Latines Are More Likely to Believe in Astrology — Here’s Why

You can’t live in this day and age and not know about astrology, or the study of the movements and positions of celestial bodies, like stars and planets, as having influence on human affairs and the natural world. Even if you’re not familiar with all 12 zodiac signs, even if you don’t know what a “birth chart” is, and even if you don’t know your moon from your rising, you probably know astrology exists. But here’s the thing: If you’re Latine, you’re more likely to believe in it — at least in comparison to other groups. 

According to YouGov.com, Hispanic Americans (their categorization, not ours) are more likely to believe in astrology (32%) than non-Latine Black Americans (31%) and non-Latine white Americans (25%). In fact, both U.S.-based Latines and those in Latin America have a strong affinity for astrology. For example, 27% of Americans believe in astrology, 23% of French do, and 46% of Mexicans believe in its relevance. This can be seen with the influence of Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado, our overwhelming connection and belief in the spiritual world, and the general influence of our daily horoscope. 

So what is it about being Latine that lets us resonate so much with the idea of astrology? That we’re more likely to believe somehow that our inherent being is tied up with the placement of the stars at the time of our entering into this world? Or that the current state of affairs here on this earth is shaped and shifted by the placement of the cosmos? 

“There is a subconscious influence because it goes back to our cultural roots, [our] Indigenous cultural theology,” Jasmin Alejandrez-Prasad, an astrologer with Mexican and Peruvian heritage, tells Refinery29 Somos. ​​She notes that Western practices identify cosmology as a separate, scientific understanding of how the universe was created, but to many of our ancestors, cosmology and astrology were intertwined and threaded through our cultural beliefs and practices. “I think a lot of that somehow still gets passed down. These cultural beliefs — like connecting to the earth, connecting to the four elements, and incorporating the cosmos and the earth into our theology — is just so wired within us, based on our ancestral DNA. This is why we're more inclined toward incorporating astrology, or the language of it, in some sort of capacity [into our lives].”

This connection, Alejandrez-Prasad notes, has shape-shifted to superstition as a result of colonialism and, subsequently, the influence of Catholic and Christian religions. “It's translated as superstition because it's not considered a traditional ritual that is approved or monitored by an organized religion,” she says. “And so that's why there's also sort of that, you know, smear campaign of, if you believe in this stuff, it's dark; it's witchcraft. But deep down inside we love it because it is part of our cultural identity.”

Nati Valderrama, an astrologer with Chilean roots, agrees. “I think our culture also, in general, is affected by ‘the spirit world.’ We’re open to it because it’s a part of who we are,” she tells Somos, pointing to literature like Gabriel García Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits. “We’ve been immersed in a world of magic realism; therefore, we not only believe in magic — we are magic. And though astrology isn’t about magic, it is about connection to something beyond us.”

This connection to astrology and something beyond us sets up a duality of identity that is also apparent in a lot of Latines' lives, as we’re inherently not just one thing. “Although my family is very Christian, they never shied away from ‘secular’ horoscopes,” Ty Meza, a Chicano account supervisor in public relations, tells Somos. “We often read our horoscopes together and talked about what they could mean within the current happenings in our lives.” 

For Meza, who has been interested in astrology since his early childhood, the practice is a way to connect with others. “I think I gravitated toward it because it was a fun way to understand myself and the people in my life. My mom was the youngest of eight children, so I have a huge, lovely Latine family. And I think astrology was a way for my younger self to navigate through all those personalities and emotions.” 

Alejandrez-Prasad notes that this isn’t isolated; she has seen a recent shift in how Latines understand and use astrology, with millennials and Gen Z Latines using it to both understand others, including their family and elders, as well as to understand themselves in order to heal intergenerational trauma and ancestral wounds. 

But the big generational connector for many Latine families was one man who introduced millions to the concept of astrology: Walter Mercado.

Like many, Meza was introduced to astrology through the work of Mercado, watching him with his abuela. “I used to call him the ‘Lion Man’ because of his golden hair and big personality,” he says. Alejandrez-Prasad notes that growing up, even in her very Catholic household, watching Mercado was not only allowed; it was enjoyed. “I think that has been so ingrained. It’s an impression in our memory, like, oh, at some point this was considered OK. We may not have openly talked about [astrology at large], but we sat in front of the TV and watched [Mercado] and then we went about our regular days, remembering his messages of encouragement.”

From Mercado and the belief in connection beyond what we see, to our understanding of self, and largely, the Indigenous history and ongoing traditions across Latin America, Latines’ understanding and belief in astrology make perfect sense. Our roots angle toward the sky. “Astrology for Latines is ancestral,” says Alejandrez-Prasad. “Point blank. It’s ancestrally rooted.” 

Meza, who continues to follow astrology, agrees. “We were always stargazers, looking for so much more from this life and the next. And even after Catholicism came to the new world, we still tend to gravitate toward things that remind us of our origins. We are a people of so many places and times and influences, and the stars are the constant that guide us.”