From quaint newspaper horoscopes whispering fate in black-and-white columns to schoolyard office pools over Super Bowl brackets, humans have long been bewitched by predicting what tomorrow might hold. In the late 19th century, newspapers appended small horoscope columns—astrology mixed with medicine shows—inviting readers to glimpse their stars and conjure predictions for love and fortune. These snippets, tucked beside classifieds and serialized novels, offered a brief thrill: the chance to believe a cosmic hand guided mundane errands. The horosccope’s low-stakes gamble laid the groundwork for collective anticipation, knitting readers together in shared ritual rather than solitary reading. By the mid-20th century,

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