I did not have a very pleasing start to 2026. There was a disappointing rejection in the job department, and a far more embarrassing rejection in the romantic one.
In the midst of my distress I did what any sane person would do: I turned to my friends for advice, support and reassurance that, with their help, I could clamber my way out of my distress. Unfortunately, neither comfort nor advice was offered by any of the friends I turned to.
No, in response to my plea for help I was instead greeted with the movements of the moon. Apparently, at the time of my peak stress, it was a phenomenon known as a wolf supermoon. This is the first full moon of the year and also sees the moon near its closest approach to earth, and it’s accompanied by both a visible Jupiter in the evening and a very visible mental breakdown from yours truly.
So, of course, there was no need for my friends to provide any form of logical or emotional support; all my problems would soon be solved when the moon returned back to its normal-ish crescent form.
Yet, four weeks later I’m still jobless, single, stressed, and, yes, still staring at the moon waiting for it to sort itself out so I can too. “Just wait for February’s planetary parade,” suggested one of my friends. “It’s known for bringing change and personal transformation!”
I’ve been as deeply into this stuff as any of my friends. But after this last month, looking to the sky for guidance has lost its appeal. Unfortunately, that means I’ve made myself an anomaly within not only my friendship group, but also my entire generation.
Us Gen Zers are known for being obsessed with astrology and all things mystical. The astrology app Co-Star, which combines AI technology with insights from Nasa data and human astrologists, had 7.5 million users in 2020; by 2023 it said it had 30 million. In 2024, a survey found 63 per cent of Gen Z thought astrology had had a positive impact on their careers. Its a devotion that goes beyond fun or fascination. It’s a search for control and purpose within an increasingly unstable and artificial world.
Like many of my friends, my fascination began by reading monthly magazine horoscopes and exploring the powers of manifestation – neither gave me anything substantial but I took pleasure in them all the same. From there I was introduced to the more personalised horoscopes, the ones where you must provide everything from your place and time of birth to your mother’s maiden name and card details.
Then I got drawn in deeper and deeper. I signed up to Co-Star to receive my horoscope on a daily basis; if Mercury was in retrograde, I made sure to stay clear of confrontation. I took up collecting crystals, charging them at every full moon so as to boost their positive energy. I even began instructing ChatGPT to read my tarot cards – teaching myself would have been a step too far.
It all seemed harmless, nothing more than participating in one of the biggest trends of the moment. But since trying to talk to my friends about my January mini-breakdown resulted in an exclusively moon-based response, I’ve realised our devotion to astrology has gone way too far.
It’s no longer a fun little distraction, and nor is about spiritual connection. Its rampant consumerism: paid subscriptions and online sales dressed up as helpful guidance. And the faithful followers take it as gospel. I’ve sat by and watched as friends remove people from their lives just because their witch told them to, and I’ve witnessed many make life-altering decisions in the name of pursuing a fate set out by some of Instagram’s most popular creators.
One friend informed me that a guy broke up with her solely because their astrological primal signs were incompatible. Primal signs are a modern system which blends Western zodiac with the Chinese zodiac to create primal spirit animals; not, as some would suggest, an indicator of romantic compatibility. (However, saying that, if your date does start judging you on your primal sign, I’d suggest that that is a very good indicator of romantic incompatibility.)
And God forbid you disagree with the moon or someone’s bespoke mystical guidance. If you do, you’re not only in danger of being emotionally shunned for your lack of spirituality but also being cursed with a spell purchased from a witch on Etsy for just £50.
There are serious consequences for Gen Z too. This obsession is diminishing our ability to build friendships and infiltrating our search for love. Compassion is contingent on zodiac signs, and we judge other people based on their place and time of birth, instead of the things they do and say and how we connect with them.
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We’re looking for guidance. But the guidance we’re receiving is, at best, pure self-indulgence. At worst it’s nonsense packaged as agency and inspiration, preventing us from being able to offer one another sound advice or take it from friends.
Each method of tapping into the cosmos or connecting to the mystical, no matter how personalised or persuasive they might seem, is pushing us further away from giving and receiving support rooted in love, care and intimacy. In its place we’re being pulled closer towards solitary decision-making led by manipulation, profit and detachment.
So, from here on out, I shall be parting ways with the universe and navigating life without planetary assistance. It’s a much-needed change that I believe will bring me independence and a sense of empowerment. Or at least that’s what my February horoscope told me.
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