Young singletons are looking beyond conventional dating advice for answers about their romantic lives, which experts theorize could be fueled by the uncertainty around modern relationships.
New polling from DatingNews revealed 64 per cent of Gen Z respondents surveyed have tried something spiritual, psychic or “manifestation-based" for love.
The online survey of 1,013 U.S. adults, conducted by Cherry Data Signals in August, found practices include consulting psychics, spells, crystals, tarot and astrology charts. Their appeal may reflect a familiar frustration with modern dating: apps provide more potential partners and information to assess, but little certainty about how someone feels or where a relationship is heading.
For some, spiritual rituals offer a way to make sense of that uncertainty, providing a framework for reflection when analyzing profiles, messages and compatibility does not deliver clear answers.
Dr. Dakari Quimby, a clinical adviser of Marietta Springs, a modern evidence-based treatment center located in Georgia, told Newsweek that "symbolic systems" can make dating feel more intentional and emotionally coherent.
"The paradox of choice might explain why the apparent explosion of romantic choices with online or app dating doesn't necessarily lead to greater dating satisfaction. Meanwhile, repeated rejection or disappointing dating experiences can leave some people emotionally exhausted," he said.
Gen Z's Turn Towards Spirituality
A previous Newsweek report examined survey findings suggesting that some Gen Z daters place considerable trust in astrology when it comes to love, raising questions about how younger people assess romantic compatibility.
The Harris Poll's Gen Z and Religion Report found that 51 percent of Gen Z respondents regularly practised meditation or ritual, while 49 percent practised manifestation and 30 percent used astrology or tarot. Meanwhile, 67 percent regularly prayed, and 49 percent attended religious services.
The findings from the survey of 372 American Gen Zers, released last month, suggest the generation appears comfortable mixing traditional religion with less conventional spiritual practices.
...
Why Dating May Be Driving the Appeal
Modern dating can involve constant evaluation, from judging profiles and interpreting response times to categorizing behavior as a red or green flag.
Kirill Liakh, managing director of emotional insight app Hint, told Newsweek daters can scrutinize messages, profiles and compatibility yet still not understand why there is, or isn't, a connection.
“Practices such as astrology offer people a language for exploring those questions, even if they do not treat the answers as literal facts,” he said.
Company polling from Hint in July found that 56 percent of singles surveyed had deliberately tried to stop analyzing people through red and green flags because it was mentally exhausting. Sixty-one percent said the language stopped them seeing someone as a whole person.
Liakh explained practices such as astrology and rituals offer the opposite, by providing young people with a framework that doesn't require them to rate one another.
“Spiritual and self-reflection tools are likely to keep intersecting with digital dating because people are looking for personalized ways to understand relationships," he added.
What Astrology and Rituals Actually Provide
Cheryl Groskopf, a licensed therapist specializing in anxiety, trauma and attachment, told Newsweek that the uncertainty of modern dating can leave people searching for answers when a promising connection suddenly ends.
“You can talk to someone every day, feel like things are going somewhere, and then suddenly they disappear. When someone leaves you confused, your brain naturally starts looking for answers,” she said, adding that when those answers are unavailable, a tarot reading or compatibility chart can feel appealing.
"They can give people a sense of control when they're dealing with feelings they can't control," Groskopf said, explaining the simple act of selecting a tarot card can temporarily make someone feel "less helpless" when waiting for that dreaded text back.
As for why these concepts appeal to Gen Z in particular, Groskopf also noted that the generation has grown up surrounded by dating apps and social media advice about attachment styles, red and green flags, and compatibility. Astrology content offers another framework for making sense of romantic relationships.
However, understanding relationship concepts intellectually does not necessarily make uncertainty easier to handle emotionally. Being ghosted or receiving mixed signals can still leave people searching for answers.
When Does It Become Unhealthy?
"From a nervous system perspective, uncertainty can activate our threat response, especially for people who have experienced inconsistent affection or emotional unavailability," Groskopf noted.
Having a ritual can create "a small sense of predictability" in unpredictable situations. However she noted it may become a concern when people begin depending on these whenever they experience anxiety or uncertainty in a relationship.
"Rituals can help people reflect, but someone must never treat a compatibility chart as evidence that overrides behavior, consent, or safety," Quimby told Newsweek.
However, overall, experts agree that the appeal of these practices may ultimately be less about finding a magical solution than about navigating experiences that cannot be fully controlled.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anthony Murray and Rebecca Flood.