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Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Some religious Americans among the most likely to consult astrology, poll finds
Nearly 30% of Americans consult New Age practices such as astrology, Tarot cards or fortune tellers, with some religious groups ranking among the most likely to look to the practices for guidance in their lives, according to a new poll. Most Americans who engage in at least one of these practices said they do it 'just for fun' while half as many said they do it because they 'believe the practices give them helpful insights,' a May 21 survey by Pew Research Center found. The poll of 9,593 Americans was taken from Oct. 21 to 27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points, according to researchers. Thirty-five percent of Hispanic Catholics,34% of Black Protestants, and 36% of people who describe themselves as believing in nothing in particular said they consult astrology for helpful insights, making those groups among the most likely to turn to the practice, the survey found. When it comes to making major life decisions, Hispanic Catholics are the most likely to rely on these practices rather than engaging in them leisurely, researchers said. On the other hand, Atheists, Jewish people, and white evangelical Protestants, are among the least likely to believe in these practices, according to the survey, with less than 20% of those surveyed saying they believe. In general, both religious people and those who are religiously unaffiliated said they believe in astrology at similar rates, 27% to 28%, respectively, according to the survey. Other findings The poll also found that the biggest difference in the likelihood of Americans to believe or consult astrology is age and gender. Women are twice as likely as men to believe in astrology, and people under 65 are more likely than people over 65 to consult it for guidance, according to the survey. Americans who identify as LGBT also stood out when it came to consulting astrology, horoscopes or Tarot cards for helpful insights and not just for fun, with 29% saying they do so — 19 percentage points more than Americans in general, according to the survey. Conservatives were also less likely than moderates and liberals to consult astrology for guidance, the survey found.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How many Americans believe in astrology and rely on fortune-telling? A new survey has answers
NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of American adults — about 3 in 10 — make use of astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers at least once a year. But only a small fraction of them rely on what they learn from these practices to make major decisions. That's according to a nationwide survey released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, encompassing 9,593 U.S. adults who were interviewed last October. Overall, according to Pew, about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they engage in at least one of these activities mostly "just for fun," while about 1 in 10 say they engage mostly because they 'believe the practices give them helpful insights.' Only about 1% say they rely 'a lot' on what they learn from these practices when making major life decisions. Yet it's a big business. The psychic services industry — which encompasses various specialties such as astrology, palm-reading, psychic readings and fortune-telling — generated an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024 and employed 105,000 people, according to market research firm IBIS World. 'Traditional skepticism about consulting psychics has waned, with more consumers embracing these services, especially in times of uncertainty,' wrote IBIS World analyst Michal Dalal. The biggest astrology fans? Younger women and LGBTQ+ people There were some major demographic differences in responses to the Pew survey, notably finding that younger adults — and especially younger women — are more likely than other major age groups to consult astrology or horoscopes. According to Pew, about 4 in 10 women ages 18 to 49 say they believe in astrology. That compares with about 3 in 10 women 50 and older and about 2 in 10 men under age 50. Another distinctive group: LGBTQ+ adults. According to the survey, about half of them consult astrology or a horoscope at least yearly — roughly twice the share among U.S. adults overall. Pew found that about 2 in 10 LGBTQ+ adults say that when they make major life decisions, they rely at least 'a little' on what they've learned from a fortune teller, tarot cards, astrology or a horoscope — a considerably larger share than any other demographic subgroup. On the other hand, the survey found that adults ages 65 or older, those with high incomes and college degrees, and those who identify as politically conservative are less likely than other adults to believe in astrology and engage with tarot cards and fortune tellers. Among other questions, Pew asked respondents if they were religiously affiliated, and about 7 in 10 said yes. Of that group, about 3 in 10 said they believe in astrology — very similar to the percentage of astrology believers among the religiously unaffiliated respondents who identified as atheist, agnostic or 'nothing in particular.' About one-third of Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and adults who say their religion is 'nothing in particular' said they believe in astrology, according to Pew. Atheists, agnostics, white evangelical Protestants and Jewish Americans, meanwhile, were less likely than the general public to say they believe in astrology. Among Hispanic Catholics, about 1 in 10 said they rely on insights from these practices at least 'a little' when making major life decisions, which was more than most of the other religious groups featured in the survey. A growing industry On the specific question of astrology, the new survey found that 27% of U.S. adults believed in it — similar to the 29% who answered affirmatively in a 2017 Pew survey. According to IBIS World, the psychic services industry's total revenue has increased by more than 4% annually since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago, 'when business closures, sickness and loss of loved ones prompted a surge in demand for spiritual guidance services.' 'Astrology and aura reading are leveraging digital platforms to extend their reach,' IBIS World said. 