Astrology, the new shrink?

Are you planning to sell your two-room apartment to go green in Normandy?

Do you dream of adopting the same bangs as singer Angèle?

Are you planning to sign a big contract to start the year?

2022 is coming, with its procession of projects.

You have two weeks left before putting everything on hold ...

In mid-January there is a cosmic hullabaloo: Mercury retrograde!

Small brief for those who think that it is a sudden drop in the thermometer: three times a year on average, the planet Mercury slows down, giving the impression that it is changing direction.

This illusion of reversing the planet which symbolizes communication, according to astro addicts, sows discord in our relations.

When everything goes wrong - love misunderstandings, computer bugs, failed exams -, #Mercureretrograde or #MercuryRetrograde set Twitter ablaze.

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A compass in an uncertain world

"It is an anxiety-provoking prediction, like the predictions of the end of the world but less fatal, which makes it possible to give an external cause to the difficulties that one could encounter during this period, analyzes Romy Sauvayre, sociologist of science and beliefs," professor at the University of Clermont-Auvergne.

When you write it down in your diary, you can put strategies in place.

As if the stars gave us a ready-to-think, a manual to understand what is happening in our lives. "

Apps that hit the mark

To the disaster which threatens us, the faithful of Co-Star (more than 6 million subscribers) prefer the stars which enlighten us: the app is a hit, with its personalized, algorithmic horoscopes, based on real-time data from NASA and his daily pushes (“Avoiding your ex's social media is always a good idea”; “You have giveaways that you don't use”).

I also receive parents concerned about the development of their child Anne-Laure Guignard

Ringardized, the

horoscope

served by Elizabeth Teissier on Antenne 2, between 1975 and 1976!

More fun, more offbeat, more hype, astrology 2.0 has been a startling success on social networks.

On Instagram, Astrotruc offers pastiches that young people love, by mixing extracts from The

,

or by deciphering “the daronnes through the signs of the zodiac”.

by French youtubeuse Shera Kerienski, followed by two million subscribers, is snapping up on Amazon.

A benevolent accompaniment

Sprinkled with pop culture, these formats which break with the esotericism of yesteryear, offer a "powerful remedy" allowing to face the "enormous degree of confusion" which reigns in our world, according to Thierry Ripoll, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Aix-Marseille. In a society hit by Covid-19, astrology becomes the comforting collective grigri of single souls, burn-out employees and thirties in search of meaning. “It is a powerful, benevolent and sensitive accompaniment. Those who consult me ​​do so in order to get to know each other better and to find a path most conducive to key moments of choice, change or crisis, when life seems to escape them ”, notes Anne-Laure Guignard, former journalist converted into an astrologer."I also receive parents concerned about the development of their child." Knowing if Saturn enters Scorpio makes life sweeter? Are we soon going to prescribe sessions for studying the stars?

Ideal destinations according to their astrological sign

Aries' ideal vacation

No doubt, for the Aries, these born wanderers, it is black Africa that suits them best: Victoria Falls, the splendor of the Okavango, or the famous Masai Mara reserve ... Everything is possible.

We opted for this crossing on foot of the Gols Mountains in Tanzania, organized by Nomade Aventure (13 days from € 2,499).

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The ideal holiday for Taureans

Taureans do not conceive of enjoying vacations far from nature ... So why not try a short stay in Bath, to recharge their batteries?

A spa town founded by the Romans, Bath became in the 18th century an elegant city with neoclassical lines cherished by high society.

We recommend the Ayrlington Hotel, with a very British atmosphere (from £ 130 a night, or around 152 euros).

The Ayrlington, 24-25 Pulteney Rd, Bath BA2 4EZ, United Kingdom.

Phone.

: +44 1225 425495

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The perfect Gemini vacation

Making a trip to Osaka is the best for Gemini: the third city of the empire of the sun is a blend of modernity and traditions.

And contrasts, Gemini like a lot.

