Students searching for answers in the stars
Students searching for answers in the stars
With half of young adults struggling with mental health, many are turning to astrology for a sense of direction and belonging.
As Chloe Casey wakes up, she mutters the same thing every morning: “Let’s go check our Co–stars.”
“This is my version of reading the paper,” Casey joked.
Casey isn’t alone as she’s among 70 million Americans who are ritualistically turning to their horoscope daily through astrology apps like Astrology Zone, Chani, Co–star and Nebula. Co–star alone made $2.6 billion just this year.
As an indecisive college student herself, Casey finds comfort in the guidance and certainty she’s able to receive from turning to the stars.
“In instances where I’m on the fence about something, I’ll use it for reassurance,” Casey explained. “It’s almost like It’s OK because Co–star says.”
In fact, much of Gen Z is seeking out astrology for the answers. The Oliver Wyman Forum reported that members of Gen Z are 83% more likely to say astrology has helped better their lives as compared to those in other age groups. The report also revealed that Gen Z is much less likely to believe in things like religious deities and life after death than other generations. What they are more likely to engage in, however, are spiritual practices like manifestation and astrology.
So where does this interest in astrology come from, and why are so many young people turning to spirituality for comfort? Mumbai astrologer Sundeep Kochar speculates it might have something to do with the increased anxiety the younger generations are feeling.
“When we were kids, I was quite carefree until I reached 20 or 30,” Kochar recalled. Now, he argues, people are beginning to feel the stress of life as early as 14-18 years old. And he’s not wrong in thinking so – in 2023, half of young adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depression.
“They are feeling miserable because they are comparing their lives – because technology is overpowering the human mind,” Kochar said. “Kids were supposed to be quite careless and carefree, now everyone is super careful and that’s the reason anxiety is going up.”
The origins of astrology
Astrology itself is nothing new; in fact, the concept dates back to around the third millennium BCE. It refers to the study of planetary movements and the stars as a means of explaining events here on earth. For instance, many people believe that zodiac signs, based on the position of the sun at the time of birth, can reveal important details about not only a person’s personality, but their life path.
While astrology originated in Mesopotamia, it quickly spread to India, Europe, and eventually, all over the world. Though the concept is somewhat rooted in astronomy, given its study of the planets, astrology is no longer considered as a science the way it was in the past. Regardless, its value seems to come less from scientific merit and more in the personal insights and clarity it offers individuals about both their identity and the world around them.
The cultural impact
Kochar has been practicing Vedic astrology in India for 25 years, where it goes by the name of Jyotish. Based on the placement of the planets and the Vedas, one of the oldest sacred texts dating back over thousands of years, Kochar is able to read horoscopes.
While astrology tends to be regarded as a pseudoscience in the United States, in India, it is quite the opposite. Because the practice has been around for millennia and is deeply ingrained in their society, it has become a trusted source for information and advice. In 2011, India’s Bombay High Court even ruled that astrology is a science just like any other.
“Indians are basically tradition loving people, and they still follow those rituals which are ancient,” Kochar said. “The moment a child is born, the first thing which parents do is to try to find out what moon sign the child has because a moon sign can define a person.”
Kochar said parents will even name their child after what is known in Sanskrit as nakshatra, or the constellations in English.
“So astrology is imbibed in the tradition, and I’m sure it is going to be a part of the tradition for a long, long time,” he said.
As the years went on and technology advanced, Kochar noticed how Western culture began to “take over” astrology. Now that everyone had a phone in hand with access to an audience on social media, he worried it might be tough for people to discern the real from the fake.
“People feel [astrology] is an easy money-making business which is not true, it is a great responsibility towards a human mind and a human life which people are not able to understand,” Kochar said. “And because of the technology – you know Instagram Reels – so-called ‘Reel astrologers’ are not real, and they are creating more misconception, more fear, more anxiety in people’s lives.”
The Western approach
Rebecca Gordon, renowned New York City astrologer and founder of 20-year running Astrology School, thinks it speaks to a larger trend of people who are all-too-willing to believe anything today.
“I feel like there’s a distinct lack of critical thinking right now,” Gordon said. “Even when I was first introduced to astrology, I didn’t believe it right away. I said, ‘How does this work? Is it real? Let me research it,’ and I think that’s healthy.”
Gordon got her start in astrology sooner than most, finding a mentor at just 14 years old. A decade later when Gordon attended her first astrology conference, she came to a surprising realization: she was the youngest person there.
“I was 24, they all were at least 54 and I said, ‘Wow, there is a problem here,’ because no young people were aware that astrology exists,” she said.
The year was 2004, and with no platforms like Instagram or Co–star pushing astrology, most people were unaware of what it meant or how to use it.
