Meet the woman behind ScorpioMystique

A conversation with Dossé-Via Trenou on lineage, culture and ownership

Oct 23, 2025

Astrology isn’t just trending — it’s big business. Recent estimates say the global astrology app market is set to triple in value by 2030, fueled by AI, digital wellness and personalization. In times as wild as these, more people are paying for tools that steady the mind, give language to what they’re feeling and offer a little perspective when the timeline spins.

You may already know ScorpioMystique and KnowTheZodiac (especially if you’re a Scorpio!). Behind both is Dossé-Via Trenou — author, founder, astrologer — building one of the only Black-led astrology apps on iOS and Android and growing it with care.

We discuss scaling while staying true to your voice, making product choices that honor culture and community, and turning cosmic insights into daily practice.

Origins & Voice

You launched ScorpioMystique as a USC freshman back in 2011. What did you see in the culture that made you hit publish that day, and what’s stayed true in your voice since then?

When I think of my ScorpioMystique journey, it’s directly connected to the fact that Twitter was booming as a platform back in 2011 — back when niche communities truly thrived. My intention was to dispel myths about my zodiac sign, Scorpio, and upon sharing tweets I quickly learned that thousands of people were hungry for authentic astrological knowledge… the more raw, messy and hilarious, the better.

As I lovingly both dragged and collected myself (and fellow Scorpios) through my tweets and horoscopes, I felt like we were co-creating a healing and evolutionary journey — one that’s stayed true ever since. The ScorpioMystique community feels seen by each other, and that remained my intention as I expanded and created KnowTheZodiac (KTZ). KTZ is here to help skymates feel seen and feel safe to be their ever-evolving selves.

What began as a tweet became an intuitively-led technology — the KTZ App is that same love letter, scaled through code. That’s been my compass ever since: to make spiritual wellness feel like home, and a form of ancestral remembrance.

When did astrology shift from a personal practice to a calling you were willing to build a company around?

My shift into entrepreneurship began when studying and integrating astrology into my life undeniably felt like a secret and life hack that other people deserved to know. I’m so glad I took time to dive into this spiritual practice for myself first, and truly nerd out about it as a child and teenager before making it my profession.

Astrology isn’t just a calling, it’s my inner child remembering an ancient cosmic language, or cosmic code. SM and KTZ were born out of my inner child’s curiosity about the cosmos, and about the infinite layers of my own being, more than anything.

My Moon is in Virgo in the 10th house, so it tracks that I feel emotionally stimulated and motivated by the work I do, and that a core part of my work centers on offering astrological services to help raise the collective consciousness.

Your writing is intimate yet practical. What’s your process for translating the skies into day-to-day decisions without feeding fear or fatalism?

I often think about all the ancestors that lived before us. They, too, experienced eclipses, new moons, retrogrades, full moons… and life went on. The planets are here to guide and protect us, but sometimes it happens in ways that feel uncomfortable. Other times it happens in ways that make us feel ecstatic. Either way, it’s all part of the experience and ebb and flow we call life. We’re all stardust in living form, and astrology reminds us of the fact that being alive, truly as a human being, is the most magical act of all.

As an evolutionary astrologer, I’m here to help you be present with both the discomfort and the highs of life, and that begins with reminding myself to do the same. The horoscopes I write feel like medicine to myself first, and it becomes medicine for the collective too. When I write, I’m not predicting the future — I’m helping us breathe and live through the present moment together.

Lineage, Culture & Responsibility

Your work centers the African and Indigenous roots of astrology. What lineages do you draw from, and what do most people get wrong (or where is there room to learn more) about astrology’s origins?

At this point in my life, I feel most connected to Yorùbá spirituality (my maternal ancestry is Yorùbá), which also has ties to Kemetic and Nubian cosmologies, both of which are some of the most ancient roots of astrology and spirituality. Much of this history has been hidden or appropriated, and that may be why there can be confusion or misrepresentations when it comes to astrology.

