Astrology has been riding a wave of renewed popularity for a while now and a number of reporters have been asking the same question, why is astrology so popular now and especially among millennials? U.S Cosmopolitan Editor-in-Chief Jessica Pels reports, "74% of my readers have told me that they are, quote, 'obsessed with astrology,' and 72% check their horoscope every day." 

In 2020, horoscopes are not just a daily feature on most popular publication sites but they’re also big business. Last year a study by IBISWorld found that American’s now spend $2.2 billion annually on what it termed ‘mystical services’ which doesn’t include items like Givenchy’s For the Leo’s lion print tee costing a cool $520. And it’s not just high end, look around most high street stores and you’ll find zodiac earrings, necklaces and slightly less expensive t-shirts featuring consistently in collections every season. 

Into the mystic

Astrology is back! And in times like these is it really surprising? As we grow increasingly polarised as a society with each of us being asked, almost daily, to pick a side and stick to it and, “are you with us or against us?”. It seems there is less and less room for belonging and individualism to co-exist. 

Astrology can be one small bridge that connects these two ideals for many millennials. I read my horoscope as a Virgo knowing that millions around the world have the same few sentences describing their day yet feel like they speak only to me. That’s because in some cases they do. 

Your Birth Chart

A quick read of most astrology sites will tell you that your star sign is actually your sun sign and to get a real insight into what astrology can offer you’ll need to calculate your birth chart. (The Pattern app is an easy way to do this.) It’s highly unlikely that many people were born at the exact time and in the exact same place as me. So, if something in the Virgo horoscope doesn’t quite resonate with me that day then I can simply place it to one side and assume it was meant for one of my fellow Virgo sisters. 

The experience of reading your birth chart can be revelatory for some as you’re at last able to describe a particular trait you may not have been able to articulate before and also forgive yourself for personality traits that you may not like so much. 

Star Gazing

Millennials can often be accused of navel gazing rather than star gazing. However, in the case of astrology they are much the same thing. The millennial preoccupation with looking inwards goes hand in hand with astrology’s promise to reveal more about you the more you look and as is often the case, what you seek you shall find. 

When I’m in a particularly deep astrological hole it’s usually less about seeking guidance from stars to galvanise me into action and more that I’m looking for validation of my own instinctive feelings about a situation. And who doesn’t find validation comforting? If I’m stressing about something at work and imagining every possible worst case scenario, it’s ok, we Virgos are just chronic overthinkers. It passifies me, if just for a little while that there’s a reason for my behaviour.

In times like these...

What does this mean for the times we’re in right now? It’s fairly easy to speculate that in uncertain times we want certainty or that the need to feel seen as an individual during a stressful collective experience might provide comfort to some. I think that there is some truth in it. The stars don’t promise you a great tomorrow but they tell you there will at least be a tomorrow and for right now that might just be good enough. 

There are purists, like with most things, but you really can dive into astrology as deeply as you like. There’s no list of good and bad, nothing you must buy or deny yourself in order to participate. There is a wealth of information that is freely available creating a very low threshold to entry.

Astrology offers the chance to be part of something whilst still remaining an individual. It offers a free pass on the parts of yourself and others personalities that you maybe don’t like so much. And it offers guidance which, like that of a close friend, you can take or leave without judgement. Whether it’s for validation, belonging or just pure entertainment it seems that astrology is going nowhere fast for millennials so wear the t-shirt, light the joss sticks and take whatever comfort you can amongst the chaos.  

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Written by Ali Critchley

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