Apps for the Starry-Eyed

For many, astrology has replaced religion

Like the Astro Poets’ half a million followers on Twitter, I, too, read my horoscope daily, preferring them in either meme or poem form, either on social media or on an app. At this point, astrology has become an irrevocable part of my life: One of the first things I ask when meeting people for the first time is “What’s your sign?” and I’ve found myself say things like, “This is peak Virgo behavior,” or “No wonder I’m like this—there’s so much Leo in my birth chart” whenever the situation calls for it. For a lot of millennials, astrology has replaced religion: In a story by the Los Angeles Times this year, writer Jessica Roy names the subject of her piece, Ana Lilia, as only one of a growing number of millennials “who have turned away from traditional organized religion and are embracing more spiritual beliefs and practices like tarot, astrology, meditation, energy healing and crystals.” 

While this fascination for and belief in astrology is by no means new (the 1970s were known as the Age of Aquarius, after all, and horoscopes date back to ancient times), astrology, now more than ever, has become a constant in many people’s lives, often women’s. When the art form experienced yet another renaissance in the past decade, horoscopes were no longer confined to their respective sections in magazines or newspapers. They can be short poems, as is the case with the Astro Poets; they can be memes, thanks to @notallgeminis; or they can be vague callouts by way of Co—star’s daily push notifications. The words “Mercury Retrograde” instil a feeling of dread and fear in the hearts of many, and one can now filter through star signs in dating apps, in case you’re not in the mood to talk to Geminis! 

Below, 6 apps for your spiritual soul—they’re not limited to just astrology though, as there are some to do with tarot and crystals as well.

I’ve always been fascinated with astrology, but I began to really pay attention to it last year with Co–star, which I found through a friend’s Stories. She had done Co–star’s zodiac bingo—something that Instagram is teeming with—and so I had, too. When I learned that Co–star had an app, I headed straight to the App Store and downloaded it. The interface is clean and minimalist (perfect for this Virgo sun), similar to its posts. On the homepage, you’ll be greeted with a short blurb and which areas you’ll have power and trouble in. You can also access your birth chart, as well as in-depth explanations of your signs in your planets. Being a social app (yes, you can add friends!), Co–star will also indicate which of your friends have similar signs or personalities, and, of course: When you go to your friends list, you can check your compatibility with them, from your basic identities, to intellect & communication, and even senses of responsibility. They also use “NASA data to know exactly where the stars are,” which is probably why their readings are so accurate—sometimes to the point of a call-out! Like, we get it, Co–star, our lives are not together. Co–star is available on the App Store and is coming soon to Android. 

I discovered Sanctuary (or did Sanctuary discover me?), like Co–star, through a friend’s Stories. I fell in love with the post’s typography and colors, and again: When I found out they had an app, I went straight to the App Store to download it. Sanctuary’s free features, I feel, are more geared towards millennials and Gen Z-ers, as one receives their daily reading in the form of a text exchange. You can get your horoscope for your sun sign as well as your rising sign, and the app also provides a power emoji. (Mine, today, is 🎰.) The app also shows one their starry-eyed news, complete with a lighthearted GIF or a reminder that it’s a celebrity’s birthday, like Beyoncé’s on September 4 or Britney Spears the Sagittarian. The app also offers private readings at ₱929.00/mo for your first your month and then Php 1,050.00/mo., and they also have astrological guides to the planets, signs, moon phases, aspects, asteroids & comets, and more, though some of it are premium features. Like Co–star, you can also access your birth chart, coupled with fast facts about the sign and the planet. Sanctuary is available on the App Store and on Google Play.

While I’m by no means an expert on crystals, I do keep a few for myself: a sunstone, rose quartz, amazonite, and tiger’s eye. STONE—which I discovered through my girlfriend who is also into crystals—has helped me learn more about them, as the app offers insightful (and wonderfully written!) information on various stones and crystals. On the app, which is easy to navigate through and functional, you can learn more about crystals, with their write-ups accompanied with one-liners and descriptions that are fun and playful from amber (“just like honey”) to the dalmatian stone (“the fun is just the beginning”). The information is accessible and easy to understand, and you can sort through the stones depending on their vibe: like which ones are for protection, joy, strength, passion, transformation, vitality, and more. STONE is available on the App Store.

It’s scary how accurate The Pattern is. One of my friends frantically messaged the group chat telling us all to download it, stat, because she’s convinced it knows us. Like, knows knows us. So we did, and let me tell you: it knows me, so it probably knows you, too. People have been freaking out over its accuracy, and it’s been said to be in that sweet spot between TimePassages and Co–star. What apparently happens with The Pattern is that it uses your birth chart to create a personality profile and tracks your transits—the passage in which your the stars are moving in your chart. Though there’s been some concern with data (the app doesn’t respond to do not track requests, according to a Daily Dot reader, so proceed with caution), the app has been gaining traction on Twitter and Reddit since 2018, and was recently been raved about by supermodel Karlie Kloss as one of the apps that she loves. The Pattern lets you know which dates will be good for you, and like Co–star, you can check your compatibility in relationships. The Pattern is available on the App Store and Google Play.

MOON is exactly what it says on the tin: It’s an app for viewing the phases of the moon. If the movement of this celestial body is something that matters to you, then it’s a good app to have. You can check what phase the moon is in tonight, what it will be in a future date, or what is was in the a past date. MOON is available on the App Store. 

If tarot is more your thing, then Golden Thread is the app for you. You can get readings for your day, an important decision, and more—even without a physical deck at hand. You draw a card daily, add it to your logs, and you can even reflect and add notes to it, as well as your feelings for the card you drew. It’s a good accompaniment for one’s regular tarot readings, and it’s definitely a good app for those who are always on-the-go. The interface is well-made and easy to access, and there’s also information and the basics on tarot: the Major and Minor Arcana, the suits, and what they mean, so you can sharpen your tarot knowledge and become a better reader. Golden Thread is available on the App Store and Google Play.