Financialized uncertainty drives a contemporary digital astrology boom.

Evidence

Today, astrology is making a spectacular return in speculative communities. In the United States, the astrology app market grew by a whopping 65 percent in 2019 alone, while venture capitalists have been flocking to astrology start-ups. Highly aestheticized and algorithmically powered astrology apps like Sanctuary and The Pattern are becoming popular digital commodities. At the same time, Silicon Valley giants are integrating blockchain astrology into their platforms. Instagram accounts providing esoteric forecasting have seen their followings increasing exponentially, while in 2019, short-term hospitality provider Airbnb partnered with the Twitter astrologers Astro Poets to provide travel horoscopes and recommend “astrologically fitting” destinations. This is not a uniquely Western trend: digital astrology has seen a recent boom in India, for instance, where the 2020 launch of Clickastro caused a sensation, updating traditional Hindu and Vedic astrology (Jyotisha) for the new generation of mobile app users. — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 203

Categorization

• XREF: Directly continues the chapter’s bookends: financial astrology then and now frames the homo speculans historical arc the reader needs.
• QUESTION: Why does the 2019 app boom coincide with the uncertainty of late financialized capitalism — is this a measurable reaction to volatility?