“I will never date a Pisces again,” she half-jokingly declared.
Astrology is a useful introspective tool “for people who want to dig deeper into themselves,” says Larocque, 27, a 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.”
Larocque was not alone in turning to astrology as a means of self-improvement, introspection and personal growth. The field of astrology is booming — a trend driven by younger generations, experts say, and evidenced by countless websites and platforms that cater to the astrologically inclined. This includes Personalized astrology by Co-Star — which ranked among the top 40 lifestyle apps in the country — including zodiac-centric dating appsdozens of astrology podcasts, best selling books and a lot of astrology meme accounts on social media. “Mercury in retrograde” has become a household phrase.
According to Allied Market Research, the global astrology industry will be worth $12.8 billion in 2021, up from $2.2 billion in 2018. By 2031, it is expected to increase to $22.8 billion.
Astrologers say the field has increased in popularity for several reasons, the most notable of which is that it is better accessible through technology. Next came the pandemic, and the dangerous mental health crisis it precipitated. Research has shown that people are more likely to be drawn to divination tasks in times of turmoil and uncertainty.
“Certainly in the last decade there has been an increased interest, but more so since the pandemic,” said Tracey L. Rogers, a Philadelphia-based astrologer and life coach. “A lot of people are reaching out and wanting some guidance on how to navigate those times.”
Not everyone views the rise of astrology as a positive development. Although market research company YouGov found that a quarter of Americans say they believe therein, there is no scientific evidence to support astrology. Some experts say that while finding joy and fulfillment in reading astrological materials is one thing, basing major life decisions on unproven science is dangerous.
For Larocque, incorporating astrology into her life isn’t necessarily about buying into every word she reads in her horoscope. He does not view astrology as one-size-fits-all, but rather as an applicable ideology. “Choose what resonates with you, and what doesn’t,” he says.
Larocque, a Capricorn, became astrologically curious seven years ago in the wake of a bad breakup with – unsurprisingly – a Pisces. Now, it will take a lot of convincing for him to engage with a potential partner of that sun sign.
Rogers says, as does Larocque, that many people use astrology to help them handle adversity or cope with change.
“Being armed with this information, you can empower yourself and make the most of things,” Rogers said.
The stand of the scientific community
Astrology has been practiced since 3rd millennium BC and has gone through waves of popularity over the centuries in different parts of the world. Since the early 1700s, astrology – once associated with astronomy, the study of celestial objects – has been widely rejected by the scientific community.
“There was a parting of the ways between astrology and astronomy,” said Sten Odenwald, an astronomer and director of STEM resource development I hope in. “Astrology doesn’t work statistically. The premise is wrong; the physics is wrong.”
Astrology suggests that everyone has a sun sign, moon sign and rising sign — commonly called “Big 3” — each one says something else about a person. The sun sign contains the essence of an individual’s personality, the moon sign indicates their emotional demeanor, and the rising sign represents how an individual is perceived by others. Astrologers read a person’s unique birth chart and predict how changes in the heavens may affect their daily life.
While there are some scientific studies showing a correlation between birth time and personality, astrological traditions are completely unsubstantiated.
“It’s one thing to know the positions of the planets with respect to the stars, but the big problem is interpreting what that means in terms of human behavior,” Odenwald said. “There is no statistical link between those two.”
More Americans know their zodiac sign rather than their blood typeand also, as much as 70 million Americans check their horoscopes daily.
“Our brains are constantly looking for patterns and ways to anticipate the future,” Odenwald said. “People are holding on to these things.”
Still, “it pains me as a scientist to see the rise of irrational thinking,” Odenwald added, explaining that practicing astrology has “all kinds of risks,” including that people can become too dependent on it for important decision making.
Lauren Kassell — a professor of the history of science and medicine at the European University Institute and the University of Cambridge — agreed that over-reliance on astrology is dangerous, although “if people use astrology as a tool to have meaning in their lives, good for them,” she said, with the caveat that they are not being exploited in the process.
Kassell studies the spread of astrology throughout history, noting that the field declined amid the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, when there was an emphasis on rationalism.
“Some of the explanations for why astrology is on the rise today are deeply tied to skepticism about science and the individual mind,” Kassell points out.
The growing interest has also given rise to many methods in which to practice astrology, and those who practice it come in many varieties, says Kassell, who draws on many different forms of belief in astrology.
“We need to take people who use astrology seriously, to understand how people live in the world, either in the past or in the present,” Kassell said.
The younger generation is more curious about themselves
Rogers, the Philadelphia astrologer, said that in his experience, millennials and Gen Z are “more curious about themselves and their lives” and, therefore, are more inclined to relate to astrology.
For Caroline Kingsley, 38, astrology is not at the center of her daily life. Instead, it is a source of comfort and something that helps him connect with others. An actress living in New York City, Kingsley reads her horoscope every day, whether in the morning or before bed. The reason, he said, is simple.
“I feel good,” he explained. “It’s like a space, almost like a journal that I don’t have to carry or write in. Just an internal conversation with myself.”
In Kingsley’s eyes, the fact that astrology is not scientifically sound is neither here nor there.
“Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s more fluid than I think most of our culture is built.”
Kingsley was raised Christian and had difficulty relating to religion. Astrology, he said, was more responsive.
“Astrology gets a bad rap for being unscientific and fake, but at the end of the day, it’s about looking at the stars in the sky, and in my opinion, that’s less weird than looking at a mysterious book of stories brought down in the desert,” he said, adding that astrology is generally less prescriptive than religion.
“I think that’s the beauty of it,” Kingsley added. “You can use it any way you want.”
Mica Daniels, 28, a photographer and producer from Toronto, has been passionate about astrology since she was a teenager. Like Kingsley, it doesn’t drive his decisions, but it helps him process the truth.
“If something is compelling in my life or I notice a pattern, then I go back and refer to my entire chart and see the connection between what’s happening in the sky and where those placements are is for me personally,” Daniels said.
Above all, “it’s something that keeps me informed,” he says. “It keeps me on a forward trajectory.”
Maybe that’s the point. Even though it’s more fiction than fact, astrology still serves as a tool for personal development — that is, for those who choose to believe in it.
“Astrology is the language of the stars and astronomy is the science,” Daniels said. “It’s up to you if you want to learn the language.”