supernatural coping mechanisms

This essay was a winner of West Valley College's Best Essays Contest and was featured in the 2019-2020 Best Essays Anthology.

A few months ago, one of my old classmates that I never talked to in high school messaged me over Twitter and simply asked me, “What's your birth chart?”. Supposedly a birth chart is a chart stating how the Sun, Moon, and planets in the solar system are symbolic to you on the basis of when and where you were born because of their positioning. The placement of one planet will impact your love life, while the placement of another could alter your financial prosperity. I sent her a screenshot of mine that I found on a random horoscope app and she responded word for word with: “Omg wow, this is so fascinating” and “It makes so much sense”. I was staring at my phone screen completely perplexed. What do you mean it makes sense? What makes sense? What was she seeing that I wasn’t? I’m only recently beginning to find security in who I am as a person and feel I’m only now on the cusp of upward growth. Yet this stranger could come to terms with who I was as a person before I could?

Astrology is defined as “the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects” by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Simply, it’s the belief that celestial bodies are significant to the motions and fortune-telling of our lives. There’s no doubt, though, that ancestors from thousands of years ago were also contemplating the universe and their lives as beings. In his novel, A History of Western Astrology, Jim Tester explains that “the first mention of twelve equal signs, as opposed to the constellations (of unequal extent in the heavens), was in 419 B.C.” (Tester 14). According to modern Western astrology, the 12 astrological signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces) which were determined from constellations, make up distinct personality traits.

For example, Libras are known to be hesitant and bad at commitment, while Cancers are stereotyped as moody and emotional. The characteristics are broad and vague, but that’s what makes them so intriguing. Humans are so focused on being able to fit themselves into a group. They are even more intrigued if they’re able to fit themselves into an imaginary box that won’t realistically inflict damage onto their present and physical world.

Astrology is referred to as a pseudoscience, which is defined as “a system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific.'' Even if it isn’t genuine and reliable science, that doesn’t stop people from referring to it. In Charles Clark’s work, Pursuing the Paranormal, he brings up, “One reason that many people reject science, writes mathematician John Allen Paulos, is that ‘New Age’ beliefs in astrology, biorhythms or Tarot cards comfort them by offering ‘personally customized pronouncements.’ Such people shy away from cold and impersonal scientific questions - How long? How fast? Which is more likely?” (Clark 10).  Astrology answers questions that real science can’t. It doesn’t mean it answers the questions factually or realistically, but just gives an answer. Science can tell you how things in the physical universe work. Scientists get frustrated that people turn to pseudoscience, but can you blame them? People are seeking affirmations. If someone is going through a hard time in their life, saying that Mercury is in retrograde so things will get better soon is a lot more reassuring than, say, the chemical makeup of our galaxy.

The popularity of religion with millennials is massively decreasing. Pew Research Center found that a predominant number of millennials are “religious nones,” i.e. atheists, agnostics, those whose religion is nothing. More and more, millennials are rejecting religion (Pew Research Center). People aren’t getting the same cosmic experience of religion like they used to. Religion is the same as astrology in the sense that it’s a coping mechanism. It’s faltering because its explanations and purposes are not as necessary anymore. I don’t think people are as concerned to know about morality from a book written by dead people, but rather more focused on themselves. Will I be okay? How is my future? The Los Angeles Times writes, “...millennial nones are not abandoning organized religion to become secular, science-loving humanists. Rather, they are turning toward more individual forms of spiritualism, including yoga, meditation, healing stones, Wiccan spell casting, and astrology” (Asma 3). People are finding other methods to find solace besides religion. Notably, more individually. As a society, we don’t really need religion as a survival tool that, in the past, it was. Thus, we find another tool to cope. Christine Smallwood from The New Yorker expands, “The popularity of astrology is often explained as the result of the decline of organized religion and the rise of economic precariousness...Then, there’s the matter of political panic. In times of crisis, it is often said, people search for something to believe in” (Smallwood par. 7). Astrology is becoming so prevalent because pseudosciences give people hope. If astrology can reassure people there’s security in their future, they’ll take it. Similarly, in Carl Sagan’s article, “Does Truth Matter?  Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization”, he explains, “Pseudoscience is easier to contrive than science because distracting confrontations with reality - where we cannot control the outcome of the comparison - are more readily avoided” (Sagan 3).