At its simplest form, astrology represents our innate curiosity for why we are here, what we are here to do, and who we’re meant to do it with. We nurture that curiosity by being aware of the solar, lunar, planetary and cosmic patterns above us. As above, so below. Our African ancestors knew this — and KTZ exists to help us remember.

In uncertain times, astrology can be a compass or a distraction. How do you design (your app, your approach, your company) for the first and avoid the second?

We’re very intentional with notifications — we keep them minimal, empowering and never fear-based. The app’s design is intentionally calm, simple and easy to navigate. My goal is to help people become their own astrologer, and not become dependent on me or any platform. That’s how astrology becomes a compass, not a crutch.

Magic & Melanin connects the diaspora to West Africa. How has time on the continent shaped your lens as an astrologer and founder?

Being on the continent roots me. There’s something about living on the Motherland that helps me hear myself more clearly as both an astrologer and founder. Key decisions in my life and in my businesses are intentionally mapped out thanks to me tracking personal and collective astrological transits and cycles. I feel like my ancestors are co-creating my dream life along with me, and they create more easeful pathways for me to navigate life because I remember them, honor them and give them offerings.

My rematriation to the Motherland (and creating my homegoing agency Magic & Melanin to help others return home too) is a reminder that my mission with both Magic & Melanin and KTZ isn’t just digital; it’s ancestral. I’m building tools and pathways that help us reconnect to what we already know in our bones, and to help empower us to celebrate, share and express our unique gifts with pride.

How do you speak to church-raised readers who feel torn? Can astrology coexist with faith in a way that builds character, not conflict?

I tell them that astrology isn’t a religion — it’s an ancient language. A big misconception is that astrology and religion cannot coexist. Most religions drew upon astrology when creating their texts because astrology is the oldest form of spirituality known to humankind. In my view, astrology and religion can coexist because I see astrology as a part of God/Source’s creation – like weather patterns or the ocean’s tides – rather than a rival to faith. For me, it’s another lens and tool for remembering the divine order in life, but it’s not something that should control or dictate our lives (just like religion shouldn’t either).

Oftentimes, when someone who has strong connections to their religious faith feels skeptical or torn about astrology, I encourage them to start off by getting a birth chart reading by a professional astrologer, rather than reading horoscopes on a random site online. If they open themselves up to a reading, they’ll often feel seen in a way that helps them better thrive.

Business & Growth

You’re one of the only Black women astrologers with an app on iOS and Android. What did it take to ship that first version — team, cash flow, mindset, etc.?

Whew. It took a lot of risks. It took a lot of personal investment. It took a lot of figuring it out as I went. It took a lot of overcoming deceptions in business due to my own naïveté. The original app came out in 2019, and as a first-time founder I learned some hard lessons about contracts, trust and tech. What felt like sabotage at the time turned out to be a divine redirection — it led me to Aditi Ohri, a Scorpio Rising, Cancer Sun techie and astro-loving queen who understood and respected the vision from day one and helped me rebuild the app through a freemium MVP, which we relaunched on February 28, 2025, the last day of Black History Month and the day of the Pisces New Moon.

KTZ’s astrologers, Adela Dore and Nisha Prakash, have also been intimately involved in helping KTZ grow its database of horoscopes, forecasts and readings tailored to each Sun sign of the zodiac for the past 5+ years, back when we were mainly sharing our offerings on social media. Now that the KTZ App has launched, they’ve become KTZ experts with their own specific astrological domains, such as offering Chiron Healing guides (Nisha) and Saturn Return reports (Adela). I’m so grateful for their long-term love, support and loyalty and thankful for their trust in me and belief in what KTZ could become.

Shantanu, Mack, Ayo (our KTZ developers and IT team), and Dasia and Murthy (KTZ’s social team) help keep the backend and frontend operations of KTZ running. Our team is lean, diverse and aligned with KTZ’s values. It takes a village to grow the KTZ Universe.

