Millionaires don’t need astrologers, but billionaires do.
J.P. Morgan ( or, Sydney Omarr nearly 80 years after Morgan’s death )
Weather or not the late leader of Wall Street’s gilded age, J.P Morgan, actually attributed his billionaire status to astrology in a now-famous quote is debated among historians, investors, and astrologers alike.
Some say that the quote was fabricated by well-known astrologer Sydney Omarr, decades after Morgan had already passed away. Regardless of the authenticity of the direct quote, there is ample evidence to support that Morgan did respect and utilize astrology in his work.
Evangeline Adams, who worked with Morgan frequently throughout her career as an astrologer and annotated her experience in her 1926 autobiography, stated,
“I do know about the late J.P. Morgan’s belief in astrology, because – well, because I taught it to him. I read his horoscope many times, and furnished him during the last years of his life … No further proof of his interest in the science is required beyond the fact that he renewed this service from year to year“ (The Bowl of Heaven, 1926).
Although Adams is often credited for popularizing astrology through her books and radio show, the cultural practice originated as far back as the ancient era of Mesopotamia and continued to influence parts of Southwest Asian, North Africa, and Greece. While associated with spiritual practices, astrology is classified as a Pagan and Polytheistic belief system which are not tied to any single religious system.
Despite centuries of cultural influence and recognition, astrology remains undermined in modern society. This is often caused by underlying prejudice in the west. According to a Pew Reseach study, 30% of U.S. adults say they consult astrology (or a horoscope), tarot cards or a fortune teller at least once a year, but it is the Queer community who dominates in the practice. Over half of LGBTQ+ identifying individuals in the U.S. have expressed their consultation in astrological practices.
Furthermore, women are twice as likely to practice astrology and nearly 1/5 Black Americans report they practice astrology in the U.S. (Pew Research).
Women often take comfort in astrology because there is a freedom of expression allowable… Women feel understood in a space that sees value in emotions.
https://www.russh.com/feminism-and-astrology/
Marginalized groups are the dominating voice in modern astrological communities, and thus stigma and disregard is cast onto the practice. Despite this, great efforts of inclusion have been made towards astrology in the west.
According to Madeline Kenzie with RUSSH media, while astrology often references “masculine” and “feminine” energies, they are not talking about the differentiation of genders but about different energetic traits. This is not properly translated in western culture, and thus it leads to some reiteration of sexist ideology within the astrological community. Kenzie references the case of yin and yang which is a Chinese philosophy that recognizes gender as a play of forces and energy rather than tangible roles and has adapted overtime. This type of thought is difficult to understand from a western perspective, where gender norms are enforced and rewarded in everyday life.
Kenzie argues that criticism of people who enjoy things that are fundamentally genderless, like astrology, is rooted in toxic masculinity. According to Kenzie,
“With gender being on such a wide spectrum, modern astrologists have disregarded gender in their readings to be inclusive to all; the way astrology has always been intended. Exploring energies by excluding gender, this does not change the efficacy or substance of the discipline but helps bring in a wider community of individuals” (RSSH Media).
With astrological practices becoming normalized in society, it is important to acknowledge and explore the origins of the practice, while also acknowledging the feelings of the cultural communities that have kept it popular.
With famous astrologers like Adams advising some of the most successful people across the globe, and astrology’s contributions to cultural and scientific progress over the course of thousands of years, the blatant disregard for its authenticity is often rooted in deep cultural prejudices and consequential social movements in America.