"I don't believe in God, but I do believe in horoscopes": astrology is the instruction manual for modern life

These are such deterministic times that being born in January can be the best way to make a good impression in society before you even open your mouth. It all depends on whether the person in question feels sympathy for, say, a purebred Capricorn with a Taurus ascendant. But the opposite can happen, and you might wish you hadn't been born in June if you meet with an astrology expert who can't stand the typical, textbook Gemini. "I don't have absolute faith in the signs of the zodiac, but... I am a proud Sagittarius ," confesses M. Ramírez, who in her youth, "her second adolescence," used the zodiac as a tool to understand the way relationships flowed and, she says, as a common code to explain what was happening to her and her friends in a fun way. "Perhaps what I thought was astral was mere coincidence," this thirty-something says now, looking back.

Astrology is currently experiencing a resurgence throughout the West, but its origins date back to pre-Christian times, in Babylon and ancient Egypt . In fact, astronomy emerged as an auxiliary science to astrology, which served to equip it with mathematics. Catholicism brought about the marginalization of those who looked to the stars to understand humanity; by the Middle Ages, there was a return, and astrology finally lost credibility among Enlightenment scholars. It has become a kind of instruction manual used by many to understand modern life. According to a study published a few months ago by the BBVA Foundation, 31% of Spaniards consider that "astrology is very scientific and believe in it."

In the United States, the numbers are even more striking: a large majority of Americans (85%) have a positive opinion of astrology, and approximately six in ten (61%) agree that it "provides comfort in times of uncertainty by serving as a reassuring friend to those seeking guidance." The data comes from a 2024 survey conducted by Harris Poll, a well-known US polling company. Its analysis reveals that millennials, those aged 27 to 42, are the generation that most closely follows the stars in their lives.

The market, of course, has reacted to this new social demand, making the profession of astrologer a promising career opportunity. Diego Sanz took advantage of his marketing studies to kick-start his career as an astrologer and "transpersonal therapist." In the last four years, he estimates he has created around 500 astrological charts , a service that, although with some price variations, is usually offered for 130 euros. For the uninitiated, an astrological chart is a graphic representation of the positions of the celestial bodies (the planets, the Sun, and the Moon) at the precise moment of a person's birth. That is, one must know the exact coordinates of the place where one came into the world, as well as the hour, day, month, and year.

"The birth chart is a reflection of the energies that make us up. Each zodiac sign has a series of psychological attributes associated with it that can help a person open up, be freer, and delve deeper into themselves, understanding themselves," Sanz argues. So, for example, if you're an Aquarius—independent, creative, and somewhat odd (according to the archetype)—the birth chart can help you, according to Sanz, be wary of that Leo who appeared to you while Mercury was in retrograde . Translation: astrology says that when the planet Mercury is 'retrograde,' misunderstandings, communication delays, and language problems can arise. It all depends on whether your sign is Earth, Air, or Fire; or on your ascendant (what you appear to be), your Sun (what you are), or your Moon (your more emotional side). You can study astrology your entire life, and you'll still have concepts left to learn.

"It hasn't been easy sharing my dedication to astrology with those around me, especially because there's always a certain intellectual superiority when you talk about these issues," confesses Diego Sanz. This star reader tells ABC that people typically call him to ask what they should do when they encounter problems with work, love, or their "life purpose or vocation." Most of his clients are women in their 30s, "although I'm seeing more and more men," he clarifies. "Social media, primarily TikTok, has brought the zodiac back into fashion. But I also believe that after Catholicism began to lose believers, a nihilistic era prevailed, and now people have returned to astrology, a very ancient tradition. I meet many people who tell me: 'I don't believe in God, but I do believe in horoscopes.'"

However, Sanz is rather skeptical of horoscopes, which have traditionally appeared in newspapers and magazines and can now be read on every corner of the internet, with predictions like: Pisces of Spain, today is not a good day to invest in the stock market, the stars predict an earthquake in your bank accounts in the coming days. "Horoscopes, which deceive us, are used by very dependent people who have a hard time taking action," he acknowledges.

In the opinion of sociologist Celia Díaz Catalán, the rise of astrology stems from the rejection of self-improvement. "Self-help, motivational quotes from Mr. Wonderful, have been an important agent of blame and responsibility. They told us that everything, absolutely everything, depends on one's attitude in life. However, there are factors that influence the course of events beyond attitude. Society, wanting to free itself from guilt, has fled self-help, seeking refuge in astrology, which is based on the opposite principle: it is deterministic. An extreme that says that, whatever you do, there is a climate, an astrological context that can change things."

This sociologist recognizes that the zodiac has come to fill the void left by religion, which has not been replaced by other civic values. In any case, she believes that astrology does not compete with science, but rather coexists with it. "This rise must be viewed with distance, since it is, above all, a cultural code spoken by fearful and dissatisfied individuals, whose emotional needs are not met," she concludes. More pessimistic is Luis Santamaría, of the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Cults, who finds it paradoxical that, in a world full of knowledge and science, and which has supposedly left superstitions behind, "we see the advance of magical thinking , gaining points in successive demographic studies that examine people's beliefs. Religious traditions have been replaced by the most diverse irrational doctrines and pseudosciences. Our society has gone from being predominantly religious to being worryingly credulous."

In his opinion, social media has brought back the "New Age" wave , but with a touch of science and psychology . Although, he says, what's interesting is that sociological studies show us that these beliefs increase the higher a person's educational level. "So it's not a phenomenon related to ignorance and lack of culture, but rather to the spiritual search and the desire to find meaning in one's life," says this cult expert.

"I'd be lying if I told you it doesn't affect me, because it does subconsciously," says Eva C. "For example, experience has shown me that I dislike Capricorns. Of the 45 I've met in my life, only two have been indifferent to me; the rest, terrible," says this interior designer, who acknowledges that we mustn't lose sight of the fact that it's a fun game. C. López, the most religious of those interviewed, strives to defend the idea that astrology is not a "pseudoscience": "The planets move and change their positions; this helps us know the dominant energy in the sky," she says. For her, it's " a help, a walking stick, a crutch to use in everyday life without overdoing it, without going crazy. With all this information, why refuse to know it?" she asks.