We often don’t feel like making decisions. Tell me, hasn’t that ever happened to you? You stand in a supermarket, looking at shelves of cookies, wondering whether you even want something sweet today. Or maybe you should walk over to the snacks aisle and choose some incredibly artificial sour cream and herbs flavor? Or what about healthy eating and oven-baked broccoli — are we in the mood for that, ladies and gentlemen? Time drags on, thoughts don’t really form clearly in your head, and yet you still have to make a decision. And this is just the simplest version of such a dilemma. Throughout life, we face far more choices, where every option can seem both satisfying and not at the same time.
Back in school, before entering the 10th or 11th grade, we were asked: “Which class would you like to choose? Advanced chemistry, mathematics, English, or maybe history?” And how is a 14-year-old supposed to make that decision without justifying it to their parents by saying that their crush will be in the math class — a crush who, in a few years, will become a completely different person and disappear from the pages of your diary? In theory, this choice was meant to help students focus on subjects for their final exams (do those still exist in Ukraine?), but in reality it just creates more pressure — the need to make a decision that could affect at least the next two years. It’s scary, especially when you’re a teenager. Or an adult. Or an adult teenager.
There’s no point in continuing with examples — you could just look at my past week and already get twenty pages of dilemmas. In short, it’s clear: life consists of constant choices and responsibility for them. Great! But what do you do when you don’t feel like weighing the pros and cons of every situation like Robinson Crusoe? Well, I’ve thought about that. First, you can choose at random. Isn’t that what we did on tests at school and university when we didn’t know the answer? You know — sometimes it works. Second, you can decide nothing at all and ask your parents, friends, or partner to do it for you. But then more questions arise — what if they all have different opinions? Sorting through those too? No, thank you.
But if you thought that in the end you have no choice and must take responsibility for your actions no matter what — you are very mistaken. Today, in a time when technology is developing almost at the speed of light (but still slow enough for me to keep writing and publishing), the list of popular advisors has been joined by the good old fortune-tellers. Like TikTokers in 2020, they were waiting for their moment of glory — for the legalization of their craft and the emergence of new platforms — to fill the heads of an already slightly stale millennial generation, while also grabbing both their predecessors and their successors. But instead of the old familiar nonsense about extracting negative energy with an egg, we now have decks of cards with brand-new illustrations called Tarot, astrological charts that supposedly reveal everything — the past, the present, and the future — and, of course, aura readings. Did I miss anything?
Young people love watching Tarot readings based on zodiac signs (you know, to narrow the sample and give every Taurus on the planet a sense of uniqueness), taking on ascetic “challenges” while making wishes, and feeling the energy of forces, souls, generations, animals, living room tables, and bedroom rugs. In general, nothing criminal — who wouldn’t want to shake off this overwhelming pressure of life? When Auntie Zina tells you everything through the cards — not based on your situation — and astrologer Iryna reminds you that this year will bring real success and complete everything you’ve started. It’s hard even to be skeptical here, because according to the forecast, next month is supposed to be the best one for me — so we’ll see.
But hasn’t it all gone too far? Haven’t fortune-tellers, astrologers, numerologists, and similar charlatans moved to a new level, sinking their tentacles much deeper — not into the subconscious of some random civilians, but into the thinking of people responsible for the course of the state, for security, for citizens’ well-being? Mr. Yermak, what do you say? Or does Venus in Mars not recommend giving extra comments?
May was very astrologically “kind” to all zodiac signs, but every rule has its exceptions. So, Mr. Yermak, the former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, was officially notified of suspicion in a case involving the construction of four estates in Kozyn near Kyiv, united in the “Dynastia” cooperative. According to the investigation, the funds for the estates came from criminal schemes, and one of the owners was supposed to be the one and only Andriy Yermak. He is accused under Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — legalization of property obtained through criminal means. The story revolved for a long time around the preventive measure for the former head of the Presidential Office — until suddenly an unexpected twist appeared before our eyes.
During the May 12 hearing, SAPO prosecutor Valentyna Hrebeniuk stated that there are grounds to believe that Yermak may have been involved in certain high-level government appointments. According to her, he discussed this with a person saved in his contacts as “Veronika Feng Shui Office.” To receive recommendations from this “expert,” the former head of the Presidential Office sent her the birth dates of candidates. Apparently, he was afraid someone might turn out to be a hidden Gemini or Scorpio! Ms. Veronika, most likely, had a hand in the appointment of the current Minister of Health and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Oleh Tatarov. Maybe I should check their horoscopes — perhaps we have something in common, and a big appointment to a high position awaits me in the future too!
