The Astrology of Corecore

Corecore is the people’s answer to the way social media brutally accelerated the trend cycle. It’s an artsy meme format made up of ambiguously emotional found footage, set to cinematic soundtracks. Now with over 650 million views on TikTok, the #corecore tag reveals a compilation of content that feels at once absurd, surreal, and sincere. While most “cores” describe music or fashion, this one is about the internet itself.

But why, astrologically speaking, is corecore happening now? This is the sort of question astrologers love to explore! Examining the planetary placements during and leading up to a cultural movement can give us an exciting frame of reference. The mythologies associated with each sign and planet can inspire us in our assessment of what is happening in the zeitgeist. Why are people creating and watching these videos, and what do the stars have to say about it?

According to NBCNews.com, corecore first appeared on Tumblr in 2020, and #corecore has been on TikTok since July 2022. In both 2020 and 2022, Jupiter was in cardinal signs (Capricorn and Aries, respectively). Astrologers regard cardinal signs as great leaders and trendsetters, as they’re the first signs of the four seasons: Aries for spring, Cancer for summer, Libra for autumn, and Capricorn for winter. Aries is also the individual of the zodiac, and Jupiter in this sign may call us to define ourselves—to figure out where we stand and what we stand for in this vast sea of information and aesthetics. Since the hashtag first appeared on Tiktok when Jupiter was in the first few degrees of Aries, is corecore asking us to figure out who we are in this fragmented world?  

Ella Glossop’s recent explanation of corecore pointed out that many of the videos are anti-consumerist and critical of capitalism. Of course, Aquarius is an anti-elitist sign with a reputation for being rebellious. With Saturn in Aquarius for the past three years, an anti-trend, anti-consumerist aesthetic movement fits the bill. Saturn in Aquarius also explores the balance or line between distance and community. Despite our isolation and rage, we are connected at least through the internet.

Right now, we are at the edge of a new astrological period: Pluto is in its final degrees of Capricorn, and Saturn is in its final degrees of Aquarius. Being at the final degrees of a zodiac sign finds the planet wrapping up the “story” of its time in that sign, so retrospection, rehashing, and remixing may be part of the energy. The “story” can be especially notable for slow moving planets, like Pluto and Saturn: While the sun is only in a zodiac sign for a month, which can feel quite fleeting, Pluto and Saturn stay in zodiac signs for an extended period of time, inviting us to explore their archetypes on a deeper level. Given that corecore videos are essentially collages of the sorts of memes and ideas we were exploring during this era of internet culture, it makes astrological sense that they are gaining popularity at the end of two astrological eras. Perhaps corecore is flourishing because we’re at the tail end of two astrological transits and we’re juggling the immensity of it all: We’ve consumed so many memes at this point in history! We’re remixing the tropes, visuals and ideas we’ve been exposed to, processing it abstractly like our brains do when we’re dreaming. 

Corecore videos tend to feel dreamy, like an audio-visual form of journal entry. And dreams, in general, are associated with Neptune and Pisces—Pisces being the last sign in the zodiac symbolizing endings and summarizations. Neptune is currently in Pisces, too, and corecore stirs emotions reflective of this placement, without telling you how to feel. Neptune is the planet of filmmaking and photography—between all the content we have streaming and the fact that so many of us having a video recording and editing device in our pocket, the innovations that we’ve seen in this medium since it entered Pisces in 2011 will go down in history. 

Uranus entered Taurus in 2018, where it will stay until 2026. And as the planet of invention moves through the planet of beauty’s home sign, it is especially revolutionizing art and technology that’s used for sensual, emotional expression. In Taurus, the zodiac sign of the craftsperson, creators of social media may be breaking the mold in major ways. Prior to Uranus in Taurus, YouTube was arguably where most people watched videos online; however, since 2018, video has factored into social media in a bigger way, and the sorts of ways creators will experiment with the format could unfold in unexpected ways over the coming years.

Venus works on an eight-year cycle, and so do most trends. For example, some astrologers are waiting for a full comeback, or rethinking, of the tattoo choker this year as Venus retrogrades in Leo again. Trends also frequently follow a great 20-year cycle, roughly aligning with the length of time it takes for the nodes to move through the zodiac. We’re coming up on about 20 years of social media, which grew out of the blogs and forums of the early 2000s. Is a new era dawning? And is corecore here to catalog via video collage what was? All the memes, all the “vibes,” all the heartbreaks and triumphs? Only time will tell! Until then, we have astrology to guide us when we’re musing on art’s meaning.