'Thanks to easy access via mobile apps and social media platforms, personalized reports and virtual readings are gaining traction with younger consumers.' Bias based on astrological signs? Expert says that's 'irrational' Astrology, throughout its long history, has been embraced by its believers and treated with bemusement or even ridicule by skeptics. It was the subject of extensive research led by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, Jackson Lu. His team, using a sample of more than 170,000 people, determined in 2020 that there was extensive discrimination in China against Virgos, but that the bias was 'irrational' because astrological signs predict neither personality or job performance. For supporters of psychic services, there have been positive developments more recently. Among them: — Last year, the City Council in Norfolk, Virginia, repealed a 45-year-old ban on 'the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other compensation.' Under that ban, various forms of fortune-telling could lead to as much as a year in jail. — ' Look Into My Eyes,' a full-length documentary about psychics in New York, received numerous positive reviews after it was released in September. AP film critic Lindsey Bahr called it 'unjudgmental, funny and poignant.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
How many Americans believe in astrology and rely on fortune-telling? A new survey has answers
NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of American adults — about 3 in 10 — make use of astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers at least once a year. But only a small fraction of them rely on what they learn from these practices to make major decisions. That's according to a nationwide survey released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, encompassing 9,593 U.S. adults who were interviewed last October. Overall, according to Pew, about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they engage in at least one of these activities mostly "just for fun," while about 1 in 10 say they engage mostly because they 'believe the practices give them helpful insights.' Only about 1% say they rely 'a lot' on what they learn from these practices when making major life decisions. Yet it's a big business. The psychic services industry — which encompasses various specialties such as astrology, palm-reading, psychic readings and fortune-telling — generated an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024 and employed 105,000 people, according to market research firm IBIS World. 'Traditional skepticism about consulting psychics has waned, with more consumers embracing these services, especially in times of uncertainty,' wrote IBIS World analyst Michal Dalal. The biggest astrology fans? Younger women and LGBTQ+ people There were some major demographic differences in responses to the Pew survey, notably finding that younger adults — and especially younger women — are more likely than other major age groups to consult astrology or horoscopes. According to Pew, about 4 in 10 women ages 18 to 49 say they believe in astrology. That compares with about 3 in 10 women 50 and older and about 2 in 10 men under age 50. Another distinctive group: LGBTQ+ adults. According to the survey, about half of them consult astrology or a horoscope at least yearly — roughly twice the share among U.S. adults overall. Pew found that about 2 in 10 LGBTQ+ adults say that when they make major life decisions, they rely at least 'a little' on what they've learned from a fortune teller, tarot cards, astrology or a horoscope — a considerably larger share than any other demographic subgroup. On the other hand, the survey found that adults ages 65 or older, those with high incomes and college degrees, and those who identify as politically conservative are less likely than other adults to believe in astrology and engage with tarot cards and fortune tellers. Among other questions, Pew asked respondents if they were religiously affiliated, and about 7 in 10 said yes. Of that group, about 3 in 10 said they believe in astrology — very similar to the percentage of astrology believers among the religiously unaffiliated respondents who identified as atheist, agnostic or 'nothing in particular.' About one-third of Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and adults who say their religion is 'nothing in particular' said they believe in astrology, according to Pew. Atheists, agnostics, white evangelical Protestants and Jewish Americans, meanwhile, were less likely than the general public to say they believe in astrology. Among Hispanic Catholics, about 1 in 10 said they rely on insights from these practices at least 'a little' when making major life decisions, which was more than most of the other religious groups featured in the survey. A growing industry On the specific question of astrology, the new survey found that 27% of U.S. adults believed in it — similar to the 29% who answered affirmatively in a 2017 Pew survey. According to IBIS World, the psychic services industry's total revenue has increased by more than 4% annually since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago, 'when business closures, sickness and loss of loved ones prompted a surge in demand for spiritual guidance services.' 'Astrology and aura reading are leveraging digital platforms to extend their reach,' IBIS World said. 'Thanks to easy access via mobile apps and social media platforms, personalized reports and virtual readings are gaining traction with younger consumers.' Bias based on astrological signs? Expert says that's 'irrational' Astrology, throughout its long history, has been embraced by its believers and treated with bemusement or even ridicule by skeptics. It was the subject of extensive research led by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, Jackson Lu. His team, using a sample of more than 170,000 people, determined in 2020 that there was extensive discrimination in China against Virgos, but that the bias was 'irrational' because astrological signs predict neither personality or job performance. — Last year, the City Council in Norfolk, Virginia, repealed a 45-year-old ban on 'the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other compensation.' Under that ban, various forms of fortune-telling could lead to as much as a year in jail. — ' Look Into My Eyes,' a full-length documentary about psychics in New York, received numerous positive reviews after it was released in September. AP film critic Lindsey Bahr called it 'unjudgmental, funny and poignant.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