I don’t believe that astrology is a reliable source of fortune-telling, but I noticed that I would ironically and jokingly mention it in my day to day life. Yet, taking a step back further, I realize that I allowed it to subconsciously take control of my own free will. The concept that the time you were born, one of the factors you ultimately had no control of, can dictate the type of person you are and are bound to be is compelling. Since I was born at this time, and not that one, and in this month rather than that one, because of the stars and the planets it translates to me having this type of personality, and not that one. This is why I am me, why I think what I think, act how I act, say what I say. It sounds utmost foolish, but I still seem to catch myself falling into it.

From personal experience, I felt like it was all starting to make more and more sense. I was a teenager who felt like I was constantly running in circles. I felt as though my third eye opened when I had the mind-altering realization for the reason that people that I was romantically interested in did not have reciprocated feelings for me. I’m a fool, it was right in front of me: they were all Geminis! Every single one of them. I know it was a total coincidence, or was it? I realized that I had blamed the situation on something entirely other than me and something out of my control: their horoscope signs. I took the blame off myself and instead of taking a pause to reflect upon my own personal habits and mannerisms, I was absolved of any responsibility for my faults, when I noticed such a coincidence. It felt like the stars literally aligned and it all made sense now. Clearly people born between May 21st and June 21st were the problem. Geminis are stereotypically known to be two-faced and hypocritical anyway. Scorpios are known to be mysterious and dark, so I was able to justify my distant behavior with the mindset of “It’s just my personality”, when really it’s a fault that I should heavily take into consideration to fix. If I was an Aries, I wouldn’t have an excuse to be mysterious and vague to people, so I’m relieved that my poor character traits can be blamed by the stars and not myself, right?

But I suppose that’s the thing. I’m inhibiting myself from character growth on the basis of what websites and magazine columns say I am or how they say I should act. I feel that I have a lot more potential within myself, so it’s ironic having some source who doesn’t know my back story, only sees me on the surface of being born in mid-November, guiding me on what to do. It sounds ridiculous, but I still find myself subtly relying on horoscopes to tell me what to do. Astrology is a coping mechanism masked with humor. A very small portion of people genuinely believe in astrology, (Pew Research Center says that only 23% of millennials do), but even if it’s not true, I continue to seek and appreciate the guidance and advice it does provide.

Without promoting the app entirely, there’s been a big wave in the app, “Co-star”. A personalized horoscope app that you can add your friends to see your similarities with one another. It gives you a daily notification with a sentence or two of advice, just for you. The app is specific and personalized to the user. To start your account you input your date of birth, time of birth, city of birth, (luckily not your social security number), so they can figure out the exact placement of planets, the sun, moon, their angles and so on to guide you with what the universe feels like you need to hear. One evening, my friend was ranting to me about some friend troubles that she was having. I let her vocalize her annoyance, and I thought nothing more of it. The next morning, she sent me a screenshot of her notification which read, “Try not to bash your friends behind their backs.'' We were both eerily uncomfortable because we both quietly knew what she had said about others the night before. Another time, I was having friend problems too, I was extremely frustrated and one of my friend’s notifications for the day was, “Help your friends become the best versions of themselves”. (These examples both coincidentally are about friends, but that’s beside the point).

The app knew exactly what to say to us in a moment of crisis. There’s no doubt thousands of other users received the same notification, but somehow, the artificial intelligence behind Co-star knew we needed to hear something about friends. It sounds foolish saying that, but Co-star knew. The notification put us in our place. It made us reflect our actions over the past few days and realize that maybe talking poorly about people isn’t a good idea. Let me repeat: a notification for an app about stars and planets made us pause for a second about our actions. Out of all the coincidences, it gave us a glare that a parent would out of love, but disappointment. A glare that kindly reminds you to rethink your actions, before you get too carried away with impulsive emotions.

