Zodiac the Vote

“We’re not here to predict the future. We’re here to change it.”

This is what Oakland-based astrologer, Jessica Lanyadoo, shares about her voter engagement organization, Zodiac the Vote. Lanyadoo has a podcast and a huge social media following, and she uses them both to connect with citizens and encourage them to be more civically engaged. Zodiac the Vote was the next step. She uses one dashboard to organize all of the events she encourages her followers to attend. These events are held by Swing Left, Crooked Media, Color of Change. and other progressive groups.

The goal of the group is to inspire civic engagement. Lanyadoo knows her audience, and she knows that many of them may be too apathetic or hopeless to vote or volunteer. She meets her audience where they are, connecting spirituality to tangible volunteer opportunities. Back in November, Zodiac the Vote released a “Mercury in Retrograde Voter Guide” to provide information about how to get registered, where to vote, and registration deadlines. She made all of this information public for her followers and the catchy title was an extra push to learn more about how to vote.

Astrologers were not always just on social media, in the 1980s many of them were vocal political activists. At this time, many gay astrologers were radicalized by the AIDs epidemic and became advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.

In my interview with Lanyadoo, she talks about making civic engagement popular in astrology and spirituality again. She even suggests that members of the spiritual community implement giving back to the community into their new moon rituals. What if it was as fashionable to write letters to the elderly as it was to wear a rose quartz? Or if people did more than manifest and actually volunteered picking up trash or planting trees?

As the interest in spirituality rises across society, Zodiac the Vote envisions it as a viable tool to combat political inaction and create positive social change. Astrology and spirituality is already being weaponized on the right to lure impressionable individuals into the QAnon and alt-right conspiracist paths. Lanyadoo hopes to engage with voters on the left to the same magnitude in order to influence the vote.

While many make fun of spirituality, there is a lot of potential for it to be used to accomplish real, tangible changes in the world. Many go to spirituality because they feel lost or are looking for a community, and volunteering can help them fulfill those desires. Especially because volunteering does not need to be inherently political or liberal. People can look for opportunities to donate food, write letters to the elderly, or tutor kids. There is a link between philanthropy and overall increased happiness and fulfillment! This is a much more effective way to make the world a better place than the 3-6-9 method, scripting, or other individualistic forms of manifestation.