Psychological Astrology & Self-Reflection

An unpopular opinion about astrology: it is not trying to put you in a box of characteristics. Its aim in modern times can be seen as an introduction or a guide to 12 archetypes of personalities. However, it does more than that - discovering that you have a natal chart, different planets, and signs and that each person has a unique chart - would intuitively lead you to the idea that we are all a different mixture of qualities that merge in a complex and beautiful way.

What grabbed my attention is that it also holds the potential to teach people who are interested in it, that you can express love in different ways, have a certain pattern of thinking that maybe doesn't align with it ideally, have an emotional world that is linked with your upbringing, inspire you to explore how you act and communicate, and so on - the potential is endless. The more you learn, the more there is to discover.

You may have been introduced to predictive astrology, which can vary from the widely spread horoscopes (that people check for their sun sign and are always slightly off as they are meant to be read for the rising if written properly), but the reflective side of astrology is mainly a personal task. Even when it comes to working with an astrologer, who can go into great detail about the placements in your natal chart - there is should still room for discernment.

We all want clear answers and a direction, but astrology only points towards possibilities. How we utilize them and if we do - depends on us and our free will. This applies to your natal chart as well. Each sign and placement has great potential to develop and grow, yet if it is not worked with, it can remain undiscovered. What is the use of astrology then? Mainly to make you aware of the potential opportunities that are linked to current astrological transits, as well as to help you understand yourself.

Even with all of the knowledge it provides, it still can't see what you have done with your "inborn" potential and qualities and how you have reacted to the lessons life has brought to you so far. In that sense, Aries placements might have anger issues when not worked with and they can be amazing leaders who know when the right time for action is - when worked with. Each sign holds a spectrum of positive and negative traits and it is up to you if you would want to work with them or not.

We all know that Geminis are seen as liars, they sure can be the devil's advocate, but they can also be skilled writers, scholars, and creatives who manage to capture the inexplainable emotions like no other sign. The core quality - a thirst for diversity, information, and communication, is still there but its use varies greatly. That is when the job of the astrologer comes in, to see where you stand through the conversation you are having, what challenges you are facing, and what could help you resolve them. You may not agree and decide to follow your intuition and heart, which is a reminder that in every situation we have a right to choose if we would want to accept new information and change because of it or remain as we are because it fulfills us.

The best part is that you can start without an astrologer, there are plenty of resources online that explain each placement, transit, and aspect - which is all wonderful news for us as a society! Here we make a full circle and it is time to remind ourselves that astrology does not aim to put us in a box. We all have all 12 zodiac signs in our chart and that is another reason to learn about them all. But if we all carry the same 12 signs then what is the point of even exploring them some may ask, I know I have asked myself. The difference is that some signs are more prominently expressed in each chart, you can still work and access other signs if you would want to, yet naturally each person expresses some of the positive and negative traits of a few of the 12 signs - or the so-called stelliums.

Let's circle back one last time. The inner work starts with you, understanding each sign in depth can give you a map of characteristics that you carry within you - some more, some less. It also gives you ideas of how you can work to enhance or balance out some of them - the sister signs axis. And of course, the gift of understanding others or at least getting curious about them :) After all, understanding or trying to understand the people you care about (including yourself!)- is a love language and a life-long journey.