There are many ways to prepare for a test, such as notecards, peer review and practice worksheets, but would you ever consider fortune-telling? You may think that ‘Iolani’s Christian ties would lend to lesser participation in aforementioned activities; however, according to findings from Pew Research, the percentage of people who believe in astrology remains incredibly similar across both religiously-affiliated and religiously-unaffiliated Americans, 27% and 28% respectively.
According to IBIS World Analyst Valerie Le, times of uncertainty and economic downturn boost the demand for services involving spiritual guidance. ‘Iolani students may be similar in their search for such services, but differ in their reasons why.
Kaila K. ’28 and Mason T. ’29 take fortune-tellings to feel better about themselves. Mason sees the fortunes as flattery. He said, “I wouldn’t fully trust it, knowing that there would be odds that it’s not going to be real, but I like to just lean on the belief a little bit that in the future I’m going to get rich. It’s somebody just like praising you.” Kaila enjoys filling out online fortune tellers, using an unconventional method to vet reliability: “If I like what it says, then I’ll definitely follow it and believe it with all my heart, but if it says something I don’t like, then I will pretend that it’s not true.”
Bridget R. ’27 places more faith in fortune tellers: “Not to the degree that I would go out and commit murder, but to the degree that if it said you’re gonna get in a relationship, I’d be like, ‘Ooh, yay!’ Out of 10, a seven. … For me, it’s actually been ridiculously accurate, which is why I trust [zodiac signs] so much.”
Mayzee D. ’26 and Vivian M. ’29 view fortune-telling as more of a fun gimmick. Vivian recalled tarot readings from the sixth-grade Medieval Fair. When asked if she believed in fortune-telling, she said, “To be honest, not really. I think it’s just kind of for fun.” Mayzee enjoys seeing what fortunes reveal about her. “I will look at what they have predicted about my past self – how I have been in my childhood – and I’ll think, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ I don’t usually believe what they say, though.”
Ultimately, while these students’ belief in fortune-telling is generally weak, they still seem to find themselves returning to it for exultations, entertainment and extraordinary results.
