Written in the Stars

By Sarah Bastos

Nationwide, the number of atheists are growing (Scientific American, 2019), but the number of people who believe in astrology has oddly enough increased almost exponentially ever since its prime in the ‘70s. Most people who follow their zodiac sign don’t necessarily believe that it’s accurate but enjoy the flexibility of horoscopes that they may not find in organized religion. Research has found that Americans’ following of astrology grew during the Trump era due to widespread feelings of disillusion in the government (New Yorker, 2019) and horoscopes provided a way for them to distract themselves from the uncertainty the future holds. 

Our generation has appropriated old astrological beliefs intos memes on social media in an attempt to understand why we cling onto them in an already label heavy society. Our zodiac sign has become something of an identifier, something as unique to us as a fingerprint, explaining our traits. 

It’s so common, it’s everywhere. If you search “daily horoscope” on the app store, you can find thousands of different apps involving astrology. One of the most popular apps is Co-Star which  provides personalized daily horoscopes based on your birth time and location. This is known as a birth chart and powered by artificial intelligence. Worldwide, millions of people incorporate Co-Star into their daily routine. I use this app and have found that my favorite part of the day is receiving seemingly random notifications from them like, “Be a service animal today.”

The major success of Co-Star has led to a whole new industry of apps with a focus on astrology. For instance, there is a finance app called Bull and Moon that helps users invest in companies that are aligned with their birth charts. 

There is a reason for this sudden boom in all things zodiac. Gen Z is relying on horoscopes as a way to hand over their fate to someone else. This is the generation that has their whole lives planned out on their Google Calendar whenever possible. Having a sense of control is something we take pride in so when things go awry, having something to blame or an explanation at the very least, is comforting. Astrology fits this need. A study from the American Psychological Society detailed that our generation is the most stressed age-group in America and we are the largest group of astrology app users. The evidence says it all. It just goes to show that no matter how many strides western science has made, we still need a little faith in the world unknown to get through our day.