A recent article in The New Yorker magazine notes that we’re seeing a dramatic spike in the popularity of astrology. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center poll, almost thirty percent of Americans believe in astrology. But, as author Nicholas Campion has written, the number of people who know their sun sign, consult their horoscope, or read about the sign of their romantic partner is much higher. The New York Times, in a piece entitled “How Astrology Took Over the Internet,” also heralded astrology’s return.

The popularity of astrology seems to coincide with the decline of organized religion and the rise of economic and political instability. The first newspaper astrology column was commissioned in August, 1930, right after the stock-market crash. After the financial collapse in 2008, astrologists received calls from Wall Street bankers. Astrologer Rebecca Gordon said, “All of those structures that people had relied upon, 401(k)s and everything, started to fall apart. That’s how a lot of people get into it. They’re, like, ‘What’s going on in my life? Nothing makes sense.’”

One report found that Americans spend $2.2 billion annually on “mystical services” (including palmistry, tarot reading, etc.). Astrology app Co-Star is backed by six million dollars and has been downloaded six million times. Millennials who see no contradiction between using astrology and believing in science are fueling a resurgence of the practice.

Source:

Christine Smallwood, “Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty,” The New York Times (10-21-19)