There's A Reason More And More Millennials Are Flocking To Astrology

While astrology might be considered pseudoscience per se, you can apply concrete science and statistics to studying those who believe in astrology. A 2012 study shows that 58% of Americans between 18 – 24-years-old believe in astrology, with the 25 - 34 age group not far behind, and that number has only continued to grow. That’s over half of millennials. What’s more is that 65% of people who believe in astrology consider it to be a credible, scientific source. When compared to a 2004 poll, in which 66% of Americans said they thought astrology was complete nonsense, it’s clear that more Americans – more younger Americans, especially – are opening themselves up to the influence of the zodiac.

The increase in people who believe in astrology may be due, simply, to stress. Studies have shown that when people have more stress factors in their lives, they are more likely to turn towards astrology for guidance, not unlike religion. When people have less stress, they are less likely to embrace astrology. It’s not shocking, then, that more people looked towards astrology following the Great Recession. With people losing their jobs and their houses and the economy in a downturn, astrology may have provided some with a light at the end of a very dark, very long tunnel.

While the economy has seemingly corrected course since the Great Recession, millennials still struggle to pay back student loans, find secure jobs, plan for their futures, and save for the down payment on a house, leaving them stressed about reaching life’s milestones. Some studies even claim that millennials are the most stressed generation ever, which may explain why they look to astrology for some stress relief. Millennials just need something that makes them feel like it's all going to be okay.

Studies have shown that Americans, especially younger generations, have been turning away from traditional religions more and more, which has resulted in a steady decline in church attendance. With a quarter of Americans identifying as “spiritual, but not religious” and millennials being the least traditionally religious living generation, it seems that people may not believe in traditional religions anymore, but they still yearn to believe in something. That’s where astrology comes in. Astrology provides both a way to understand the events of the universe and a hope for a better future, yet it has no connection to a formal religion. So, millennials may not be going to church, but they're reading their horoscopes.

There has been an uptick in the way astrology audiences perform online. Some sites even claim that the typical horoscope article got 150% more traffic in 2017 than it would have in 2016. This could be due to the political climate, as 63% of Americans now say they are concerned about the country’s future. And who is the most stressed about the future of the country? Millennials! 56% of people say that reading the news stressed them out and millennials are more likely than other generations to read said stressful news. This news-related stress and uncertainty about the future may be what’s pushing millennials to consume astrology-related content.

This isn’t the first time a generation has turned away from logic, tradition, and rationality and towards more romantic, spiritual, and supernatural views. The Enlightenment was a time of great progress and reason, with the scientific method reigning supreme; however, this was followed by a sharp turn in the opposite direction, as the Romantic Movement found people turning towards intuition and spiritualism. It seems that when society advances scientifically, there it usually a sharp turn in the opposite direction - a pendulum movement, if you will. That said, the recent advances in science and technology may be what’s pushing millennials towards astrology, because, hey, it happened in the 18th century, too.

Spiritual movements that occur outside of the traditional religious dogma aren't that uncommon, historically speaking. In the 1970s, there was a New Age movement, colloquially known as the Age of Aquarius. During this time, people turned away from traditional religion to embrace spirituality, energy, astrology, and alternative medicine. This movement was led largely by baby boomers, who were part of the counterculture move that rejected traditional social norms. Despite the disparity between boomers and millennials, they might have more similarities than they let on.