Astrology for Wellness

I didn’t realize how much of my life I was living on autopilot installed by social conditioning until I downloaded an astrology app. I have been using astrology for wellness and self-reflection since 2019, and I cannot say enough good things about how it has changed my perspective on people and life for the better.

I was the kind of girl that used to flip straight to the horoscope section in magazines as a kid, but I never went past sun signs back then. One day years later, my old college roommate sent me the Co-Star app along with a simple message: “I think you would like this.”

It was rather random looking back as we hadn’t talked in a while and had not seen each other in years, but that goes to show that she knew me very well because I still have that app on my phone. I started reading that first night and never looked back.

You may be wondering how one can use astrology for wellness, and I am glad that you asked. Astrology is an archetypal system that is used to interpret the unseen structure of life and can be used to explain a person’s aura.

Much like other spiritual and wellness-oriented practices (Yoga, Tai-Chi, Chakra healing), the aim of astrology is to encourage self-reflection and personal growth to help one rise to their highest potential. I once saw someone compare it to the Myers-Briggs test, and I find that to be an extremely accurate comparison.

Some look at astrology as a prediction model, but if astrology could truly tell the future, we would all be using it. We all have free will. Astrology can tell you about energy shifts, but you have to make good choices and do the work to reap the benefits.

From the time we are born, we are constantly being socially conditioned to contribute to whatever society we happen to be born into. Our parents or caregivers mold us into whatever they believe will be successful, and we are rarely given a choice in this social conditioning. Upon reaching adulthood, we are then asked to decide what we want to do with our lives and to earn a living.

Earning a living requires assimilating to someone else’s rules and expectations even further, with the added consequence of not being able to support yourself if you don’t. Whether you are a regular employee beholden to your boss, an entrepreneur beholden to your customers, or a CEO beholden to the board and your shareholders—most of us have to compromise for someone. If not work, you definitely have to compromise for marriage, friends, family and community.

Most people never get the opportunity to reach full self-actualization, to find out what they truly love, or their life’s purpose. There are a great number of people simply existing, trading their time away for money, sacrificing their desires for their kids, spouses, family, or jobs. Sacrificing their light and happiness just to survive.

This was my experience as well, and I didn’t even realize it until I downloaded that app. Before that, I thought I was living my best life. I had a great boyfriend, friends and family, and a decent job that gave me over 100 hours of PTO each year.

To be honest, I was happy, but I had a nagging suspicion that there was more to life. Not to be a Negative Nancy, but I knew in my bones that this wasn’t all there was. I was correct.

Opening the app was just the tip of the iceberg on my astrological journey to self-discovery. I ran through the information on the app quickly, but to truly understand it, I had to do more research—like a solid year’s worth. To test my understanding, I had my natal chart read by a professional astrologer. Her reading brought me to tears (Pisces Rising). I finally felt seen and deeply understood. It turns out I had the wrong birth time, so I have a slightly different chart now, but still, it was eye opening.

Since then, my life has done a complete 180. I have gained a lot of insight into my personality, habits, and tendencies, and I’ve made a lot of positive changes. If not for astrology, I don’t know that I would have had the capacity to rise above the challenges I’ve faced in the time since I first downloaded Co-Star.

Astrology is all about free will and personal growth. Yes, we were all born under a certain sun sign, moon sign, and all that, but everyone’s chart is different. Even identical twins do not have identical charts.

It is almost a metaphor for how every single person has their own life to live, complete with its own challenges and decisions. Astrology is not a faith-based system to believe in. It is simply a system that categorizes energy. Similar how yoga has different poses to unlock certain energies, astrology describes a person’s energy. Also, just because someone has a birthday that falls in Aries season, that doesn’t mean they will exhibit Aries traits or resonate with Aries energy.

I have heard people say that they do not identify with their zodiac sign, and that is totally normal. I am a Virgo Sun, but I have a Pisces Rising, so the outward expression of my energy is more Pisces than Virgo. I am sensitive, emotionally expressive, empathetic, and dreamy. I am easily distracted and I will space out without notice. As a child I cried easily and often, and my Virgo Sun cousin would always say there was no way we were the same sign, because she only cried in extreme situations, whereas I cried when Jack and Rose finally consummated their relationship in Titanic.

We were not the same.

When I started to research my three most important placements—my Sun, Moon, and Rising signs—things really started making more sense. The rising sign is most noticeable to others and can give you clues as to how other people perceive you, and ways you can shape your personality to achieve your goals.

As a Pisces Rising, I have always struggled with depression, which is a classic Pisces affliction. I went to therapy, I started anti-depressants, and I would still struggle with bouts of hopelessness, even in good times.

I was a chronic people pleaser with occasional bursts of anger due to the frustration of sacrificing my needs just to maintain what I had and get ahead in the rat race of life. I could not figure out how to prioritize myself and my needs to secure emotional peace.

I could make friends easily and influence people, maybe as a result of Venus trining my rising, but I was never comfortable disappointing people or handling conflict. More examples of low vibrational Pisces energy.

As I researched everything Pisces related, I found new ways to express myself and manage my emotions. I realized that I needed more alone time to sort out my feelings before I could pinpoint and articulate them to others. I realized that my sensitivity was not a burden, but a gift of deep intuition and empathy. I started trusting myself more, taking more time alone to process, and my life immediately improved. I also realized that constant socializing, partying and drinking was an escapist coping mechanism to dull my feelings. Pisces are notoriously escapist.

Those are just a few things I realized once I started studying my chart. I have been studying astrology for almost 7 years, and I am constantly learning new things. As I read about certain transits (movements of planets and points in the astrological chart) and experience them, I gain a deeper understanding of myself and the people around me. I have more grace for people because my mind has expanded to allow me to see things more objectively, and I have stronger boundaries around myself for the same reasons.

For me, astrology wasn’t about predicting my future—it was about finally understanding myself well enough to change it.

And once I had that, everything else started to shift.

If you have made it to the end of this post, I would love to hear how astrology or self-reflection—or both—has positively affected your life. Leave a comment or reach out to me on social media. If you are looking to deepen your knowledge of astrology beyond the magazine sun sign horoscope, please check out the link I’ve posted below for a proper introduction.

Astrology 101 - How To Interpret Your Birth Chart