This branches into the concept of the Barnum effect, which is defined as “The psychological phenomenon whereby people accept general personality interpretations (Barnum profiles) as accurate descriptions of their own unique personalities” (Dickson and Kelly 1). Examples of Barnum statements are “You have a great need for others to like and admire you” and “You have a tendency to be critical of yourself”. The statements are vague, but applicable. If I took a personality test and received these as my results, I would be in awe of how detailed and accurate they are. The Barnum effect is applicable to astrology because if people hear their astrological word of advice, they will find it applicable. The vagueness allows us individually to piece together exactly what we want to hear and how we wish to interpret it, even subconsciously.

I believe that’s why the concept of astrology as a whole is so incredibly popular. Daily horoscope apps give people advice in which they feel the vague message it reads is personally directed for them in the moment. Sagan expresses that, “It caters to fantasies about personal powers we lack and long for…” (Sagan 4). It’s no surprise people give so much control to something like that-  it guides them on what to do and what decisions to make. The messages are malleable enough where they’re able to be so easily interpreted, while simultaneously focusing explicitly on what the person felt like they needed to hear. If there’s a concern weighing down on somebody, sitting in the back of their mind, they’re probably waiting for the slight nudge to go for whatever they deep down want to go for. Yet, as hesitant and uncertain human beings, we’re oftentimes too scared to take the jump. But if there’s an omnipresent message, it’s clearly a sign. Humans are so desperate for signs as a reason to justify an action. In National Geographic’s publication titled, “Science of the Supernatural”, author Daniel Levy explains, he writes, “Unusual events thus become tangible by the sense that some sort of mythic being, some unseen force, willed its occurrence…” (Levy 4). Astrology becomes so foreign, but almost tangible resources that we use for guidance. We forget that we’re in control of our own lives and decisions, so much so that we call “shotgun” and ride the passenger seat in the car for the ride of our life.

Levy continues, “As humans sought to wrap their beliefs around the ungraspable, societies fashioned explanations for all they could not understand in order to define the infinite” (Levy 4). Society as a whole does not sit well with the idea of question. People get eerie when there are things they do not know. Astrology plays a tiny role in attempting to meditate the pacing questions running through people’s minds. “I’m scared of the future. I don’t know what it holds.” Horoscopes can help predict the future if people want their future predicted. I don’t believe it’s my right to invalidate the beliefs of others though. Is that because my rising sign is Cancer? Even if they believe in something that can’t even be factually explained. Sagan exclaims, “Naturally people try various belief systems on for size, to see if they help. And if we’re desperate enough, we become all too willing to abandon what may be perceived as the heavy burden of skepticism” (Sagan 3-4). I feel as a being coexisting with all these other beings in a universe we all mutually don’t seem to understand, if someone finds comfort or peace in one belief, so be it. I feel it’s unnecessary on my end to destroy that for them. There’s nothing that I can gain from belittling someone else’s point of view.

Bluntly, the mysteries of the world and the universe are overwhelming. It’s understandable that throughout the rises and falls of countless civilizations, the millennia of human life, that in order to ease the anxiety of the unknown, humans put faith into seeking answers. Religion and pseudosciences help answer questions that people are silently and subconsciously asking. A bandaid in a situation in need of surgery; the internal ache of impending existential crises that nobody dare bring up. The only way for science to outflank pseudoscience and religion would be for it to answer the questions we are using pseudoscience and religion to answer. If one copes with the uncertainty of life through messages from the stars, let them- at least they’re coping.

Works Cited

"Astrology." The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc.

Clark, Charles S. "Pursuing the Paranormal." CQ Researcher, 29 Mar. 1996, pp. 265-88,

Dickson, D. H., and I. W. Kelly. "THE 'BARNUM EFFECT' IN PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE."

Gecewicz, Claire. Six-in-ten Christians, 'nones' hold at least one New Age belief. Graph file, 4 Dec. 2017. Infographic.

Lantz, Patricia. Constellations and the Zodiac. 2006.

Levy, Daniel. "Science in the Supernatural." National Geographic.

Millennials Increasingly Are Driving Growth of 'nones'. Pew Research Center, 12 May 2015.

"Pseudoscience." The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc.

Rangel, Josh. Zodiac Signs. 2018, Venice.

Sagan, Carl. "Does Truth Matter? Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization."

Smallwood, Christine. "Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty." The New Yorker.

Tester, S. Jim. A History of Western Astrology. Boydell & Brewer, 1987.