Astrology as a gateway to deeper understanding of yourself & others…

Astrology can indeed be very helpful for navigating your own life.  But not for the reasons many think it is –

I recommend looking at some of the larger more meaningful transits that are coming in any given year  -- and then consulting with an astrologer by using your own unique natal chart – to see how those transits are likely to impact you.

 What many people do is read the daily horoscope for their Sun sign, and when it doesn’t resonate with their specific situation, they completely disregard the field entirely.  However, they were approaching the practice from the wrong point of view entirely.

 So why do I use astrology in my practice?

Wow, where to begin with this one!  Astrology has become so integral to my life that it’s hard to imagine a time without its insights.

As a child, my Mom would kiddingly tell me that I was too serious and studious because I am a Capricorn.  She would tell me to have more fun and not to walk around with such a serious look on my face (Capricorns have the original “resting bitch face”, but only because we’re usually worrying about our responsibilities…even when we’re toddlers).  Of course, as a light-hearted Aquarius, she would say that – Aquarians are usually not very connected with worrying!

My mom was a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s, so her astrological knowledge mostly came from the musical Hair!  (and their famous song “Age of Aquarius”), and other pop culture references.  One thing I do remember vividly is the fact that she’d often read Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs; I would spy the big, thick hardcover book on the shelf, and longed to read it.

By the time I’d reached my teens, I had pretty much read Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs over and over – I was fascinated by her insights into my sign, my friend’s sign, my crush’s sign—but it didn’t end there.  It was surprising to find how deeply what she wrote coincided with patterns I saw in the people I knew.  Her writing seemed so intuitive, and really provided me with a profound working knowledge of the essence of each zodiac sign.  I remember once waiting for the C train at 86th Street after high school; I had started carrying Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs around with me (for quick reference), and a woman who was also waiting for the C train started chatting me up about it.  After we’d talked for a while, I found myself blurting out, “You’re a Libra, right?”  Her eyes widened in amazement.  She nodded, and shouted “I definitely need that book!”

(That was probably just a lucky guess; I obviously don’t always guess people’s sun signs correctly. And guessing people’s sign, finally, is NOT the objective of good astrology.

The way I see it, at the most basic level, there are three objectives of astrology:

1) To understand yourself,

2) To understand others, and

3) To understand what’s going on in the world around us.

 All of these objectives are useful in and of themselves – some people choose to just connect with astrology along one of these vectors (for example, they might just want to understand themselves), whereas others – like myself – are curious about exploring the full spectrum of how astrology can enrich our lives.  There is an interplay between our own personal natal charts, the charts of our loved ones, and the broader universe, and it’s worth exploring that.

 But for those who would like it, let me give you a brief overview:

1 - Understanding Yourself through Astrology

As you probably know, according to astrology, you are so much more than just your sun sign.  So if you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend getting your natal chart done (incidentally, there is also a solar return chart, which describes how your chart will look and feel for the current year, but that’s a topic for a later post).

The beauty of the natal astrology chart is that it shows you so much of the nuances that come together to make you who you are.  This is determined through where each planet was at the time of your birth – yes, the exact time is best, along with the location, and the other details you’d expect, like the month, day, and year of birth.   The placement of these planets, and their relationship to one another – can reveal a lot about you – who you are, why you are that way…and anyone who says astrology “isn’t real” or “doesn’t work” has probably never had their natal chart done…either that or it wasn’t explained properly to them!

Different astrologers may have slightly different interpretations of your birth chart, but the basic themes are there:  your natal chart provides a beautiful, and quite comprehensive, map of your personality and tendencies. Not only does it provide you with insight into your strengths, talents, and weaknesses, but it also gives you an opportunity to change – through the awareness this provides.  Your natal chart is not a locked destiny; it’s something that has been changed and refined through your upbringing and the circumstances of your life.  However, the natal chart really is just there to help you understand and appreciate yourself better; and as we develop a deeper understanding of our Shadow Side, we can gain power over it, and liberate ourselves.

