By Kylee Hendrie
I claim. This phrase has filled the comment section of Tik Toks and other social media posts, signifying the internet’s most recent obsession with astrology; though, there isn’t much to claim. The Babylonian’s astrological belief system has been around for ages, over 5,000 years, and yet the combination of technology, an increasing secular generation, and a complex social media algorithm has caused astrology to resurface.
The pseudoscience offers alternative explanations for human behavior through the relative positioning of celestial bodies. Astrology claims that the stars’ configurations impacts matters like romantic opportunities, economic success, and one’s personal destiny. The popularity of astrology amongst Gen Z may be due to an increased exposure to the pseudoscience through social media.
Though, its prevalence on social media is a finicky matter to pinpoint. Social media accounts starting around the beginning of the pandemic generated trends around astrology. As soon as there became an established following of skeptics and spiritual believers, the number of astrological videos skyrocketed. Content included tarot card readings, explanations on how to manifest desires spiritually, descriptions of ideal meditative frequencies, and videos alike.
Laura Campagna, a practicing astrologer, explains the reasoning behind astrology’s recent trendiness; “It gives people this really beautiful way to connect with something greater and to kind of feel like the world is enchanted, which it is…We live in a very disenchanted time, and I think that that connection can be really, really crucial for people to maintain hope. Especially when life feels hard and hopeless, which it has over the last couple years.”
Though, the reason behind the continuation of astrology’s popularity on social media over the course of the pandemic is likely due to the relationship between the viewer and video, with incredible help from the algorithm. Captions in astrology videos included phrases like “this
message is from the universe” and “if you see this, you were meant to.” The algorithm works in such a way where interactions with videos increases the frequency of similar videos—but social media creators give consumers the idea that their content is “specialized” to them through metaphysical divination.
Viewers, clearly, buy into this notion, commenting “I claim,” in the hopes the message of the video will be applicable to them, whether that message be “your ex is coming back” or “you’ll receive good news soon.”
In regard to the validity of such statements, Campagna said, “if somebody paid for that message in front of you, it could definitely be meant for you…I think people need to understand the way that the social media operates so that they can be informed consumers. There's been a lot of impersonators recently on Instagram pretending to be astrologers and trying to empower readers and energy healers and trying to solicit money from unsuspecting clientele.”
Alongside that, the purpose of astrology has shifted due to its popularity on social media. Masha Parfentyeva, a third generation astrologist, notes the change of the spiritual practice to a more scapegoat functionality online.
“I would say that trendy astrology nowadays is putting people into categories saying, ‘Gemini this, Gemini that.’ I think that why this is happening is because people are trying to use it as a justification of their actions, their behavior, some people use it in order to feel part of a group,” said Parfentyeva.
This use of astrology is mimicked in modern day dating culture as well, where common rhetoric in the modern era involves pushing a prospective match to reveal their sign—“what’s your sign, baby?” In this, there’s the underlying idea that romantic compatibility relies heavily on the time and date of one’s birth. Though being a Leo doesn’t hold any significant weight in a relationship, such categories serve as a half-joking rationale behind potential compatibility.
The ability to dip your toes in a spiritual science in a curious yet skeptic way speaks for the greater function of astrology in Gen Z. Besides the pandemic and social media algorithms, astrology enticed a large following. The secular division of Gen Z promotes creative and experimental explorations into alternative belief systems. Astrology rejects traditional religious practices and instead proposes a new way to understand the world, sociologically functioning as a replacement for a serious devotion to organized religion. Astrology retains a sense of light-heartedness and fun while allowing for further exploration into elements of astrology like tarot, zodiac compatibility, and meditation. It’s an easy belief system to practice that doesn’t require heavy commitment like some long-standing religions strongly encourage.
Practicing the pseudoscience as a skeptic makes astrology the ideal middle ground for agnostics. Furthermore, astrology is a more independent practice shared with a greater community, allowing for exploration at one’s personal pace.
“I think spirituality is something incredibly intimate to each person, and something that each person has to experience and discover for themselves,” said Parfentyeva.
While social media has caused astrology to initially trend, Gen Z’s interest in the pseudoscience won’t likely fade. Campagna has seen an uptick in clients during the pandemic, stating “I definitely found more people getting into astrology and the level of sophistication with which your average person could engage around astrological concepts greatly increased…Everyone’s just at home, online, reading and educating themselves in different degrees…I definitely felt more like clients wanted to study with me and talk to me more regularly during the pandemic, because I think people needed support."
As the pandemic trickles onward, the necessity for support will continue to persist. Since astrology has established itself as a very personalized belief system, its function in this secular generation provides comfort in these hard times.
“Astrology can really change those aspects of your ego, yourself and who you are—and I think that's what people nowadays are really looking for; they're looking to connect with themselves,
because that is actually a huge, a huge foundation. If you are one with yourself, at any point in time, regardless of where you are physically, regardless where you are on in the material world, if you're always you have a strong spiritual foundation, you will always adapt you will always feel at home no matter where you are,” said Parfentyeva.
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