as featured on Distinct Magazine
How did you first get into astrology? Did you stumble upon a fashion editorial that stopped you in your tracks? Did you read your horoscope in a TigerBeat magazine back in 2009? Maybe if you’re Hispanic and anything like me, you spent your whole childhood dedicated to the astrologer Walter Mercado and watched the astrology dating show 12 Corazones when you were way too young.
Anyone with eyes can see that astrology, divination, and occultism are everywhere these days. Brands are starting to jump on the wave to appeal to younger audiences. Spotify has curated monthly astrology playlists according to the sign’s horoscopes, Dior has released a line of zodiac-inspired necklaces, and even Gucci released a jewelry editorial alluding to palm readings with crystals out on a table. Fenty Beauty recently released their line of Mattemoiselle lipsticks and posted which lipstick shades each zodiac sign should be wearing. So, what has made metaphysical and spiritual practices blow up the way that they have? The answer is simpler than you’d expect, and that’s a planetary transit of Neptune in the sign of Pisces.
Let me break it down for you. Neptune is the second farthest planet from the sun and gets its name from the Roman god of the Sea. As the higher vibrational body version of Venus, it governs the fine arts as well as anything that can induce a trance-like state of consciousness, such as dreams, meditation, alcohol, drugs, and medicine. Neptune is also the planetary ruler of the 12th house in astrology, which symbolizes intuition, deception, illusions, escapism, mysticism, and individual or collective consciousness. Because Neptune is such a slow orbiting planet taking 165 years to orbit, it is considered a “generational” planet that affects the masses through methods such as television, fashion, music, and art. Pisces, the 12th sign of the zodiac which represents everything from spirituality to imagination, is at home in the sign of Neptune, its planetary ruler along with Jupiter. Neptune has been in Pisces since February 5th, 2012, and will continue to be in this sign until March 30th, 2026.
What does that mean for us? Due to this transit, you may have noticed that as a collective, people are more interested in pursuing their spirituality and finding their purpose. You may have started seeing numerological frequencies, such as 11:11 on the clock all the time, or have gotten to know yourself better through astrology memes. However, you have been working on discovering yourself, it’s as if everyone was experiencing a spiritual awakening this past decade. Unfortunately, for marketers and companies, this can also mean easier influence and as I mentioned earlier, a chance for deception.
There is a vastly large community of online astrologers, tarot readers, and spiritual “gurus.” Personally, I have fallen into the depths of tarot YouTube and numerology videos in between homework assignments. However, not every practitioner online is reliable. One example is Audrey Kitching, a myspace celebrity in the early 2000s who now turned “crystal healer” and Instagram influencer. She is known for her contemplative tweets and her online shop, Crystal Cactus, selling everything from oils, candles, crystals, and her manifestation glitter dust. She was busted by a collective of reiki healers, astrologers, and other practitioners through an account called “fraudreykitching”, where they exposed her supposedly hand-crafted expensive products, as cheap jewelry one could find on AliExpress, an online retail servicer based in China. This is a small example of a big movement to capitalize off of this spirituality trend that is spreading nationally today.
In a similar fashion, there’s been a rise of misinformation regarding astrology on the internet ever since astrology became a $2.1 billion market attracting venture capital. The popular app Co-Star, which is notorious for its pessimistic horoscopes or, “sorrowscopes” as some have called it, has been noted for messing up the house system when delineating your natal chart. While these zodiac drags have become a joke on social media, many serious astrologers such as Amy Tripp (@starheal on Twitter) have grown a serious hatred for the app, going as far as stating that the founder Banu Guler gives astrology a bad name. We also see a pattern of appropriation with white-owned businesses making over $1 million dollars in revenue from products related to magic and mysticism. Brands like Urban Outfitters, which has been sued by the Navajo nation for appropriation, and Sephora have faced fierce backlash multiple times for their theft. For instance, Sephora planned to launch a “starter witch kit” that got pulled off the market so quickly, many people forgot it even happened. The kit would’ve consisted of perfumes, rose quartz, a tarot deck, and a bundle of white sage, which is an endangered crop despite its sacred and supposed to be used by native practitioners only.
With all this being said, it’s easy to be skeptical as to what sources are reliable when it comes to individuals interested in metaphysical practices, magick, and spirituality. One might immediately go to blame and point fingers at poor Neptune in Pisces, but every planetary transit has its pros and cons. As a Pisces myself, this is not a Pisces drag at ALL. Pisces is a heavenly sign that contains all the knowledge of the prior zodiac signs. One of the most beautiful things that Neptune in Pisces is bringing to this time (and to all individuals born in 2011-2026) is the collective pursuit of healing, idealism, inner peace, and freedom. In order to transition into the era of Neptune in Aries (which will bring collective strength, courage, and possible conflict), we must be in touch with our feelings and have compassion for one another. There is something to learn with every transit we have. Therefore, when we know how to use it to our benefit, we can use for not only for personal growth but for spiritual alignment.
For more questions and astrology services, Gaby can be reached at @neptunemuse on Instagram and Twitter!