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Why millennials are ditching religion for witchcraft and astrology [View all]
In tumultuous political times, the 18-30 demographic is reaching for the stars.Source: MarketWatch, by Kari Paul
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Interest in spirituality has been booming in recent years while interest in religion plummets, especially among millennials. The majority of Americans now believe it is not necessary to believe in God to have good morals, a study from Pew Research Center released Wednesday found. The percentage of people between the ages of 18 and 29 who never doubt existence of God fell from 81% in 2007 to 67% in 2012.
Meanwhile, more than half of young adults in the U.S. believe astrology is a science compared to less than 8% of the Chinese public. The psychic services industry which includes astrology, aura reading, mediumship, tarot-card reading and palmistry, among other metaphysical services grew 2% between 2011 and 2016. It is now worth $2 billion annually, according to industry analysis firm IBIS World.
Melissa Jayne, owner of Brooklyn-based metaphysical boutique Catland, said she has seen a major uptick in interest in the occult in the past five years, especially among New Yorkers in their 20s. The store offers workshops like Witchcraft 101, Astrology 101, and a Spirit Seance.
Whether it be spell-casting, tarot, astrology, meditation and trance, or herbalism, these traditions offer tangible ways for people to enact change in their lives, she said. For a generation that grew up in a world of big industry, environmental destruction, large and oppressive governments, and toxic social structures, all of which seem too big to change, this can be incredibly attractive.
Like the existence of God, however, theres no actual scientific proof. Astrology has been debunked by numerous academic studies, but Banu Guler, co-founder of artificial intelligence powered astrology app CoStar said the lack of structure in the field is exactly what drives young, educated professionals to invest their time and money in the practice.
Its very different from the way we usually work and live and date, where everything is hyper-mediated and rational, she said. There is a belief vacuum: we go from work to a bar to dinner and a date, with no semblance of meaning. Astrology is a way out of it, a way of putting yourself in the context of thousands of years of history and the universe.
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Read it all at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-millennials-are-ditching-religion-for-witchcraft-and-astrology-2017-10-20
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Why millennials are ditching religion for witchcraft and astrology [View all]
yallerdawg
Oct 2017
OP
what is wrong with reality, I wonder? Why always the need for something else?
NRaleighLiberal
Oct 2017
#2
my wife and I have been saying that for many years. We quite love reality - despite it's occasional
NRaleighLiberal
Oct 2017
#5
Well, what's so wrong with this world and reality that we need to be saved by Jesus?
trotsky
Oct 2017
#6
Forgive me, but you say "ovens" and I can't think of anything but the Holocaust.
Pope George Ringo II
Oct 2017
#31
It got sidetracked with some ignorant slander accusing atheists of committing the Holocaust
Pope George Ringo II
Oct 2017
#47
Sounds good to me! Religion is all fables, politics, superstitions and many out for money! n/t
RKP5637
Oct 2017
#63