In elementary school, my favorite show at the time, That’s So Raven, had an episode where the main character, Raven Baxter, got a job as a psychic for quick money. This episode showed misconceptions about astrology that many of us still hold today. It portrayed the profession as a scam for money, with no real reasoning behind it. While people do abuse astrology for deceptive reasons, this does not change the legitimacy of the practice.
If Gen Z has any say in it, astrology is real and here to stay.
Astrology is quickly becoming the latest phenomenon, and it is not just the daily predictions from the newspaper. Now, it is digitalized. With apps that tell you everything down to the next time you and your friend will argue and Buzzfeed quizzes that tell you your next relationship, astrology has grown into a billion-dollar industry. Due to the access to mass amounts of information, many have prescribed themselves as masters of astrology.
Like many other internet trends, what we think we know is not always enough. With so many questions that lead to an array of answers, I decided to go to the source.
Porsche Little is a priestess in training who provides spiritual clarity to her customers through readings. She does her work as an Aborisha, or child of Olodumare, which stems from the Yoruba religion from Nigeria. People communicate with the spiritual world in many ways, but she found this religion to resonate with her most.
Little discovered astrology in her adolescence, and, eventually, she and her sister began to question their beliefs. Though they were raised in a Christian household, a religion that Little believes also holds traits that can be drawn from witchcraft, they began to wonder who God was.
“We ended up just accepting that it was a masculine and feminine force. We were okay with not having a name for God. We just knew that something was there because we felt it,“ Little said.
However, her connection to that “it” remained unidentifiable until Little reached adulthood and began dating. This is when she decided to fully dive into the spiritual realm. As stated, she knew what astrology was, but her knowledge, like most of us, was limited to her sun sign.
Your sun sign is the sign that has to do with your birth month. It is what people typically know, as it is the easiest, but there are many other signs that make each of us up. As she and her friend Bria say, “It’s like a tiny universe inside you.”
The three signs that Little uses to most identify with are the sun, moon, and rising signs. Each sign is said to shed light on why you are who you are, but you are not limited to these three.
“The sun is your identity and what drives you. It’s what you seek in this world,” she said. “I view the moon sign as your heart. It’s the subconscious side of me. It can show you how people would typically react in situations. Your rising sign is a great part of your personality and how you’re viewed by others.”
While these signs help make us up, she says that it is still important to remember that we are humans with free will. Astrology is meant to guide us in our everyday life, but we can change our life’s course at any minute. So, while an app may say that you are likely to have a tough day, you still have control over that. Having said that, Little does believe that, overall, our stories are written for us in the stars.
As a priestess in training, Little helps give people personable information about what those stars may or may not be saying. She began her training recently and has already received her head marking as an Esu. An Esu is God’s messenger and works as a middle man between people and Olodumaire. She is being led through this journey by a mentor, or Santero, and is not sure just when this journey will end. The process includes various ceremonies and practices that are held sacred and shrouded in secrecy.
“This process can be however long it takes you to get there. Spirituality is not linear. However, everyone’s journey looks a bit different than others, and this is why it’s important to find a trusted Santero, learn, and just focus on your own personal growth,” she said.
And, the secret to manifestation is not in all of the tricks you may have seen on the internet either. Little utilizes a very simple manifestation technique that doesn’t require a trip to the arts and crafts store.
“The best way to manifest is to know exactly what you want and, when you say it, make sure you’re descriptive and have already claimed it as yours,” she said. “If I were to manifest and nothing happened, I would see how I worded things to see if I could try a different wording, or I’d just wait a little longer. It’s always funny when you think the Universe didn’t hear you and then voilà!”
Just like manifestation, astrology can take different routes, and Little’s connection to Olodumaire is just one of those ways. It is important to note that religions that utilize witchcraft and astrology should not be outcasted but accepted just as other religions are. Now is the time to help tackle these misconceptions because if anybody will do it, it is Gen Z.
As Little so eloquently put it: “This isn’t the generation that conformed and stuck to tradition. They’re changing things and shaking shit up!”