes were shown on the TV news at 6pm.
Natasha Weber, who calls herself AstroTash, has been providing horoscopes since last month that are shown on Seven’s national news bulletin after the weather report.
While the move has been condemned by those who feel it diminishes the seriousness of the news, Weber said her “constellations are meant to provide inspiration.”
“We are in a climate of a lot of negative news, so why not introduce something light and airy,” she told the Herald Sun.
She said some viewers had the misconception she would remove Melbourne presenter Peter Mitchell “from the newsroom” and end “hardcore, serious journalism”, but that was “clearly not the case”.
According to Weber, the ‘quick infographic’, on the other hand, was a suitable way to show the ‘ancient wisdom of astrology’.
According to Weber, sun signs, the type of astrology normally presented in newspapers and magazines, are only the “tip of the iceberg” of the study of celestial bodies, their movement in the zodiac, and their influence on humanity.
“Some of the greatest minds and philosophers of our time, such as Galileo, Plato, and Hippocrates, were all astrologers,” Weber said.
Astrologer Natasha Weber, who calls herself AstroTash, has defended the inclusion of her horoscopes in the Seven 6pm news bulletins
‘Astrology is a tool that helps us make the best decisions for ourselves.’
As part of a general ‘refresh’ of Seven News, the daily main programme now also includes a three-minute satirical sketch, ‘6.57 News’, presented by comedian Mark Humphries.
Both the comedy section and the horoscopes have led to a divided reaction from Seven viewers, with some feeling the network was treating them like “idiots” and that they had lost interest in serious news.
‘Channel 7 news now has a horoscope. What nonsense. It seems they don’t really care about news,’ one viewer fumed at X.
‘With horoscopes and comedy sketches being filmed on Seven News, we might as well go all out. How about Denise Drysdale spinning a wheel and giving away prizes too?’ said another.
“I don’t expect this (horoscopes) to last long, it’s really a Women’s Day/New Idea concept for me!” said another skeptic.
“Seven News treats viewers like idiots with horoscopes,” fumed another.
‘Is this really what’s going to make us watch Seven News instead of 9, 10, 2 or SBS? Biggest turn off ever. Who are these new Muppets making such infantile decisions?’, fumed another.
Sharyn Ghidella, a long-time presenter at Seven News in Brisbane, also pointedly referred to the item when she was recently fired as part of wider changes at the network.
“I’m not one to have the evening news fed to me with humor and horoscopes either, so honestly it’s time to go,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
However, some viewers defended the recording.
Weber now also presents a weekly ‘Astro Tip of the Week’ on Seven’s Morning Show
“Astrology is a science, just like meteorology, and deserves the respect it deserves,” one person wrote.
Weber’s horoscopes follow her appearance on Channel Seven’s Morning Show in February, where she discussed the effects of five supermoons.
Her appearance was cheered by her nearly 80,000 followers.
“Absolutely fantastic and very insightful Natasha,” someone said.
“You shed new light on an old system,” wrote another.
She now offers ‘Astrotip for the week’ in a short segment where she instructs viewers ‘hHow to use your horoscope and harness the power of the stars.
In addition to her work at the Seven Network, Ms Weber is a horoscope columnist for Marie Claire Australia and MamaMia.