To take advantage of the urban bustle, rent an ultramodern Airbnb in the city center.

In worthy Gemini that you are, you will not be disappointed (from 36 € per night).

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The ideal Cancer vacation

La Dolce Vita on the shores of Italian lakes ... A dream for Cancerians who are passionate about nature since the lakes are among the most beautiful places to visit in Italy.

Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda or Lake Como, the region is full of superb villas.

Ideal for a chic family vacation.

We reserve: Villa Sofia, located near Lake Maggiore and originally a 17th century convent.

We like: the large swimming pool with deckchairs, the football field and the tennis court.

(From € 3,650 per week for 7 people.)

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The ideal Leo vacation

The ideal Virgo vacation

The ideal Libra vacation

The ideal Scorpio vacation

The ideal holiday for Sagittarius

The ideal vacation for Capricorns

The ideal Aquarius vacation

The ideal Pisces vacation

See the slideshow

12 photos

A reconnection with oneself

It is to her husband - an outright Cartesian - that Victoire offered a birth chart for her birthday. At 33, this interior designer wanted him to understand the benefits that this discipline brought to her, the Gemini ascendant Sagittarius. It was during the first confinement that Victoire began to consult an astrologer, whom she now calls a friend: "I had time to wonder about my life," confides this mother of a young girl from 3 years. I loved taking care of my daughter, but I put my career on hold, I lost my financial independence, and it was working me. "

She had her astral chart analyzed - the chart of the sky at the time of her birth -, then her solar revolution, the climate for the next twelve months from her birthday.

Pluto in Capricorn was revisiting his house 2!

“It was normal for me to wonder about the material aspect, it did me good to understand the energies that I was feeling,” she continues.

I was able to breathe, let go.

Astrology teaches us to go in the direction of the energy encountered, we no longer suffer the waves against the current, we try to surf. "

A personal development tool

Many CSP + tossed about by the uncertainties of an anxiety-provoking world cling to the positions of the stars: 41% of French people (8 points more than in 2000) say they believe astrology explains their character, according to an Ifop survey published in December 2020. They no longer necessarily seek its predictive “virtues”, but use it as a tool for personal development.

"We rarely come to know when we will meet the man of his life, but rather to talk about professional retraining, confirms Sophie Ravier.

The context of Covid-19 brings out discomfort in the couple or at work.

This almost fiftieth birthday left her golden job at Clarins to train in London and join the tribe of 21st century neo-healers.

There is something very sweet about saying that it's written in the starsSophie Ravier

“Life is collaborating with the inevitable, and astrology can help us by providing the keys to understanding,” she emphasizes.

I explain that, even in complex times, there is a gift if you decide to. ”

Astrology, Sophie Ravier compares it to a toolbox: "Depending on what you have, an adjustable wrench, a saw, a hammer, you learn how to use it, it gives you power."

Every Sunday, on WhatsApp, Sophie Ravier delivers an audio message in a benevolent voice to the faithful of her AstroMamaClub eager to know if the energy of Sagittarius will push them to launch projects, if Neptune being in the party will invite them at least think and feel more… "There is something very sweet about saying that it is written in the stars", she continues.

Help to de-dramatize

A trendy Parisian, Emma crossed the periphery to go to her first consultation with a certain Sonia. "I was badly, I felt exhausted, I had always had a lucky star, but there, I had the feeling of being out of my way", confides this ex-self-entrepreneur of 45 years. His masseur recommends him an astrologer whom he knows well. Her husband doesn't want to hear about it. Her first session was a “huge shock”: “In an hour and a half, Sonia spoke to me with an acuity that stunned me. About myself, my past, relationships with my mother, while at the shrink I only spoke of my father. She told me that I was on my way and that things would be fine. That something related to food and fundraising was going to happen to me. ”

Today, Emma works for an NGO which has just raised funds… “It sounds crazy!”, She breathes.