How many Americans believe in astrology and rely on fortune-telling? A new survey has answers
NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of American adults — about 3 in 10 — make use of astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers at least once a year. But only a small fraction of them rely on what they learn from these practices to make major decisions. That's according to a nationwide survey released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, encompassing 9,593 U.S. adults who were interviewed last October. Overall, according to Pew, about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they engage in at least one of these activities mostly 'just for fun,' while about 1 in 10 say they engage mostly because they 'believe the practices give them helpful insights.' Only about 1% say they rely 'a lot' on what they learn from these practices when making major life decisions. Yet it's a big business. The psychic services industry — which encompasses various specialties such as astrology, palm-reading, psychic readings and fortune-telling — generated an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024 and employed 105,000 people, according to market research firm IBIS World. 'Traditional skepticism about consulting psychics has waned, with more consumers embracing these services, especially in times of uncertainty,' wrote IBIS World analyst Michal Dalal. The biggest astrology fans? Younger women and LGBTQ+ people There were some major demographic differences in responses to the Pew survey, notably finding that younger adults — and especially younger women — are more likely than other major age groups to consult astrology or horoscopes. According to Pew, about 4 in 10 women ages 18 to 49 say they believe in astrology. That compares with about 3 in 10 women 50 and older and about 2 in 10 men under age 50. Another distinctive group: LGBTQ+ adults. According to the survey, about half of them consult astrology or a horoscope at least yearly — roughly twice the share among U.S. adults overall. Pew found that about 2 in 10 LGBTQ+ adults say that when they make major life decisions, they rely at least 'a little' on what they've learned from a fortune teller, tarot cards, astrology or a horoscope — a considerably larger share than any other demographic subgroup. On the other hand, the survey found that adults ages 65 or older, those with high incomes and college degrees, and those who identify as politically conservative are less likely than other adults to believe in astrology and engage with tarot cards and fortune tellers. Among other questions, Pew asked respondents if they were religiously affiliated, and about 7 in 10 said yes. Of that group, about 3 in 10 said they believe in astrology — very similar to the percentage of astrology believers among the religiously unaffiliated respondents who identified as atheist, agnostic or 'nothing in particular.' About one-third of Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and adults who say their religion is 'nothing in particular' said they believe in astrology, according to Pew. Atheists, agnostics, white evangelical Protestants and Jewish Americans, meanwhile, were less likely than the general public to say they believe in astrology. Among Hispanic Catholics, about 1 in 10 said they rely on insights from these practices at least 'a little' when making major life decisions, which was more than most of the other religious groups featured in the survey. A growing industry On the specific question of astrology, the new survey found that 27% of U.S. adults believed in it — similar to the 29% who answered affirmatively in a 2017 Pew survey. According to IBIS World, the psychic services industry's total revenue has increased by more than 4% annually since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago, 'when business closures, sickness and loss of loved ones prompted a surge in demand for spiritual guidance services.' 'Astrology and aura reading are leveraging digital platforms to extend their reach,' IBIS World said. 'Thanks to easy access via mobile apps and social media platforms, personalized reports and virtual readings are gaining traction with younger consumers.' Bias based on astrological signs? Expert says that's 'irrational' Astrology, throughout its long history, has been embraced by its believers and treated with bemusement or even ridicule by skeptics. It was the subject of extensive research led by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, Jackson Lu. His team, using a sample of more than 170,000 people, determined in 2020 that there was extensive discrimination in China against Virgos, but that the bias was 'irrational' because astrological signs predict neither personality or job performance. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. For supporters of psychic services, there have been positive developments more recently. Among them: — Last year, the City Council in Norfolk, Virginia, repealed a 45-year-old ban on 'the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other compensation.' Under that ban, various forms of fortune-telling could lead to as much as a year in jail. — ' Look Into My Eyes,' a full-length documentary about psychics in New York, received numerous positive reviews after it was released in September. AP film critic Lindsey Bahr called it 'unjudgmental, funny and poignant.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Boston Globe
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Pope Francis' legacy in the US: A more open, and then divided, church
