Is reading your horoscope a sin? What the Bible says
Three in ten US adults consulted a horoscope, tarot or a psychic this year, according to Pew Research Center.
Is reading your horoscope a sin? That's the question, and behind it is another one almost nobody says out loud: does God get angry if I do it for fun? Pew Research Center surveyed nearly 9,600 adults.
The report came out on May 21, 2025: three in ten adults consulted a horoscope, tarot or a psychic in the past year, and 27% believe the stars influence people's lives. Among Hispanics, 30% turn to those practices.
Tarot wins among the youngest: almost one in four people aged 18 to 29 consults it, versus 6% among those 50 to 64. On TikTok, the hashtag #WitchTok already has 9.6 million videos of tarot and full-moon rituals.
«The habit has that trick: it starts as a game and little by little it keeps a trust that only God deserves.»
El1 Digital published on September 22, 2026 an anonymous survey of young people aged 18 to 30 in La Matanza, Buenos Aires. The crossover is striking: eight in ten believe in God and eight in ten consume astrology or spirituality content.
Divination wasn't a dirty sin
When Moses prepares Israel to enter the land, he marks the border with what neighboring peoples did: "or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead" (Deuteronomy 18:10, ESV).
The reason isn't superstition against superstition: "for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:12, ESV). Israel belongs to a God who speaks, and doesn't need to ask the future from whoever whispers.
Isaiah says it in the middle of a crisis, when the king is in over his head because of Assyria: "Should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19, ESV). Leviticus adds that whoever turns to mediums becomes unclean, because their trust went after another (Leviticus 19:31).
Now, what the Bible doesn't say. It doesn't forbid looking at the sky: "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1, ESV). What's out of place is asking the stars for a private message for your week. Nor is there a verse that says "don't carry crystals."
"Manifesting" promises something that isn't yours
Here's what almost nobody explains. Repeating affirmations in front of the mirror brings a way of seeing the world behind it: you generate your reality with your mind and your energy.
Scripture tells the story the other way around. God creates, you are a creature. Praying is talking with a Father who listens, not triggering a mechanism so the universe obeys you. He answers what's good for you, which isn't always what you asked for (see Matthew 6:32 and James 4:3).
What if I do it for fun? Temptation isn't sin; Jesus was tempted and did not sin (see Hebrews 4:15). Among adults, 20% say they consult those things for fun and 10% because they leave useful ideas.
But one in ten does seek real guidance there, and the habit has that trick: it starts as a game and little by little it keeps a trust that only God deserves. The first commandment doesn't talk about a dirty, weird sin; it talks about who you believe.
A week to see where you stand
I propose a concrete step. For seven days, no horoscope and no "manifesting." Pray every morning: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5, ESV). Write down what decisions you were leaving in the hands of cards or amulets.
The Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom published in September 2026 a guide on crystals, manifestation and tarot, because its churches receive people coming from those practices. Its advice, according to Protestante Digital, is to respond without fear, with the gospel and with a better story to offer.
I like that tone. Hiding from friends doesn't help; what helps is knowing who you believe about the future. If at the end of the week you miss control more than God's presence, that already says something. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him (see Matthew 6:31-33). What are you looking for when you consult the horoscope?
