“I will no longer date Pisces,” she half-jokingly proclaimed.
Astrology can serve as an introspective tool “for those who want to dig deeper into themselves,” said LaRocque, a 27-year-old Boston-based middle school teacher and yoga instructor. “The best thing we can do as humans is to learn about ourselves and try to improve.”
Laroque is not alone in turning to astrology as a means of self-improvement, introspection, and personal growth. The field of astrology is booming and, according to experts, the trend is being driven by the younger generation, as evidenced by the myriad of websites and platforms for those interested in astrology. I’m here.These include Co-star personalized astrology — ranked among top 40 With this country’s lifestyle app zodiac centric dating appdozens astrology podcast, bestselling book and myriad astrology meme account on social media. “Mercury Retrograde” has become a popular term.
According to Allied Market Research, world astrology industry The 2021 valuation is $12.8 billion, a significant increase from previous years. $2.2 billion By 2031, that amount is expected to rise to $22.8 billion.
Astrologers say there are several reasons for the field’s surge in popularity, but the most prominent reason is the accessibility of technology. Then there’s the pandemic and the dangerous mental health crisis it caused.Studies have found that people are more likely to be attracted to fortune telling In times of turmoil and uncertainty.
“Interest has definitely increased over the last decade, but it’s gotten even more since the pandemic,” said Philadelphia-based Tracy L. Rogers. Astrologer and Life Coach. “Many people reached out for guidance on how to get through those times.”
Not everyone sees the growing popularity of astrology as a positive development. Market research firm YouGov found that: A quarter of Americans claim to believe In it there is no scientific evidence to support astrology. Some experts say that apart from the pleasure and satisfaction that reading astrological material brings, basing major life decisions on completely disproven science is dangerous.
For Laroque, bringing astrology into your life doesn’t necessarily mean accepting every word you read in your horoscope. She sees astrology as an adaptable ideology rather than a one-size-fits-all. “She chooses what resonates with her and what doesn’t,” she says.
Mr. Laroque, a Capricorn, became interested in astrology seven years ago, not surprisingly after a bad breakup with a Pisces man. Now, it will take a lot of persuasion for her to engage with a potential partner in her Sun sign.
Rogers noted that, like Larocque, many people use astrology to help them cope with challenges and change.
“Having this information in hand empowers you to make the most of things,” says Rogers.
position in the scientific community
Astrology has been practiced since ancient times. 3rd millennium BC And over the centuries it has experienced waves of popularity in different parts of the world. Since the early 1700s, astrology, once associated with astronomy, the study of celestial bodies, has been widely rejected by the scientific community.
“There has been a break between astrology and astronomy,” said astronomer Sten Odenwald, director of the magazine. Developing STEM resources at NASA. “Astrology doesn’t work statistically. Wrong assumptions. Wrong physics.”
Astrology claims that everyone has a Sun sign, a Moon sign, and what are commonly called “rising signs”. “Big 3” — Each says something different about a person. Sun signs embody the essence of a person’s personality, Moon signs represent emotional attitudes, and rising signs represent how individuals are perceived by others. Astrologers read a person’s unique natal chart and predict how changes in the celestial bodies will affect that person’s daily life.
While there are some scientific research The astrological tradition of correlating birth season and personality is completely unfounded.
“Knowing the positions of planets relative to stars is another thing, but the big problem is interpreting what that means in terms of human behavior,” Odenwald says. “There is no statistical relationship between these two.”
more Americans Know your zodiac sign more than your blood typeas well as as many 70 million Americans Check their horoscope daily.
“Our brains are constantly looking for patterns and ways to predict the future,” says Odenwald. “Humans grab these things.”
Still, “as a scientist, it pains me to see irrational thinking on the rise,” Odenwald added, adding that the practice of astrology suggests that humans may rely too much on astrology for important decision-making. “There are all sorts of risks,” he said.
Lauren Kassel, professor of history of science and medicine at the European University Institute and the University of Cambridge, agreed that over-reliance on astrology was dangerous, but said, “It helps people understand their lives.” It’s good if you’re using astrology as a tool for “for them,” she said, warning them not to be exploited in the process.
Cassel, who has studied the spread of astrology throughout history, points to its decline during the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, when an emphasis on rationalism took hold.
“Part of the current popularity of astrology is deeply tied to scientific skepticism and individualistic thinking,” Cassel said.
According to Kassel, the growing interest has spawned many ways to practice astrology, and adherents of astrology exist in many different spheres and utilize many methods. Different Forms of Astrological Belief.
“We need to take people who use astrology seriously, both past and present, to understand how people live in the world,” Cassel said.
Younger generations are more interested in themselves
Philadelphia astrologer Rogers said from his own experience that millennials and Gen Z tend to be interested in astrology because they are “more curious about themselves and their lives.”
For Caroline Kingsley, 38, astrology is not central to her daily life. Rather, it is a source of comfort and something that helps her connect with others. New York City actress Kingsley reads her horoscope every morning or before she goes to bed. The reason, she said, is simple.
“It makes me feel better,” she explained. “It’s more like a space, a diary that you don’t have to carry around or write with. Just an inner conversation with yourself.”
In Kingsley’s eyes, the fact that astrology is scientifically incorrect is neither here nor there.
“It doesn’t matter if I believe it or not,” she said. “Most of our cultures are built more fluidly than I think.”
Kingsley was raised a Christian, but had a difficult time relating to religion. Astrology is more relatable, she says.
“Astrology gets a lot of bad rap for being unscientific and fake, but at the end of the day, it’s about looking at the stars in the sky. It’s not strange, ‘I fell in the desert,’ she said, adding that astrology is generally less prescriptive than religion.
“I think that’s the beauty of this game,” added Kingsley. “You can use it however you like.”
Micah Daniels, 28, a photographer and producer from Toronto, has been astrology enthusiast since she was a teenager. Like Kingsley, it doesn’t drive her decisions, but it does help her process reality.
“If something urgent happens in my life, or I notice a pattern, I can go back and look at the chart as a whole and see how it relates to what is happening in the sky and where those placements are for me personally. I’ll make sure,” Daniels said. .
Most of all, “that’s what keeps me curious,” she said. “It keeps me on track to move forward.”
Perhaps that’s the point. Even if it’s more fiction than fact, astrology still serves as a tool for personal growth, for those who choose to believe in astrology.
“Astrology is the language of the stars, astronomy is science,” says Daniels. “Whether you want to learn the language is up to you.”
