Hello, and welcome to The Deep Dive—a weekly close-up look at an idea, issue or trend that’s shaping Asia’s future. We’re happy to have you with us. Please send your comments, questions and your star sign to editor@generationt.asia.
Astrology is having a moment–again. Claiming to be able to predict the future based on the positions and movement of celestial bodies has a long and storied history across many cultures, and Western astrology in particular has gone in and out of fashion several times: popular until about 1600, it fell out of favour until a late Victorian spiritualist revival, then had another spasm of popularity from the 1960s with the birth of the New Age movement.
Horoscopes’ latest resurgence, though, has been fuelled mainly by the internet, which allows them to be both personalised and instant, along with a millennial makeover that's making it appealing to a new generation of stargazers. Technology makes it very easy to create charts, something that used to involve complex calculations and take hours. Apps such as Co-Star, TimePassages, The Pattern and Sanctuary have millions of users and are attracting venture capital investment, while astrology memes have become a staple on social media.
The most commonly suggested explanation for horoscopes’ growing popularity is a search for some sort of spiritual solace in difficult times. They tend to appeal to people with what’s known as an external locus of control—who believe they’re more acted on than acting—and these days a lot of the content is about self-actualisation, positioning astrology more as a tool to personal growth than a way of predicting the future.
Of course, in Asia horoscopes never really went away. The Chinese zodiac, based on birth year, continues to have a major influence in China, but also in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and beyond. And Asia hosts the nation most enthusiastic about astrology globally: India, where it’s consulted before almost every major decision, and astrologers can come from some very unexpected backgrounds.
But what’s behind the astrology’s return to the spotlight in the rest of the world? Let’s take a Deep Dive.
QUOTABLE
"Anyone can be a millionaire, but to become a billionaire you need an astrologer.”
—JP Morgan
BY THE NUMBERS
US$2 billion
The market for so-called psychic services was worth US$2 billion in the US alone during 2018, and employed about 90,000 people, according to market research group Ibis World.
The horoscope in its current form only came into existence in 1930. Neatly slicing the zodiac up into 12 sun signs began as a way of making horoscopes publishable, after a chart drawn up for the UK’s newly born Princess Margaret, sister to Queen Elizabeth, by astrologer RH Naylor proved an unexpected hit in the Sunday Express newspaper.
4.5 million
Although it’s only been around for two years, more than 4.5 million people check astrology app Co-Star every morning.
£2 million
Even before the current rise of internet based horoscopes, astrologers were pretty good at monetising their profession. At one point the businesses of the UK’s formerly most popular newspaper astrologer, the late Jonathan Cainer, were worth more than £2 million annually.
THE EDIT
5 Stories To Get You Up To Speed
Signs Of The Times: Horoscopes Rise Again Online The Guardian
Why Are Millennials So Into Astrology? The Atlantic
WATCH
Why The World Is Still Fascinated With Astrology
Vice delves into why brain surgeons, lawyers and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are interested in the idea of a future written in the stars
MOVERS & SHAKERS
The Stars Of The Online Astrology Boom
The Celebs' Favourite Susan Miller Susan Miller’s website Astrology Zone attracts a particularly fervent following, with more than 17 million followers and more than 310 million page views last year, and celebrity fans including Cameron Diaz and Pharrell Williams. Formerly Time magazine’s astrologer, Miller bashes out thousands of words of readings each month, and has caused fan meltdowns when she posts them late, even inspiring the creation of Facebook page Abandoned by Susan Miller.
The App Co-Star The most popular astrology app, Co-Star, has acquired more than three million paying users in less than two years of existence. Basing its charts on data supplied by Nasa, it providers users with very direct, sometimes borderline brutal advice. This year it raised US$5 million in funding from venture capital firms including Maveron, Aspect Ventures and 14W.
The Social Justice Warrior Chani Nicholas One of the most popular online astrologers, Chani Nicholas, who has been in the business for 30 years, gives her writings an explicitly political angle, regularly using them to attack intolerance and bigotry. She is also the author of forthcoming self help book You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance.
Gen T Spotlight
An Honouree To Follow
Thierry Chow Riding high on the millennial thirst for divine intervention, Thierry Chow is putting a contemporary spin on another ancient metaphysical art, feng shui. After apprenticing with her father, leading feng shui master Chow Hon Ming, she established Tre, which applies feng shui to everything from interiors to fashion. She is also the author of Love and Fate, a feng shui guide to relationships.
Thanks for all of your responses to last week's question on K-Pop. According to the results, 42 percent of you listen to K-Pop.
DID YOU KNOW?
Astronomers tend to dislike astrologers quite a lot, and like to point out, for example, that the stars have shifted over time, theoretically rendering modern horoscopes inaccurate.
GIPHY
ONE FINAL THING
Your Future Will Be… Long
Astrology has been around for at least 3,500 years, and its development was fostered by classical civilisations everywhere from China to India to Egypt. Here’s a history of its ancient origins.
