A WOMAN has revealed how she accidentally became a professional astrologer after setting out to prove it was nonsense – before making another unlikely career change.
Uwu Tofu, from Texas, US, first became fascinated with astrology at college around 10 years ago – but for all the wrong reasons.
The content creator, who has over 500k followers on Instagram @iamuwutofu, was convinced astrology was nonsense and decided to research it so she could prove believers wrong.
But the deeper she delved into birth charts, the more convinced she became that there might be something to it.
Tofu eventually became a professional astrologer herself, building an online following of tens of thousands and earning up to $6,000 a month from consultations.
She has since made another dramatic pivot – swapping natal charts for adult content and adopting a “sexy housewife” persona online.
“I actually became an astrologer because I thought it was bullsh*t,” said Tofu.
“It was about 10 years ago when I was in college and I wanted to really research why it was wrong.
“But once I did my research and actually started using it, I was like, ‘Maybe they’re onto something.’
“I accidentally became a professional astrologer.”
Tofu turned her unlikely discovery into a business, offering clients consultations where she would interpret their natal charts.
She also built a significant social media presence, starting with a Tumblr blog that amassed around 28,000 followers.
After moving to Twitter, she claims her audience grew to approximately 36,000.
Tofu said: “I was very popular in the astrology community on social media.
“I had a solid business and I was interacting a lot with the professional community.
“I would have maybe two or three consultations a day at around $120 for an hour and a half.
“At the highest, it was maybe around $6,000 a month, although talking for that long makes your brain turn into mush.”
But while astrology had unexpectedly become a career, another surprise was waiting.
During college, a friend told Tofu she had been anonymously sharing nude pictures on Reddit and encouraged her to try it herself.
Tofu agreed and began posting without showing her face.
One picture unexpectedly blew up and appeared on Reddit’s front page – but her distinctive purple hair made staying anonymous difficult.
She claims men she knew from college began trying to work out whether she was the mystery woman.
One ex even allegedly compared the image with family beach photographs on Facebook to identify a birthmark.
Tofu said: “My friend told me, ‘I think that’s on the front page of Reddit,’ and I thought it was crazy.
“But a lot of guys I went to college with frequented that subreddit and they were like, ‘This looks familiar.’
“My hair was purple at the time and the picture had purple hair.
“One of my exes would cross-reference the nude with beach photos I had on Facebook with my family because I have a birthmark.
“Eventually, in 2021, I thought, ‘You know what? Fuck it. I’m just going to do it and show my face.’”
Tofu initially expected her online content to provide some extra cash alongside astrology.
Instead, she says it quickly began generating more money than her established business.
She said: “I was just hoping it would be some nice side cash while I was doing my astrology career.
“But very quickly it made more money than my astrology career.
“I was like, ‘This is interesting. I’ve got to do the unexpected pivot.’”
Tofu now estimates she makes around $15,000 in an average month.
One of the moments that convinced her she had built a serious business came after participating in a TikTok trend.
She said: “There was a TikTok trend where you would show your ugly younger self and then your hotter adult self.
“I did that and I think I got over three million views.
“I saw a huge spike in my income and once I saw that, I was like, ‘That’s crazy, bro.’
“That was when it really started hitting me that this was a serious business.”
Her career now involves significantly more than taking pictures.
Tofu says she posts on social media daily, studies viral trends and has assistants helping her maintain a consistent online presence.
She believes creators who rely entirely on their appearance will struggle to build a loyal audience.
Tofu said: “The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is being just hot.
“You’re not going to make it if you’re just hot unless you’re the hottest person ever.
“For me, my physical looks are probably what gets people in, but the thing that keeps fans is my personality and the experience I give them.
“If you put too much effort into the opening sign but have nothing inside, people will leave fast.
“It’s like going into Target with the most beautiful sign ever and then finding the entire store is empty.”
Despite leaving professional astrology behind, Tofu still credits her former career with teaching her how to run a business and recognise when she needs help.
She added: “This creator economy is kind of like the Wild West.
“There are really no right or wrong answers.
“You kind of just have to trust yourself as you’re walking down the road and making your own choices.”
