Spirituality and Gen Z

A conversation with @MelanatedMomma on astrology, Twitter and young people

I spoke to Mani (@melanatedmomma on Twitter) a young Black spiritual advisor, who routinely speaks about astrology, manifestation, and healing to their Twitter audience of over 300,000 followers. Astrology has blossomed in popularity among members of Generation Z, in recent years as younger people have shifted away from more polarizing religion and towards a more inclusive spirituality offered by astrology. By bringing their teachings to social media, Mani, and many similar accounts, have made spiritual guidance more accessible to younger, marginalized people seeking to learn more about themselves and their place in the universe. Responses have been edited for clarity.

Q: How do you describe yourself? 

A: I describe myself as one with few labels. I’m a spiritual being trying to find their grounding. I’m ever-flowing. On a practical level, I am a student, a mom, a spiritualist, a teacher, and a guide to many.

Q: How did you decide to start doing readings on social media?

A: I originally was just teaching on the timeline. I ended up picking up cards and wanted to see how well I could read for others. It was really a test of my intuition. Eventually, I figured out the cards and a divination wasn't my thing so I stopped doing those readings. I recognized that my words and claircognizance were enough to provide energy and messages to the collective.

Q: Almost all of my Black female friends follow you on social media. Do you feel any pressure as a young black woman doing this work? Is the astrology community diverse?

A: It's really interesting to me because the astrology community is just now becoming diverse. A majority of people that hold space in the field of astrology are white men. This means that there aren't many black astrologers or people who can teach the masses. It’s another tool that’s inaccessible to our communities, so I do think it is important for me to convey the correct ideas and teachings to other black women and people in my community. It's important to express astrology through our cultural viewpoints as well.

Q: What’s the most fulfilling part of your job?

A: I love connecting with so many people. I love learning and connecting with people through shared experiences as well. I express a lot of what I go through, and it is nice to have a community that can understand and help uplift me as I uplift them.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

A: Maintaining boundaries can be difficult because I want to help, always, but It is very easy for people to latch onto my energy and want to be led step by step. It is so important for me to emphasize spiritual autonomy and boundaries so that people know I am not a “guru” to put on a pedestal, but rather a person to learn from. I want people to practice personal empowerment and sometimes when giving spiritual advisement, people place major weight on what I have to say. It can make it difficult to be seen as human. 

Q: What has surprised you most about your job?

A: The amount of people that are willing to listen and do the work. The amount of people that are in the same position as me. 

Q: You’re one of the biggest names in social media astrology, how has your job changed since spirituality and astrology has grown in pop culture recently? 

A: This is honestly so crazy to me because I still to this day do not see myself as a “big name.” It’s so silly that I think that, but it's a good reminder for me so that I can continue to hold myself accountable. My advisor says it's like I'm oblivious to how “big” I am. I never let it get to me or really think about. I’m very self-denying and it is terrible. I’m working on it but I just keep doing what I’ve been doing. It’s definitely given me access to do so much more. Access to opportunities and so many blessings. I’m really thankful. It’s allowed me to teach people. Changing people's lives changes me and my job continues to mold to fit what people need in that moment. That’s the best job ever. The notoriety gives me room to reach more people. 

Q: Why do you think spirituality and astrology have gotten so popular for POC/LGBT/Gen Z and young people in general?

A: I think people need a safe space to go to. People need a foundation of their own to run to because the structures that forced us to assimilate are the same ones that oppress us. It's another way to cultivate a foundation for ourselves and break free from the oppression. We get to cultivate truth in a world that has worked so hard to deny us the right to see ourselves and see our truths. That’s beautiful.

You can follow Mani on Twitter and check out her website to sign up for classes and workshops and to learn more about spirituality in 2020.