Life

This Is The Most Common Reason People Consult Their Horoscope, According To A New Report

by Brandi Neal
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images News/Getty Images

If you believe the planets have a real and profound affect on your future, like that whole Mercury-retrograde-turning-your-life-into-a-dumpster-fire thing, then you might consult the cosmos for guidance on the regular. But the reasons people believe in astrology on the whole are various, from double checking when's the most auspicious date to start that new job, or just to see what the stars have in store for you that day. But a new report details the most common reasons people consult the stars for life advice, and questions about love and sex are at the top of the list. According to the SEMrush's data-driven-astrology study, searches for sexual compatibility have quadrupled in the last year. What's more, astrology aficionados are most often wondering which signs are compatible with Virgos, Leos, and Geminis.

It's hardly a secret that Scorpio is the most aloof and mysterious of all the signs, and Scorpio-born people exude a magnetism that instantly draws people in. Because of this it's no surprise that "how to attract a scorpio" is one of the most popular searches. Apparently, winning the affection of a Scorpio is pretty difficult, and a lot of work. "They aren't easily hooked so that means that, in order to attract a Scorpio, you'll really have to make sure to keep an air of mystery around you," the website All Women Talk noted. "Games are something that really, really appeal to this particular sign, which means that you'll have to work to keep them interested and to really attract them."

The Atlantic reported that people tend to turn to astrology during times of stress, especially stress over relationships. And, because millennials are the most stressed-out generation ever, it's no surprise that more and more millennials are consulting astrology for answers to life's big questions, or to escape reality. A 2016 report titled "Unreality" from J. Walter Thompson put it this way: "We live in a state of hyperreality. As we navigate through the stress and mundanity of our everyday existence and parallel online lives, we are increasingly turning to unreality as a form of escape and a way to search for other kinds of freedom, truth, and meaning." Sound familiar?

"What emerges is an appreciation for magic and spirituality, the knowingly unreal, and the intangible aspects of our lives that defy big data, and the ultra transparency of the web." If you're like most millennials, stress over jobs, money, relationships, housing, the royal wedding, and more likely has you wanting to shut yourself in your apartment for a weeklong Gilmore Girls marathon. After that, you might starting googling how compatible Luke and Lorelai are according to astrology, and then how compatible you are with the object of your desire.

In case you were wondering, it turns out that Lorelai's stubborn Taurus nature is a perfect complement to Luke's endless hard-to-get Scorpio tap dance. These two signs provide each other with just the right amount of push and pull to keep one another interested and going back for more. I mean, if playing games for seven years is your jam, by all means embark on the Taurus-Scorpio-love path. But, if you still haven't solved that how-to-attract-a-Scorpio mystery, then you're going to want to download the astrological-matchmaking app Sweet Pea.

This app outlines the most compatible power-house matches right off the bat, which are Gemini and Aquarius, Taurus and Cancer, Aries and Aquarius, Leo and Sagittarius, Virgo and Taurus, Libra and Gemini, Scorpio and Cancer, Sagittarius and Aries, Capricorn and Taurus, Aquarius and Gemini, and Pisces and Scorpio. If you're tired of all that googling to see whether or not you and your Bumble date are likely to hit it off, you can meet your best astrological matches right on Sweet Pea.

However, don't take this as gospel, because everyone has free will. I tend to use astrology like a guidebook. Think of it like a maps app for your life. Having a little extra knowledge about the best route to take can help you get to where you're going faster while minimizing frustrations. However, sometimes those apps are wrong and direct you to drive your car into a lake. Astrology is the same. Take the advice that makes sense to you and toss the rest. Just because the stars say a Libra and a Pisces are a disaster waiting to happen, that doesn't mean it's necessarily true. Kind of like when you ignore Waze, get on the freeway anyways, and it turns out to be the best decision because there's an unreported four car pile up on the suggested route. In the end, it's all up to you.