“So credibility was incredibly hard to establish, because astrology was not yet in the fabric of culture in the way that it is right now,” Gordon said.
Over the years, as astrology became more accepted into mainstream society, Gordon noticed a shift. Now, at her own school, she encounters increasingly younger students each year, which she called an “excellent sign” for the future.
“The fact that young people are so engaged in it tells me that we live in a world that has started to see humans as cogs in a wheel, and has perhaps valued individuality less and less,” Gordon said. “And as that is happening, concurrently as humans who value our individuality and uniqueness, we’ve chosen to invest more heavily in that and discover – why are we here?”
And as an astrologer, Gordon has dedicated her life to that very question. In order to best serve her clients, Gordon’s website offers a variety of resources including workshops, webinars, moon guides, and booking options for in-depth readings, all designed to help people gain a richer understanding of themselves.
Gordon argued that astrology can be a great benefit to mental health in a number of ways – the first being that it strengthens self-confidence. Perhaps you’re particularly inquisitive, for example, and you learn that’s a trait common of Geminis. Now, as a Gemini, you have the validation to just be who you are and embrace that part of yourself.
Possibly the main benefit to astrology, however, comes from its ability to connect. Life is not always easy, but knowing you’re going through those hard times with the rest of your astrological sign can be a comfort.
“You realize, ‘Wow, all Geminis are going through this hard thing right now,’ or ‘All Pisces are having a Saturn Return now,’ and you realize whatever suffering or hardship you’re enduring, you’re not alone in that,” Gordon said. “I think that is one of the most important things that astrology does – it gives us a larger sense of community, that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves.”
The positives of astrology are not just exclusive to mental health, as studies have shown people with some kind of faith are less likely to experience maladies like depression, anxiety, and even addiction. Though a belief in astrology is not exactly synonymous with religion, spirituality of all kinds helps provide guidance and meaning that can make particularly negative life events less stressful.
Where astrology can become detrimental to mental health, however, is when it becomes an obsession that stops us from living. While changes in the alignment of the planets can bring about changes in our lives, Gordon warned not to fear this process.
“The whole school of ‘You’re in a Saturn transit, go hide from the world,’ or ‘You’re in a Mercury Retrograde, don’t do anything,’ – no, the show must go on,” she said. “I think it’s important to dance with the energies, not hide from them. Invite them into your life, they’re all here to show us something.”
Both Gordon and Kochar said that what astrology does show us is a roadmap and a timeline. No one can predict the future, but understanding more about both your chart and the universe can bring its fair share of benefits.
“You might say, ‘I really want to start this right now,’ but it’s not a time to begin things,” Gordon explained. “And sure, you can go ahead and launch that business, but astrology can tell you if you wait until after that new moon, you’ll surf the wave at just the right time and this will triple your success.”
Astrology in practice
Perhaps what young adults find so appealing about astrology is that it gives them hope for the future.
SU senior Maggie Wilson first got into astrology for fun before she quickly realized that nothing brought her the same comfort as spirituality – not even religion.
“I was brought up Catholic. I went to Sunday school, I went to Bible study, I learned the ins and outs of the church,” she shared.
But as Wilson grew older, her parents – one atheist and one Catholic – gave her the freedom to pick her own path.
“A lot of the time, I’m more faithful and spiritual than I am religious – but I don’t necessarily follow a set religion,” Wilson said. “I do the bits and pieces that resonate with me the most, but spirituality more so aligns with my being.”
For Wilson, astrology is less about trying to predict the future and more about the idea that there is some guiding force in an uncertain life. While she has her fair share of friends and family she can turn to for advice, Wilson likes knowing that with spirituality, she’ll never really be alone.
“Even if my go-to people aren’t available, I do have someone that I can talk to, or at least someone or something I feel will listen to me,” she said. “It’s an outlet. I can light my candles, say a little something, and feel like someone’s listening to me and all my woes – but also all my successes.”
While Wilson knows that experiencing some anxiety is unavoidable in life, she credits astrology and spirituality with helping to ease these negative emotions. “It’s just a place to put all my big feelings, because energy can’t be created nor destroyed, so it needs to go somewhere,” she said. “That’s where I put it.”
Unfortunately, struggles are just a fact of life. But, as Kochar emphasizes, astrology can give people a bit of purpose to these struggles.
“Sometimes you feel there’s nothing good happening [and] you give up, but you don’t know, maybe in a week’s or a month’s time, everything will fall in place. So it’s about knowing your timing,” he said. “If you understand how far your destination is, then it will give you hope to keep walking, keep moving, keep jogging or running or driving.
“That is the beauty of astrology.”
is a digital producer for The NewsHouse.