19 July,2026 08:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Akshita Maheshwari
Twenty-one-year-old astrologer Marshaa Balani says that most of her clientele is in the ages 18 to 21. Pic/Atul Kamble
Last week, this writer got into a spat with her mother. She went and showed our birth chart to a family astrologer. We were extremely opposed to this. "How could you violate my privacy like this?" we thundered at her. As mothers do, she didn't care much about this writer's privacy and kept going on about the different predictions the astrologer had made.
Defeated at last, we spoke to a friend. "Am I right to be angry with her?" we asked. She retorted, "How different is it from you checking your horoscope? If you can do that, why not a birth chart?"
It got us thinking. Instagram is filled with astrologers who claim to know the divine truth. Our friend swears by Madame Clairevoyant, the astrologer for New York Magazine's The Cut, and doesn't start her day without her horoscope readings. What we once dismissed as pseudoscience and boring, old rituals that only aunties did, are suddenly in the vogue again.
In May, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay appointed his long-time astrologer, Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, as Officer on Special Duty (Political). Following severe backlash from Opposition parties, allies, and rationalist groups over promoting superstition, the government officially revoked the appointment a day later. But still, astrology is on the top of everyone's minds, it seems.
Mahima Roy was an absolute non-believer. "My earliest introduction to astrology was through my mother, a school principal by profession, and who had a liking for Linda Goodman. Around sixth grade, I was struggling academically and health-wise, so my mom showed my chart to the headmaster at her school - a practicing astrologer - someone she trusted," says the 26-year-old, "He guided us to follow certain remedies that changed my daily routine, and the very next year I did much better academically. But I never believed it was because of that - I had put in the work."
"When you're young, you don't really want to listen to your parents. I thought it was nonsense. You know how when you ask someone wearing a gemstone, they say, âMy mom asked me to.' It felt like that."
"The astrologer had told my parents that I would be suited for administrative work, even suggesting I prepare for UPSC. Like most teenagers, I pushed back - I just wanted to write back then," she says, "But looking back, I do see how my work and my personality involves organisational and planning aspects. I think astrology can sometimes point to psychological traits, but it doesn't necessarily translate directly into fixed roles - especially now, when work looks so different from what it used to, when there are so many new titles and opportunities."
Later, she did do deep research into the subject, know-thy-enemy style. "My research has which helped me see it more as a reflective tool than a decision-making one. Even when people suggest remedies, I think it mostly just affects how you think about things, changing us on a mental level," she says. The consultations range anywhere from '500 to '1000 to answer a single question. "But famous astrologers are of course more expensive."
She remembers a phase during university when she felt disconnected from writing, something she cared about deeply. "I kept wondering if I should even continue with it," she says. "Around that time, I was advised to try travelling as a reflective remedy. I ended up taking my first solo trip at 21. That experience really stayed with me. I met people who became mentors and helped shape how I think and create. It felt like one of those phases where things come together when you take decisions you otherwise might not."
When asked why astrology is so popular among young folks today, she says, "Social media means that we're just always exposed to everyone. Everyone wants to show off their life, but no one wants nazar, so I think people are turning to astrology to ward off bad energy," she says.
She has her own reservations. "A lot of traditional rules of astrology don't fully apply to modern-day scenarios. The world has changed so much," she says, "Sometimes complex things get reduced to a few fixed indicators - for example, matchmaking reduced to point-based kundali matching - when in reality there's a lot more nuance."
DO you wear black glasses by any chance?" asks 21-year-old psychic and astrologer Marshaa Balani. "Yes, how'd you know?" we ask, bewildered. We'd never spoken before, Balani had never even seen a picture of us before, so we were a bit shocked by this to say the least. "I just do," she replied.
Although she sees clients ranging from 18 to 60, "most of them are in the 18-21 bracket," says Balani. "The two most asked-about questions of course have to do with love and career. But what I find interesting is that rather than asking, âIs my partner right for me?', people come to me post-breakup asking, âWhat went wrong?'"
"I think young people want to use astrology to understand themselves, rather than to know the future," she says, "So many young people are becoming entrepreneurs today. They want some assurance before taking such a big leap. After the pandemic, the health-related questions have also sky-rocketed in young people."
The pandemic fundamentally changed young people's perception of the world. Nothing is ever certain. The world could end tomorrow. You could die of a virus. Loneliness is at a peak. People are struggling more and more to find human connection. "I think astrology offers a tangible answer that young people really need right now," says Balani.
Her sessions range between '350 to '400 for a single question, and '1000 to '1500 for a ten-minute call.
Ekta Thaker, who has been an astrologer for 20 years, has watched this shift happen firsthand. She says younger clients are increasingly turning to astrology not just for predictions, but for guidance. "The biggest questions are about health, financial stability, and whether there are major threats in their lives," she says.
Thaker also believes astrology has evolved beyond its traditional association with marriage and matchmaking. "People now use it as a tool for self-awareness," she says. Young clients are increasingly asking whether they'll earn enough to lead a comfortable life, whether their health could become an obstacle, or if they're making the right career choices. "Not everyone wants a luxurious life. Many simply want enough financial security to live peacefully," she says.
She also attributes astrology's growing appeal to social media, which has made esoteric practices more accessible. "People are curious now. They may not believe immediately, but they come seeking guidance first. If it resonates, their faith grows over time," she says.
I'd always read the horoscope section of a newspaper, because it is fun," says 25-year-old Gurpreet Rajput, "So the curiosity was always there."
One day, during twelfth grade, Rajput and her friends discovered that an astrologer sat in front of their tuition classes. So, they decided to check it. Rajput hasn't looked back since.
"Two years ago, I was living in the UK. The job market there was really bad. I had tried everything - job applications, cold emails, networking - but I just couldn't find a job," says the Andheri resident, "So, I consulted my astrologer. I asked him, âIs it time to pack my bags and head to India?' He told me to wait till May 25. On May 26, I received an offer letter."
Astrology has helped Rajput find acceptance in life. "Some things are just not written in your stars. With astrology, I learnt what isn't meant for me and how to accept it," she says, "And for other things, it gave me assurance. Like bigger things are coming. It's something to look forward to."
But she draws a line when people start using astrology as therapy. "With all due respect to everyone, therapy is therapy, and astrology is astrology. One cannot be confused for the other," she says, "At the end of the day, astrology is playing on your fear. People would rather have a false answer than live in the anxiety of not knowing. Therapy is for dealing with that anxiety of not knowing."
She finds that especially in the modern world, astrology is taking an ugly turn. "I work in the app space, and from all the research and study I have done, I know astrology apps are some of the profitable ones around. These apps have gamified the astrology experience. They'll lure you in with âFirst question free' promotional messages and then before you know it, you have spent thousands," she says.
"More than astrologers, I see people around me use the Co-star app and read Madame Clairvoyant. These sites have figured out beautiful UI-UX systems that make users want to use these apps more and more. Plus, there is a certain cool quotient attached to it," she argues.
Pop star Dua Lipa revealed that she does not have a traditional therapist and instead relies entirely on her personal astrologer for life guidance. She explained that while she used to only get a yearly birth chart reading on her birthday, she is now "hooked" and regularly texts her astrologer, Rosie, whenever she faces a dilemma or wants to know what the month ahead holds. She described her approach by saying, "I don't have a therapist, but I have an astrologist," and noted that she relies on her cosmic chart - which features a Leo Sun, Libra Rising, and Cancer Moon - to navigate her emotions and decision-making.
