“Yes I’m dramatic, it’s because I’m a Leo”.
Who else blames certain character traits on their star sign? Our team at Straight Up PR combines air & fire, with a Libra, a Sagittarius, an Aries & a Leo. The newest member of our team, Grace is a Leo through & through, with her infectious enthusiasm, passion & drive. Fascinated by astrology & spiritual health, we asked Grace to dive deeper into this trend to uncover if it’s a passing trend or something that’s here to stay. Let’s get stuck in!
I, Grace, blame being a Leo for my brutal honesty and my need for attention. It’s a type of shorthand to explain my personality to my friends. “What’s your star sign?” seems as ordinary a conversation starter “what do you do?”. It’s why I know I’m not alone in my increasing interest in what my birth chart says about my behavioural tendencies.
We’ve been in the midst of an astrology boom for nearly a decade now, & this only seems to be rising as a result of its popularity on social media. According to Google Trends, by the end of 2020, searches for “astrology” & “birth chart” both hit a five-year high.
This really isn’t surprising when we look at what a year 2020 was. The global pandemic created a world of doubt & uncertainty, leading people to seek answers. As we continue to lose loved ones, become furloughed or unemployed, & enter into new restrictions, astrology affirms that “everything happens for a reason” & offers comfort, even to those who don’t necessarily “believe” in it.
One of the main reasons astrology is so enticing is because it has this set of reasons for why things happen. Annabel Gat, astrologer & author of The Astrology of Love & Sex: A Modern Compatibility Guide says that “astrology creates this cause-&-effect paradigm that’s really exciting for people to explore.” This works on a collective level. When there’s a lot of anxiety surrounding big events, it can feel helpful for people to look to the planetary cycles for answers. The same thing holds true for those seeking to make sense of or contextualize the global pandemic.
Astrology is a clear form of pattern – seeking. Pattern-seeking, or patternicity is a way of perceiving meaningful connection between unrelated things. It allows us to understand our world in a clearly defined way, & astrology gives us a quick & easy explanation to all of our “whys”. It gives us the ability to put ourselves in categories that can be used as clear-cut explanations for the biggest, unknown questions in the universe. Astrology literally looks to the patterns within the planets & stars as explanations for patterns within ourselves & the world we live in.
Apps such as Co-Star & The Pattern have made astrology even more accessible to those wanting to delve deeper into the world of sun, moon & rising signs. Instagram is brimming with zodiac memes, affirmations for the full moon & star sign compatibility charts. We can pull up our weekly horoscope in a matter of seconds & read about what the new moon means for our love life as we get ready for a date.
As we continue to adjust to a world online, astrologists, spiritual healers & psychics are beginning to offer their services digitally. Our client & Clairvoyance Psychic, Athina Bailey offers all of her services online, claiming that she can provide a deeper reading when her & her client are both in spaces they feel comfortable in.
As restrictions increase & lockdown shows no signs of lifting, we must turn away from the traditional methods of connecting & make use of technology to maintain & build relationships. This era of doubt and uncertainty finds us grasping for an anchor or, for many, looking to the sky for patterns in the stars.