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He pushed church leaders to be pastors, not doctrinaires, and elevated bishops in his own mold, hoping to create lasting tonal change in the church through its leadership. He gave voice to the growing share of Hispanic Catholics, as the US church grew less white, and appointed the first Black cardinal. He allowed priests to bless same-sex couples and made it easier for divorced and remarried Catholics to participate in church life. Advertisement In doing so, he captured the imaginations of millions both inside and outside the US church who had long felt rejected. At a time of increasing secularization, the world's most visible Christian leader gave hope to many US non-Catholics who saw in him a moral visionary while much of public Christianity in America took a rightward turn. Advertisement 'He made the church a more welcoming place,' said Joe Donnelly, former Democratic senator from Indiana, who was the US ambassador to the Holy See under President Biden. 'For Americans of all different economic strata, for divorced Americans, for basically everyone in our country, his arms were always open.' Yet it was this same transformative vision that ultimately fueled the rise of an energized conservative Catholic resistance, which further divided the church in America. Francis' cardinals had a minority voice among US bishops, and in the final years of his papacy, powerful conservative lay Catholics once again made ending abortion their dominant priority. Conservative Catholic backlash to values like Francis' helped return Donald Trump to the White House, with Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, by his side, advancing priorities that conflicted with the pope's. Midway through his papacy, parishes were roiled by revelations that church leaders in the United States covered up sexual abuse for decades, reminding many of their distrust of the church at every level. The pope's regained popularity diminished, as US bishops faced a host of federal and state investigations. Many Catholics grew weary waiting for the Vatican to solve the continuing crisis, with more than one-third considering leaving the faith, according to a Gallup poll. Francis offered some reforms, and in a high profile case expelled Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal, from the priesthood after the church found him guilty of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians over decades. It appeared to be the first time a cardinal was defrocked for sexual abuse. But for many people, these actions were not enough. Advertisement With his death Monday, Pope Francis leaves behind an American church that is pulled in opposite directions, on social issues, politics, and tone, mirroring the polarized country it inhabits. Still, in the end, the sense of Francis' pastoral legacy remains palpable in many American pews. 'How he speaks about contemporary issues, I think it has allowed a lot of people in our community to feel seen and heard,' said the Rev. Matthew O'Donnell, 38, pastor of St. Moses the Black Parish, on the South Side of Chicago. 'No doubt the church has changed. Speaking as a priest, I think that what he has called the church to be is pastoral.' The United States itself was not Francis' main priority. He visited the country only once, in 2015, and he intentionally arrived from Cuba, one more way to show his global priorities. The United States has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world, behind Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines. But it is a small fraction of the church's more than 1 billion Catholics, many of whom live in the peripheries he sought to elevate. But Francis also knew the power of the US church on the global stage, and used and challenged it as he saw fit. Though the church is a religious institution, guiding 52 million US Catholics, it is also a political body, and his tenure intersected with changes in US politics. He oversaw the church during a transformational decade of US leadership. At the start, he aligned himself with former president Barack Obama's foreign policy, showing that Rome and Washington could work together on progressive issues, not simply conservative ones. His Vatican helped secretly broker the United States' detente with Cuba. He also supported the Iran nuclear deal and Palestinian statehood. For many it felt as though the overlapping Obama and Francis eras signaled a progressive trajectory on the world stage. Advertisement Francis became the first and only pope to address Congress, where he pleaded for unity to solve global crises, and received standing ovations. He challenged both political parties — Democrats to support religious liberties and the value of human life, and Republicans to embrace immigrants and the need for environmental protections. He left the chamber to serve lunch at a soup kitchen. His visit showed his immense popularity, as Catholics and non-Catholics alike filled streets in Washington, New York and, finally, Philadelphia, where the 10,000 tickets for his Mass were snapped up in 30 seconds. Beginning when Trump ran for president in 2016, Francis challenged his actions and rhetoric toward migrants, questioning his purported Christian values. 'A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,' Francis said, hours after he celebrated a 200,000-person Mass in Mexico along the US border at the time. By the Rio Grande, he laid flowers to remember those who died trying to cross, as US security officials watched from the other side. 'He used his gravitas in the beginning formidably,' said Ken Hackett, who was US ambassador to the Holy See under Obama. 'Really in those early years, he made a difference.' At the same time, Hackett said, 'in a way, he's aggravated some of the ideological tensions in the United States.' Advertisement A stark partisan divide emerged among American Catholics over the course of Francis' papacy. At the start, Catholic Republicans and Democrats both held him in high regard, according to the Pew Research Center. But by 2024, about 90 percent of Catholic Democrats viewed him positively, compared with just 63 percent of Catholic Republicans. Conservative frustration was part political, part religious. Often it was born of what conservatives perceived as the pope's fixation on US policies he did not like, like Trump's mass deportation plans, instead of other issues like human rights abuses in China. When Biden, who regularly attends Mass and has spent a lifetime steeped in Catholic practice, was elected, US bishops advanced a conservative push to deny Biden communion because of his support of abortion rights — even after the Vatican told them not to. 'The pope never really took him to task for that,' said Jim Nicholson, who was US ambassador to the Holy See during Bush's first term. Supporting abortion, he said, 'is antithetical to principled teaching of the church.' This article originally appeared in .
