WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Astrology has been around for centuries, but it has recently gained increased traction among millennials and Gen Zs. Why are more people looking for answers in the stars, and is there more to astrology than meets the eye?

- CHERYL LAI-LIM

"Pisces, you are reserved and somewhat quiet... [you] rule non-verbal communication, [which is] the reason why so many Pisces work happily as artists, musicians, dancers, sculptors," writes American astrologer Susan Miller on her astrology site, Astrologyzone.com, which draws over 309 million page views per year with over 11 million unique readers.

However, those around me will agree that I am neither reserved nor "somewhat quiet", I have two left feet, and I am not known for my artistic skills.

Yet, while I'm not exactly aligned with my zodiac sign as a Pisces, I do find myself eagerly devouring monthly Western astrological predictions that forecast what's in store for me.

And I'm not alone - over one in four Americans believe in astrology, according to a Yougov poll in 2022. British astrologer Dr Nicholas Campion, who is also the associate professor in cosmology and culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, conducted a survey in 2017 with his students aged 18 to 21, and found that 70 per cent read a horoscope column once a month, while 51 per cent valued its advice.

THE POWER OF THE SIGN

Astrology itself dates back to the second millennium BC. The origins of astrology can be traced back to Mesopotamia, a historic region that was home to the ancient Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilisations in the Middle East, among others, says Noorashikin Zulkifli, senior curator (Islamic Art & Peranakan) at Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum.

"The idea that celestial bodies the sun, moon, stars and planets can influence earthly events, including shaping our personalities and the course of our lives, stems from Mesopotamian divination," she explains.