“Ah well there you go! You are Scorpio ascendant Scorpio, but you have Venus in Libra: that’s why you hate conflicts. » Leaning on his smartphone, Jay, 24, deciphers my astral chart using a specialized site. Also a Scorpio, the young man tries to prove to me why our sign – one of the most unloved in the zodiac – does not deserve its bad reputation. Leaning on the counter of the Cabaret des Merveilles, a Parisian queer bar in the Saint-Michel district, he continues: “Your Moon is in Capricorn. This is the serious and square side that you were talking about earlier. » And to add, with an amused glance at my notebook: “Very square apparently…” “Damn, there’s no erasure!” And you write too well too”exclaims a customer who has come to order a pint of blonde.
Tell me what your sign is, I’ll tell you who you are. In recent years, astrology, a pseudo-science relating to occult belief, has become an important element of cultural codes and queer sociability, particularly among younger people. “When you meet someone, the “What’s your sign?” replaced the “What do you do for a living?” »affirms Raph, 22 years old, modern literature student and Aquarius ascendant Aries, which would make her “a go-getter, sometimes too impulsive”. On Instagram, accounts like @astrologouine Or @zcommezodiaque have nearly forty thousand subscribers. Trans comedian Lou Trotignon published a video in which he mocks the misuse of this trend. Some general LGBT accounts, such as @lesbien.raisonnable, there they wink. The Cabaret des Merveilles even offers shots based on your astrological sign. Virgin ? Honey lime whiskey. Balance ? Triple sec raspberry vodka.
This attraction to astrology obviously does not concern the entire queer community. Among the skeptics, there are those who are careful not to call it charlatanism, but who think no less of it, and those who do not hesitate to express their distrust, even their annoyance. “It’s bullshit, I don’t believe it”says Ethan, one of the servers, while preparing a cocktail. “You just told us your ascendant and the position of your Moon: it’s good that you’re interested! »Jay retorts. “Obviously, when you’ve been asked two hundred times, you look”grumbles the bartender.
“Assuming mystical beliefs”
In her dissertation, Elia Girauldon, student at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, explains how young people (18-25 years old) – whether LGBT or not – use astrology “to reduce uncertainties and obtain a degree of compatibility in romantic encounters”. “It helps break the ice, especially during a date, and discover the character of the other”, confirms Raph. Taureans are supposedly reliable although resentful; Pisces, empathetic and with a skin-deep personality; Leos, honest, determined and proud…
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