Astrologers cashing in
– When might there be a vaccine? Should I move to avoid a second wave of infections? Will I get another job? Americans anxious from the upheaval caused by the coronavirus crisis are turning to astrologers for answers about an uncertain future.
Stargazers and tarot card readers in the United States are reporting an uptick in business due to Covid-19 as people seek advice and comfort for their disrupted lives amid sometimes chaotic messaging from leaders.
Michele Bell, 54, hired New York City-based astrologer Jenny Lynch after the virus killed her mother in April.
Bell had spent seven years caring for her mom and was now at a loss about what to do with her life.
“I was caught in a very toxic energetic field,” said Bell.
After studying Bell’s chart based on her date, time and location of birth, Lynch told her her horoscope suggested 2021 would be a good time to fulfil her dream of living abroad.
“She really gave me some new personal growth to navigate to,” said Bell.
Almost 30% of Americans believe that the movement of stars and planets impacts human lives, a 2017 Pew Research Centre poll found.
Americans spent $2.2 billion (about R36 billion) on “psychic services” in 2018, according to market research firm IBISWorld.
As US residents started to grapple with the new world of social distancing and political leaders sent contradictory signals amid an unprecedented, fast-changing situation, traffic to some astrology sites increased slightly, according to media analytics company Comscore.
Visits to Astro.com, Cafe Astrology and Astrology Zone were up in March, when America’s epidemic broke out, compared to February, Comscore said.
Lynch, 70, quickly picked up 10 new clients after New York went into lockdown on 22 March.
“Some are out of work and want to know what to expect. Some of them want to start their own business. And a lot of people want to leave cities right now.
“Everybody is in a state of transition,” she said.
Lynch – a practitioner of astrology for half a century – has clients from across the world, including Spain and Saudi Arabia.
She charges $150 (about R2 500) for a one-hour reading on Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp, but prefers the old normal when she could sit with clients in person, both of them looking at her computer.
“In person is better because I can show the movements of the planets on the screen. They see that it’s mathematical and I’m not just making it up,” said Lynch.
Anne Ortelee, another prominent NYC astrologer, estimates that her billings have risen 25% since the virus crisis erupted.
She said people were asking themselves whether they trust their political leaders.
– AFP