What lay ahead?

Apart from the cookery websites, there is one more which is seeing an especially high hits – the astrology websites. The traffic is huge and astrology is among the top 10 most searched words. Google Trends shows that the search for the word ‘astrology’ has surged after mid-March, right when the Covid situation in India started getting worse.

People are not only visiting astrology websites but also connecting with online astrologers as they struggle with anxiety emotions and want to feel assured that all will be well soon; there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. This pandemic has once again reiterated people’s belief in astrology or pseudosciences.

Live astrology or tarot card reading sessions on Facebook and Instagram have become commonplace. So while scientists across the world are busy looking for a vaccine, astrologers are also super busy. Chanting the Gayatri mantra and praying to the Sun God are the two most recommended ‘remedies’ to fight this virus, plaguing the mind. Many of these online astrologers are charging Rs.12 to even Rs.40 per minute to give advices.

To believe or not to believe is one’s own choice. While it is understandable that we need to hear that the end of this virus is near, we cannot help but wonder why they could not predict the coming of this virus? Yes, there are videos of one teen astrologer, Abhigya Anand who had predicted the coming of a global threat like this way back in August 2019 and today, he has one of the biggest followings.