From time to time, Emma returns a phone call to her astrologer about her children or about work: “She is brutal in the form of shuttering.

She can tell me that I will go through eight months of intense struggle, but that after that will be better.

I understood that problems are part of the package of life.

Having a horizon helped me to de-dramatize. ”

A path of life

Every day, women, between 30 and 50 years old, "entrepreneurs, courageous, resilient" contact the astrologer Sophie Keller, who consults by Skype from Switzerland.

Undoubtedly because they recognize themselves in its course.

Former parliamentary assistant, she professionalized her passion and recounted her retraining in her book

(Editions Robert Laffont).

“I receive a lot of women who aspire to a change of life.

I try to give back the power to those who think they have lost it, she emphasizes.

The stake is not to know for which profession we are destined or if we are going to win the lottery, but to find the way towards oneself. "

To the question “Why am I made?”, Sophie Keller prefers “Who am I really?”.

Much of his practice is to reassure, "What you are feeling is normal, and most importantly, know that everything is always in motion."

To listen: the editorial podcast

An expanded consciousness

At 47, Emilie has never felt so “normal” as since she connected to the celestial.

This lawyer devours textbooks and regularly consults an astrologer to feel "aligned, in phase".

“I understood, thanks to my theme, why, when I am in love, I give myself entirely to the other.

It reassured me, she said.

I'm not crazy, not deficient, I just hadn't had access to that consciousness. ”

A committed astrology

Among the youngest, astrology appeals to millennials fed on the

or

sagas

. Netflix lists the series according to their sign, Snapchat offers to check their astro compatibility. "What type of hero or heroine do you want to play on a daily basis? What mission do you want to accomplish? What evil monsters do you hope to take down? Deciphering your astrological profile allows you to understand your future adventures and work on your potential to reach your personal happy ending, ”explains Mathilde Fachan in her book

(Solar Editions). Creator of

, the successful podcast "causing modern astrology", this thirty-something, graduate of Sciences Po and passionate about esotericism, mixes myths, legends and everyday life.

To speak of the Moon (Season 2,

Episode 2) it convenes Prokofiev, Neil Armstrong and

.

Thierry Ripoll (1), professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Aix-Marseille

How do you explain the success of astrology?

In the current context, magical beliefs are regaining their past vigor.

Astrology is in fashion because it seems capable of re-enchanting the world.

It appears as a liberation from the austerity of scientific thought.

The more stressed we are, the more we need to believe?

Our brain is equipped with two information processing systems. The first, analytics, is slow and requires attention. The second, intuitive, quick, requires little effort, it has a strong emotional component. We know that the triptych of stress, anxiety and the feeling of loss of control helps to strengthen the intuitive system. With the pandemic pushing these three sliders to the extreme, the need to tinker with beliefs increases. Astrology gives ready-made answers to the intuitive system. It allows to face a real scary.

You say that belief increases performance…

It is a powerful remedy, because our brains are very powerful. If you make an athlete believe that he is playing with Federer's racket, his belief will boost his confidence.

Booked for three months in a period of confinement, the young astrologer received many young people in construction, in reflection or in retraining: “Each time, I tell them, it's you who decides. I am not here to judge them, but to help them find comfort in the discomfort, to identify their faults, their strengths or their internal tensions so that they understand the great dynamics of their existence and that they can resume the hand." Like more and more young “sisters”, Mathilde Fachan practices a committed, feminist and non-gendered astrology. “I found old textbooks from the 1980s stuffed with sexist and misogynistic clichés, where we can read that the conjunction of Mercury and Uranus means a risk of homosexuality in women,or a risk of divorce for women ”It was not only Mercury who was retrograde!

(1) “Believe in the incredible”, Éditions PUF, 2012.

The editorial team advises you

• How to finally understand astrology and use it on a daily basis

• These twenty-somethings who trust in Mercury and Saturn to move forward in life

• In the New Age grimoires of 21st century witches