Astrology fascinates me. Although it is often subject to suspicion from the more scientific among us, there’s something to be said about the way it came to be practiced in nearly every major empire across the globe - from Babylon to Egypt, China to Greece, Maya to Baghdad. Where these cultures saw humankind as part of a greater system of nature, they also saw the interplay between people and the cosmos. From these various practices have emerged a number of astrological approaches, such as Hellenistic (Greek), Vedic (Indian), or Chinese to name a few. In India today, it is still a practice some use to help inform many major life decisions - from marriage to childbirth.

Recently, I’ve become more interested in the practice, partly because I ended up in horoscope TikTok and partly because I was just fascinated by the idea of the stars imprinting a certain disposition on you and the way that disposition can interact with your nurtured upbringing. Back in October, I decided to gift myself a birth chart reading for my 26th birthday. I though a little guidance couldn’t hurt, especially in this period of global upheaval, and even if it didn’t provide anything of substance it was a new and stimulating way to spend a Sunday after 52 weeks of Netflix and local walks.

A friend who is into various spiritual practices has an astrologist on call, the way some of us have chiropractors or nutritionists, and passed along her information to me. This astrologist, Julia, has gotten so busy throughout COVID that although booking in October, it wasn’t until February that we were able to meet. Which I took as an encouraging testimony of this woman’s credentials and insight. For $150, I was able to book a 6 hour session which seems like an incredibly long session (it was) but time flies when you’re listening to someone talk about you (isn’t that everyone’s favourite topic?!).

So? How did it go? I found it to be an incredibly powerful tool in my journey of self-discovery and support. The price was right for six hours of education and guidance - it felt like a life coach session in some ways and a therapy session in others (although I never told Julia anything about myself beyond my birth date, time and place). It was unbelievably reassuring to have her put into words things I had always known about myself but wasn’t able to verbalize or understand until she explained the why behind it. And never did I feel uncomfortable with what she was explaining - the approach was always positive and well-meaning. Wherever there might be an attribute that seemed undesirable, she walked me through both the benefits of that demeanour and the tools to deal with the challenges it might present.

For instance, as a Virgo Moon, I knew the typical taxonomy is that they are hyper-detail oriented and easily stressed in environments of disarray. I prefer cleanliness and order - my parents can tell you I’ve been Marie Kondo’ing for years. Julia explained, Virgo presents an interesting dichotomy. It is both skeptical and deeply spiritual, on a level it can’t explain (hence the skepticism) but only knows intrinsically. They aren’t the most spiritual people in terms of listening to spirits or practicing any sort of mysticism but they do understand that daily life is sacred and full of meaning - whether that be your morning coffee ritual, your afternoon walks around the block, or even cleaning your house. It is about honouring the simple and elevating it to the spiritual. Which I personally think is a beautiful way of looking at the world and a nicer way to explain being perfectionistic. As she was explaining these things to me, it really did strike a chord. I used to find great joy in the subway ride to work in the morning, or taking a shower at night to wash off the stress of the day. Making my coffee feels akin to a ritual. I love washing dishes and vacuuming as I feel a sense of restoration in the process of cleaning.

But I also know that this sign is also quite nitpicky and can be critical. This was where the life coach aspect of the session came in - Julia presented really fantastic tools for each challenge she saw presented in the chart. In this case, she recommended that similar to the way a restaurant critic is critical in a positive way (because who really wants to read about restaurants or food they shouldn’t eat?), Virgos should practice flexing their positive criticism muscle - acknowledging where things might have fallen short (i.e. the short ribs might’ve done well with a bit more spice), but focusing on what was good (i.e. the Madagascar cheesecake was divine). This allows Virgos to recognize and focus on what is going well, and what does contribute to their goal of creating something sacred in the ordinary.

Obviously I could go on for ages about the experience, as I have six hours of content on hand, but most wouldn’t be relevant to whoever is reading since our charts would likely look quite different. In terms of the process however, I hope this was a useful introduction to the benefits of a birth chart reading and what you could get out of it - I think it is a a tool worth considering if you are on a journey of introspection and development.