Focusing on the social world that gave rise to, and is being partly constituted by astrological practices, Matthew Cull and Nadia Mehdi argue that despite appearances, contemporary astrology does not offer resources for resisting capitalism.
Matthew Cull and Nadia Mehdi / Spectre Journal
Introduction
Astrology is back. It’s all over Instagram, and even Facebook and Twitter are getting involved. Millennials and zoomers have fallen back in love with the zodiac. One might suggest that this is quite the issue for scientific education: surely, astrology is nonsense. The claim that the location of the stars at our birth, or the current position of the earth in the astrological calendar, has any effect on our lives and characters beyond extremely minor gravitational forces seems clearly, to use a philosophical term, bullshit (Frankfurt 2005). Scientifically-minded people, one might think, ought to follow the 186 scientists who suggested, in the 1975 September/October issue of The Humanist, that: “It is simply a mistake to imagine that the forces exerted by stars and planets at the moment of birth can in any way shape our futures. Neither is it true that the position of distant heavenly bodies make certain days or periods more favorable to particular kinds of action, or that the sign under which one was born determines one’s compatibility or incompatibility with other people” (Bok, Jerome, and Kurtz 1975).
In this paper we’ll offer no defense, or indeed attack on, the claim that there is direct causal action by the stars on human action or character.1 Instead, we’re more interested in the social world that gave rise to, and is being partly constituted by, these astrological practices. We will argue that there is reason to think, given some facts about social ontology, certain astrological predictions about character can be good ones (though not for the reasons that astrologers think). We’ll also look at how this social practice is situated in the social world of late capitalism, arguing that, despite appearances, contemporary astrology does not offer resources for resisting capitalism, and indeed, that it actually serves to reinforce the weltanschauung of capitalist ideology.
The paper is organized as follows. In the next section, Section 2, we will introduce contemporary Western astrology and the particular online practices we are concerned to understand and critique. In Section 3, we will examine the kinds of constructive mechanisms that we take to underwrite reliable astrological predictions. Section 4 sees us taking a detour through the history of capitalism and witchcraft in order to situate contemporary astrological practices in their historical context. Drawing on the lessons learned in Section 4, Section 5 provides a critique of contemporary astrology as capitalist technology and a rejoinder to those who would defend it as a queer practice of resistance.
Contemporary Astrology
Modern Western astrology is horoscopic. That is, it functions through the production of an astrological chart, tracking the positions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars at the time of a person’s birth on the understanding that these cosmic bodies have had an influence on that person. Such charting involves setting out which astrological sign each astronomical body was “in” when that person was born—an astrological sign designating one of twelve thirty-degree arcs in the night sky.
Such signs are grouped together into elemental “trigons,” so as to give us four types of sign: fire signs (Aries, Sagittarius and Leo), water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces), air signs (Libra, Aquarius and Gemini), and earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo). What is generally known as one’s “star sign” is (in the world of astrology) technically only one’s sun sign, relating to the position of the sun in the Zodiac at the time of one’s birth. By plotting the positions of other astronomical bodies, one can produce a rather complex chart detailing not only the locations of such bodies relative to the earth, but also the relative locations of each of the bodies themselves.2
Crucially, each sign has traits that supposedly determine the psychological dispositions or temperament of its members. Fire signs are said to be brash and impulsive; water signs are known for their creativity and emotionality; air signs are animated and have a tendency to over-intellectualize their feelings; and earth signs are practical and slow to change emotionally (The Cut 2019). These interact in complex ways with the various astronomical bodies being charted. For instance, one’s sun sign supposedly rules one’s ego, identity and role in life. As such, if one’s sun sign is in Libra, then purportedly one is fundamentally oriented towards justice and fairness, whereas if one’s sun sign is in Leo, then supposedly one is fundamentally bold and proud. One’s moon sign—where the moon was when you were born—determines emotions, moods, and feelings. A moon in Virgo suggests that one’s emotional self is analytical, responsible and pacifying, whereas a moon in Scorpio will lead one’s emotional self to be intense, passionate, and dramatic.
Whilst the popularity of astrology waxes and wanes, we are currently in a real boom time for such practices. Notably, current popular astrological practices have moved beyond the traditional horoscopes of newspapers and magazines: the new astrology is hip, funny and #online. Moreover, it is often engaged in the complex charting practices mentioned above: at least in rhetoric it won’t put up with vague predictions based solely on one’s sun sign (though, as we’ll see, this rhetoric is often not followed in practice). Dedicated astrology social media accounts proliferate and both Gen-Z and millennials are exercising their secret weapon—the meme—to spread the message: we are not in control, the stars are.3
Fascinatingly, the online memes and astrology influencers promulgating the pull of the stars as a determining principle of human categorization have had wide effects beyond the internet. Take for example the infamous viral case from 2019, when an application from a new flatmate to join a millennial household was turned down because of the applicant’s star sign. The response read: “Hey Christine! Sorry I haven’t responded earlier. My concern is that you’re a Capricorn. Our main goal is to keep things egalitarian, without anyone being “in charge” or domming the household. I love Capricorns, but I don’t think I could live with one… This Virgo/Gemini house is a special place where soft mutable signs get to run free untethered by cardinal authorities” (Paul 2019).
Elsewhere, the pop star Lizzo has sworn on her album Cuz I Love You to never date a Gemini (again) (Paul 2019) and dating sites now allow users to sort their matches by star sign. For instance, the dating application Bumble has published articles on which star signs are most compatible for you in your search for true love. The advice for Cancers reads,
“When it comes to relationships, you’re in it for the long haul—which is why earthy Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are your perfect matches. They get that romance is a slow burn and are dedicated to seeing it through. You share an almost psychic connection with fellow water signs, Scorpio and Pisces. They understand how deeply you feel things, even when it seems like no one else around you can. The air signs—that’s Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius—open your mind to completely new ideas, and it’s always refreshing. You feel a little overwhelmed by the unbridled energy of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, even if you wish you could have some of it for yourself (Bumble 2022).”
Body shapes and parts have even begun to be aligned with star signs. Journalist Amy Larocca recounts a conversation she overheard at a six-year old’s birthday party:
“Mother A: ‘When is Emma’s birthday again?’
Mother B: ‘December 15.’
Mother A: ‘Mm-hm. I thought so. She’s got those classic Sag thighs.’” (Larocca 2019).
So, what is going on here? Astrology has returned to prominence and is affecting the lives of millions. In the rest of this paper, we will explore the significance of that fact.
The Social Ontology of Astrology
We are largely uninterested in debate about the correctness, or not, of traditional astrological explanations for the behavior of say, Scorpios. Rather, we want to look at these astrological claims in the context of the social world(s) that we inhabit. Indeed, we suggest that independent of any putative direct causal impingement of the position of the stars at one’s birth, there is good reason for those millennials and zoomers engaged in astrological thinking to think that Scorpios will be secretive, that Geminis will be two-faced and so on. That is, we think that particular social constructive mechanisms will lead to the reification of such categories as social identities through which people frame their own actions and the actions of others. There are two in particular that we will look at here: looping effects and proleptic mechanisms.
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