A Vox reader asks: Why do so many people believe in astrology?

Astrology has been around as long as people have had problems. Frustrated with their terrestrial existence, humans have looked to the stars for answers. A constellation shaped like a goat, an archer, or a virgin could have just as much insight into life as anyone on Earth — maybe even more. Today, pop stars devote entire albums and songs to their Saturn returns, sports fans use the zodiac to predict the Knicks’ success, and astrology apps are all over millennials’ and Gen Z’s phones, helping to make astrology a reportedly $12 billion industry and growing.

But could the way the stars were aligned on the day you come into the world really dictate the rest of your life? Are the millions of people who were born in the same 29-day span as you experiencing life in just the way you are? Does having a birthday in early June really damn you to having the toxic personality of a Gemini? Is Mercury in retrograde really to blame for everything that goes wrong? (That is, aside from the things Geminis are responsible for.)

Those larger questions might be unanswerable, but astrology’s longevity and popularity aren’t up for debate. So the better question is: What is it about astrology that makes it so compelling to so many different people?

The simple answer might be that people around the world find validation and self-reflection in astrology. The idea that the stars and planets can affect our personal lives and shape who we........

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