File photo: VCG

 
"Forward this koi fish and you will get what you want the most in seven days!" 

Every time Wu Yu, a 27-year-old white collar living in Beijing, sees such a message on social media, she makes sure to press the forward button, even though she still hasn't figured out what she wants most in life. She also forwards other lucky symbols such as four-leaved clovers, dolphins and any propitious post about her sign - Sagittarius.

On the internet, some astrology bloggers have tens of millions of followers and articles about the 12 zodiac signs are extremely popular.

"Life is so hard. Even if they are not accurate, there is nothing wrong with entertaining myself by forwarding these posts," Wu told the Global Times. 

Wu is one of the young people in China who criticize superstition while also enjoying reposting auspicious symbols for good luck. She and those like her refer to horoscopes, divination and the like as "metaphysics."

 "Metaphysical" activities such as astrology, tarot reading and fortunetelling have their fans. Data from a horoscope app shows that most of its users are aged 19 to 34, with 19 to 24 year olds accounting for more than 50 percent of the users. These people like to check their horoscopes and read gossip stories related to their horoscopes, according to a report from Chinese new site The Paper.

"Compared with psychological counseling, divination is full of a sense of mystery and is more relaxing and interesting for young people. That's why fortune-telling enjoys such a high popularity among young generations," Pear (pseudonym), a fortune-teller from Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, told the Global Times.

Many psychologists believe that the rise in the "metaphysics" industry is directly related to the pressure and anxiety young people today feel. While a small number of them become addicted to it, most of them hold the attitude that "I believe it but am not obsessed with it." For them, "metaphysics" acts more as a placebo in life.

"It indeed helps me relieve my anxiety," Leng Mei, a 30-year-old single woman based in Beijing, told the Global Times. After reaching the age of 30, she would become very anxious whenever her colleagues around her would get married or have children. Trying to deal with such upset feelings, she sought solace in the tarot. When a fortune-teller told her that the tarot said "The best or nothing," which meant she should wait for Mr Right rather than settle for somebodyelse, Leng relaxed a great deal. Then her unhappiness fled and her mood improved considerably. 

Psychological research has revealed that people who consult astrologers are usually dealing with life stress, especially that related to relationships or their role in society. However, when people's lives are on the right track, they check their fortunes less frequently, The Paper reported. 

"Customers often only ask for help when they encounter problems, especially when they are confused. It is only then that they will look forward to getting some guidance," Pear said, agreeing with the research.