March 21, 2022
Editor: Autumn Bryant
Artist: Sidney Silver
A Sunday Morning circa 2010
The sound of clattering dishes and the smell of coffee slowly wakes me up; I am drowsily led downstairs by the commotion of the kitchen. Making my way to the dining table I’m eager not to pour myself a cup of Joe, but to read the newspaper that’s already been skimmed by the early birds in my family, and picked apart by my father, who covets the crosswords for himself. But I don’t care for the crosswords, I’m only interested in Section C, The Mix. Home to all of the lifestyle happenings from trendy furniture to recommended reads, my favorite column is at the very end of the last page located just below Ask Abby (a close second of mine).
What feels a bit like eating dessert first, I begin my read of the newspaper with the astrological forecast found at the bottom right corner. My eyes quickly scan until I come across the words, “Leo, Week of –/–”. After reading aloud the few sentences that foster my excitement for the week ahead, I start to share with my siblings their respective horoscopes. As eyes roll and noses scrunch, I hold onto every word. I conclude with a second, silent analysis of my own horoscope, and continue on reading the column above.
***
It’s now 2022. My dad doesn’t buy the physical newspaper and I don’t live at home. I get my Ask Abby fix in the form of Instagram influencers’ AMA stories (s/o Eli Rallo & Tinx). And now, what used to be the Sunday treat of reading my horoscope is no longer a weekend ritual, but rather a part of my daily routine.
However, much like when I was a kid, I still find myself faced with a frequent disdain for astrology when the topic comes up in casual conversation. Similar to my siblings’ distaste for my enthusiasm, I’m regularly asked by skeptics if I “actually believe that sh*t?” And while for the most part I do, I don’t like to combat their desire to shift my beliefs with an argument to challenge theirs. Instead, I tell them about what has kept me so drawn to my horoscope since I was a little girl: that, for me, astrology is more about reading than it is believing.
It’s a morning reflection. A quick start to my day that isn’t mindless scrolling on TikTok or getting up to date on all the news I missed overnight. It’s how I reserve a few minutes for no one but myself. Something that gets my brain ticking and asks me what I want to think about that day. Do I want to continue a creative endeavor, or begin a new intellectual pursuit? Maybe today is the day I stop weighing that risk and just take it? Whatever the words, I carefully consider them and think about what applies to me at my moment in time. In taking what resonates and leaving what doesn’t, I’m always able to step away with new thoughts that last all day, and oftentimes even longer.
Popular apps such as Co-star, Sanctuary, Moonly, and The Pattern-all of which have unashamedly been downloaded to my phone- make horoscopes more accessible than ever. Although the authenticity and astrological reliability of these apps is of contentious debate, the comfort I find in them has little to do with their accuracy. What I take from these apps is a somewhat curated, easily digestible daily reflection. While I was hardly this intentional with my consumption of horoscopes as a kid, it’s clear to me now why, even as my belief in astrology has waned and waxed over time, I’ve always kept the stars by my side. Because whether it be in my local newspaper or an app on my phone, my horoscope never fails to illuminate ideas from the depths of my mind that would otherwise go unknown.