The Uprising of Astrology During the Pandemic
Different astrological stars, signs, and planetary bodies all contribute to a person’s personality. Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. To modern astrologers, the pandemic and its wider transpersonal and world-historical implications are expressions of recurring cosmic motifs, each iteration of which brings trials and transitions to be endured and existential lessons to be learned. In a year economically and cosmically like no other, astrology seems to be one of the industries that have seen substantial gains. Amidst the uncertainty of a global pandemic, people are seeking clarity.
Astrology can offer that reassurance, even among people who don’t really “believe” in it but simply enjoy the practice and get a thrill out of the experience of self-identification. Astrology also gives people an easy way to connect with others. Kayla, a TikTok creator based in North Carolina, has her “big three” signs (sun, moon, and rising) on display in her Instagram bio- Aquarius, Leo, and Cancer. “I feel like it makes people understand why I do the things I do, or why I portray myself a certain way,” she explains. Additionally, well-known British astrologer Penny Thornton, who launched her website Astrolutely two decades ago, says her website traffic is up 20 percent since the start of the pandemic. Her Ask Penny service, which allows you to ask her specific questions that she answers via email based on her reading of your astrological birth chart, is up 33 percent. Another astrology (Arizona-based) Maurice Fernandez has seen about a 20 percent increase in requests for private consultations and a 30 percent increase in people seeking astrology tutorials. “The great majority of clients are using this time of retreat to rethink their path forward, wanting to do something different with their lives,” says Fernandez. “It is interesting that on the one hand there is a climate of insecurity that is quite palpable, but at the same time people are ready to take risks and aim for change.” In addition, an Australian astrologer Jessica Adams says she was surprised when requests for the year’s forecasts, which predictably usually peak in January and plateau in February, steadily climbed through May. She’s also seen an increased demand for tarot card readings. “I understand why people are looking for a basis for making predictions because that’s exactly what brains do. They’re basically prediction machines,” says Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University.
Many astrologers use different methods of predicting one’s future
As Insider's Barbara Smith previously reported, revenue for astrology apps grew to nearly $40 million in 2019 (a 64% increase, according to data from SensorTower). Per IBISWorld, "mystical services" grew by 1.4% from 2016 to 2019. The industry as a whole is worth $2.2 billion. Nicholas, who has been practicing astrology for 20 years and has been a full-time astrologer for the past seven years, said that she's seen "steady growth" throughout her business. "I think just naturally, because of the conditions that we're in, it led to people being perhaps a little bit more open or curious as to what other people were saying about why we're in the moment that we're in," she said.
Astrology, as a business, didn't just come out of nowhere in 2020. It was already an industry on the rise, accelerated this year by the confusion and life-altering conditions of the pandemic. In other words, we are biologically wired to seek out certainty, and yet here we are, living in an extremely uncertain time. Being able to predict what will happen in any given circumstance is a process that helps to keep us alive. This is the very reason why so many have turned to astrology so that they can gain a sense of safety and reliability. It’s what has kept a lot of us calm during the much-loathed pandemic.
Astrologers use logs to track their predictions for their clients.
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