My mind kept drifting to something which was a big draw for newspaper readers back in the day! No newspaper was complete without a “Leisure Page,” which featured things like “Spot the difference,” “Crosswords,” “Cartoons,” and yes, a horoscope section.
The astrological writer in the newspaper where I worked at the time was like a rock star. Of every ten letters that arrived by post, about seven were addressed to him. Joshua, the astrologer, was hugely sought after by many who wanted him to tell them what their future held. Would they be happily married? Would they be prosperous? Was a particular line of business going to pay off? How did the stars align with their ambition to travel to this or that place?
I don’t see much of that stuff in Nigerian papers anymore, though one of the longest-surviving genres remains “Agony Aunt!” What happened to astrological writers and their once desperately sought-after talent for telling the future by looking at your Zodiac sign? Remember?
I’m told that this line of business has not declined too badly in the US, dropping only two percentage points over seven years, from 29 percent in a 2017 Pew study to 27 percent last year.
I’m not sure what the outcome of a similar study in Nigeria would be. However, something tells me that shamans, marabouts, pastors, and other spiritual and temporal leaders have taken over the space from stargazers. Or perhaps the trade has merely evolved online, seizing swathes of virgin superstitious tribal lands?
Research, even in places like the US, where horoscope belief is still not in significant decline, suggests that it is more prevalent among people with lower incomes or less formal education, as well as among young adults between 18 and 29.
Do you believe in Zodiac signs, or do you think it’s just a fetish locked in that part of human existence, perpetually trying to reconcile with the fear of the unknown?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
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