Healing crystals, aura readings, and chakra cleansings are here to stay. The second rise of New age philosophies has taken on a swift momentum that is increasingly becoming the new mainstream. I love it, says Mikaela Sasi.
Is there anything more cliche than a white female middle-class Social science student who is into horoscopes? Probably not. Good thing I study at Ekonomihögskolan then, because I fully believe that the Lundastudents doing palm readings and charging crystals during full moon might be onto something.
Over the course of my uni years, I have been introduced to tarot cards at dinner parties and visited my fair share of crystal shops. The overwhelming majority of my female friends in Lund have a personalized horoscope app, Co-star, downloaded to their phone, and saying no to a potential date when you find out they are a Capricorn is seen as a completely reasonable act. What brings the sudden surge of the New age religions and why is it particularly popular among women from Gen Z?
The second wave of New age spirituality could maybe be seen as a countereffect to the social media era. By practicing mindfulness we may seek to mute the sound of a million notifications that follow our phone-glued-to-hand generation everywhere. Digitalization has led to us having to be available at all times, and to be honest, logging off by escaping on a spiritual retreat is a much-needed act of self-care.
More than anything, what people in their twenties going to university in the midst of a global pandemic crave is answers. In a sea of virus mutations, alt-right, forest fires, and melting ice caps, feeling out of control about one’s life situation and the future of the planet is a recurring theme. So, to get through these trying times when lectures are held on Zoom, nations are closed and sittings are canceled, it’s time to turn to the planets.
Astrology and tarot card readings guide people to ask themselves questions they otherwise would not pose, and whether or not one finds the answer, a higher degree of self-awareness rarely does any harm. Moreover, a tarot deck at dinner parties is the perfect tool for diving into deep conversations and learning more about your classmates. Thus, if energizing stones and palm readings have the potential to give clarity about one’s life situation, why should they be seen in a negative light?
There are of course some cynics who refuse to give in to the divine powers of the planets and get scared off by the word ”self-reflection” – unless it’s hidden in a New York Times Bestseller business self-help book about 95-hour workweeks (looking at you straight men). However, whether you choose to embrace spirituality or not, the women practicing horoscopes are the daughters of the witches you couldn’t burn. So be wary when you scoff at the power of manifestation, we might just cast a spell on you.