Your Sun sign is important, but it’s influenced by the position of the other planets at the time of your birth. You’ll begin to see this in more detail once you get to know several people of the same Sun sign – and notice that although they have definite similarities in how they perceive the world, they definitely demonstrate key differences.

By digging deeper into the mysteries of your own chart, you’ll get a better grasp of all the issues that have eluded you over the years.  For example, my own Mars is in Gemini.  When (with the help of a great astrologer) I figured out what this meant for me, I felt liberated.  For example, throughout my academic studies and career, I’ve found that I’m called to pursue many avenues at once.  I changed my major several times in college – and I’ve always been intrigued by several career paths at once.  Learning that my Mars is in Gemini helped me to understand – among other things – that in order to stay engaged with my work, I need a great deal of variety, intellectual stimulation, and dialogue (I’m simplifying here, but that’s the idea). 

Furthermore, it’s important to understand the relationship between the planets, and in what domain (or “house”) they influence in your life, to understand the nuances of the inter-planetary relationships on your life.

To sum it up, working with an astrologer can help you to better understand:

1)    What your strengths are and how to maximize them;

2)    Your weaknesses and how to address or mitigate them;

3)    Most fulfilling career path;

Working with an astrologer to understand your natal chart can also be of enormous value in understanding your communication and love style. Being able to understand why we love who we love, and how we love –this topic is pretty engrossing for most of us!  And astrology can be really useful in all of our relationships – love, work, family, and friendship. 

2- Understanding Others through Astrology

Astrology is perhaps most obviously useful in the domain of relationships.    Relationship synastry is, for me, one of the most beautiful and mysterious of astrological pursuits.  We can examine how one chart dances and interacts with another – how the unique blueprint of your natal chart interacts with the someone else’s natal chart.  But there’s an added, mysterious element: your two charts create another entity – a natal chart of the relationship, which is almost like another person, with its own tendencies, outlook, and issues to deal with.

 Have you ever noticed that you get along with some people quite effortlessly?  Communication is easy, there are few disagreements, and even your moments of friction are short-lived and easy to mend? They understand you, you understand them, and for the most part, interacting and building rapport comes easily.

 And yet with others, try as we might, communication is strained, misunderstandings are frequent – they just rub us the wrong way!

Through astrology, we can discern:

1) Our own relationship needs and how we want to be loved;

2) Who we are attracted to and who the best partners are for us (as you might have noticed – that’s not always the same thing!);

3) Perspective-changing insights for managing diverse relationships – from lovers to family members, to work colleagues. 

 As you (and your astrologer) look at your chart, alongside your lover’s chart, you can get a better sense of how you attract on another other, how to bring out the best in your relationship and how to navigate areas of difficulty.

Whether it’s in work, love, or family, relationship synastry play a huge role why the same types of people keep showing up in your life.

 Again, it’s important to dig deeper than mere Sun signs – each of us is made up of a complex and richly nuanced chart.  So when we regard our lovers and partners and friends, we need to explore so much more than the surface of things.

 3- Broader Changes in the Zeitgeist (i.e., the Spirit of our Times)

While this part of astrology is a lot more complex and challenging to get right, the broader changes of society can be foreseen in advance.

 For example, several astrologers spoke of changes in the planetary movements, particularly that of Uranus moving into Taurus for the first time in 70 years, may have heralded the coronavirus pandemic.  Other astrologers have written extensively about how the Black Lives Matter movement, and specifically, the placement of planet Uranus at 8 degrees in Taurus, with Jupiter at 27 degrees Capricorn, mimics certain similar transits at the time of the American Revolution.

 While admittedly most people will be drawn to astrology for its uses in understanding themselves and their partners, it can be extraordinarily helpful to look at how the broader winds of change are influencing your life, and the life of EVERYONE around you.