By Julia Dolinish // @juliadol21 (insta and pinterest)
Astrology is defined by the Oxford dictionary as the “study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.” Even if you have never looked into astrology yourself, you probably know your sun sign. You might even know some of the stereotypes of each sign; “Never trust a Gemini” or “Cancers are cry babies”.
Astrology tends to carry a stigma because it isn’t a true science, and the people who “believe” in it are seen as delusional. The image of girls at a sleepover flipping to the back of their magazines to see if their crush will notice them that month comes to mind. But as astrology grows in popularity, a deeper knowledge of it is also spreading along the waves of internet culture and I have hopped on for the ride.
I have had an interest in astrology for years, thanks to my love of personality tests. As I followed more astrology accounts on twitter I started to realize how much was actually a part of it. One day an account was offering $5 birth chart readings. I felt out of my depth with what she explained, but everything she said felt like it hit a nail on the head. She told me that because my sun in Scorpio squares my moon in Leo, I might sometimes feel at odds with myself. This was because these signs interact with the world so differently. My Scorpio sun likes privacy, while my Leo moon wants to be the center of attention. All my years of craving attention through creative fields fighting with my crippling shyness suddenly made sense. My Leo moon needs praise and that's not a bad thing.
I started reading everything about my birth chart I could find online. In 2020 I decided to seriously study astrology, because I felt like I only knew the tip of the iceberg and wanted to understand the depths! I bought two books: “The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need” and “Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life”. I figured out what my other planets’ signs were. I learned about the 12 houses, which factors would play a larger role in my life because more planets fell there. It helped me understand why I have such a connection to the arts, and creativity. Why my soul has felt the urge to travel since I was young. It gave an answer for why I have such high expectations for love, and why I want to learn everything under the sun. It showed me my communication style and how others might be trying to connect with me.
I started to understand intricate parts of myself. It helped me realize that things I saw as initially as flaws (I can be pretty stubborn) aren’t wrong, they all make up this starry map of who I am.
Astrology expresses complex ideas about personality, life cycles, and relationship patterns under the language of the universe. Even if it is all just confirmation bias, it can give us much needed insight and comfort in times of stress or when we feel lost. Studying astrology has helped me learn about who I am, what I value, and truly find strength and love for myself; a beautiful mess of stardust.
Let us know if you'd like more articles on astrology, zodiac signs and maybe even weekly horoscopes!