Sometimes I feel like everyone hates my hobby. This is certainly a gross exaggeration–and even so, enjoying an “underrated” hobby often isn’t a difficulty in the slightest. Yet I can’t help but feel a little dumb when someone scoffs in response to me asking about their zodiac sign or requesting to analyze their birth chart. While I completely understand why people disregard astrology, I don’t think many people take the time to see it at its core and realize what it truly means to be “spiritual.”
Most of the criticism I receive for liking astrology and tarot comes from straight males who immediately view it as a silly, frivolous spiral into ignorance. Sometimes I’m met with a simple head shake and a laugh; others embark on desperate rampages hoping to invalidate what they see as a crime to science.
Much to their disbelief, astrology goes far deeper than newspaper horoscopes, just as tarot is much more than general readings that go viral TikTok. These hobbies can be a gateway to self-discovery, self-awareness, self-love, and confidence. It was these principles that captured my attention–the fact that there was a wider universe, a greater power beyond my efforts that was in control of my life. This concept gifted me a sense of comfort, curiosity, and courage during my anxious episodes throughout my high school career.
When I pop open a fresh deck of tarot cards–a deck of playing cards containing spiritual symbols and graphics used for fortune telling–my aim isn’t to speak to Zeus or ask Aphrodite whether he loves me or loves me not- it’s to analyze both the cards and myself. Each card has an objectively vague yet distinct meaning open to various subjective interpretations based on different situations, which is why I love it. No matter what card you flip over, there lies an answer. It’s not always clear. It’s certainly not always positive. But it is there, left for you to decide what to do with it.
Whether or not these are direct messages from some spiritual force above, I’m not sure. All I know is that they provide a sense of stability and comfort I find nowhere else. Tarot is merely a reminder that power lies within the self. It is an independent, intimate affair. Every card is a lesson to be learned, a value to be nurtured. What happens in the wider universe is out of human control; still, we yield complete control over our perception and reaction to the cards we are dealt.
It is this concept that I see as so beneficial to teens, many of whom are buckling under the weight of high school pressures. Astrology and tarot are ways to get curious about the world and about oneself. This self-exploration can provide some much-needed stability or internal emotional support for those who feel lost or overwhelmed by daily life, which ultimately helps to bolster independence and initiative. Personally, it helps me see the world through clearer eyes and realize that my troubles aren’t as amplified as they may seem. I have so much more courage to face the whims of the world when I believe the universe is on my side.
The belittlement of such an empowering, female-dominated hobby also furthers the harmful narrative that women are more gullible or less intelligent than their male peers. I’ve heard males use it as a testament to women’s shallowness, as evidence that they are far superior in their inability to “fall for” such a concept, speaking as if astrology and tarot were some pyramid scheme or fad rather than a lens through which to view life. Not all astrology non-believers are so extreme, just as not all of them are males or weaponize astrology to back sexist narratives. But the individuals who choose to do so tarnish the reputation of both women and the hobbies themselves.
Everyone has the freedom to view life as they wish and experience it as such. Therefore, different viewpoints should be celebrated and explored rather than shunned for their perceived obscurity. After all, it’s bad karma.