When I shared that shipping out the MVP of the app took risks, I mean that as a founder and CEO, I had to decide that transitioning from a free app to one with premium features was the right move. I had to shift my mindset and remember that I deserved this. I’ve written free daily, weekly and monthly scopes for over a decade, and it’s been beautiful to see how powerfully they resonate with the community. But now I’m in my receiving era — learning to balance the scales after seasons of over-giving.

Creating a cosmic container where my most loyal skymates could join and support directly on my own platform — rather than relying on Zuckerberg’s — felt like a necessary pivot in a world of digital censorship and attempted erasure. Creating the KTZ App and stepping into greater visibility and ownership was a reclaiming of my ancestral roots, because the first astrologers were African women.

Now, thousands of users worldwide open the KTZ App daily to reconnect with themselves and the Universe around them, and that’s the real ROI for me. Through daring to keep showing up for KTZ, despite the speedbumps and plot twists, KTZ and its community keeps showing up for me. The reciprocity is felt, appreciated and amplified through each offering we put out.

What’s on your product roadmap in the next year — content formats, accessibility, or partnerships — that you’re most excited to test?

Being able to connect with culturally-rooted platforms like CRWNMAG, and using such platforms to help remind the collective — particularly the African diaspora and local Africans — that we are the root of astrology (and of most forms of spirituality, science, and technology), is one of the most exciting parts of growing KnowTheZodiac. It’s like, we outttt hereee thoooo.

And in this digital age, all you have to do is share more of your story and mission consistently, and more people will know you’re out here. A part of me was getting comfortable mainly promoting to my IG, Twitter and newsletter community since that’s where I primarily first grew my audience. But now I’m ready to spread my wings and be seen and supported beyond what I’ve previously known.

I’m excited to get back to in-person events in 2026 and beyond, because pre-2020 KTZ would often offer live workshops and community gatherings, and it was amazing. I’m noticing a growing shift towards more real-life communities, and the KTZ App can serve as a portal that connects skymates to each other and encourages in-person bonding and match-making.

An Offering

Give us a 60-second horoscope decoder. In what order should readers read Rising, Sun and Moon — and how do they turn it into action?

Always read your Rising sign’s scopes first if you know your time of birth. Then your Sun, and your Moon third. Focus less on following every horoscope to the T, and more on understanding the themes that day’s transits bring up for you. Then trust your inner compass as you stay present and cosmically aware throughout your day.

Three journal prompts for the upcoming Scorpio Season?

With the Sun, Mercury and Mars all in Scorpio, how can I use this energy to transform rather than implode?
If my intensity ever turns destructive, can it be to destroy what inhibits my personal and collective freedom? (It’s giving we could go on work strikes to free Congo, Palestine, Haiti — Scorpio Season wants us to go there.)

Who would I be if I didn’t fear my own light?

Lightning Round

What’s your Sun/Moon/Rising?

Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon, Scorpio Rising.

Most misunderstood sign trait?

Scorpios aren’t cold — they’re teddy bears and deeply protective lovers with a sometimes tough exterior.

Underrated KTZ app feature people should use today?

The birth chart feature! Yes, our scopes are fire — but your natal chart is too. Take time to click each placement in your chart list, because we share deep insights on practically every planet in your chart.

A book or deck you created that pairs best with the app for deeper study?

The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest is one of my favorite astrology books and was one of the inspirations for my own book, Signs & Skymates: The Ultimate Guide to Astrological Compatibility.

A mantra you return to when you need courage?

“Leap and the net will appear.”

One Black woman in our astro lineage everyone should know — past or present?

Special shoutout to my paternal grandmother, Marguerite Trenou, who was a natural at cowrie divination (and also the first woman lawyer of Togo, and a major revolutionary) — she’s a reminder that magic runs in our blood, and that I don’t have to choose between my spiritual gifts and my more pragmatic ones… they can co-exist beautifully within me and be offerings for the world.