what is astrology good for?

as a younger-career professional astrologer, i’m often asked a couple questions when people first find out what i do. i’m usually happy to answer, short of reminding people that my boundaries about personal chart questions should be compensated (seriously, book with someone. support a small business.)

inevitably, i am met with a reasonable amount of healthy skepticism. that’s fair. i understand why people say astrology is a pseudoscience, but language is a tricky, precise and infinitely nuanced… but in my eyes? astrology is a language.

if astrology is a language, it is one of the heavenly spheres and the stars above. astrologers are translators of this celestial word bank, plucking certain combinations of constellations in order to write poetry out of someone’s chart. astrologers are teachers and guides, we are facilitators. and as someone who provides counsel, we are also space holders.

as i work on a presentation (i’ll announce it when i get more clarity on the timelines,) i’m reminded of the sacred hearth i tend— while it is metaphorical, i’m cognisant that i attune people to their planetary spirits. i often don’t talk about my spirituality with clients, simply because the conversation does not revolve around me: it is about my client.

in various iterations of my self, most of them were gainfully employed in healthcare. in all versions of me, there is an element of chronic illness and a dire lack of spoons that lingers. i struggled with the ebbs and flows of the ailments, reckoned with Saturn in an attempt to stop time.

when avoiding the spirit of your Time Lord, it’s best to fully understand that you will be punished in a matter of time. astrological forecasting gives me a relatively decent idea of what to expect on the road ahead. whether that be using profections or firdaria, or even tempting fate by electing an auspicious time— astrology is all about time. and how it isn’t linear: it’s cyclical.

in my own life, i’ve noticed how potent certain forecasting techniques become once i start seeing them as ways to engage with the planetary spirits, in certain areas of my life. weirdly, this recentVenus-Saturn trine helped me realise whatever anguish i felt a couple months ago has dissolved into curiosity, data gathering and using those two things to build and repair relationships. (would it surprise you that Venus and Saturn are my time lords this year? and yes, I know the need for more evidence is mercurial but I have a point here, lol)

through a retrospective lens, looking back at transits helps contextualise the murky waters. looking forward brings us awareness of how to best navigate the cosmic weather, but sometimes the projected shitstorm turns out to be a brief spot of rain in the afternoon. which brings me to the present, and why i think astrology is useful as we are, as we exist now.

in the present, with the gift of mindfulness, astrology grants us greater intimacy. for many of us, the first forays into our selves was through others. (alas, so is the curse of the libra sun) as humans, short of isolating one’s self in a dark cave, our lives are about existing in relation with others. some of these others may be less than corporeal, and we certainly also hold a certain affinity for our chthonic comforts.

the allowance for yourself to forge deep connection with others means you are opening up for even deeper connection with yourself. astrology shapes this by helping us understand the tools the heavenly spheres gave us and how to best utilise them given the climate. it is where the notion of time and its passing ceases to exist in linearity and begins to conceptualise itself as meandering and cyclical.

astrology, in the here and now, acts as a form of relationship at every level. i wouldn’t be where i am today without the community (whether or not i like it at times) i belong. but as fallible beings, our egos get in the way of showing up for others. we don’t utilise nuance as often as we should.

(note: as an aside, I’d like to remind the audience here that nuance doesn’t apply when it comes to blatantly harmful speech. if you’re going to bet racist, sexist, or rather any “ists” that actively harm historically marginalised and traumatised populations, maybe you should just sit this one out.)

my viewpoint is nothing new. i’m forever a student at heart, so my practice is always a work in progress. i’m inspired by many of my teachers, mentors, colleagues and friends (and i name them loudly when i think / know they deserve more praise.) so i do hope that my words ring true and that I’ve properly cited my sources.

ultimately, astrology serves as a tool for connection. to the universe(s) around us, to the cycles of time that we live in, to the others we choose to be in relation with, and most importantly: ourselves. i know that many others look at astrology as a tool and language they can manipulate and utilize in other ways, but for me, the gift of the cosmos proves to give back in the sheer amount of relations it ignites in my own life.

charts contain snippets that astrologers piece together into beautiful narratives. we are celestial poets and songwriters, authors of our own epic sagas, bound together by the heavenly spheres. so, to those cishet white men who continue to shit on my love for this art, i say: good for you. grateful that you’ve found something you believe in, but so have i. i’ll likely stay in my cave of delusion, but i have wonderful company.

fundraiser & mutual aid request: if you have a couple spare dollars (seriously, you can drink coffee tomorrow…) could you please consider helping out my dear friend and comrade, Alyssia? they’re an organiser who was fired from their job as retaliation for creating better conditions for workers, and have a whole ton of medical bills to pay. Alyssia is one of my dearest friends I’ve made in this weird, liminal space and by chipping in, and also sharing, we can help them by saving their teeth 💖

https://tinyurl.com/alyssiasteeth

if you liked this edition of ITWYW, please feel free to click the button below to subscribe, it’s free. if you want to support my work, please consider paying to subscribe. it costs less than a venti starbucks drink does, and i’d be ever so thankful for your support.

as an aside, my books are also open for consultations. my rates are still $175/hr until the end of the year, when they will increase to $200/hr. i will be doing tiered pricing, and i do offer payment plans for those who cannot manage the lowest rate and still want a reading with me. feel free to reply to this email, or contact me on my website if you have any questions or need accommodations

thanks for coming on this ride with me. i’ve been toiling away at midterms so last week there was no newsletter. hoping this makes up for it. x

xo

see you sweaty croutons around the internet