Journalists from Skhemy, as always, did not overlook such a story and dug up more information about the mysterious Ms. Veronika. It turned out that she is a 51-year-old woman who calls herself an astrology consultant (well, at least not numerology!). On social media, she runs a Telegram channel called “Lunnye chasy” (“Lunar Times”). There, she states that she provides astrological consultations based on her knowledge and experience. From her personal page, this “lady of the magical constellation” often expresses support for Mr. Yermak. Apparently, the stars advised her to do so. And if anyone thought that such activity looks rather strange and straight out of something like The Battle of Psychics, you are very much mistaken. Ms. Veronika is not just a shaman-magician — since 2024 she has been officially registered as a sole proprietor, with her field of activity listed as “provision of other individual services.” Checkmate to those who don’t believe in the reality of astrologers. Now they have certificates and documents!
Isn’t it a funny story? And this is all happening right here at home, not somewhere in an American or British comedy series. This time, we managed to outdo everyone, adding maximum absurdity to an already tragic case involving a very influential figure in the country. All that’s left is to bless missiles and pour holy water from a helicopter against coronavirus, like our dear neighbors did a few years ago. And why not? How is this circus any different from fortune-tellers, magicians, astrologers, numerologists, and similar nonsense? Perhaps at least in the fact that the church has some kind of institution, years of existence, history, and even a book that convinces millions of people of the correctness of their faith. Meanwhile, the magical alternative has neither mystical, nor scientific, nor historical foundation. These are simply manipulations by people for whom money has no smell.
If you look at our society now, you would be surprised at how popular Tarot cards have become. And if you don’t believe me, try asking your acquaintances — just out of curiosity — whether they happen to own a deck of those magical cards that supposedly reveal your past, present, and future, but somehow can’t predict the price of Bitcoin next week. You’ll be surprised to learn that even if no one personally carries such a deck around, it will definitely be found among friends of your friends. But just in case, you can always order a reading online, pay some Ms. Veronika or Viktoriia in hryvnias, dollars, or euros, and receive a full analysis of your question — with images, comments, and explanations. How convenient! And as far as I know, to reinforce the “facts” received from tarot readers, people have also started buying natal charts and various things from numerologists. Better to be warned from all sides, right? Just in case the cards lied.
However, I’d like to bring back a bit of seriousness. How long can we idle around and joke when these seemingly harmless amusements have begun to cross the line? Until recently, I thought all these magical things were just entertainment for teenagers, young people, girls at sleepovers, or simply another funny meme, as millennials would say. Only now, it turns out, this is quite an effective method for making more serious decisions. Questions like “Does Tymofii love me?” or “When will Valerii and I get married?” are fading into the background, and the specialists of the magical craft have retrained themselves — now helping deputies and officials choose the right people for positions. “Ms. tarot reader, could you tell me whether this candidate for prime minister has a future in parliament?” Well, I could answer that myself — no, because he’s a Taurus, and career growth isn’t that important to them. And who needs analysts, psychologists, and other actually qualified professionals, where dry facts, risks, and potential advantages are considered? Certainly not Mr. Yermak.
At the beginning of this piece, we immersed ourselves in a kind of carefree lightness of memories about our everyday dilemmas — recalling the first challenges of growing up, routine thoughts about daily life, and simple, even amusing choices throughout the day. Back then, it seemed that any alternative methods of analysis that might help us make decisions were nothing more than playful games with the subconscious. And often, that works — because somewhere deep inside, we actually know the right choice, whether it’s chips or chocolate, or even a future profession. But the trend of recent years, where people increasingly rely on mystical data coming from the mouths of not always honest or qualified individuals, cannot but be alarming — especially when you hear news where the names of public officials and astrologers appear in the same sentence.
Yes, we all want to avoid responsibility from time to time, and that’s normal. Sometimes we’re simply afraid of making mistakes, and there’s nothing fatal about that. But without mistakes, we won’t learn anything new, will we? Without our own analysis, cause-and-effect reasoning, some degree of intuition and experience, our brains will simply stop activating the necessary neurons, giving them a peaceful rest that lasts a lifetime. And then all kinds of charlatans will take over not only decision-making systems but will also reach higher, more stable positions, turning our world into a parody of TV series about curses and fortune-tellers. And it’s so absurd that it’s even a little funny.
Responsibility is not about birth dates, natal charts, or Tarot cards. It is about focus, analysis, and clarity of mind. And it should be present both in a store when choosing sweets and when approving candidates for leadership positions. Perhaps we will make a mistake and end up choking on salty crackers when our soul was craving chocolate — but it will be our conscious, thought-out, and admittedly a bit silly choice. Not because the cards said so, not because a fortune-teller reminded us, but because of our own thoughts. And they matter far more than any deck of cards or any cosmic alignments in our universe. We create our own destinies, and no Veronika Feng Shui will show us the right path.
A bit cliché, I know. But isn’t that exactly how Taurus people born in the Year of the Tiger behave?
Photo: AI-generated
Author: Viktoriia Hridina
